Need some help shooting left

[porchdog48]

Robby,
     The only thing left to do is to check barrel for straightness. I am not sure what would be the best procedure. Anyone have any suggestions?
   
     Dave

[OldMtnMan]

I'm not understanding the problem. I've had a lot of barrels that didn't have the sight dead center on the barrel. They shot fine with small groups consistently.

Your gun is shooting small groups a bit left but is shooting consistent small groups. What's the problem? Move the sights until the small group is dead center. Then go target shooting or hunting and enjoy the gun.

[rich pierce]

A gun shooting 4” off at 25 yards would need radical sight movement. Maybe out of the dovetail, sight hanging off the barrel movement. That’s the problem.

[OldMtnMan]

Never know until he tries. A little in the front and rear sight and it might not be too bad. I'd at least try.

[porchdog48]

The front sight is to the edge of the top flat to on one side and the rear to the other side to get it close to center. I have shot muzzleloaders for 46 years and this the first time I have experienced this problem. I would like to check barrel for straightness but not sure how to proceed.

     Dave

[OldMtnMan]

The front sight is to the edge of the top flat to on one side and the rear to the other side to get it close to center. I have shot muzzleloaders for 46 years and this the first time I have experienced this problem. I would like to check barrel for straightness but not sure how to proceed.

     Dave

Well, this was your last post to me.

" OldMntMan:   It groups good just have to move front sight one way and rear sight the other way to get it close to center."


You never said anywhere in this thread that you actually moved the sights.

[Daryl]

The front sight is to the edge of the top flat to on one side and the rear to the other side to get it close to center. I have shot muzzleloaders for 46 years and this the first time I have experienced this problem. I would like to check barrel for straightness but not sure how to proceed.

     Dave

Dave- according to this, the barrel is either bent - or the bore takes a turn to the left over the last few inches of the bore.  If the bore is in the middle at the breech and muzzle., then likely the hole ran crooked and when chucked on centers and planed, the hole ended up appearing in the middle.  I had a .50 barrel that displayed this - once, that appeared centered but could not be sighted in.

So what to do?

I replaced that barrel with a new one and "good to go".

[porchdog48]

 Here is an update. I took the barrel to the Association of Ohio Longrifles show last Saturday in Marietta, Ohio, and had some of the members in the know to look at it. Everyone agreed it was drilled off center to the left. the plan going forward is to replace the barrel. I want to thank everyone for all the helpful information, and this has been a learning experience for me. 
   
     Dave

[smallpatch]

Porch,
This may sound silly, but before you give up, you might try bending the barrel.
Don Getz used to say.... Ya gotta bend em straight.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

All of them use .375 ball. 1 likes .024 patch the  other 3 like .014  Linnen.

I have three .40 cal rifles....none of them would shoot well with that load.  .375" ball would work fine in a .38 cal rifle.  For a .40 cal, it's .020" too small.  And that linen patch at .014"...

[little joe]

I have a square 2 in. tube 4 feet long. Lay the bbl on its side  and use a feeler gauge  under the swamp and take a reading and rotate the bbl 180 degree and take a reading. If the readings are  the same  the bore is most likely not centered. If the readings are not the same and you determine a little tweeking is needed take the  bbl and bend it a little at the time. Are you sure you are not doing something to make it do this. Let a friend or 2  with a good skill level   try it and see the results.

[porchdog48]

  I have chucked the barrel between centers and ran a dial indicator the length of the barrel. On the right side facing the breech I get a taper of .090 inches to the left from the breech end. Running the indicator down the left side confirms the bore runs at an angle to the left.  As for the operator error in shooting I had one of the top shooters in our club shoot the rifle , and he gets the same results. I had two fellows that rifle barrels look at it both smiled handed it back and said time for a new barrel. I do appreciate all the great feed back and like I said it has been a great learning experience.

   Best  regards,
    Dave

[rich pierce]

Sell me the old barrel, unless the manufacturer wants it back.

[ddoyle]

Put blanks in the dovetails- shorten the breech end to put the plugged vent a few threads up the plug (or skip shortening the breech end, if one vent liner holds a vent and a plug shold be ok)-Turn it 90 degrees in the direction that the math says about making the sights work elevation wise and save yourself 300 bucks? Or breech the muzzle end shorten the breech end by the depth of the threads and then your new dovetails wont be in line with the old. (assuming it is not swamped or tapered)

The fact that somehow guys manage to drill/ream/rifle 4 feet of bar for the silly low price charged for barrels really retards our problem solving. A barrel proven to shoot well should be preserved for use.

Also consider that a man who only owned one rifle would just learn to shoot it as is and be happy that it shoots well. Wider bases on the sights would also sort the issue. 2.5 inches with the sights in the center of the barrel maybe is less with them adjusted to max. A .40s useful range means you wont ever be needing to hold more then a smidge to starboard.