doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com How to change Point of Impact ??

Patterning a handfull of SXS's for the upcoming turkey season, I ran into a dilemma with my LC Ideal 12ga. It was one of five guns put to the patterning board in the last couple days. All but the LC Ideal placed even patterns both above and below the point of aim. The two pics below show a 20yd and 40yd pattern. These are the 7th and 8th shot showing the same low pattern. Examination shows a high percent of pellets below the POA. IF there is one thing I don't need in my shot delivery is low pellets. I've changed the pitch to 2 1/2". Is this a barrel physics problem? DAH issue? OR What? to move that pattern up? Any suggestions? In answer to Jims comments. For the pattern work, all shots were sighted down the rib to keep consistent shot to shot. Did not use the quick mount and shoot technique. All the guns I keep have been fitted and dimensions are close to identical. For the last 8 years, all the clay games[skeet,trap,5stand,SC] I shoot are from a low mount position to imprint consistency in every gun mount. All the clay games are just practice for upland and waterfowl. This mounting position is always constant to have the right eye aligning as an extension of the rib line. Regarding this LC, it is a good fit, but haven't been happy with the results on game or clays. I've used Orlen and Skeets for barrel work, but never asked for this type of choke fix you suggested. Randy
20yds, 1 oz, #8's


40yds, 1 oz, #8's

You left out some important details about how you shot these patterns. Namely, did you carefully aim down the rib? This is how you determine if the barrels shoot straight. Or did you mount the gun quickly, as you would in the field, and shoot as soon as the comb touched your face? This is how you determine how the gun fits you. If the barrels shoot low, with careful aiming, you move the POI by removing metal from the choke area, on the side you want to shift the patten toward. If you mounted and shot quickly, you want to move your eye in the direction you want the pattern to go. This is done by raising or lowering the comb, like the rear sight on a rifle or pistol. Changing the pitch will have little or no effect on this. It's not a DAH(drop at heel) problem. The drop at the comb, or at the face(where your face sits against the stock) is what you need to be concerned with.

Bend the barrels. All this stock modification is not getting to the root of the problem. Put the barrels in a bending jig and bend them. It shouldn't take much and it will be invisible to future owners. End of story.

Your testing may be incomplete, she just might not like the shells she is being feed. Use differant shells and then keep pattern testing before changing anything.

You have a lot of work to do and you're burning daylight.

The easiest way is to adjust the comb height - use moleskin, tape, cardboard, whatever you like. The formula is 1/16" of comb adjustment equals POI movement of 1" at 16 yards, 2" at 32 yards, etc. You can take more draconian and permanent actions to alter the gun once you have taken these temporary steps and try it out.

First, please answer the questions I asked.

Jim, I did, As soon as you first posted I put answer to your questions in my original post.

I've bent barrels. Pretty simple, but probably not for the faint of heart. Any hydraulic arbor press makes a fine barrel bender. A pile of soft 2x4's and 4x4's and some 1/4" rubber sheet for the thin barrels, will keep you from putting a flat in your barrels. Randy's problem could be fixed in a few minutes this way. ...or countless hrs of messing with the stock.

Bending the stock up would raise it as well. It probably would take an 1/8th inch to make a noticeable change in POI.

What are the drops at heel and comb nose? Are you seeing much rib, or does the bead seem to rest right on the receiver with no rib visible?

I missed seeing the answer, sorry. It says the problem is in the gun. As both barrels are shooting low, bending the barrels up would be the easiest remedy. Removing metal from inside the muzzles will move the patterns in that direction BUT will make the patterns a bit larger. If you're happy with the chokes as they are, bending the barrels seems the way to go. Old man Purbaugh is said to have used a drawer in his shop, to bend barrels. He would put the barrel(s) in the drawer and lean on it until it bent. I like the idea of a press, better. Best wishes with it.