44M load hits to the left

[Big Caliber]

I bought a new (to me) S&W 629-5. Took it to the range and set the target out at 20 (twenty) yards. Shooting from a pistol rest, I loaded my own 240grain LSWC's in magnum cases to get a 44 special load running at 900fps. After tweaking the sight it shoots straight as a laser at that range.

Now, using my own magnum load of a 240 JHP, using the same brass and primers (WLP), and pushing to the bullet to 1500fps, from the same rest, I find the point of impact is 2-3 inches to the left of the point of aim. The powder charge is 20 grains of AA #9, which is the max according to AA.
When I go back to the "special" loads, I hit what I aim at again.

I suspect the problem is operator error. Would the additional velocity account for the shift to the left? Or is it just me? At 6'4" and closing in on 300#'s, I'm not bothered by the recoil too much. What do ya think???

 

[Pond James Pond]

Could it be an incognito flinch? 600fps is a big jump from the .Spl load!!

There is also that sort of clock-face diagram matching different POI rom POA to different shooter behaviours/faults. Perhaps that might help....

 

[KEYBEAR]

It very well could be you are pulling the shot .
You may be anticipating the recoil ??
Next time you shoot have some one else try a shot or two .
That should tell the tale

 

[black mamba]

Check yourself for a flinch. Put one round in, skip a chamber, fill the next two and leave the last two empty. Spin the cylinder when you close it and don't look at it. You won't know whether you have a live round or not, and when the hammer falls on an empty, see how much the muzzle moves.

 

[kilimanjaro]

Your reloads are out of parallel, just rotate them in the chamber one half turn to the right.

 

[GeauxTide]

Shoot a group Left Handed. If the shots print to the right, the issue is you. I had the same problem when I first shot a 6" 29 from a rest. After I took a two hand hold on the rest, things settled down.

 

[salvadore]

Maybe the two loads have a different poi

 

[DPris]

I wouldn't expect them to shoot to the same windage, necessarily.

I've encountered many loads across the board in numerous calibers with windage variations through the same gun.

You may quite possibly never get those two to match up in the same gun.
Denis

 

[jackmoser65]

Why should two different loads, 600fps apart, shoot to the same point of impact??? I would never expect them to.

 

[Paul105]

This target was shot with a S&W M69 (5 Shot L Frame .44 Mag). Target shot at 25 yds over a rest with the rear sight bottomed out. Only shot two of each load to reduce impact of recoil induced fatigue. Point of aim center diamond for all groups. Note point of impact differences both horizontal and vertical.

FWIW,

Paul

 

[Carmady]

"What do ya think???"

I think you'd get different results with a Ransom Rest.

The human hand will respond differently to different loads, and that's what I think is causing the variation in left-to-right POI. If you can test both loads in a fixed rest, then you can be sure.

Then all you have to do is adjust the sights or POA to each load.

 

[Branko]

That's a really big difference in muzzle velocity. The .44 Spc load is subsonic, the magnum load is supersonic which makes for a different situation aerodynamics wise. Besides, it's spinning much faster.

With such different ammo it's not surprising if you have to adjust sights at 25 yards.

 

[Big Caliber]

I would expect to see variations in elevation with changes in velocity. But not changes in windage. Thanks guys. I learned something new.

 

[shootniron]

Different bullets will have different points of impact.

Reset the sights and see if helps...if it continues to shoot left...it is YOU.

 

[mehavey]

My 500 S&W:

370gr/32g/Lil`Gun/1,600fps load shoots exactly 5MOA high/left of the 440gr/30gr/Lil`Gun/1,424fps point of impact.

Handgun POI is all about hand-held recoil dynamics.
Not-to-worry