Fowler still shooting low...

[jmac]

I've have struggled with my TVM fowler and round ball.I'm getting better but my shots are still consistantly 3-4" low at 30 yards. I've played with loads finding 60 gr 3f a .600 RB patched with .015 pillow tick and a 1/2" felt wad over the powder gives the most consistant groupings. I have filed my front sight low infact I don't really have much front sight left. When I shoot I give myself a lot of barrel in my sight picture. Suggestions? One thought I had is that the gun is too short for me. I am 6'5" with long arms and a lean build. Normally I order a rifle with a 14 1/2" LOP and this one has only 13 3/4" LOP. I know in a wing gun stock fit can effect point of impact. I assume this would be true with a fowler and RB as well. Again I am open to suggestions, help, advice, ridicule...


John

 

[roundball]

I've have struggled with my TVM fowler and round ball.I'm getting better but my shots are still consistantly 3-4" low at 30 yards. I've played with loads finding 60 gr 3f a .600 RB patched with .015 pillow tick and a 1/2" felt wad over the powder gives the most consistant groupings. I have filed my front sight low infact I don't really have much front sight left. When I shoot I give myself a lot of barrel in my sight picture. Suggestions? One thought I had is that the gun is too short for me. I am 6'5" with long arms and a lean build. Normally I order a rifle with a 14 1/2" LOP and this one has only 13 3/4" LOP. I know in a wing gun stock fit can effect point of impact. I assume this would be true with a fowler and RB as well. Again I am open to suggestions, help, advice, ridicule...
John

Not saying you don't have a stock fit problem...but will say that normally a stock that is too short will cause you to crawl the stock and shoot high.

You may need to have the barrel checked / realigned (bent) up slightly

 

[BrownBear]

It would be easy enough to test, taping successively thicker layers of cardboard to the top of the comb. Hitting the same place on your cheek each time, that would raise your head higher with each layer and tell you just how much less drop you'd need in a stock.

 

[Mike Brooks]

Time to bend the barrel.

 

[MikeC]

Time to bend the barrel.

Just for sh*ts and giggles how do you do that, and I would assume the barrel is bent in the direction you want the ball to go...correct?

 

[paulvallandigham]

Have you checked the muzzle to see that the crown is Square to the bore??? It may need only the touch or two of a file to get it firing correctly. There are builders here who favor bending barrels. I prefer that at least an attempt be made to correct the POI using a file on the muzzle, FIRST. Bending a barrel without putting a kink in it takes some skill and LUCK.

You are not going to have to bend the barrel MUCH to move that ball upward. Center the barrel on two "V-blocks" one on each end of the barrel, and then find a way to push straight down on the top center of the barrel, until it bends. Use trial and error method until you have the ball hitting where you want to aim the gunbarrel.

 

[George Kevil]

As Mike was saying time to bend the barrel I was thinking of the little ol man that made the donuts and spit all over the screen.
I would either put a rear site on it or do what some shooters do who will remain anonymous.Tie a piece of leather aroud the stock and barrel just about the rear entry pipe and use it as your rear site.
George

 

[J.D.]

Time to bend the barrel.

Just for sh*ts and giggles how do you do that, and I would assume the barrel is bent in the direction you want the ball to go...correct?

Kinda, sorta. :grin:

Everyone has a different way of doing it, but they all end up the same...if done right.

My way is to remove the barrel from the stock, place a stack of 2 or 3 2X4s on the floor, at the breech and muzzle, put pressure on the middle of the barrel until it touches the floor. The barrel will spring back to almost where it was, before bending.

In this case, the barrel would be placed on the blocks sights up, lugs down.

Reassemble the barrel to the gun, take it out and shoot it.

Repeat as necessary, using more shims, as needed. It can, sometimes, take as many as 4 or 5 2X4 shims to get the amount of bend necessary to sight one in.

Some folks claim that they bend 'em in the fork of a tree. Some build elaborate contraptions to measure the amount of bend, spring back, and the amount of the final bend. IMHO, just bend and shoot, then bend again if necessary. It ain't rocket science.

God bless