Shotgun Bead Sights
- Thread starter 308garand
- Start date
590 special purpose
I have a 590 special purpose w/ a bead sight. I am having a hard time shooting it. Using the bead, I can barely hit my targets w/ slugs. Point of impact is high. I tried a boresighter and true enough, the dot is like 5 inches from the point of aim using the bead at 10 yards. Has anyone have the same experience?
Would it be advisable to install a new sights? What are your recommendations? I am tight on my firearms budget so please recommend inexpensive fixes. Thanks all.
I have a 590 special purpose w/ a bead sight. I am having a hard time shooting it. Using the bead, I can barely hit my targets w/ slugs. Point of impact is high. I tried a boresighter and true enough, the dot is like 5 inches from the point of aim using the bead at 10 yards. Has anyone have the same experience?
Would it be advisable to install a new sights? What are your recommendations? I am tight on my firearms budget so please recommend inexpensive fixes. Thanks all.
Re: 590 special purpose
Quite honestly, I think it is how you are looking down the bead sight.
I would buy a couple of 25-rd boxes of the cheapest birdsht/hunting shells
Then shoot them against the largest and highest dirt backstop you can find. As close as you feel comfortable with but 5-yards isn't all that far. Pick some sort of target on the berm and shoot at it.
Then at ten yards I would try to configure where your gun prints with slugs or buck. Then at twenty and call it good.
Quite honestly, I think it is how you are looking down the bead sight.
I would buy a couple of 25-rd boxes of the cheapest birdsht/hunting shells
Then shoot them against the largest and highest dirt backstop you can find. As close as you feel comfortable with but 5-yards isn't all that far. Pick some sort of target on the berm and shoot at it.
Then at ten yards I would try to configure where your gun prints with slugs or buck. Then at twenty and call it good.
Re: 590 special purpose
Bead sights can take some getting used to since there's no rear sight to align for elevation. You might try raising the buttstock a bit higher on your shoulder. This will bring your eye down closer to the receiver and help level out the sight plane.
To nitesite's point, a bit of trial and error in practice is invaluable. I'm sure you'll have it zeroed in no time. Keep us posted...
Bead sights can take some getting used to since there's no rear sight to align for elevation. You might try raising the buttstock a bit higher on your shoulder. This will bring your eye down closer to the receiver and help level out the sight plane.
To nitesite's point, a bit of trial and error in practice is invaluable. I'm sure you'll have it zeroed in no time. Keep us posted...
Re: 590 special purpose
Yes Sir,
Hope it helps...
Yes Sir,
Hope it helps...
Re: 590 special purpose
Good points fellas and practical advice!
I use bead sights on mine too, though I did change the bead of my 590A1 to the Meprolight tritium bead. It has a slightly higher profile than the standard bead.
The only thing I will add; use the top of the receiver to help sight the bead, and raise and lower the muzzle so the receiver appears as a level plane and then locate the bead on the receivers "horizon" for lack of something better to call it. You end up using the receiver as a rear sight sorta for your elevation. Shotguns are different from one to the next and each can place rounds on target differently, even if theyre the same model and the same load is used. This is why patterning and grouping is soooo important and as you have seen already, POA to POI can be seperate things.
Anyway, once you have done the receiver to the bead thing and have seen how you are putting rounds on target, you can start making adjustments!
I'm lookin forward to the progress report!
Good points fellas and practical advice!
I use bead sights on mine too, though I did change the bead of my 590A1 to the Meprolight tritium bead. It has a slightly higher profile than the standard bead.
The only thing I will add; use the top of the receiver to help sight the bead, and raise and lower the muzzle so the receiver appears as a level plane and then locate the bead on the receivers "horizon" for lack of something better to call it. You end up using the receiver as a rear sight sorta for your elevation. Shotguns are different from one to the next and each can place rounds on target differently, even if theyre the same model and the same load is used. This is why patterning and grouping is soooo important and as you have seen already, POA to POI can be seperate things.
