Tripplebeards
07-11-2019, 11:45 PM
What a pain! I’ve been trying to load some faster full power rounds to shift my POA up with no luck . The best my titanium 44 mag 2.5” barreled snubby has been doing is about 4” low at best with full throttle loads. It’s been shooting a good 4/5 inches low No matter what grain boolit/bullet full power or slow plinking combo I’ve been trying.
Well I got the idea a week ago to remove the rear fixed sight as it’s held in by two screws and place a schim Between the base and the rear sight. I cut three 1/4” long pieces of an aluminum can and placed three on top of each other. They measured approx .0002 thick. I retested today. I used a ladder test with some 225 grain j words. The best group came from 18.1 grains of H110 and the FTX bullet I was using. It still shot a good 3.5” plus low but four rounds went in a vertical string measuring about and inch and a half group or so at 15 yards. The max load I tried of 20.6 grains of H110 hit the “x” the first shot but then shot left a few inches twice then up a few inches and down a few inches...so my POA was basically there with a faster load but the accuracy was not.
Well, I figured the 18.1 grain load was the one to go with but I needed to install some thicker shims. I ended stacking three thicker schims this afternoon I made from the base of a pop can and tapped them together so the schims would not move when I tightened down my screws. I loaded up some more rounds of the 18.1 grain load and headed back to the range. First shot at 15 yards. I hit the top of 1” square I drew. I let a few more fly and they all were touching the top of the 1” square. I did put one inside of the square as well. I repeated on another target. I’ll take being about .5” high at 15 yards.
I’m glad S&W’s design lets you remove the rear sight base so this can easily be done. Anyone else schim under their fixed sights?
I wish I would have remembered what loads were given to me a decade ago when I bought this pistol as I hit two water bottles in three shots at 30 yards the first three times I pulled the trigger! I’m guessing they had to be extremely fast loaded 180 grainers or similar to shoot POA as everything I’ve tried from 225 grains and heavier have been 4/6” low...up until today. I’m on the money now! Seems I shoot tighter groups with it with a quicker trigger pull instead of a slow target squeeze. I wrapped off some quick squeezes and was slamming shots together. If I slow queened the first round if could hit the “x” but the second or thrived slow squeeze would send my bullet left or right approx 2/3”. Quick trigger pulls kept my groups together and tighter.
The good part is either the 225 grainers don’t seem to recoil like the 240/265 grain cast boolits I tried out of it or I’m just getting os used to shooting my hand cannon that the recoil doesn't phase me any more. I’ve put a good couple hundred rounds through it in the last couple weeks....wearing gloves definitely helps.
Well I got the idea a week ago to remove the rear fixed sight as it’s held in by two screws and place a schim Between the base and the rear sight. I cut three 1/4” long pieces of an aluminum can and placed three on top of each other. They measured approx .0002 thick. I retested today. I used a ladder test with some 225 grain j words. The best group came from 18.1 grains of H110 and the FTX bullet I was using. It still shot a good 3.5” plus low but four rounds went in a vertical string measuring about and inch and a half group or so at 15 yards. The max load I tried of 20.6 grains of H110 hit the “x” the first shot but then shot left a few inches twice then up a few inches and down a few inches...so my POA was basically there with a faster load but the accuracy was not.
Well, I figured the 18.1 grain load was the one to go with but I needed to install some thicker shims. I ended stacking three thicker schims this afternoon I made from the base of a pop can and tapped them together so the schims would not move when I tightened down my screws. I loaded up some more rounds of the 18.1 grain load and headed back to the range. First shot at 15 yards. I hit the top of 1” square I drew. I let a few more fly and they all were touching the top of the 1” square. I did put one inside of the square as well. I repeated on another target. I’ll take being about .5” high at 15 yards.
I’m glad S&W’s design lets you remove the rear sight base so this can easily be done. Anyone else schim under their fixed sights?
I wish I would have remembered what loads were given to me a decade ago when I bought this pistol as I hit two water bottles in three shots at 30 yards the first three times I pulled the trigger! I’m guessing they had to be extremely fast loaded 180 grainers or similar to shoot POA as everything I’ve tried from 225 grains and heavier have been 4/6” low...up until today. I’m on the money now! Seems I shoot tighter groups with it with a quicker trigger pull instead of a slow target squeeze. I wrapped off some quick squeezes and was slamming shots together. If I slow queened the first round if could hit the “x” but the second or thrived slow squeeze would send my bullet left or right approx 2/3”. Quick trigger pulls kept my groups together and tighter.
The good part is either the 225 grainers don’t seem to recoil like the 240/265 grain cast boolits I tried out of it or I’m just getting os used to shooting my hand cannon that the recoil doesn't phase me any more. I’ve put a good couple hundred rounds through it in the last couple weeks....wearing gloves definitely helps.