.45 accuracy

M

MusclesMcGee

Moderator
I'm still new to handguns. I have owned my Kimber for about 5 months now. After putting 1,300 rounds through my gun, I have begun to notice a pattern. At 15 yds, all my shots are about 3-4 inches left of center and 1 inch down. Previously I have asked about stance, trigger control ect. and received great answers that have improved my accuracy. Is there anything else "I" can
do ? Or maybe this is a problem with the sights ? I tend to think it is the former, as I have noticed that when I relax my grip and make the trigger pull as much of a surprise as possible, I nail the X ring. The trigger has a lot of take up and could definitley use a trigger job. For some odd reason it just turned to sh*t after 500 rounds. So how about it ? Could my sights be off ? Would a trigger job be of much improvement ? Glasses ?

One more thing, The .45 ACP being so slow, I often see it in flight go through the target. I have noticed that some shots have a "corkscrew" flight trajectory. is that normal ?
 
Muscles, If you're that new to handguns, I'd find a good gunsmith to go over the gun to see if everything is ok, and if a trigger job would help out. As far as your low and left shot placement, it sounds like you are anticipating recoil, thereby flinching as you pull the trigger. One thing you might want to try is a lot of dry firing. If you don't want to snap on an empty chamber, get some snap caps. If you're flinching, it will be quite pronounced during dry fire. Once you can get rid of the flinch during dry fire, go to the range for live practice. When you are ready to fire your loaded pistol, "pretend" you are dry firing. This works for me. It's also helped out my wife and a few other shooting buddies.

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johnnyb
 
Regarding seeing the bullets... I've seen them too. Clearly, my brother and I have seen the fmj rounds travel down to the target. Reminds me of a story I read about the Old West. Evidentally bigger was better and some weapons were actually 60 caliber. Combine that size with slow powder and they said you could see the bullet heading toward you!
Rome
 
If you are at just the right place behind and to the side of the gun, it is possible to see bullets that are faster than the .45. It is seldom possible for the shooter to see bullets because the recoil and blast don't allow the concentration necessary. The person to the side can also see the slide moving.

Jim
 
Muscles, your sights oughta be correct for your "instinctive" grip. If you have to think about relaxing the grip and surprising yourself to hit the X-ring, you probably ought to get that trigger job and then do a lot more practice. But it sounds like you're coming along just fine.

If you are only off-center by that small an amount, you aren't seriously flinching or "wristing". I'd guess your sights are just a smidgen off--obviously by very little.

Unless you are shooting NRA competition, and not IPSC, I wouldn't worry about it a lot. At least, not with fixed sights.

Anyway, one change at a time is often the best way to go.

Later on, you could use a brass or nylon drift, and tap a time or two on the rear sight, moving it to the right "just a smidgen". Do this at the range; shoot, check, drift...

Filing "just a smidgen" off the front sight will make it shoot a wee tad higher...

"Just a smidgen" and "wee tad": Whatever you do, make sure it's just a little change at any one time. :)

FWIW, Art
 
You can see the bullets? Hell I have a hard enough time seeing the target half the time :) On the other hand, I was able to see 105mm and 155mm shells going downrange sometimes depending on the powder charge used......of course a little bit difference in size too :)

I too have a flinch now and then except I shoot high and left when it kicks in...go figure.

I have found that I shoot my best groups with a G30. I find myself more accurate with the .45 over my 9mm and .40's.
 
If you're worried about flinching, I highly recommend a laser. I got a Crimson Trace Lasergrip for my Springfield 1911-A1 (required minor modification to the battery compartment on the laser to fit) and it helped me see exactly what I was doing wrong, especially when dry firing. I actually aimed the laser about 6" above the X ring at 15 yards so I could see it through the recoil.

It shows exactly where your hands are flinching the gun. In my case, it was down and to the left about two or three inches. I still have the problem occasionally, but now I can "feel" myself flinching and I know to correct it.

/Sciri/

[This message has been edited by Sciri (edited February 12, 2000).]
 
This is going to sound like an awful lot of B.S., but I promise it's not. There's a guy that hunts with us who's a green beret, and a sniper school trainer. Hunting was really poor this year, so we delved into his world a little. It seems that spotters align themselves slightly behind the shooter, and as in-line with the bore as possible. When the shot is fired, the spotter watches the vortex of the bullet while it's in flight, so that he can see the actual point of impact (since the shooter is under recoil). We shot a 50 BMG whaile hunting (long story) and we witnessed this very thing while watching someone else shoot. Te "corkscrew" you're seeing is likely the vortex. I must say, you have very quick eyesight to see this going on both while shooting and when you're not trying to look for it!
 
I'll get a trigger job and see the optometrist. The laser might be a good idea too.

I was at the range this morning, a guy who shoots their regularly let me put a magazine through his $2,000 dollar custom 1911. Nice gun, put them all in the 10 ring except one at 15 yards. He shoots competively, so I let him try out my Kimber. He grouped similarly to me at about 1 inch left of the bullseye.
He agreed that a trigger job was definitely in order, and that the sights might be slightly off.

Front sight, was that "whale" hunting or "while" hunting ? I'd be interested too know if you took a whale with a .50 BMG :)
 
MusclesMcGee:
As much as I like my Kimbers, the triggers are not the best of all the guns out there out of the box. I'd suggest you call Kimber or e-mail them with a polite complaint. I did that, they took the gun and gave me a good crisp 3.5 pound trigger for target shooting. No charge, one week there and back.


Dick
 
On bright sunny days with the sun to my back, I can see 230 grain jacketed .45 bullets fly to the target if I get behind and above the shooter. Never seen them while I was shooting though. :( Great fun to watch though!
SM
 
Going to eye doctor!

I want to see bullets (besides the millions laying around my shop!)

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
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