I recently bought my second Maverick 88 18.5 inch barrel defense shotgun. My eyes far away are as sharp as an eagles but up close i need glasses or something bright to aim. I put a Hi Viz snap on tactical sight on my gun, i like the tactical model as it has metal inside the plastic. When i fired with J.M. 7/8 ounce slugs offhand the gun at 50 yards, the slug went about 6 inches high, groups were within an inch or so, so it groups good. I then tested with AA heavy target 7.5 shot, the AA kicked harder than the slugs. The AA shot went about 2-3 inches above center, both the slugs and shot, shot center just high. Could it be the Hi Viz sight?, if I take it off though, the bead will be lower set than the fiber optic and won't it shoot even higher? Also I can barely see the little bead. Thanks for any help.
mav 88 shootin high?
- Thread starter old fart
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musicmatty
New member
Here’s my humble opinion and experience. All things considered, you’re firing a rifled slug at 50 yards with just an 18.5 Barrel length. Optimum for this would be at least 24 inches with rifle sights on the barrel….some shotguns come equipped with. I would consider what you were shooting to be very good at 50 yards even if it’s 6 inches high from center. What I would do, is simply compensate now that you know your gun is shooting 6 inches high at 50 yards. I’ve heard this advice from many experienced shooters who were experiencing the same results with their short barrel shotguns. Again, you have to consider the length of the barrel that you are using with just a bead at the front.
Here’s a picture from yesterday with my shotgun wich has a 24 inch rifle sights barrel. These shots are at 25 yards from a standing position. Most of the slugs grouped in the center of the steel target. The slugs were federal 1 ounce.
I have the same shotgun with an 18.5 inch barrel and it also shoots high at the same distance.
Here’s a picture from yesterday with my shotgun wich has a 24 inch rifle sights barrel. These shots are at 25 yards from a standing position. Most of the slugs grouped in the center of the steel target. The slugs were federal 1 ounce.
I have the same shotgun with an 18.5 inch barrel and it also shoots high at the same distance.
Aim lower. It is better it shoots higher than lower. You have better field of visual holding low.
If you still want to make it "perfect", consider the following.
1. Your shotgun probably doesn't have a rear sight. The sight picture is just the front sight relative to the receiver. Adjust the sight picture to lower the muzzle.
2. Grab hold of the forearm firmer to limit muzzle raise.
3. If the gun doesn't have a recoil pad, put one on, or change it to a softer one.
4. Loads with lighter projectiles.
-TL
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
If you still want to make it "perfect", consider the following.
1. Your shotgun probably doesn't have a rear sight. The sight picture is just the front sight relative to the receiver. Adjust the sight picture to lower the muzzle.
2. Grab hold of the forearm firmer to limit muzzle raise.
3. If the gun doesn't have a recoil pad, put one on, or change it to a softer one.
4. Loads with lighter projectiles.
-TL
Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
If your gun shoots high, with one kind of ammo, try different ammo. IF it shoots high with everything, then the sights are off, or you are off, or both.
If you have adjustment, adjust the rear down, or the front up. If you run out of adjustment, and are still shooting high, you need to change the sight or the way you look through the sights.
If you have adjustment, adjust the rear down, or the front up. If you run out of adjustment, and are still shooting high, you need to change the sight or the way you look through the sights.
bamaranger
New member
brads
Question, what is a J.M. 7/8 oz. slug load? I was under the impression that most all 12 gauge slug loads these days were 1 oz. There are some reduced recoil 7/8 oz loads........ exactly what load are we talking about in this instance?
It is not unusual for a shotgun to print different loads, shot and or slugs to different points of impact. What is surprising is that the perceived recoil of the slug is less than a target load. Again, it begs the question, exactly what slug load are we discussing?
As a general rule of thumb, the bigger (think taller) the bead employed, the LOWER the gun SHOULD shoot. This applies provided the shooter aligns the barrel/bead in the same manner. This concept applies across the board with rifles and handguns too. A taller front sight will lower the point of impact, provided nothing else changes with the load and sight picture.
