So may 1st I shot my opening day bird and while cleaning it I noticed a decent amount of TSS in the breast. I took a practice shot at 40 and my POI was a good 6" lower than it should have been. Without shooting the gun is there a way to test the red dot (FF3) to see if there is something wrong with it? Same ammo and never dropped or bumped the gun.
I am actually thinking of seeing if the gun will shoot POA/POI with just the bead. I hate not having confidence in my equipment. Thanks in advance.
A laser bore sight will give you a pretty good idea. I use a bore sight to align the dots, then I dial it in with a target. This year I almost didn't check zero on my 3 turkey guns. Glad I did because my son's gun was way off. Now I'm convinced that I need to check zero on each gun before each season.
I use a bore sight also but it isn't perfect. An unusual way I have zeroed my sight is to replace the turkey choke with an improved cylinder choke and then bench rest a few foster style deer slugs at 25 yards. It really tells the tale. For some reason elevation is always the problem if there is one.
I guess I'm lucky in that with all my red dots on my shotguns, low brass target loads hit the same place as my TSS loads. So a quick and cheap shot with target loads before season is all it takes.
Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on May 16, 2025, 04:09:10 PMA laser bore sight will give you a pretty good idea. I use a bore sight to align the dots, then I dial it in with a target. This year I almost didn't check zero on my 3 turkey guns. Glad I did because my son's gun was way off. Now I'm convinced that I need to check zero on each gun before each season.
Just curious what do you think changed the POI on your son's gun?
I'll have to pick up a bore sight. And yes I now learned to test shoot every year but I'm just glad the bird was not wounded and lost.
Quote from: lunghit on May 16, 2025, 04:30:59 PMQuote from: Meleagris gallopavo on May 16, 2025, 04:09:10 PMA laser bore sight will give you a pretty good idea. I use a bore sight to align the dots, then I dial it in with a target. This year I almost didn't check zero on my 3 turkey guns. Glad I did because my son's gun was way off. Now I'm convinced that I need to check zero on each gun before each season.
Just curious what do you think changed the POI on your son's gun?
That's a mystery. It was dead on last year. He hunts without me most of the time so he could have dropped it or banged it on something. If I do that the first thing I think of is checking zero.
Quote from: Meleagris gallopavo on May 16, 2025, 04:35:43 PMQuote from: lunghit on May 16, 2025, 04:30:59 PMQuote from: Meleagris gallopavo on May 16, 2025, 04:09:10 PMA laser bore sight will give you a pretty good idea. I use a bore sight to align the dots, then I dial it in with a target. This year I almost didn't check zero on my 3 turkey guns. Glad I did because my son's gun was way off. Now I'm convinced that I need to check zero on each gun before each season.
Just curious what do you think changed the POI on your son's gun?
That's a mystery. It was dead on last year. He hunts without me most of the time so he could have dropped it or banged it on something. If I do that the first thing I think of is checking zero.
Ok thanks for the reply. My main concern is the red dot moved from the 3" 20 gauge recoil. I know for a fact that it was not dropped or bumped. I would have definitely checked the zero if that happened.
My swampfox was off left and low on my 20. On my 12 my nikon was 4 inches right. Everything was tight. I think they get jostled going up and down hill and dale. 1st time my nikon has ever been off. It pays no matter what a pain it Is to check zero. with the 20 i cut the bottom of dots out at 8 yards with birdshot and im usually pretty much on at 40 yards with tss 1 or 2 shots. Best to all.
2019 I had to return a FF3 that stopped holding zero. Burris confirmed the failure and replaced it no questions asked. Rare but it happens to all sights.
Quote from: Old Timer on May 16, 2025, 05:17:54 PMMy swampfox was off left and low on my 20. On my 12 my nikon was 4 inches right. Everything was tight. I think they get jostled going up and down hill and dale. 1st time my nikon has ever been off. It pays no matter what a pain it Is to check zero. with the 20 i cut the bottom of dots out at 8 yards with birdshot and im usually pretty much on at 40 yards with tss 1 or 2 shots. Best to all.
The one thing I did notice is when I have my gun on my ATV gun rack it vibrates a lot. The vibration along with the bumps from normal dirt road driving might have done it.
Quote from: paboxcall on May 16, 2025, 05:25:20 PM2019 I had to return a FF3 that stopped holding zero. Burris confirmed the failure and replaced it no questions asked. Rare but it happens to all sights.
I sent an email to Burris and I hope they ask me to send it in for inspection. Thanks
Yeah, a lunghit is good for deer but not ideal for turkeys...best of luck.
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Just a thought. But once you have it dead on with tss. Why not shoot a cheap birds hot load and keep the target for reference? If you need to verify, shoot a birdahot load and compare to the target you saved.
Quote from: CALLM2U on May 16, 2025, 04:17:57 PMI guess I'm lucky in that with all my red dots on my shotguns, low brass target loads hit the same place as my TSS loads. So a quick and cheap shot with target loads before season is all it takes.
X2 or a cheap lead turkey shell like longbeards. As long as the velocities are close then you are good.
