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  • 96firephoenix

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    Apr 15, 2010
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    Indianapolis, IN
    A Taurus M66 followed me home from the 1500, and I of course had to take it to the range. First thing I noticed was that all of my shots were left of where I was aiming. Thinking it was me, I pulled out my Walther P99 and put all of them right on center.

    Do revolvers aim a little to the left naturally, and I just need to get used to it, or should I be looking at sighting it in? I don't mind the extra range time, but it is a little frustrating, given that this is a factory refurb model and is supposed to be up to factory specs.
     

    Stschil

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    Aug 24, 2010
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    At the edge of sanit
    Quickest way to determine the answer is to shoot it from a bench rest. Run a 6 shot string sighted at the bull and check where your group is. If it's a nice tight group, but off center left, then a sight adjustment is in order. If it's where you aimed, then you are imparting motion and causing it. Hold, trigger pull, etc.

    Did you shoot it single or double action?
     

    CLowe

    Shooter
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    Dec 29, 2012
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    Quickest way to determine the answer is to shoot it from a bench rest. Run a 6 shot string sighted at the bull and check where your group is. If it's a nice tight group, but off center left, then a sight adjustment is in order. If it's where you aimed, then you are imparting motion and causing it. Hold, trigger pull, etc.

    Did you shoot it single or double action?


    This ^ ^
    your grip with a revolver should be a lil different than with a semi auto also .
    I have to remind myself at the range when I switch back and forth .
     

    MCgrease08

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    37   0   0
    Mar 14, 2013
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    Earth
    I generally shoot my revolvers low and left when first getting used to a new one, especially when in DA mode. Dry firing usually helps build up that muscle memory so I'm not jerking the heavy trigger so much.

    I don't mind being a little off center with a snub nosed, as long as the groups are fairly tight and not flying all over the place. I can always just aim a little father right to compensate.
     

    ryan3030

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    Dec 2, 2010
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    Indy
    If you're a good enough shooter you can diagnose this by putting your sights on target and watching them through the trigger squeeze. If you don't pull them off center, but your POI is off center, then you need to drift your rear sight (assuming the gun is sound).

    This isn't a good route to take though unless you're very confident in your abilities.
     
    Last edited:

    96firephoenix

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    Indianapolis, IN
    thanks for the suggestions, I"ll certainly have a lot to watch on my next range trip...

    I did try a couple of those suggestions while at the range. I fired 3 shots each SA and DA from the revolve and from my semi auto, and the DA shots were certainly worse on both guns. I also loaded only one round in the cylinder and dry fired 6 times (this has a 7rd cyl. :dunno: )to get the rhythm down, then when the 7th rolled around with the live round, I was able to keep it pretty controlled. As far as watching the sights, they moved a bit on DA shots, but not on SA shots, so that may explain the DA shooting being off...

    Part of the problem is the sight picture, IMO. The forward ramp sight seems to disappear, so I got some safety orange enamel paint to try making the forward sight more visible.

    If this was a snubby, I wouldn't have bothered trying to shoot past 10 feet, but with a 6" barrel, it should be good to at least 15 yards. For pete's sake, at 25 yards, my 4" barrel Walther still gets me on COM instead of fringe of the paper. Thats what led me to think problem with the pistol, not me.

    Now to find a bench rest...
     

    96firephoenix

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    Apr 15, 2010
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    Indianapolis, IN
    Update after 250 more rounds this morning.

    At 5 yards, there is little difference between freehand and the rest.

    At 10 yards, there is a huge difference, and the gun is shooting 1-2" left. And now about 1" high, no matter how I adjust my grip, or the rest.

    after a good bit of time adjusting the sight for elevation and windage (and about 20 minutes undoing me going the wrong way...d'oh!), I've got it about where I want it at 10 yards, but I"m gonna need some more time and ammo to take it out to 20 yards.

    Before you razz me for wanting to take it out to 20 yards, and how impractical that is with a revolver, just know that this is a 6" barrel revolver that I plan to use for deer hunting
     

    halfmileharry

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    65   0   0
    Dec 2, 2010
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    South of Indy
    NEW or USED gun?? I have enough experience to know Taurus can take a while to break in the grooves on their revolvers.
    I bought a NIB 66 a while back because it was cheap. Simple enough reason. The gun shot horrible at first. Fouled lead fast and filled the grooves. My targets would look like a Turkey Shoot target after about 3 cylinders. Clean the grooves out and it would tighten up great. That went on for a couple of months until I got tired of it and hooked up a steel wire brush on my drill and "deburred" the rifling on the gun. It helped tremendously and the 66 finally became consistent.
     

    96firephoenix

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    Apr 15, 2010
    2,700
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    Indianapolis, IN
    NEW or USED gun?? I have enough experience to know Taurus can take a while to break in the grooves on their revolvers.
    I bought a NIB 66 a while back because it was cheap. Simple enough reason. The gun shot horrible at first. Fouled lead fast and filled the grooves. My targets would look like a Turkey Shoot target after about 3 cylinders. Clean the grooves out and it would tighten up great. That went on for a couple of months until I got tired of it and hooked up a steel wire brush on my drill and "deburred" the rifling on the gun. It helped tremendously and the 66 finally became consistent.


    factory reman. I don't think it was the grooves, simply because of the consistency. That and the fact that adjusting the sights brought the desired results.

    Thanks for the input though!
     

    45fan

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    Apr 20, 2011
    2,388
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    East central IN
    Update after 250 more rounds this morning.

    At 5 yards, there is little difference between freehand and the rest.

    At 10 yards, there is a huge difference, and the gun is shooting 1-2" left. And now about 1" high, no matter how I adjust my grip, or the rest.

    after a good bit of time adjusting the sight for elevation and windage (and about 20 minutes undoing me going the wrong way...d'oh!), I've got it about where I want it at 10 yards, but I"m gonna need some more time and ammo to take it out to 20 yards.

    Before you razz me for wanting to take it out to 20 yards, and how impractical that is with a revolver, just know that this is a 6" barrel revolver that I plan to use for deer hunting


    I doubt anyone is going to razz you for wanting to get proficient out to 20 yards with a handgun, no matter what your reasoning, or its model. I regularly shoot my S&W 442 out to 25 yards, and have worked with it as far out as 50 before, though at that range its not good for much past punching holes in paper. A 6" revolver that I couldnt hold decent groups with at 25 yards would not live long in my safe.
     

    96firephoenix

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    Apr 15, 2010
    2,700
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    Indianapolis, IN
    Update from me making a holster and taking a closer look at the bloody thing... Pics to follow.

    The barrel is about 5 degrees off from TDC! No wonder the rear sight had to be floated so friggin much!
     
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