Shotgun Patterns for Turkey Shoot Targets

Knowing how to adjust the sights

Knowing how to adjust the sights on your shotgun is important. Accuracy is paramount to shotgun firing. Fixed front sights and adjustable rear sights can be found on most shotguns and the scopes are making their in road into the sport as well. Us old folks can't see as good as we use to, day or night. At some Shoot Houses it's stock guns only, with a choke check and you have to use the front bead sight to line up with the target. This is what the Black X paper turkey shoot targets were designed for, open sight shoots.

Mounting the rifle sight's or scope

Mounting the rifle sight's or scope to the gun is not child's play. You need to get your whole system together, check the trueness with a straight edge and shoot it a couple of times to see how far off the pattern is. If everything looks good on paper and adjustable within reason you can mount the sights. You need to level the gun with the barrel on into a vise, choke tubes, drop in's tight, scribed and tested. If all looks good, hold emery cloth over the barrel, grit side up and properly fit the front sight to the barrel's shape, level the front sight and mark the mount in place. Be careful when drilling and taping for the screws. If you have a screw in system don't mess up and drill into those threads. Check and see if the screws need to be filed down inside the barrel. I always use lock tight to secure the screws that hold the sights or scope mount onto the gun. Do the same for the rear sight. You need to do your best to line the rear sight up true to the gun and front sight.

Get the distance right

Targets - get the distance right for the shooting match you will attend. Check the choke restrictions and barrel length. Remember, you can now get screw in choke tube extensions to make the barrel length ready for your shoots maximum.

Scopes mounted to gun's receiver

Scopes are mounted to the gun's receiver in the same manner as the rifle sights, only with the scope adapter mounted first. You need a top quality scope. The Tasco 6x24, 6x40 power are a good choice and cost around $130. The recoil kick, constantly moving the gun, all can mess with the mount and the scopes overall performance. Therefore you need to be absolutely sure the mount is level, glued and screwed to the receiver properly. Place the scope onto the receiver scope mount, go to work zeroing in the scope and get your gun's pattern on the bullseye.

Some fixed sights can be adjusted

Some fixed sights can be adjusted. If the rear sight is in a dovetail notch, you can drift it to correct for windage error. Do not hit it with a hammer! Use a brass drift and hammer or an adjusting tool, or if in doubt, have it done for you by a gunsmith. You can take a lot of work and go back to zero quick, so go at it slow and easy.