The gun was dirty vs super clean, the gun was held/rested differently while shooting. The base/screws were a touch loose. Big temp difference from original sighting in. Variation between ammo of the same or different lots. Choke tube is loose. Gun/ sight was bumped, jostled, vibrated.... 6" is not huge variance at 40 yards, I imagine the effective killing pattern is at least 20". I would do what others recommend and shoot some birdshot again start at 20 yards move to 40 , then to tss and see what's up. It seems a bit early to have Burris testing the site after you've shot only one shell at 40.... Yes, optics can fail, Dad just had a bad vortex riflescope replaced. And I do agree with you, I hate to not feel confident in my equipment. Keep us posted
JT
My FF3 is mounted to the receiver, so when I disassemble to clean, I have a small Sharpie mark on the barrel lug that indexes with a small Sharpie dot on the tube. This way I know that barrel is torqued to the same amount each time I put it back together. Just eliminates another of those variables.
Always check the zero !! Every year!! Rifle or shotgun!! I can't understand why people don't do this every year other than maybe ammo cost BUT I'll gladly give $10 to know - gobblers are to hard to come by for me to throw a hope and a prayer at him!!
I had the same thing happen on a Tru Glo green dot sight. It cost me one NC gobbler and almost a second one.
On the recommendation of a friend I swapped to Trijicon dual illumination RMR green dots, and haven't looked back. RMR stands for "rugged miniature reflex" and that's very fitting. In 8 years of using them on 2 scatterguns, they have NEVER lost their zero.
Sometimes you get what you pay for. If I ever change from my Romeo I'll go all the way. Hate to put a $300 site on a $150 dollar gun but it's only money.
Missed two this year cause I botched the zero at the range...must've done reverse order. So I feel your pain.
If there's really nothing off, rails is loose, sight secure, barrel seated properly and you fired in with tss...I'd send it back to Burris, they have a great warranty and will check it o would bet.
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Quote from: ruination on May 18, 2025, 10:35:09 PMMissed two this year cause I botched the zero at the range...must've done reverse order. So I feel your pain.
Bummer.
They need to start marking those adjustment dials so you know which direction your POI is moving.
Or maybe take a shot after you make your final adjustments?
Quote from: Ihuntoldschool on May 18, 2025, 11:55:30 PMQuote from: ruination on May 18, 2025, 10:35:09 PMMissed two this year cause I botched the zero at the range...must've done reverse order. So I feel your pain.
Bummer.
They need to start marking those adjustment dials so you know which direction your POI is moving.
Or maybe take a shot after you make your final adjustments?
Lesson learned.
To be fair, I was running on no sleep at the time and doing lots of stupid things.
Going to start over and re-sight the gun in a couple of weeks. I ordered a Warbird FF3 protective mount that I'm adding to the gun first. Hope it was just a fluke thing but I will always take a shot before the season.
Quote from: lunghit on May 19, 2025, 07:38:53 PMGoing to start over and re-sight the gun in a couple of weeks. I ordered a Warbird FF3 protective mount that I'm adding to the gun first. Hope it was just a fluke thing but I will always take a shot before the season.
Im confused here. Im not trying to be mean but you shot a bird and found a low hit but you have not checked your gun since? I know TSS is expensive but I think something of off ill shoot that thing right away to be sure.
You may not even be off .. Just maybe shot low. we all do it.
Quote from: strum on May 19, 2025, 07:48:51 PMQuote from: lunghit on May 19, 2025, 07:38:53 PMGoing to start over and re-sight the gun in a couple of weeks. I ordered a Warbird FF3 protective mount that I'm adding to the gun first. Hope it was just a fluke thing but I will always take a shot before the season.
Im confused here. Im not trying to be mean but you shot a bird and found a low hit but you have not checked your gun since? I know TSS is expensive but I think something of off ill shoot that thing right away to be sure.
You may not even be off .. Just maybe shot low. we all do it.
After I shot the bird and noticed lots of pellets in the breast meat, I took a shot at 40 and the pattern was really low. Before I shoot more TSS I was asking for advice.
Also the gun was in a Lead Slead when I originally sighted and the test shot when I had the low pattern. Clean barrel and everything was verified with my rangefinder. I looked at my notes and when I sighted in I had 309 and 349 in the 10" at 40. When I shot the other day I'm lucky if I had 50 hits in the 10.
Quote from: lunghit on May 19, 2025, 08:03:52 PMAlso the gun was in a Lead Slead when I originally sighted and the test shot when I had the low pattern. Clean barrel and everything was verified with my rangefinder. I looked at my notes and when I sighted in I had 309 and 349 in the 10" at 40. When I shot the other day I'm lucky if I had 50 hits in the 10.
Ok so you did shoot it afterward. thats good. at least you know it really was low. I always shoot mine at the beginning of the season regardless if it was on the past year. I agree with what others have said. get it back on .
i know that means more TSS but once your there shoot something cheaper and note. that way you have something to test when in doubt. could be a fluke or could mean a loose mount attachment , or bad optic.
Quote from: joey46 on May 18, 2025, 04:59:03 PMSometimes you get what you pay for. If I ever change from my Romeo I'll go all the way. Hate to put a $300 site on a $150 dollar gun but it's only money.
Exactly my way of thinking. The way I see it (pun intended) what you looking through to AIM at said red white and blue HEAD? Hopefully it will be the last view you have of him ALIVE!!!
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When you have it dialed in again
take it out a few times on your ATV in the gun rack and let it vibrate good by traveling the same rough trails and roads you use when hunting.
Then shoot it. You might identify your "problem"