In recent years I acquired a vintage Mossberg slug gun with 18" bbl and rifle sights. The old gun shot full power (1550 fps/1 oz) 2-3/4" slugs VERY high. so much so that even full depression on the adjustable rear sight did not resolve the problem. By switching to Managed Recoil slugs (1 oz/1200 fps) the point of aim /point of impact is now close enough the gun is useable.
As suggested, I would test the gun with different slug loads, and I would search for a softer/slower slug load as well. The faster and harder kicking the slug, the higher it SHOULD print. Despite slug recoil typically being stout, I would test my slugs off some type of rest. A bench and a "Lead Sled" would be ideal if you have access to one and can maintain the same sight picture when the gun is shouldered. Another option, and what I do myself when zeroing hard kicking slug guns, is to shoot standing, with a sandbag supported on a step ladder rung. Perceived recoil is not as stout as when seated with bags off a bench, and for 50 yd, iron sight shooting at a forgiving target, (I use 9" paper plates for such a task) the lack of support for the butt is not an issue.
I think the Maverick is the best deal in budget shotguns on the market, good luck with yours.
Question, what is a J.M. 7/8 oz. slug load? I was under the impression that most all 12 gauge slug loads these days were 1 oz. There are some reduced recoil 7/8 oz loads........ exactly what load are we talking about in this instance?
It is not unusual for a shotgun to print different loads, shot and or slugs to different points of impact. What is surprising is that the perceived recoil of the slug is less than a target load. Again, it begs the question, exactly what slug load are we discussing?
As a general rule of thumb, the bigger (think taller) the bead employed, the LOWER the gun SHOULD shoot. This applies provided the shooter aligns the barrel/bead in the same manner. This concept applies across the board with rifles and handguns too. A taller front sight will lower the point of impact, provided nothing else changes with the load and sight picture.
In recent years I acquired a vintage Mossberg slug gun with 18" bbl and rifle sights. The old gun shot full power (1550 fps/1 oz) 2-3/4" slugs VERY high. so much so that even full depression on the adjustable rear sight did not resolve the problem. By switching to Managed Recoil slugs (1 oz/1200 fps) the point of aim /point of impact is now close enough the gun is useable.
As suggested, I would test the gun with different slug loads, and I would search for a softer/slower slug load as well. The faster and harder kicking the slug, the higher it SHOULD print. Despite slug recoil typically being stout, I would test my slugs off some type of rest. A bench and a "Lead Sled" would be ideal if you have access to one and can maintain the same sight picture when the gun is shouldered. Another option, and what I do myself when zeroing hard kicking slug guns, is to shoot standing, with a sandbag supported on a step ladder rung. Perceived recoil is not as stout as when seated with bags off a bench, and for 50 yd, iron sight shooting at a forgiving target, (I use 9" paper plates for such a task) the lack of support for the butt is not an issue.
I think the Maverick is the best deal in budget shotguns on the market, good luck with yours.
Shooting from your "hind legs" (standing) gives your body the most "flex" allowing you to move absorbing recoil, and reducing the felt effects.
Shooting from seated reduces the amount your torso can move and increases the felt recoil effect.
And the worst is from a bench where you have to bend down, lean into and get behind the rifle. OR shooting prone...
Shooting from seated reduces the amount your torso can move and increases the felt recoil effect.
And the worst is from a bench where you have to bend down, lean into and get behind the rifle. OR shooting prone...
Young and dumb
My bride bought me a really nice factory built TC Hawken. 50 cal. a great rifle.
Young and dumb, big heavy elk loads 110 grains. I was in my late 20's.
OMG that rifle beat me black and blue, and yup prone was the worst. Lately at 66 I find myself becoming ambidextrous, my right paw not so hot.
My bride bought me a really nice factory built TC Hawken. 50 cal. a great rifle.
Young and dumb, big heavy elk loads 110 grains. I was in my late 20's.
OMG that rifle beat me black and blue, and yup prone was the worst. Lately at 66 I find myself becoming ambidextrous, my right paw not so hot.
This is a very well-known, old issue with the Mossberg 500 and presumably also the Maverick 88 with the18.5" security barrel. My Mossberg 500 18.5" barrel also shoots very high at under 30 yards. It shoots high for low recoil and regular slugs. It shoots high for bird shot and buckshot. It shoots high for different shooters and stances, whether off-hand or from a bench rest.
