revolver woes

[bart55]

Just purchased a beretta stampede 45lc,4 3/4in bbl/ tried a few old factory lead rem rounds and it was quite accurate as far as group size but shot about eight in low and eight in to the left at 25 yrds . can I change loads to get it to shoot right or do I need to send it a back to the dealer. It is the nickle version so I do not want to file anything .

[Willbird]

You can make it shoot higher with heavier bullets, I'm not a fixed sight guru so I cannot tell you what that will do for windage.

typically with a given VELOCITY increasing bullet weight will raise point of impact,

also increasing velocity with a given bullet WEIGHT will lower point of impact.

the reverse of each statement is also true.

which hand you shoot with has a bearing on windage. a gunsmith can turn the bbl in the frame to correct that.

Bill

[44man]

Willbird is correct, but changing boolits can also move the point of impact right or left. It is time to experiment.

[KCSO]

All right...
Here's the question you need to ask, do I want a gun that shoots groups or one that hits to point of aim, because very rarely will you get both without a lot of work. Heavy slow bullets will throw higher generaly, varying the powder charge may or may not change the windage depending on your grip.

My solution is to find the best load as to grouping and then get the sights set. You will need to file down the froont sight. This is pretty much a given unless you go to shootin' black powder as 8" is probably not going to be in the cards with load adjustment. As to windage you can either bend the front sight like they did on the old colts or turn the barrel. To turn the barrel you will need the services of a GOOD gunsmith with the right tools to keep from chipping the plating on the gun. To dial the gun in you will need to turn the barrel so the sight tilts to the oppositie direction y0u want the bullet to go. This means you need to turn the barrel tighter, which is good, looser may mean shimming with that plated gun. BUT before I did any of that I would shoot the gun on a cloudy day or with the sights blacked as them nickle plated guns will shoot away from the light pretty bad and you may be sighting on reflection.
As to filing the front sight, yes you will lose a little plating, but if you keep the blade polished, it won't be real noticable. To my mind a gun that doesn't shoot on is worthless. You are not going to KO a rattler or drop a bunny for supper with and 8 by 8 hold and if you have to shoot a man size target you will not be allowed to put a paster on the stel first. I have personally worked on over 100 single actions and I HAVE 2 that shot poa from the box. I treasure them!

[Char-Gar]

Most fix sighted handguns require some "tweaking" of the gun and/or loads to hit dead on. However eight inches verticle and horizonal off with factory ammo is way out of "tweaking" range. That handgun need to go back to the factory for work or replacment. I consider 3 inches or less in each plane (25 yards) to be tweakable. More than that and the sixgun is defective.

[Buckshot]

............My Vaquero shot several inches left. I leaned the front blade a bit to the left and now it's pretty much centered. As others have mentioned, with light boolits it shot quite low. Bummer because it REALLY likes the Lee 190gr SWC. When you start loading the 255gr + slugs it gets up close to POA.

............Buckshot

[Char-Gar]

Bart...All things being equal (which they never are) sixgun elevation POI is determined by when/where the bullets leaves the barrel in the recoil arc. The amount of the recoil and the time the bullet is in the barrel are the factors

1. With the same weight bullets, a slower load will print the bullet higher than a faster load, due to the longer barrel time.

2. With the same velocity, a lighter bullet will print lower than a heavier bullet, due to the recoil generated and faster barrel time.

By working with these two factors some very significant adjustments can be made in the elevation POI.

[44man]

My gunsmith friend told me to stick the front sight of my Vaquero in a vise and tweak it a little. Well, it snapped loose and I had to silver solder it back in. I made the slight adjustment first and it shoots to point of aim. I also use 21.5 grs. of 296 with a 335 gr. LBT WLNGC for deer and it shoots to the proper elevation. Lighter boolit plinking loads shoot lower, but even then I can tweak them to get them on. I like 7 grs. of Unique and a Lee 255 gr. boolit for tin can shooting. Shoots close to where I aim.

[9.3X62AL]

Adjustable sights on revolvers rank with air conditioning and microwave ovens as technology upgrades that I appreciate most. I also agree that 8" off-target in any direction at 25 yards is a defect--NOT a load anomaly that will respond to tweaking.

[Char-Gar]

St. Elmer wanted ajustable sights on all his sixguns and went through some major metal work to install them on some. When I started shooting handguns back in the 50's fix sighted handguns for sporting use were pretty much considered to be Model Ts.

Then in the late 70's and 80's a new breed came along who felt adjustable sights were not rugged enough for field use. I guess Elmer carried his pistols wrapped up in a feather pillow as he didn't seem to have any problems in some wild and wooly places.

I have taken falls, been knocked and bucked off horses while carry sixguns with adjustable sights and never had one go "wonky" on me. How you carry and treat a six gun is more important than what kind of sights.

Like "Dipity Al", I like adjustable sights and want them on all my serious field guns.