Shooting way left?

[IanH]

When I bought the rifle i noted that the rear sight on the barrel had the notch located way off to the right up against the ear of the buck horn. I removed the rear sight, measured and drilled and tapped a hole in the center of the tang for the peep sight I installed. Test firing at my range showed the gun shooting 6+" to the left. This off of a sand bag rest at 30 yards. I know I am not the source of the error as I achieved a 3/4" group of 5 shots 6+'left of the bull. I proceeded to drift the front sight in the dovetail such that the blade lines up with the left edge of the top flat. That brought my groups to about 1.5" to the left of the bull. I can't move the front sight any further as it would come out of the dovetail, and the peep sight can only be adjusted for elevation. Thus my dilemma. Based on some of the suggestions in this thread I checked the side of the barrel with a straight edge, and there are no gaps to be seen. I dropped a bore light down the bore and the light appears to be circular, and not oval shaped. There may be a crown issue and I am going to check that next.

I'm assuming you understand how to read light rings.

One barrel kicked my butt until I found the hook started 2.5" from the muzzle and I had to put my reading glasses on to notice it. It was quite difficult to straighten without collapsing the tube, but I got it.

An inexpensive import machinist's square is a good tool for checking crowns. However, 6" at 30 yards is a lot even for an out of square crown. That much windage due to a sloped muzzle should be clearly noticeable when placing a patched ball.

I'd bush the light with tape so it is a slip fit and points straight, and check those light rings again.

Someone who has 150 barrels a year through their shop and has never seen a bent one or an arced bore isn't looking very hard.

 

[bronko220002]

My first thought too was the perpendicularity of the peep. But then you said it was mounted on the breech.
How square is the muzzle to the barrel? If not square the pressure on the bullet upon exit could cause it to fly off to one side.

 

[gemmer]

My first thought too was the perpendicularity of the peep. But then you said it was mounted on the breech.
How square is the muzzle to the barrel? If not square the pressure on the bullet upon exit could cause it to fly off to one side.

I believe he said it's mounted on the tang.

 

[Whiteoak15]

A screw press will also work, possibly even better as the movement can be more finely controlled. I've always had a hydraulic so that is what came to mid. Good luck!

 

[Celt5494]

Are your sights permanently affixed to the barrel or are they pressed into a slot? If so adjustments to true the point of aim/impact would be very easy. If not your rear or front sight aperture may be knocked out of true. Another question I would have is are all of your shot groups tight even off center of the point of aim or are they all over the place?

 

[IanH]

Screw press and a dial indicator with a base so you can measure precisely how far you're deflecting the barrel and how much it is rebounding. Once you reach the yield point it can move very quickly with only a little more deflection. Sneak up on it. Once it looks straight, go just a touch more and flex it the other direction to settle the metal grains a bit. Then shoot it until it gets hot, let it cool, and reshoot to make sure the set "took". If it walked back a bit, restraighten.

I have fixed several barrels this way.

 

[ColonialRifleSmith]

Holding way right was just a stupid comment!
Nit Wit

Kentucky windage.

 

[Grimord]

Only one mounting hole in the tang? Is your peep sight a lolly pop type? A typical tang sight requires two holes for the base. Can you provide some photos? If it's a lolly pop, you may have drilled the hole to hit center in the tang but at an angle to the left instead of plumb.

I am using a Skinner Low Prow Peep sight that only requires one hole to mount. The hole location was carefully measured for centerline of the tang, and the barrel was set up in a drill press and checked for vertical plumb before drilling.

 

[Juice Jaws]

You can always take the barrel out and lightly bend it the other way until it shoots to point of aim.

I know people do that, but the last thing I am going to do is bend my barrel

 

[Boomerang]

I know people do that, but the last thing I am going to do is bend my barrel

The problem is that it probably already is bent. He needs to straighten it.

