Why on some days to I shoot two close groups while aiming at the same point??

[Kansas Jake]

I sometimes get fatigued and dry eye. This can lead to double front sight image for me. I can get two groups depending on which sight is dominating. For me it is an old eyes issue.

 

[SOLANCO]

Consistency is easier with unmentionables because you often maintain your thumb to cheek spot weld from shot to shot. With the ML you make a new weld after each shot and reload.

 

[oldwood]

Jake , I'm with you. There are so many old eye problems to contend with , pain in the as _ ,or maybe pain in the eye.
Friend of mine built a long rifle for a newbee shooter. Fred took the guy to a covered range and held m/l class. They filed the front sight down a little to get the rifle on the 10 ring. The ecstatic newbee took the rifle to his "out-in-the open sunshine " , range , and shot a group that was lower on target than his first session with my friend. Naturally , newbee took his trusty file and filed the front sight off to adjust the point of impact up to 10 ring again, like he was shown. Then the sky got cloudy. He began shooting again , NOW , the rifle is shooting high. Immediate cell call to the builder to complain the rifle was not holding center. Builder tells newbee to bring the rifle in for a new front sight and a new covered range session. Fred told newbee , if he filed the sight again shooting out in the penumbra , caused by bright sunshine , his file will be confiscated until lesson was learned to not do that. I laughingly wonder if folks not mechanically inclined should own flintlock long rifles. We wouldn't have any shooters if that was the case..............oldwood

 

[necchi]

What am I doing wrong?

Follow through,,
A horizontal shift usually indicates a "peek" .
Always bring the rifle back to point of aim,, it's a "frame of mind" action.
If your focused on where the shot landed on target, your body will anticipate the act of looking at the target and shift your hold that tiny fraction.
Follow through,,

 

[Sparkitoff]

Wind?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Wind is more of a scattering effect on groups. Most often seen in a horizontal dispersion of impacts on the target.

Sun and shade are quite likely causes of groups.to have different impacts. When the sun is out there will be a light spot on the front sight that will tend to be centered in the rear sight. In the shade, the blade will be centered in the rear sight. That enough difference for two groups to form.

 

[mooman76]

Holding/positioning the gun different will cause this and you probably don't realize you're doing it. It's happened to me with unmentionable rifles. Get all sighted in and then when I shot for score, my group has moved.

 

[dkasprzak]

Last time at the range took a friend to introduce him to BP shooting. When I was shooting my shots were hitting 2” high and a group of about 2” at 50 yards…..my friend gave me a lesson in shooting my own gun….5 shots, 5 bullseyes (about a 1” group) at same yardage. That day I learned how important head position is, now, how to learn to anchor in the exact same spot….oh…and he just smiled after every shot!

 

[irishtoo]

i would try the above. check your sights. wiggle them and see if something moves. that has been the problem when i get two groups from one point of aim irishtoo

 

[BS]

I agree with Zig. Without a roof or shaders your group will follow the sun every time. You probably had a break between group 1 and 2 and the sun moved to one side causing the second distinct group.

This was happening to me in the afternoon as the sun starts down it hits the bench.
The group starts going into the sun.
Now I clip on shades.
They work.

 

[dragnetbill]

This was happening to me in the afternoon as the sun starts down it hits the bench.
The group starts going into the sun.
Now I clip on shades.
They work.

I think the lighting and how your eye percieves the sights/target could very well be the problem, especially if the sights are secure and you are being consistent. I mentioned once in a previous post about a similar subject that I had noticed that when I shot two side by side targets with different colored bullseyes (one black and one same size stick on orange dot) within a short period of time, that one group was centered at 5 o'clock and the other at 7 o'clock. My thoughts at the time led me to believe that how the different colors appeared in the sunlight "tricked" my eyes into seeing them at different places.

 

[Pete G]

It is a little known fact that targets will actually move when you're not looking.