Why do I shoot left with ghost ring sights?

Question

This seems to happen while shooting both my gunsite scout in .308, and my SR-556. I am shooting from the bench with each one. Not only do I generally try not to blame the gun, but I also think it would be an extreme case for me to have two guns that were both "defective" in the exact same way. I also have a Mauser with a standard front notch sight that I shoot tight groups dead center with at 50 yards(I know nothing special) so I know I'm not completely incompetent.

By the way, this assumes that I have the rear ghost rings set in the exact center on each gun.

Is this a technique issue, or should I just re-zero the sights and not worry about it?

Forgive me, but I'm pretty new to rifles which is why I'm asking.

Answer 1

I am assuming you have not made any adjustments on the sights. Others may differ, but for me I have never had a rifle out of the box that did not need to be zero'ed. I don't know about the Mauser you have, but the Gunsite Scout trigger feels a tad heavy for me and that could contribute to the drift.



I don't think you have a defect, unless the shots are progressively drifting off center with each shot after you re-zero.



BTW: What range are you shooting at and what is the spread?

Answer 2

The first obvious answer is the sights are off. However if other people can shoot it accurately and you keep shooting to the left then it is a problem with how you shoot.



First question is, are you putting the front sight dead center in the ghost ring? If you are not getting it right in the center then there is your problem.



Second question, how do you pull the trigger? if you are jerking it then you might be pulling just enough to the side to deflect the shot. The trigger should be slowly squeezed until the gun goes off.



Third question, do you flinch? Have someone watch you and ask them to see if you flinch. Sometimes without knowing it we anticipate the gun going off and make just a small flinch which is enough to deflect the shot.



I think one of these should solve your problem.

Answer 3

Shoot again at a different time of day before you do anything else. Sometimes you can be fooled by the angle of light on the front sight.

And I feel once again compelled to show my age. Some of us used aperture sights without a disc for many, many years before the term "ghost ring" was invented, and the term seems pretty darned stupid to us.

Also, if you're being careful to center the front sight in the rear, then that's a problem: you shouldn't pay any attention at all to your aperture, but simply put your front sight on target and shoot. Trying too hard has negative consequences.

Answer 4

1. You have not sighted it in?

2. You are jerking the trigger?

3. You assume that you have the rear ghost ring set in the exact center on each gun, when, in fact, you do not?



Dont "assume," fire the gun at a target and adjust the sights.

Answer 5

A lot of times, with guns that have heavier triggers, people tend to tighten their whole hand (sympathetic tightening), which, if you are right handed, causes the rifle to either push left or pivot right depending on if you have a bipod or if you are shooting offhand.



Similarly, people tend to tense their shoulders (flinch) on higher powered rounds or lighter rifles (or after a lot of shooting), which, if you are right handed, tends to push the rifle right or pivot left depending on how you are shooting.



For the scout, you are probably shooting it on a block or bag, and I'd bet you are tensing your chest/shoulders and pivoting the muzzle left a bit with each shot, since the recoil is so harsh (I have one as well and shoot to the upper-left when I get tired, even with a zero'd scope).





Also, you should sight your irons based on 100-150-200 yds, not 50 yards. 50 yards won't show enough of a difference for you to be able to accurately zero, IMO.

Answer 6

Having it dead center is not necessarily where it should be. The rear sight is adjustable for a reason. I have over 40 rifles and there isn't a one of them that I didn't have to adjust the sights. That doesn't mean they are defective.

Answer 7

Re-zero. The purpose of the sights are to get you ton look where the gun is hitting. And by-the-way just because the sights look centered, does not mean they are.

Answer 8

Do you wear glasses? I have a heck of a time because of mine. I keep my rifles sited in with my glasses on, but if I have my contacts in, I shoot 2" low and 1" left. Nice tight groups, Asked the doc and he said it's because of the astigmatism, and the way we look through a scope using the edge area of our glasses.



Getting old's a b****!!

Answer 9

Obviously you don't have the rifle sighted in. If a gun was sighted in when the sight was aligned with the centerline, there would be no need for adjustable sights.

Answer 10

...because your eye is too far too the right when looking through it....thereby moving your POA to the left. (sounds good to me...lol )