Does anyone float the bird?

Crossing shot

Crossing shot

New member
My new Benelli Vinci shoots so high, I have to float the bird. The barrel needs to be about six inches below the bird.

I think if you have to float a quail or pheasant, the gun should be labeled a trap gun.

My quest for a bird gun continues. Looking for an over/under that shoots fifty/fifty.

Any advice/experience with floating the bird would be appreciated.
 
spc524 said:
Doesn't the Vinci come with shim options for the stock so you can adjust the point of impact?
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It should.

Crossing, is this a brand new gun or just new to you. New Vinci's should come with shims to adjust the drop to comb measurement.
 
I changed shims. I have set it up so if I look at the barrel instead of the bird, I would not see the rib, only the bead. If I did it the correct way, figure 8 the mid/end beads, the gun would shoot higher.

As far as I know, there is only two options, float the bird or work on the POA. The point of impact cannot be adjusted. Correct?

I like the gun except for the POI. I checked Benelli's forum. Vincis shoot high.
 
If you have it set up so that your looking right down the rib without actually seeing any part of the top, it should shoot flat not high.

How are you checking for POI, off a bench rest or other?

Checking to see the guns actual POI vs POA should be done on a bench rest. This will be where the gun truly shoots regardless of fit. Checking for gun fit should be done by mounting and firing to a spot marked on a sheet of paper 15 to 20 yards max, 5 shots with a tight choke, one over the top of the other. It will be easy then to determine how well the gun fits by where the majority of the pellets are hitting.The reason for 5 is to allow for a poor gun mount.
 
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I patterned it like I shoot it. So far I am 2 for 2 floating the target. A practice mount on a hen was bad. Have to remember look at head and put barrel on feet on pheasants and a little space between the barrel and quail.

Using a decoy out in the yard for practice. Maybe floating will work.

Thanks for your responses.
 
Crossing shot said:
I patterned it like I shoot it.
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That's fine for checking how the gun generally fits YOU... however that will not necessarily tell you much about the guns true POI. For that you'll need to shoot off a bench rest just like sighting in a rifle.

If benelli drop spacers are anything like Beretta they should supply 3 spacers. I believe they are 55mm, 60mm and 65mm. Normally they stick the 60mm from the factory. If you've got the 65mm spacer in now, then I'm afraid that is as low as you can get the drop to comb without some custom work done to your stock. Normally this would include sanding off wood or installing an adjustable comb if it's a wood model.

P.S. You should be able to get more drop by adding length to the stock. If you can handle another quarter to half inch, that will lower the drop to comb where your cheek contacts the comb. This is all a moot point however if the guns true POI vs POA is high.
 
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Thinking this much about shooting is going to make me miss clays and birds.:eek:


The only time I have worried about this is when I try make the wingshot gun into a turkey gun.
 
I would just keep shooting it. You might come to like it just as it is. My Vinci might have shot a hair high, but not much. The gun shot very well. made some great long shots with my old Vinci!
 
I would never be able to consistently shoot a gun that I had to hold that far under to put the pattern where it needed to be, even if shooting known trajectories as in Sporting clays. My advice would be... if you can't get the gun to fit and don't want to spend the money to get it to fit, then sell it and find something else that does. Nothing worse than shooting a gun you have zero confidence in.
 
Not happy about it at all. I have no choice. I must use it. I cannot seem to swing my old pump.

Hit first quail today. Dead before the ground. Then two misses. Two misses that I did not float as much. Seems I need to float about 5 inches. Need to shoot some low house seven. Put a indicator under my decoys so I know what the barrel blur looks like when it's five inches below the bird. One decoy is set as a going away shot and one is crossing. Have to lead crossers and hold low. Sucks.

Next year will have over/under that shoots 50/50.
 
My Browning 625 Citori patterns 60 up/40 down so a little float is dead on. A little float makes for easier target acquisition too.
 
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If I was dead set on keeping the gun and not going to get it properly fitted, I'd bend the barrel up. Seriously. I've heard of it done, I've seen the results afterwards.
 
Crossing shot said:
I changed shims. I have set it up so if I look at the barrel instead of the bird, I would not see the rib, only the bead. If I did it the correct way, figure 8 the mid/end beads, the gun would shoot higher.

As far as I know, there is only two options, float the bird or work on the POA. The point of impact cannot be adjusted. Correct?

I like the gun except for the POI. I checked Benelli's forum. Vincis shoot high.
Click to expand...
If I'm reading this right it sounds like you need to mount the gun higher.
 
cheesy said:
If I was dead set on keeping the gun and not going to get it properly fitted, I'd bend the barrel up. Seriously. I've heard of it done, I've seen the results afterwards.
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I'd sell it and get something else before I'd bend any barrels, but that's just me. Not worth screwing around with. Sell the gun and get something that fits if you can't get it to fit with the current shims.

I'ts highly possible that this may not even be a fit issue at all, but rather a non concentric choke and or bore. In either case the gun will not shoot to correct POA regardless. IMO you'll never be happy nor have any confidence in this gun if you have to float the target that much.....
 
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Today I floated two birds and got them. Third bird gets up without a point at my feet and old habits took over. Covered the bird and nothing.

Will sell the vinci. The rib looks like a trap gun. Bought it online so only handled one briefly at another store.

Have to buy two items. A taller bead for the vinci. A gunsmith recommended hi-viz M300. This should push the gun down.

Need a comb riser for my winchester pump. When I switched to it this year, hit four quail and saw them fly off with a leg dangling. My concern with a comb riser is it may push the gun away from my face. Here is one that fits towards the front.

http://http://www.amazon.com/Accu-riser-Sporting-Neoprene-Cheek-Right/dp/B005DLZ7K4/ref=sr_1_9?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1449085829&sr=1-9&keywords=comb+pad

If anyone can recommend a bead or riser, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
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