Help Please

[patrickl]

I just purchased a new Vinci. Ive been reading about shims and drop and cast and i think im understanding 1/2 of it. But POI, How do you actually DO it. I know im going to reveil my "greenpeaness", but how do you actually sight it in the target????one eye closed at 16 yrds, both open?? I have not shot my vinci but i will shortly, i just wanted to test my POI first and make any adjustments (shim) to it before i go shoot any skeet or clays.. Ive never bought a gun this expensive and kind of want to understand all the physics now...Hope someone can help..Like a nice HAND WALK me threw it...thanks guys

[Trapshooter1]

You need to pattern it at about 20 yards, use the biggest piece of paper you can find, make a 1/2" dot in the middle put your tightest factory choke in, use a rest or a pillow on a table, line the bead up with part of the dot barely showing past the bead, shoot, you have your pattern.

[(TANK)]

wouldn't that be line up both beads w/ the dot. Then fire!!!!

[patrickl]

Thank you so far trapshooter1, but i know this might sound dumb, but do i sight it in with one eye, like a rifle, or both eyes open...Hope i'm asking this correctly..and with this pillow/rest method determine which shim i need and whether the gun is shooting high or low, left or right?

[(TANK)]

If you shoot with your dominate eye it shouldn't matter if you keep both open. If not close one eye.

[tucker301]

I don't like patterning from a rest, because I won't be shooting from a rest.
I think the body dynamics change from a sitting rest to a standing off-hand shot, so I like to pattern my guns from the position I'll be using when shooting them.

I also don't like "aiming" a shotgun with too much consideration given the the beads. A shotgun is made for pointing and it should be shot with both eyes opened and focused on the target, not on the beads.
Shooting with both eyes opened is safer in the field, because your peripheral vision is effectively doubled.
You also need both eyes to perceive distances effectively.

With that in mind, try the following.

Set up a series of targets spaced a few yards apart in a line at 20-25 yards. An old fence line covered with brown kraft paper makes an ideal setup. Draw or place targets about 5-7 yards apart.
Load the gun and begin walking at a steady pace, as though you were walking a field.

When you get in line with a target, shoulder the gun and fire at one of the targets. Take a few steps, and repeat the process at another.
Even better, would be to have a friend present, and have them call "bird" when you're supposed to shoot. This simulates the field condition of not knowing when a target will appear.

Use the pattern results as an aggregate, scoring all of them together to find your average pattern placement.
Adjust your shims accordingly and repeat the process until you are happy with the results.

This will give you patterns based on your natural shooting position and how you shoulder the gun when a target appears.

Unless you're shooting clays and game from a sitting position with a rest, the above method will give you more realistic results.

[hognutz]

With all due respect to Tucker, I prefer to at least start the sight in process on the bench. This enables me to make sure everything is lined up dead nuts before I pull the trigger. If it shoots where you want it to, go shoot some birds and see if you can hit with consistency. If the pattern is not where you want it, then you make the necessary adjustments, shoot again and instantly see the results of your actions. Do this until you are satisfied with POI. As Tucker stated, field testing a ''sighted in'' gun is a must, because you may be looking at one spot and the gun shooting at another because of the way you shoulder it, squeeze the trigger, etc. one can not over emphasize the importance of shooting the gun at clays or whatever to insure the gun will hit where you intend it to hit. Some like a high POI, some don't. Find out what works for you and practice, practice, practice. Have fun with the new Vinci, and welcome to the world of Benelli...

[Trapshooter1]

Tucker, your stated method would be a nice addition to your patterning, but I like to get my gun shooting strait, with a slightly high POI, and then see what imperfections are present with your method, and adjust myself to perfection, not my gun to imperfection. I know it is hard to break old habits, but a $20 skeet thrower, an old car tire, and a board in your backyard or a local trap range will change that with enough practice. I broke my self into a high POI gun with some practice. I started telling myself to shoot under the target over and over again tell it just became second nature.

[tucker301]

My point is simply this.

The gun will not kill anything or break any clays by itself.
The combination of shooter and gun are what gets the job done. So they must be tested together as one shooting system.

With that in mind, shooting from a bench is a useless endeavor, unless you are going to shoot turkeys or shoot benchrest matches for shotguns.

It is VERY unlikely that your natural shooting posture will be anything like what it is when you're sitting at a bench with a perfect cheek weld and a rest, so all of that is a waste of time, IMO.

Tuning the gun to the shooter is much more easy to accomplish than trying to tune the shooter to the gun.

[patrickl]

Thank you guys for your info, I guess Ive got some work to do. Just another quick question...when shouldering my gun should it instantly be lined up with both beads, or should i have to make some slight wrist movements to make them align? or..is this what changing the shims will do for me? Thanks again...