Beretta AL391 shot trajectory

V

vanntk3

Inactive
Received a new 12 ga AL 391 for Christmas. I usually shoot a 12 ga Ruger O/U. Went on my first dove hunt today with the Beretta. Shot 35 times and killed only 5 birds. My percentage with the Ruger is at least 50 percent. After careful study of my new gun, I have noticed that the centerline of the barrel is not parallel with the sight line of the vent rib. The difference is approximately 1/8 inch over the 28 inch barrel. This means that the shot path is 1/8 inch per each 28 inches over the sight path of the gun. At 60 yards the sight path of the gun would be about 10 inches over the target.

I was not expecting this with this gun and there is nothing in the Beretta manual or at their website about it.

This might make some sense if you are shooting at rising birds going away. That ain't the way it works in a dove field.

Anyone aware of any information on this from Beretta or elsewhere.
 
Welcome to The Firing Line!!!

Shoot that gun on the pattern board before you do any more measuring. Find out where it hits vs where you are looking. It should have come with some spacers too, let us know where it hits vs where you are looking and we can recommend some spacer changes to affect the point of impact.
 
Thanks for your replies.

There is no "trap" marking on the barrel.

The gun came with spacers for adjusting drop and cast for the stock. I assume that is what you were referring to. I plan to shoot at a pattern board to determine shot placement. But I am curious about the logic of the sight line not being parallel to the centerline of the barrel. The difference from sight line at each end of the barrel is 1/8 inch and there is nothing in the manual or Beretta literature discussing this.

I have a beautiful Browning pump shotgun with the same configuration. It is a 20 ga quail gun and it makes sense when sighting on a rising bird. Otherwise it sits in my closet.

Is there some basic shooting principle that I am missing here?

Thanks
 
It is more than simple geometry. The gun is in motion as soon as the shot charge starts down the barrel, and the gun continues in motion long after the shot charge leaves the barrel.

Most guns have the rib slightly higher than the bore in the rear than it is in the front, I would say 75% or more. Mostly this is to compensate for the gun barrel rising in recoil as the shot charge travels the bore and have the gun still print about 50% of the shot above the line of sight along the rib. You can't shoot what you can't see.

In reference to your first post, the shot will fall a good 10" in 60 yards on a level shot and almost that firing upward at a 45* angle. Long range patterning is another interesting subject of its own.
 
Thanks for that information. Just what I was looking for. Is there a discussion thread or other information on this subject already that I can review?

Thanks again
 
No, there hasn't been a discussion on this that I can remember here or elsewhere. I am not aware of an online source of further information either. Sorry.
 
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