Anyway, once you have done the receiver to the bead thing and have seen how you are putting rounds on target, you can start making adjustments!
I'm lookin forward to the progress report!
blue
20g
Re: 590 special purpose
For me the primary purpose of the bead is to check alignment between the bead, and the top of the receiver. I don't really aim with it. I snap the gun up, and if the bead is riding at the right height relative to the receiver (and the only way to know what that is for your eye, and your gun is to do something along the lines of nitesite's suggestion) , I know the barrel is in the proper vertical plane. I then "point" the gun. I don't "close one eye and take a "bead" on a target" unless I'm shooting slugs at greater than 40 yards. I "see" the bead but my sight picture isn't Clear bead, fuzzy target. It's really fuzzy receiver, slightly less fuzzy, but still pretty damn fuzzy bead, and crystal clear target. But I'm an old wingshooter. Out at 50 or more yards, I do revert to shooting my shotgun like a rifle. Clear bead, fuzzy target.
Edited to add: I think a lot of folks buy shotguns as their first guns for SD and don't understand how to shoot a shotgun. Back when I was learning every old timer I came across had the same message "that's a shotgun, not a rifle son. Shoot it like one!" Obviously ghost rings and all that can change the equation, but going to the trap range and learning to shoot it like shotgun is probably the best way to make peace with the bead.
For me the primary purpose of the bead is to check alignment between the bead, and the top of the receiver. I don't really aim with it. I snap the gun up, and if the bead is riding at the right height relative to the receiver (and the only way to know what that is for your eye, and your gun is to do something along the lines of nitesite's suggestion) , I know the barrel is in the proper vertical plane. I then "point" the gun. I don't "close one eye and take a "bead" on a target" unless I'm shooting slugs at greater than 40 yards. I "see" the bead but my sight picture isn't Clear bead, fuzzy target. It's really fuzzy receiver, slightly less fuzzy, but still pretty damn fuzzy bead, and crystal clear target. But I'm an old wingshooter. Out at 50 or more yards, I do revert to shooting my shotgun like a rifle. Clear bead, fuzzy target.
Edited to add: I think a lot of folks buy shotguns as their first guns for SD and don't understand how to shoot a shotgun. Back when I was learning every old timer I came across had the same message "that's a shotgun, not a rifle son. Shoot it like one!" Obviously ghost rings and all that can change the equation, but going to the trap range and learning to shoot it like shotgun is probably the best way to make peace with the bead.
Re: 590 special purpose
Solid advice blue...
Solid advice blue...
Re: 590 special purpose
Baraco,
I will add just one other comment to what has been already been written. I had a similar problem shooting slugs at 25 yards, and I found that I was sighting at a slight angle down the top of the receiver. I now concentrate on sighting straight down the receiver, keeping the shotgun as level as possible. Again, I didn't realize that with no rear sight, it's easy to view the front site at an angle rather than straight from the rear of the receiver. In my case, I was shooting a bit to the left because of the way I was viewing the front sight from the rear of the receiver. Hope this helps.
Baraco,
I will add just one other comment to what has been already been written. I had a similar problem shooting slugs at 25 yards, and I found that I was sighting at a slight angle down the top of the receiver. I now concentrate on sighting straight down the receiver, keeping the shotgun as level as possible. Again, I didn't realize that with no rear sight, it's easy to view the front site at an angle rather than straight from the rear of the receiver. In my case, I was shooting a bit to the left because of the way I was viewing the front sight from the rear of the receiver. Hope this helps.
Re: 590 special purpose
Thank you all for the advice. Went to the range last Saturday and did what you all said. Now I can consistently shoot the 590. I was hitting my target 35 yards away w/ slugs. I forgot to take pictures as I was so ecstatic when I started hitting the targets 
Now, does any one have a set of used sights (rear and front) you want to sell? I want to try putting on a rear and front sight though. I am not looking for any particular sight.Only used and inexpensive sights please. Thanks.
