Single Action fixed sight (Uberti)

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RB98SS

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Just bought an Uberti Cattleman, first revolver with fixed sights. Had a chance to shoot a few rounds this weekend just before it got dark. I was grouping to the the left. I'm curious as to what others are finding with their fixed sight revolvers. Is it common for them to be a bit off sight wise or do they shoot on for the most part?

Again, I haven't given it a fair shake yet as it was pretty late in the day but was wondering what others see.

Thanks.
 
If you're right handed, it could be your shooting technique.
It could also be the gun.
Better send it to me for evaluation. :D
 
Actually it's been out of my hands for too long as it is already. I bought it back in July and the day I took it home I was cleaning it and the front sight fell off. No kidding. I had to send it back and it had to be brazed back on which it then had to be sent elsewhere for re-blueing. About 3 months later I received it. When I did get it back and inspected, I could see the front site was canted to the right as it appeared the barrel wasn't screwed on all the way. Called Benelli again and had to send it back again. Arrrrrggggggh!

This time, about a week after I sent it back I received a notification that they were going to replace the gun -- which they did. So I got the replacement gun and just as I stated, fired it a few times this weekeng. So no, I'm not going to send it to you Jaymo. But thanks for offering.
 
I think you need to fire more than just a few rounds in some good lighting.
 
I have a uberti cattleman. Mine shoots left as well, even after being shot freehand and from rest, with several load combos. I just hold front sight right side of the V.
 
You need to shoot it off a rest to try to eliminate as much human error as possible.

It is also important to settle on the load you want to zero it with.
 
How are you holding the gun?

Single action revolvers are designed to be shot one handed with your arm fully extended. The gun should rotate upwards in your hand after every shot which places the hammer closer to your thumb for easier cocking.
 
Thanks for the feedback, I'll give it another try when I have more time and daylight.
 
Howdy

You would be amazed how many shooters who are used to pistols with adjustable sights find that their fixed sight guns are shooting to the left, particularly if they are right handed. Take a look at one of your adjustable sight guns, and I'll bet you a donut the rear sight is adjusted slightly to the right.

This is absolutely typical. If your rear sight is adjusted to the right, it is compensating for the shooter's tendency to shoot to the left. For a righty, too much finger on the trigger will tend to push shots to the left.

Question: where are you placing the trigger. If you place it in the crease of the joint behind your knuckle, that is classic 'too much finger on the trigger'. Try pulling the trigger with just the pad of your trigger finger. This will allow you to pull straighter back without pushing the gun to the left. There is really only one way to pull a trigger. All your finger is capable of doing is curling. You cannot pull the tip straight back. All you can do is use the pad of your finger. This will allow you to pull straighter back with less tendency to push the pistol to the left than happens with the trigger in the joint.

P.S. If you want to find out where the pistol shoots, shoot it from a rest. Shooting it offhand, particularly one handed measures how well you can hold the gun steady, not where it actually shoots. If you want to find out where the gun shoots, remove the human element and shoot it from a rest. That is why Ransom Rests were invented, to remove the human element. Once you learn where the gun actually shoots, you can work on trigger technique to make it shoot where you want when shooting it offhand.

I shoot single action revolvers all the time in CAS. I know that I pull my shots to the left. I know it is not the guns, it is me. I compensate by aiming at the right half of the target, but I know darn well it is me, not the guns, that are shooting to the left.
 
Driftwood Johnson said:
Howdy

You would be amazed how many shooters who are used to pistols with adjustable sights find that their fixed sight guns are shooting to the left, particularly if they are right handed. Take a look at one of your adjustable sight guns, and I'll bet you a donut the rear sight is adjusted slightly to the right.

This is absolutely typical. If your rear sight is adjusted to the right, it is compensating for the shooter's tendency to shoot to the left. For a righty, too much finger on the trigger will tend to push shots to the left.

Question: where are you placing the trigger. If you place it in the crease of the joint behind your knuckle, that is classic 'too much finger on the trigger'. Try pulling the trigger with just the pad of your trigger finger. This will allow you to pull straighter back without pushing the gun to the left. There is really only one way to pull a trigger. All your finger is capable of doing is curling. You cannot pull the tip straight back. All you can do is use the pad of your finger. This will allow you to pull straighter back with less tendency to push the pistol to the left than happens with the trigger in the joint.

P.S. If you want to find out where the pistol shoots, shoot it from a rest. Shooting it offhand, particularly one handed measures how well you can hold the gun steady, not where it actually shoots. If you want to find out where the gun shoots, remove the human element and shoot it from a rest. That is why Ransom Rests were invented, to remove the human element. Once you learn where the gun actually shoots, you can work on trigger technique to make it shoot where you want when shooting it offhand.

