New Pistol Accuracy

[sschrick]

How often does a new pistol need adjustments of the sights?

I currently own a Springfield XD9, Springfield EMP 9 and Bersa Thunder 380.

All of which I consider I am still learning the particulars of each gun and their respective triggers. They are fairly accurate, even though I am still not totally blowing out the bullseye when I go to the range.

I am a member of a few forums and read a lot online about people that "claim" their new pistol is not hitting where they aim it and they send it back for warranty work. How often is this truly the case that it is the pistol vs. just the shooter?

How many rounds and how many different people should shoot the gun before determining it is truly a gun problem?

[Garufa]

99.9% of the time it's who's behind the gun.

Google "handgun correction chart" or target. Print it out and use it. I have found it very useful.

[Dolomite_supafly]

As Garufa said the majority of accuracy problems are shooter induced. People don't shoot well then they try to blame the firearm. For most people it takes work to shoot well.

I would let anyone who will pull the trigger shoot it. Having only a couple of people shoot it won't give a good idea of overall accuracy.

The majority of pistols come close to where they need to be but few are exactly lined up with the sights. I will shoot at 100 yards to determine how the zero is. Of course it will be low but other than that it should be centered. And it doesn't take much of an adjustment to see impacts move at 100 yards.

Dolomite

[kieefer]

http://www.piedmontnrainstructors.org/resources/CorrectionChartRight.pdf

[1gewehr]

Another factor people ignore is that different cartridge loads often have different point of impact. My CZ75 has the sights adjusted to shoot point of aim at 50ft with the Remington 124gr HP loads I use for self-defense. With the S&B 124gr FMJ it shoots about 3" low and left. Aguila 124gr FMJ shoots about the same distance high and left. My 124gr FMJ reloads with 2400 powder shoot 4" to the right. I do not adjust my sights when shooting practice ammo. I merely try to keep my point of aim the same and keep my groups small.

That is why it is important to use the same ammo to sight-in with that you will use for self-defense.

[Jonnin]

Plenty of new guns are a little off. Ignore up/down until you find ammo and a distance that you like but left/right can be tweaked if you are sure it is off. Most often, fixed sights are pretty darn close and adjustables can be all over the place. I do not know if some companies even bother to sight in adjustable sight guns, the last 3 or 4 that I have bought with them were inches off at a just 15 or 20 yards.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I have a couple of pistols that am pretty sure are intended by the factory to hit point of aim at 50 ft, and they hit low at closer ranges. Guess if the sights are not adjustable one just aims a little high if trying to exactly hit the bullseye.

I like to shoot about 7 yards, and a Taurus 9mm 1911 and a Stoegar Cougar both group fine but a couple of inches low at 7 yards. Aiming those a couple of inches high seems to do the trick.

Or possibly there is just something I'm doing wrong on those two that makes em want to shoot a little low.

[PolePosition]

Ammo and how the sights are set up from the factory determine unadjusted elevation, assuming of course you are aiming properly. Some factory sights are set so that you cover the target with the front sight. Others set up to where you align the top of the front sight with the bottom of the bullseye. Windage depends. Sometimes factory sights may be either misaligned, or they may be centered but the gun appears to be aiming left/right even from a benchrest. For example, I've heard many Glocks shoot a little to the left, so some people push their rear sight a little to the right.

Best to shoot from some sandbags/benchrest and also have somebody watch you to make sure you aren't shooting with improper form. And then swap out with your friend and have him/her shoot to see if the point of impact is still the same.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Yeah my Taurus 9mm 1911 was shooting significantly to the right, unless I'm just messing up bad operating the trigger. That is the only pistol I've had to drift the rear sight, and it took a fair amount of drift to get it on target horizontally. But it groups real good so if I'm doing something wrong at least it is consistently wrong.

Been considering adjustable sights on that one to adjust the vertical point of aim to my liking for seven yard shooting. I did some web searching and did verify that Taurus apparently sets point of aim for 50 feet. Other than replacing the sights or intentionally shooting a little high (just putting the front sight blade right on the bullseye ain't quite high enough at 7 yards), the only fix might be to slightly file down the front sight. Something I've avoided doing so far.