 

[Siringo]

Somewhere there's a thread on this site about how to file the rifling on the opposite side to make the bullet pull over. This works, I have a 45 caliber that had poor rifling on one side of the barrel that caused the gun to shoot sideways about 8 inches at 50 yards. Carefully using a round file I removed the rifling on the other side of the barrel and made the gun shoot on. Might not be the proper cure but it darn sure worked. If you check out all the questions I've asked in some of the answers, I know it's in there someplace about how to do that. I was told to use Emery cloth I think, but I did use a round file to do it and it worked just fine. Squint

That will not work with a round ball. With a conical it will and your accuracy though may suffer.

 

[gemmer]

I am using a Skinner Low Prow Peep sight that only requires one hole to mount. The hole location was carefully measured for centerline of the tang, and the barrel was set up in a drill press and checked for vertical plumb before drilling.

Those are nice sights. Sounds like you installed it installed correctly. I'd call Bobby Hoyt, tell him the problem and ask him if he'd take a look at the barrel. 717-642-6696.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

I used to have a crotch in an apple tree that was just right for barrel bending
Then I moved and now I lay a 4x4 on the floor at each end of the barrel then step in the middle of the barrel. Sometimes I have to jump. I check with a straight edge to measure progress. It is simple. Takes no tools and has always worked perfectly. I have friends that take batting practice with the barrel and a telephone pole
Works too.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

When I bought the rifle i noted that the rear sight on the barrel had the notch located way off to the right up against the ear of the buck horn. I removed the rear sight, measured and drilled and tapped a hole in the center of the tang for the peep sight I installed. Test firing at my range showed the gun shooting 6+" to the left. This off of a sand bag rest at 30 yards. I know I am not the source of the error as I achieved a 3/4" group of 5 shots 6+'left of the bull. I proceeded to drift the front sight in the dovetail such that the blade lines up with the left edge of the top flat. That brought my groups to about 1.5" to the left of the bull. I can't move the front sight any further as it would come out of the dovetail, and the peep sight can only be adjusted for elevation. Thus my dilemma. Based on some of the suggestions in this thread I checked the side of the barrel with a straight edge, and there are no gaps to be seen. I dropped a bore light down the bore and the light appears to be circular, and not oval shaped. There may be a crown issue and I am going to check that next.

Given what you have said about the original sights and all the things you have checked if the muzzle is square then my question would again be who made the barrel? To me it sounds more like the barrel has runout.

 

[Juice Jaws]

The problem is that it probably already is bent. He needs to straighten it.

I understand all that, just don't seen right

 

[IanH]

I understand all that, just don't seen right

No barrel has a perfectly straight hole down the middle. This is why a straightedge down the outside is absolutely pointless for determining if the bore is straight or not. Some bores are a LOT more arced or hooked than others. Barrel straightening and verifying via light ring inspection is a very standard and simple process anyone can do if they are careful. All you really need is a workbench, ruler, c-clamp, and a few blocks of wood. Of course you also need to know how to read the rings against a soft white light source like a well-lit light colored wall. They guy who trues Hi-Wall barrels at Uberti uses a foot-treadle bending jig and eyeballs his progress through a high factory window against the sky.

 

[Boomerang]

Watch this video at the 6:13 mark.

 

[Grimord]

Those are nice sights. Sounds like you installed it installed correctly. I'd call Bobby Hoyt, tell him the problem and ask him if he'd take a look at the barrel. 717-642-6696.

Yes I agree about the sights, and I think I will be giving Bobby Hoyt a call to see if he thinks he can correct the problem.

Thanks all for your suggestions, and some of the comments.

 

[sportster73hp]

My encore shot to the right. I reduced the powder charge and it came back left. Also how you place your finger on the trigger and pull it. A heavy trigger pull can effect point of impact.

 

[Howard Pippin]

That will not work with a round ball. With a conical it will and your accuracy though may suffer.

Somehow we're on different wavelengths because I only shoot round balls. This was one of the easiest things I've done for a long time, took probably 10 minutes and the gun shoots as good as I can hold.
Squint