Thank you all for the advice. Went to the range last Saturday and did what you all said. Now I can consistently shoot the 590. I was hitting my target 35 yards away w/ slugs. I forgot to take pictures as I was so ecstatic when I started hitting the targets Now, does any one have a set of used sights (rear and front) you want to sell? I want to try putting on a rear and front sight though. I am not looking for any particular sight.Only used and inexpensive sights please. Thanks.
Re: 590 special purpose
Congrats baraco,
Glad to hear you got it worked out. As far as inexpensive sighting options go, you may want to look into this...
ATI Deluxe Heat Shield with Ghost Ring Sights
http://atigunstocks.com/p-67-deluxe-hea ... ights.aspx
The GRS are integrated into the heat shield. Installation is quick, easy, and this option is relatively inexpensive compared to other add-on sights.
Congrats baraco,
Glad to hear you got it worked out. As far as inexpensive sighting options go, you may want to look into this...
ATI Deluxe Heat Shield with Ghost Ring Sights
http://atigunstocks.com/p-67-deluxe-hea ... ights.aspx
The GRS are integrated into the heat shield. Installation is quick, easy, and this option is relatively inexpensive compared to other add-on sights.
S
SHOOTER13
Guest
Re: 590 special purpose
Good dialog on the subject of sighting a shotgun...and...
Welcome to the Mossberg Owners Forum dswindle !!
Good dialog on the subject of sighting a shotgun...and...
Welcome to the Mossberg Owners Forum dswindle !!
megawatt
.270 WIN
Re: 590 special purpose
Exactly my problem when shooting with a bead. I have to remember to put my eyeball just over the rear of the reciever. I had a habit of keeping my head about 6" above the receiver and looking at the bead. This will make the point of impact (POI) higher than point of aim (POA). I need a rear sight to shoot accurately. The ghost rings on both of my .12ga help me to apply the fundamental of proper sight alignment and sight picture. That leaves trigger control, cheek weld, controlled breathing, butt in the pocket, lean forward, and many other things needed for a proper shot. :shock:
dswindle said:
Exactly my problem when shooting with a bead. I have to remember to put my eyeball just over the rear of the reciever. I had a habit of keeping my head about 6" above the receiver and looking at the bead. This will make the point of impact (POI) higher than point of aim (POA). I need a rear sight to shoot accurately. The ghost rings on both of my .12ga help me to apply the fundamental of proper sight alignment and sight picture. That leaves trigger control, cheek weld, controlled breathing, butt in the pocket, lean forward, and many other things needed for a proper shot. :shock:
any comments on the truglo shotgun sight?
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2610 ... TGUN-SIGHT
I'm especially interested in installation experience, if anyone's used it.
I love the idea of these day/night fiber optic sights... but it worries me that the site mentioned having two screws to hold it in place, and my shotgun only having one threaded hole for the bead sight.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=2610 ... TGUN-SIGHT
I'm especially interested in installation experience, if anyone's used it.
I love the idea of these day/night fiber optic sights... but it worries me that the site mentioned having two screws to hold it in place, and my shotgun only having one threaded hole for the bead sight.
Re: any comments on the truglo shotgun sight?
I think its looks great and I would really like to have one my self. But heres the catch. I recently spoke with a tech from TruGlo about the installation. The sight uses the factory hole for the bead + a second hole has to be drilled and tapped in the barrel. The sight includes screws for 6/48 I think? I dont remember, it may be what ever Remington uses. In any case the factory hole has to be retapped too.
With proper tools and experience, one could do it on his or her own. I would be sending mine to a gunsmith.
I think its looks great and I would really like to have one my self. But heres the catch. I recently spoke with a tech from TruGlo about the installation. The sight uses the factory hole for the bead + a second hole has to be drilled and tapped in the barrel. The sight includes screws for 6/48 I think? I dont remember, it may be what ever Remington uses. In any case the factory hole has to be retapped too.
With proper tools and experience, one could do it on his or her own. I would be sending mine to a gunsmith.