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Shotgun Newbie with a Bead Alignment Question


Cooter

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Hey folks,

 

I finally got the Supernova I've been drooling over. I have a question that will probably get a chuckle or two; anyway, where should the mid bead be in relation to the front fiber optic bead? Dead center, touching the base, or is this gonna be a personal fit issue I'll have to do some pattern testing to find out? I guess what I'm really looking for is a good jumping off point for finding the proper drop.

 

Thanks for any and all opinions or suggestions.

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Most Benelli's shoot low so i would try leading normally and put the front bead under a tad and see if that does good for ya. i called Benelli when i got my shotgun and the Tech told me he took a dremmel and cut his mid bead slap off! I have heard all kinds of thought such as stack them & align them but i can't see mine anyway with my poor eyes so that is a non issue!:)

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The way I have always done it is make a snowman out of it, so to speak. Mid bead under the fiber optic front sight. Its always worked for me. The only issue I have with my SBE2 is the mid bead is slightly off center on the barrel, its a hair to the right. So just shoot your SuperNova and get used to the sights, thats the best advice I can give.

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You are on the right track with shot-patterning.

 

My SuperSport, @ 30yds patterns about 55/45. 55% shot above the POA, remainder below. So, when I shoot Trap and Skeet, I place my bead touching the lowest edge of the bird. Obviously the need for lead is there, but assuming a stationary target.

 

As for the alignment of front/rear bead, it depends on how you want your gun to shoot. If you want to change the sight picture, you can change out the riser pad(assuming you have a Comfort-Tech stock.)

 

My alignment, that works for the shot-pattern as I describe above is beads essentially aligned, and front bead just kissing the lower edge of bird.

 

what helped me tremendously was installing one of the Champion green-colored fiber-optic sights for front. The bright green helps me see the front sight so my eyes can more easily follow the target(clay.)

 

So, go pattern, go practice and you should be good. Adjust your stock also as necessary so when you raise your shotgun, it has a more natural point-of-aim for you.

 

Good Luck!

 

2-wheel

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Thanks for all the insight, its been helpful. I changed the drop and cast (left-hand shooter) right out of the box and it falls with the mid bead right at the base of the front bead everytime. I guess I was on the right track after all. I plan on doing a lot of "research" with my motley crew of friends on clay birds and such, if its only an excuse to go out and have a day of fun. Thanks again for all the info.

 

p.s. I can't believe I waited so long to buy a Benelli.

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Can we have some more insight about this, I read somewhere else that the small mid bead should be on top of the front red sight, now i`m hearing the small rear bead should be under the red sight, can someone else confirm if the small rear bead should be stacked under or over the front red sight

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Can we have some more insight about this, I read somewhere else that the small mid bead should be on top of the front red sight, now i`m hearing the small rear bead should be under the red sight, can someone else confirm if the small rear bead should be stacked under or over the front red sight

 

 

The short answer is, try your concept above. The worst you do is "waste" a shotshell, and see the results yourself. Who knows, it *MAY* work for you! Look at a stick, pen or even your shotty(unloaded of course!) from the side. Create a line, run a string of yarn for your eye sight. Play with the physics of what is happening.

 

Some of this depends on how YOU want the gun to be "sighted." The alleged pro trapshooters like the bead to be such that about 100% of the shot pattern is above the bead so the clay appears to hover over the front sight. Some like it 70/30(above/below) the bead, and there are other ratios out there as well. Some of the fancy-schmanzy shotguns out there have sight ribs that are adjustable to tailor it to the shooter's like.

 

Patterning a shotgun, wheter it be a defense, hunting or sporting is probably the single worst oversight of any shotgunner. If YOU the shooter do not know where it shoots, how are you going to hit your target consistently and beyond the scope of luck? Would you take a hunting rifle out that had the scope mounted, nor boresight and not tuned into your ideal cartridge at the zero distance you prefer? Heck, I'd even say boresighted but not zeroed would you? I'm hoping the answer is "NO", and shotgunning is no different quite honestly.

 

In short, mid-bead, do with it as you will. Some remove it, some ignore it, some use it to be sure they're not twisted/canted, some use it so they know how far "below" the front sight it is aligned in their sight-picture to take a shot(the snowman reference above by CWP) Only you can develop the sight-picture that works for your shooting style and how the shotty fits your physical structure.

 

Happy Shooting!

 

2-wheel :cool:

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twowheelhooligan, i`m very new to shotguns, I know how to shoot irons sights from a rifle or scope, even your old 870 shotty, but this 2 bead system has me confused, now i don`t shoot much, and was hoping on a 'simple answer', but this gun is a supernova and shoulders perfect to me, and i haven't messed with the shims at all, this being said, maybe you or someone else can better answer my question, I only shot 3 rounds threw my gun, once with a number 2 lead to see if it would fire, and twice at a moose with slugs about 50 yards, now I missed the moose completely, and i think i may have been shooting to low, but i`m unsure, thus im not sure if the mid bead should be stacked over or under, as i use it center which never worked, also keep in mind in a Canadian, so im unable to shoot in my back yard

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I suppose it depends upon what you are shooting and your target.

 

When shooting a rifle, you have two sighting reference points, the rear and front site. You align the two sites and shoot to hit your target.

 

When shooting a shotgun you also have two sighting reference points, but the rear sight is where you hold your head. There is no rear sight on a shotgun. If your shotgun has an intermediary sight/bead, it is only an aid for alignment to help you align the gun to your sight/shooting plane.

 

You should never look at the intermediary bead when actually shooting. When aiming your shotgun, you should not “see” the front sight or an intermediary sight, but instead simply look at the target over the top of your barrel/front sight.

 

When shooting at a moving target, and you look at the front bead or intermediary bead on your barrel, you will inadvertently stop your gun and therefore miss the target by shooting behind the “bird.”

 

--Spike

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I ran a box thru mine yesterday to get more familiar with it and found that for me it works best to more or less ignore the mid bead and use it for a cant reference point with it "stacked" below the front bead. I shot both stationary and moving clay birds; when moving it worked best to hover the bird right at the top of the front bead (with proper lead), and stationary birds I put "center mass". I patterned it a couple times as well, both swinging and stationary to see how various swing rates and such affected POI. I guess what I'm saying is go out and shoot; I'm new and know very little, but I'm having a blast (no pun intended).

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I think you are right-on and answer your own question very well. The intermediary bead is there as an alignment aid. It helps you practice mounting the gun and insuring you are looking straight down the barrel. Think of it as only a check-point to aid an accurate gun mount insuring your rear sight (your dominant eye) is aligned properly to the front sight.

 

You wisely mention canting as a problem. In fact canting is one reason shooters will consistently miss targets. The intermediary bead provides a way to check for this fault when you practice mounting the gun.

 

--Spike

Edited by Spike100
Still trying to figure out the font sizing here. :)
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