sighting in red dot with bird shot

[GregN]

Hi All - quick question.  When sighting in a red dot at 7-8 yards with bird shot using the method as described by Shannon in the sticky(moving the red dot to center of bird shot pattern), i have seen a few folks mention that one should sight in the red dot so the pattern is taking out the bottom of the bullseye, and this technique somehow equates to your TSS loads striking the bullseye (pattern centered) at 40 yards.  I can't fathom how sighting in lead bird shot at 7-8 yards below the line of sight results in having the center of the patterns with TSS shot (which is heavier than lead) be at the correct elevation at 40 yards. 

What am I missing here?  I'm most certainly not trying criticize this method if it works, but I would like to understand it.

I would think you would want to sight in your bird shot a touch high at 7-8 yards to have your heavier TSS center of pattern hit the bullseye at 40.

And yes, I realize all guns/chokes/loads pattern differently; but all things being equal I was wondering if there is a preferred method that usually works.

Tx - Greg

[davisd9]

I use bird shot or shell turkey shells and sight it like I am using them. If the 40 yards with TSS needs any adjust it is just a click or two here or there.

[ChesterCopperpot]

I use bird shot or shell turkey shells and sight it like I am using them. If the 40 yards with TSS needs any adjust it is just a click or two here or there.

I do the same thing. I get it dialed at say 10-15yds with target loads, move to 40 on large paper with a junk turkey load, dial to that, and then shoot the tungsten. Usually very little adjustment if any on that last shot.


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[WV Ridge Reaper]

I use bird shot or shell turkey shells and sight it like I am using them. If the 40 yards with TSS needs any adjust it is just a click or two here or there.

I like this way with the turkey loads because if you move a little up or side at 40 its not gonna be a big change at 10-15 yards...we all need to remember tss is cool but its also great to kill a turkey at 10-15 yards...It took me one miss at a solid 16 yards to open my choke a touch..pick your poison we all hunt different and different terrain do what suites you best

Also i reload and shoot a lot and I understand that but at the end of the day know your gun regardless of what shot or load


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[Ihuntoldschool]

One thing to consider is pellet weight .

Now TSS 9 weighs about same as 7.5 lead shot so that's probably why technique works.

[GregN]

Thanks all for the feedback!
Greg

[Greg Massey]

I did the same this week with a 28 ga... started at 15 yards with light loads and moved it out to 20,30,40 yards and finished it with a couple TSS loads... I know it's hard to waste those TSS loads, but in my opinion you need to know where it's shooting and now i do ...

[g8rvet]

Hi All - quick question.   I can't fathom how sighting in lead bird shot at 7-8 yards below the line of sight results in having the center of the patterns with TSS shot (which is heavier than lead) be at the correct elevation at 40 yards. 

What am I missing here?  I'm most certainly not trying criticize this method if it works, but I would like to understand it.
Tx - Greg

It is like a rifle scope.  Due to the height difference of the plane of sight on the reflex, red dot or scope, at closer ranges the shot will be low, not high.  People often say the bullet is still rising at that range".  That is really not true.  It is that the closer you are to the target, the more you are looking down at where the sight is pointed.   If you are shooting open sights, the sight plane is as close to the barrel as possible and this effect is negligible.  The higher the optic, the more pronounced it will be.  I think a lot of people think the low mounts are more about cheek contact with the stock (it is to a degree) but it is also a lot about a truer sight plane as well.  I googled this which explains it well (exagerated of course because it is talking about longer range shots with a rifle).

https://goodblokes.nz/in-close-should-i-aim-high-or-low/

[g8rvet]

And like everyone said, it you will move it back (I like 20 yards, but 15 should work), it mostly takes that out of the equation with a shotgun. 

[Notsoyoungturk]

Agree with Greg and the others.  You have to do a final check with your TSS.  The TSS shell that I finally picked shot a little higher and right than some of the other loads (including other TSS loads).  Couple of adjustment clicks and its a killer.

[rt2bowhunter]

I like to shoot my game loads at 20 yards. Sight the red dot in then move to 40 yards. i'd say 95% of the time its a dead turkey but on the other hand a few clicks are needed to center the pattern using TSS. In other words its pretty close. But i have a red dot on the gun so why have it on there if its not dead on.

The Supernova i set up for long beard XR's just using the bead. I had a magnetic fiber optic sight on it. That made it hit low. So i just took it off added a bearclaw sleeve and 4 strips of medical tape. Now because its my waterfowl gun it shoots BB steel 3 shot steel and the XR's just a little bit high at 40 yards and that's where i want it.

This has worked good for me without wasting many of  my Turkey loads.


 

[Ches.]

I am with g8rvet, the sight hight has all to do with it.

[Tail Feathers]

The term for the difference in the height of the dot and the center of the bore is "mechanical offset".  The average mechanical offset of a turkey gun with a reflex sight is probably 1-1.5".  That is at point blank range. 
At 40 yards, drop isn't much of a factor, pretty negligible actually.  So if you sight in dead on at 12 yards, you are probably 1" high at most at 40.  I'm sure there is a ballistics chart out there that could help figure it exactly. I sight in at 10-12 yards with heavy 6's and try to get it a half inch low a that range.  That has worked well at 40 with TSS 9's for me.