Sighted in my shotgun today

[Nobade]

A while back I posted about getting a Euroarms "Gallyon" shotgun. I like it a lot except it wouldn't hit where it is pointed. The pattern was always left, and the bead pointed to the edge. So today I took the leap to see if I could fix it. I brought two short pieces of 2X4 with me to the range. I removed the barrel, put one of the blocks on either end, and basically did a handstand on the middle of the barrel. After a few bounces I thought I felt it move just a little. So I reassembled it and fired a round at the patterning board. Success! The pattern was centered around where the bead was pointed! I tried it a couple more times at various distances, and at some boxes on the ground. It seemed to work every time so I tried shooting at some thrown clay birds. Whee, I was smoking every one that I got on under 30 yards. I shot for some time until I ran out of targets and couldn't find any more unbroken ones on the ground to shoot at. This gun sure is a lot more fun now that I can hit with it! I'm just glad it moved enough but not too much, I was afraid I'd either not be able to bend it at all or might have to go back and forth to fine tune it. Better to be lucky, I guess! Next I need to try it with balls to see where they go, but since they went where the shot did before they (hopefully) will be centered.

-Nobade

[waksupi]

The first time I did that to a smoothbore barrel, it scared the bejeebers out of me. Found out they don't bend as fast and as much as a person first fears, and doesn't take much to get them centered. Now I go outside the shop, stick the barrel between two trees, and give a good pull.

[Newtire]

I have an old 1901 Winchester 10 gauge that someone did that to and it shoots right where I point it. It is noticable so that when people see it, some say, "Hey, is that barrel bent?" and I try to explain, they give me one of those looks like when I talk about Damascus...but that's another story and sorry for straying so far off the track-blame it on ADD I suppose!

[Ramar]

Nobade,
Did you guess on the direction to make the bend? Did the barrel appear less than straight? I can understand being lucky with the amount of pressure used, but also lucky with the direction?
Ramar

[1Shirt]

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than smart!
1Shirt!

[waksupi]

When you shoot it, you know what direction the barrel needs bent. I have never had one that was noticeable after being sighted in. Even if it was noticeable, which would you rather have, a bent barrel, or an inaccurate firearm?

[Nobade]

Yes, I shot it quite a bit and knew which direction it needed to be bent. The bend is not noticeable now, it drops back into the stock and you can't see it looking down the sides. It only had to move about a foot at 25 yards, so not much bend required.

-Nobade

[Ramar]

Thanks
Ramar