If you do a web search on "Mossberg 500 shooting high," you will see that many other people report this.
This is a design issue. This is marketed as a security barrel, so it should not shoot so high in typical home defensive ranges. One does not buy a barrel like this with only a bead for the purpose of shooting slugs out to 100 yards!
I replaced my bead with a 5-40 screw and a sleeve of copper tubing as a spacer. The second picture is a 20" barrel. Note how the rib that raises the bead.
My Remington 11-87 18.5" security barrel has a raised platform for the bead. It does not have a problem.
- Sriracha
If you do a web search on "Mossberg 500 shooting high," you will see that many other people report this.
This is a design issue. This is marketed as a security barrel, so it should not shoot so high in typical home defensive ranges. One does not buy a barrel like this with only a bead for the purpose of shooting slugs out to 100 yards!
I replaced my bead with a 5-40 screw and a sleeve of copper tubing as a spacer. The second picture is a 20" barrel. Note how the rib that raises the bead.
My Remington 11-87 18.5" security barrel has a raised platform for the bead. It does not have a problem.
- Sriracha
Attachments
One might think so, but is that what the designers thought???
Perhaps, it is intentional, taking into account that a lot of people, particularly those without specific training are likely to aim at the middle of the person in a defensive situation, and at short ranges a few inches high will still be hits in the effective zone.
It might be a totally unrelated situation, but about all the classic European military rifles from the pre-WWII era "shoot high" by US standards. This was explained to me once, as something intentional as the common "Zero" range was 300m and soldiers were taught to aim at the enemy's "belt buckle" so that shooting high would still put the bullet in an important place if the shooter misjudged the range a bit.
With shotguns, using a bead, or other single sight point, how you "look" along the barrel is critical to where the gun hits, FOR YOU. Trial and error is the only way I know to find out if changing what you do will solve the problem or if changing the gun is in order.
DO only change one thing at a time, and then do some test shooting. Changing more than one thing doesn't tell you which fixed the problem (if either did)
FITASC, in this case, I respectfully disagree. Please see the photos in my earlier post that show the bead height on a ribbed vs. non-ribbed barrels factory barrels of similar length.
I own three barrels for my Mossberg 500: ribbed 28", ribbed 20", and non-ribbed 18.5". The first two shoot just fine for me, and the last shoots high. The difference is more likely due to the height of rib rather than fit of the gun.
-Sriracha
I own three barrels for my Mossberg 500: ribbed 28", ribbed 20", and non-ribbed 18.5". The first two shoot just fine for me, and the last shoots high. The difference is more likely due to the height of rib rather than fit of the gun.
-Sriracha
The height of the rib, the sights (no matter what they are) the stock dimensions, and everything else about the gun are part of the "fit" of the gun to the shooter. Stock fit is what most people focus on, and is a major thing, but everything else about the gun also matters.
Just as everything about the shooter also matters. Including what clothes the shooter wears.
They sell the 28" and 18.5" in a combo!You certainly have the right to express dissatisfaction with anything that displeases you. But for a complaint to be valid, there actually has to be something wrong. Not just something you think might be wrong because it doesn't work the way you expect, or the way other things work.
Think about this, budget shotgun, built to fit the majority of the expected purchasers, acceptably well (but not perfectly).
Difference between the 18.5 and the 28 inch tubes? hell yes, its going to affect the "fit" of the gun to you, in the overall sense. The extra length and weight affect the balance of the gun, which is part of what I call the "fit". If you're using the bead the two barrels will have different sight planes. Whether you realize it, or not, your body is going to handle the guns differently, another small thing overall, but affecting how the gun fits you.
Many times, these small variances don't make a noticable difference, sometimes they do. And what is "off" for you could be "just right' for a different shooter.
have a friend shoot that gun that shoots high, and see if it does so, for him. Have another guy or two do so, as well if you can. If the problem is consistent over multiple different shooters, then its a gun issue. But, if not, then its a gun/shooter fit issue between you and your gun.