Shooting waaay left - Help!

you may be flinching when firing if your shooting left, its an unconscious action sometimes your anticipating the recoil?
 
It sounds as though you are not getting over the top of the rifles far enough. A tighter cheek weld would probably help. The longer the sight radius, the "finer" you can draw to a target. Shorter radius gives you less control. The shorter radius will also be further off if you are not aligned to the sights. Example, rifle vs pistol.
 
Old Eyes

My eyes are getting old - I can't shoot well with irons anymore because I can't keep the irons and the target all in focus (near sighted) with my glasses on. Or I can't keep the front and rear site in focus at the same time. Peep sights are the only ones I can shoot with any consistency. You might want to try a peep site and see if that helps.

If peeps don't do it then canting or flinching might be it - as suggested earlier. I scope or reddot/Halo most of my stuff now.
 
Your 17" barrel on the rifle, that shoots way left...might be bent to the left. I had a Polish Tantal AK-74, whose barrel was bent to the right --- so much --- that you could see the bend in the barrel; just by looking at it.

Don't depend on the factory zero settings on old rifles, like the Mosin's. Being out of horizontal alignment by 2" @ 50 yards, is not bad at all.
 
Have you ever had problems with your right shoulder? I.E: broken collar bone, dislocation, torn ligaments. Not necessarily while shooting, but rather in the past(childhood, teen years, etc).
 
Just removed the bolt and looked through the barrel, it does not appear to be bent.
you may be flinching when firing if your shooting left, its an unconscious action sometimes your anticipating the recoil?
Click to expand...
I dont think its flinching, I shoot shotgun slugs sitting from the bench at 100 and get very good groups. (Single shot with rifle sights) And thats some really punishing recoil.
Have you ever had problems with your right shoulder? I.E: broken collar bone, dislocation, torn ligaments. Not necessarily while shooting, but rather in the past(childhood, teen years, etc).
Click to expand...
My shoulder is fine, I do 150 lbs 8 reps overhead shoulder presses in the gym. :D
If peeps don't do it then canting or flinching might be it - as suggested earlier. I scope or reddot/Halo most of my stuff now.
Click to expand...
I'm very accurate with peeps, I have a rolling block rifle in 45-90 that shoots 1.5'' groups all day long with a target peep sight. But it has a perfect cheek weld, a 34'' barrel and it weighs 15lbs, its rock steady.

Tomorrow I'll be on the range trying a few of your suggestions and see if things improve. If I can't get the rifle to shoot where I want I have no other option than to scope it. I hope it does not come to this. :(
 
Last edited:
You can buy small levels to fit on target rifles. You might want to try one, or just get a cheap line level and tape it on the barrel near the front sight. It should tell you, even without shooting, that you're tilting.
 
At the range I let two people shoot groups with three of my rifles and guess what - they were all shooting to the left, exactly where I was hitting.
That means my rifles are the problem, not my eyes nor my shoulder. This is strange.....:confused:
 
After finding out everybody shot your guns to the left did you adjust your sights to the right ? Maybe Im wrong but it sounds like they're not zeroed correctly .

I put this anti cant level on my new rifle and it works great .
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/2130219750/wheeler-engineering-anti-cant-indicator-hinged-matte

guns148.jpg


Because I cant all my rifles , when the anti cant level is level my cross hairs look crooked . It's a little weird but I did a tracking test with the scope and the shots went straight up the target . I took one shot with the crosshairs at the bottom center of target . then dialed up 3 MOA shot again with crosshairs in same place bottom center . then then dialed another 3 MOA up shot , repeat shoot , repeat shoot all while making sure the anti cant level was level when shooting . The POI went straight up the target . Before , the shots would have tracked a little to the right .
 
At the range I let two people shoot groups with three of my rifles and guess what - they were all shooting to the left, exactly where I was hitting.
That means my rifles are the problem, not my eyes nor my shoulder. This is strange.....
Click to expand...

Then there has to be similar variants between each rifle. Do you use the same scope style for each rifle? Do you use hand loaded rounds? What kind of modifications have you made to the rifles? If the problem is with the rifles, then they must share some variant.
 
I use iron sights only. The only similarity between all those
rifles is that they are wooden stocked milsurp bolt action rifles and that I shoot the same brand of ammo in them, which is Czech Sellier & Bellot.
 
Get a 22 and LEARN TO SHOOT PROPERLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

If his shot group is tight and always in the same spot with several rifles, then it isn't improper shooting.

I started with a similar problem, but I have a broken collar bone(not from shooting fyi.). The recoil of the rifle(no matter how tight I held it) would push the butt stock to the right, which in turn forced my shots left. It took me a while to figure this out. So I eventually found the depression in the muscle caused by the bone pressing in. Now i have a tighter pocket for the butt stock to sit while shooting.
 
At the range I let two people shoot groups with three of my rifles and guess what - they were all shooting to the left, exactly where I was hitting.
Click to expand...

I'm confused :confused: To me this means the rifles are fine , the shooters are fine and the sights are off . If all the rifles shoot the same no matter who is shooting them , the guns are not zeroed and or sighted in correctly .

Before I found out I was canting any gun I fired , if I sighted in a gun to be zeroed for me everyone else would have a POI to the left cus I shoot to the right . It did happen on a few occasions . A friend would shoot one of my rifles and they would be shooting to the left and they would tell me my sights were off . I would then shoot my rifle and guess what , I would shoot perfect center shots .

I have two thoughts on this and what may be going on

1 ) who ever sighted the guns in the first time and or the last time was shooting to the right and compensated for it with the sight alignment .

2 ) when you originaly sighted in your guns you were a little off to the right and compensated for it with the sight alignment and now that you shoot better it appears all your guns are off .

Im not sure if you said but at what distance are you shooting and are you indoors or outdoors . There's always the wind . A 4mph wind will push a 308 round 1.5" @ 200yds You would not even feel that wind on your face ( well maybe a little )
 
The guy is asking for help, not condescending remarks from people who don't remember being a beginner. Stop acting like you never had problems, I'm pretty sure we've ALL been there.
 
Sometimes,if All my rifles shoot way left,it means I am in Wyoming.(which is a fine thing)

Do you shoot about the same time of day?There is a thing called "shooting to the light" .

Try some sight black.

Try a different target.

Try having you buddy load for you and slip you a dummy round.That will tell a flinch.Flinch happens!!,To me,too.

Work on your "natural point of aim"

If you can shoot a good group,"sighting in" might be a plan.

Don't give up!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top