Dumb question of the day I suppose. How do you folks check the sights on a pistol? Just sand bag it? I was shooting my Beretta at Harvard the other week and wasn't on target as usual. A really cool member let me shooting his Browning high power (great gun!) and I was very on target. Obvious difference in quality of gun, but something else was up.
-
If you enjoy the forum please consider supporting it by signing up for a NES Membership The benefits pay for the membership many times over.
Checking pistol sights
- Thread starter je25ff
- Start date
often the best way to see if your gun shoots true is give it to a known very good pistol shooter and let them put rounds down range.
If you shot better with the other gun you need to figure out why. Does your gun/ammo suck more or is it the sights?
Im not a "big" pistol shooter.....but when Im trying to figure out where a pistol is shooting I like to find huge sand bags. sit at a bench where I can sit with out hunching over or hand arm position mimics standing up. I then like to almost punch into the the sand bags while gripping the pistol. Let the sand back form around your hands. then I find you can relax and get some good shots off.
Bring your target close and have a nice large clean backer on your target frame.
as for shooting better with other guns. My S&W 41 does that for me.
If you shot better with the other gun you need to figure out why. Does your gun/ammo suck more or is it the sights?
Im not a "big" pistol shooter.....but when Im trying to figure out where a pistol is shooting I like to find huge sand bags. sit at a bench where I can sit with out hunching over or hand arm position mimics standing up. I then like to almost punch into the the sand bags while gripping the pistol. Let the sand back form around your hands. then I find you can relax and get some good shots off.
Bring your target close and have a nice large clean backer on your target frame.
as for shooting better with other guns. My S&W 41 does that for me.
Buck F
NES Member
This. Have had this happen a couple times. Went to range w a buddy recently (a notoriously bad shot), he asked me what he should do about his carry gun that was consistently off to the left. Picked up the gun, fired half a dozen rounds in a nice tight group center target at 7 yards and then again at 10 yards. He looked at me and said “I guess there’s nothing wrong w the gun”. He did feel better that there was nothing wrong w the gun anyway. Worked w him on his grip/trigger pull and had him shooting straight fairly quickly.
greencobra
NES Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2011
- Messages
- 27,196
- Likes
- 26,678
yeah, this is the correct way, but i modified it a bit cause i shake a little. a malady of age. i'm using an old hoppes 2 piece sandbag rest like this
i rest the frame of the pistol, right in front of the trigger guard, on the front sandbag while resting my hand holding the grip on the rear bag. works for me up to 25 yds. of course i can get a good indication of where a handgun will shoot by just shooting off hand at 7 yards, on one of my non-shake days. lol
greencobra
NES Member
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2011
- Messages
- 27,196
- Likes
- 26,678
yeah, if that is as far forward to the trigger guard as you can get then yep, that's how I do it.Kinda like?
@je25ff presumably you're shooting a beretta 92fs? if so the front sight is pinned and rear is nonadjustable. so by definition elevation cannot change and if there's a windage issue it can only be the rear sight. so just look at it in the dovetail. i'm willing to bet the POI is perfectly fine and you were just off with it. can also sandbag/rest it but again on a 92fs/M9 it's easier than that.
and i'm not so sure the BHP beats out a 92 in any category aside from JMB-coolness
well i'm a little biased to the 92!
and i'm not so sure the BHP beats out a 92 in any category aside from JMB-coolness
well i'm a little biased to the 92!
45collector
NES Member
Besides the usual fundamentals stuff, sometimes the gun just doesn't fit the shooter. I could never shoot my old 92FS well at all. Maybe it was just a shot-out gun but it was in decent shape and the bore was mint. I just couldn't get any kind of groups with it. I shot way better with a beat-up old 1911 with barely visible lands and grooves during the same range sessions as trying that 92FS.
But to answer your question in a different way, if I'm trying to find where a new-to-me pistol hits on paper, I'll shoot it isosceles, unsupported at dead center of the target at about 15 yards and figure out where the sights need to be held to center my groups.
But to answer your question in a different way, if I'm trying to find where a new-to-me pistol hits on paper, I'll shoot it isosceles, unsupported at dead center of the target at about 15 yards and figure out where the sights need to be held to center my groups.
Exactly@je25ff presumably you're shooting a beretta 92fs?
and i'm not so sure the BHP beats out a 92 in any category aside from JMB-coolness
The sights on the Hi Power are horrendous
I would trade my FEG for a 92fs anytime
Thanks, all. Yeah, I usually shoot my 92fs very, very well. Maybe I was just having an off day with it. I've had that happen shooting rifles before. One weekend great groups, next weekend all over the place. Maybe I can chalk it up to that. I'm going to bring my shooting sandbag to the range and check anyways.
Don't drink energy drinks or lots of coffee before a range trip. Go with a comfortably satisfied appetite and drink some herbal tea or something to help relax. Sometimes I'll do a short workout and some stretching before too. Makes a big difference in how well I shoot I've found.
I'm usually have no problem staying right in the A zone on an IDPA target out to 25-30yds with most pistols, just practicing fundamentals at .3-.5 second splits. I shoot probably 5k rounds a year out of different pistols and revolvers. I consider myself pretty competent with a handgun. I had a 92fs inox I was using as a range gun to rack up the round count on. I had dropped it on concrete (it was unloaded sitting on the bench, holster got caught on the strap on my range bag and knocked it off the bench) and thought I knocked the rear sight out of alignment one day, kept shooting consistent groups just to the left side of the A zone border. The rear sight was very tight and a royal PITA to drift, and there isn't much room for adjustment. Turned out it wasn't off, brought it back to the range and shot everything to the right with it.
![[banghead]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/045.gif "Bang Head [banghead]")
one weak element of the 92fs is the muzzle. it isn't recessed and given location forward of the slide is ripe for damage. if your POI seems off would inspect the crown and ensure no damage there. a drop on the muzzle can do a number to a 92fs barrel. on the new 92x, Beretta is finally incorporating a recessed crown which is a long overdue upgrade to the 92 series. (note I am not referring to the 92x performance but rather the entire 92x series).
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2014
- Messages
- 23,786
- Likes
- 29,866
Could also be the ammo... if you mix and match or grabbed a new type sometimes it's goofy
I actually did. I NEVER do that for obvious reasons but I did a real clean up of my safe and put all my 9mm that was loose together. I did separate the brass and steel, though. It was that Wolf ammo with the steel case that has been historically hit or miss (no pun) on cycling in my Beretta.
D
Deleted member 12999
I just shoot it offhand at 5 yards and try to make 1 hole. I use same aiming point, and then I just make adjustments. Once I have that set, I'll bench it with a bag at 25 yards and fine tune. I like all my pistols with a 25 yard zero.
If I have a chance, I'll see where it's hitting at 50 yards when I'm done.
If I have a chance, I'll see where it's hitting at 50 yards when I'm done.
