Rifle shooting off to the left.

Got a little more time to sight my first flinter in.

It's still shooting low, but better. I'm beginning to think I'm going to need a taller rear sight to get on target at 100 yards.

The real issue is that I'm shooting about a 8-10" off to the left at 50 yards. I've drifted the sights a bit, but much more and I'm going to be at the edge of the flats. The good news is it's printing a fist sized group even with my shooting skills.

It's a Rice barrel built with a Jim Chambers kit, and the barrel came crowned. The crown looks good, but is it possible I will need to take a hair off the left side to get it shooting to the right?

All in all I'm happy with it, just want to get it accurate.

Thanks

 

[hoochiepapa]

If'n it was me, I replace that rear sight and file a new slot. Sounds like the one you have is too much trouble. Is it possible to just replace the blade? Solder it shut and refile?
Let us know how it goes.

 

I could weld it up, but what's bugging me is that when I sight down the flats of the barrel, it's pointing to the right of where I'm printing. When I line the sights up down the center of the barrel it's printing off to the left. If I didn't know better I'd think the barrel was bent. Doesn't appear that it's bent though.

I'll either make a new rear sight, or order one. I may try re crowning and see if that changes any thing.

Could it be something as simple as the direction I'm cutting the patch?

Heck of a learning curve from copper jacketed bullets to a patched round ball.

 

[rootsy]

All you are gaging is the outside of the barrel... how is the bore runout?

 

[rich pierce]

Sometimes a rifle muzzle has to be relieved on one side or even bend the barrel to fix this. Very few barrels have runout anymore as almost all are made from round stock and planed down later with the breech and muzzle centered up.

 

[user 20757]

I've had a similar problem with a Pedersoli Brown Bess that shot 14-18 inches to the right but the problem was with the position of my trigger finger.

The Pedersoli has a 10-14 lb trigger pull and if I don't have my finger placed correctly on the trigger then rounds go far to the right or left. As you pull the trigger, the gun should move straight back into your shoulder.

To check for that problem, you can rest the gun on some sandbags and "dry fire" it by sighting at some safe target and pulling the trigger to see if that jerks the aim point to the right or left. Try placing different parts of your finger on the trigger to find the "straight back" sweet spot--usually the sweet spot is near the finger tip.

By "dry fire" I mean: the unloaded gun has the cock all the way forward over an empty pan.

 

[nchawkeye]

You're sure you're going the correct way with those sights??? Sometimes we get confused and go the wrong way which makes it worse...

 

It may be that I'm pulling the rifle. This is the first dedicated lefty I've ever had. My normal tendency with other firearms is to pull right if I don't watch it.

There's no run out on the barrel, Rice did a very nice job of it.

I set the sights rite, and know which way to move the forward and rear sight, but it's a good point as it can be confusing.

I'll see about doing some dry fireing practice and see if I'm pulling the rifle. I did have some failure to fires and the rifle didn't seam to move. The trigger pull is right at 6 pounds, if it does have a bit of slop.

 

[Birddog6]

1st thing.. does the stockor barrel pins have the barrel torqued ? Will the barrel go Easily In & Out of the stock ? If not, eliminate the stock issue.

2nd. You can lay the barrel on a flat table, mark several distances up the barrel, measure the gap between the table & the barrel on each flat at the same location & see if it is bent.

3rd thing ya got to do is eliminate shooter Error.
To do that you Sand Bag it on a Solid Bench, and have a accomplished flintlock shooter shoot it.

If all else fails, & it is still off that much, you either bend the barrel or send the barrel back & ask them to replace it.

Keith Lisle

 

[matt denison]

"3rd thing ya got to do is eliminate shooter Error"

Personally I would make this 1st thing ya gotta do.

I sold a flint lock trade gun to an accomplished percussion shooter. He complained that it shot 18" to the left. I said "WHAT?!!" When I shot it (three rounds off hand) they all went into the 9 and 10 rings. Then I watched him load and shoot the gun. He was filling the pan full to the top. The hangfire was tremendous, nearly a full second. He thought this was normal. It gave him plenty of time to flinch and pull the shot left. So, I had him put just a few grains in the pan and lo and behold he was putting them into the center of the target. It is often the simple things. As far as your gun shooting 8" low, factory front sights are usually made too high so that the end user can file it down to suit your POA vs. POI.

Also I suggest that you shoot for groups before making big changes to your sights or bending the barrel etc. Only when you get an acceptable group do you change the sights.

On the other hand I have seen inexpensive imported guns that the sights were adjusted to opposite sides of the flats to get them shooting almost center. The best fix for that was a new rear sight with no notch, make your own notch off center left or right depending where you want to move your POI. :surrender:

 

[eph289]

I had that same problem with an underhammer I built for my nephew . I used a 62cal. 1 1/8" tapered Colerain barrel.
It shot to the left so bad the sights nearly fell of the barrel to get it on paper.
We did everthing we could think of,including bending the barrel. We clamped it to a bridgeport table with a lazer level on it, to see how much we were gaining.We put blocks under the muzzle and breech and pulled it down in the middle until we were afraid we would break something. It did'nt bend a bit. :surrender:
I had to pull the breech plug,chuck the barrel in the lathe, bore a new shoulder ,so I could turn the breech plug in another 3/4 turn,so it would shoot high. Then I had to cut the end of the barrel off and crown it. next cut a new dovetail,make a taller front sight,buy and install new barrel staples.
I must leaving something out,but that's all I had to do. :shake:
It shoots good now and I'm going to take it out deer hunting this afternoon. :thumbsup:

 

Youch! I sure hope I don't have to go that rout! How'd you plug the vent? Tap a bolt and locktight it in and file flush? Being that it's shooting off to the left if I rotated the barrel it'd put the vent straight up and the sight dovetails to the right and left. It would be easy to fill the dovetails, but they'd still be visible.

I think I'm going to shoot it some more, this time from a rest and see what it's doing. If the misty weather will stop long enough!

 

[eph289]

My rifle is a percussion underhammer.
I think Laffindog had a good suggestion and maybe if all else fails get a notchless rear sight and file a new notch to the right of center and between the rear sight adjusted to the right and the front sight to the left,You might have enough to get it to where it needs to be.