I shoot single action revolvers all the time in CAS. I know that I pull my shots to the left. I know it is not the guns, it is me. I compensate by aiming at the right half of the target, but I know darn well it is me, not the guns, that are shooting to the left.
Click to expand...

All great advice. I plan to shoot off a rest when I get a chance, there's a good chance it's the shooter. :D
 
I have a Cattleman that I bought new in, I think, the late 70's. Worked up handloads for it so I put a lot of rounds through it. Got a deer with it in PA one year. It resides next to the bed at night. Wouldn't sleep without it.
-mike
 
Well I finally got some more time to shoot the Cattleman today at an indoor range. 15 ft off of sandbags, first 6 shots all thru the same hole 1 1/2" to the left. I shot 100 rounds consisting of factory loads along with reloads using three different powders. All of them grouped well but to the left. When I got home I took a steel straight edge and sure enough the front sight cants ever so slightly to the right. You wouldn't notice by just looking down the sight line but the straight edge definitely shows the cant. So now I'm wondering if I'm being anal about wanting to send it back once more or if it's just something that one has to deal with when purchasing fixed sight guns.

Like i stated in the OP, this is my first fixed sight revolver and I'm wondering what you guys think.

Thanks.
 
The late Col. Charles Askins once wrote of a batch of fixed-sight revolvers that he worked on while a member of the Border Patrol. He had to move the front sights on a bunch of them so as to get them to shoot to point of aim. The fact that the front sight on your revolver fell off and had to be repaired should have been indication enough that the front sight wasn't true.

The lesson here: check the gun first. If the gun shoots to true from a rest, then look to your shooting technique.
 
I think I would look for a good local gunsmith where shipping wouldn't be involved. Take him a target to show him how it's shooting and ask his advise.
 
I have a Ruger New Vaquero with fix sites and mine shots a bit low. Have someone else shoot it.
 
I have 3 Uberti cattleman one 4.75" barrel, 5.5" barrel and last one is 7.5" barrel. Now the 4.75 was shooting low left and I corrected the left as Driftwood suggested so it was my finger position. Now to correct the low shooting I took a file to the front site and lowered it very slowly till I had it shooting POA. The 5.5" I've not had a chance to correct and can't hit the a barn standing inside it. The 7.5" was sold through Cimarron though still a Uberti Cattleman but shoots dead on out of the box. All of mine are 45 Colt shooting the same loads regardless.
 
Here's the thing, you have to eliminate human error, so shoot it on a solid bench with sandbag rest at a measured distance, at least 5 shots with the ammo you plan to use, if all of the shots group close together, average the center and see how far from Point Of Aim you are then let a gunsmith take a look at it.

Below are a couple calculators that I have used, work slow and easy.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=13093/GunTechdetail/Sight_Correction_Calculator

http://www.sdmfabricating.com/sightcalc.html
 
rb98ss,

which way does the front sight mover when you dry-fire the gun?

murf
 
You need to find a local cowboy action gunsmith who knows how to turn the barrel to make it hit where you are looking.

Thats how you adjust windage on them.

Once you settle on a standard load you intend to always use, have the barrel turned to shoot where you want it to shoot with your shooting style.

It is a quite common thing to do with SAA's.

Since your gun is shooting left, the barrel just needs to be a frog hair tighter.
Ain't no big deal to loosen it, and tighten it again to get that much movement.

If it was shooting to the right, it would be a bigger deal, at it is already tightened past where it needs to be, and would have to make another almost complete turn to get the sight back where it needs to be.

And that would involve some lathe work to adjust the shoulder one thread and re-set the barrel / cylinder gap and face off the ejector rod housing..

rc
 
Last edited:
If it's shooting left you may have too much finger on the trigger. Use only the pad, not the joint and make sure you're not dragging the rest of your finger on the frame.
 
For the "frog's hair" worth of tightening the shoulder of the barrel would not need to be lathe turned. It just needs to be torqued a little tighter to adjust the sight. Any revolver smith worth a hoot will have the hardwood clamping cauls to hold the barrel and clamp the frame for doing this. Far easier and faster than sending it back. And the gunsmith would likely test shoot it to check the windage adjustment so you KNOW it's done right when you get it back.

Hell, if you're a handy shop sort you can even make your own clamping cauls and do the adjustment yourself quite easily. The key is that you need to use a hardwood like oak or maple to make the blocks.
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. As I stated I did shoot the gun off of sandbags and am quite sure that the sight is off. Like I said also, when a straight edge is applied I can see the cant to the right. I also know what would be needed to correct it as has been posted in this thread -- the barrel needs to be tightened ever so slightly. What I was curious about is whether or not it was common for a fixed site revolver to have these sort of issues. From the replies, I'd say the answer is yes.

Thanks again.
 
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