[howardc]

Hi everyone,

Well, I've pulled my old TM1 out and I'm going to shoot some targets next year. The gun has a nuetral stock....straight as can be. It has a Carey Comb so there is no way to adjust the comb left or right. The last time I put it on a pattern board it was shooting about 90/10. When I mount the gun, it feels best if I cant it a couple of degrees into my face. I remember reading in the past about top shooters that cant their gun to some degree. Is there anything really detrimental about canting the gun?

Thanks for your help!

Howard

 

[over the hill]

My son shoots a 391 the same way. He has an adjustable pad and we have twisted it every way possible. Still cants the gun toward his face. I will say hes consistent. About the same each time.

Looking forward to the responses as they are always good.



Regards....Gerald

 

[Bob Schultz]

Howard,

A lot depends on what you mean by a few degrees. 5 degrees of cant will move a 90/10 pattern about an inch to the left or right depending on direction of the cant. So ... if you measure the amount of cant in degrees and multiply by .20 inches (for a 90/10 gun) you will know how much the center of the pattern moves. From my experience unless cant exceeds 8 degrees I would not worry about it. If, however your TM1 cant is greater than that, you could install an adjustable butt plate on the gun and turn the toe of the pad out to the right to level the rib.

Gerald,

As the 391 shoots relatively flat cant would have little or no effect on the pattern shifting left or right. ie.: 60/40 pattern would shift only a quarter of an inch for each FIVE degrees of cant.

You math guys out there will no doubt be figuring in moon phase and gravitational warp in cubits per/fortnight. I am taking some math license here using the assumption that cant will not exceed 15 - 20 degrees. These are decent working numbers not measured to the nano-meter!

Bob Schultz

 

[Jawhawker]

howardc, how well did you shoot this arrangement in the past? You can learn to shoot with a substantial degree of cant and be highly effective. A former All American had more of a turn than a cant.

 

[ivanhoe]

howardc

"When I mount the gun, it feels best if I cant it a couple of degrees into my face."

When you say feels best is that because when you don't you have to lay your head over a little? Or that it doesn't put the stock in the proper place on the shoulder?

If either of these questions fit I would see a stock fitter and have some cast added to the stock. As a matter of fact you might be better off seeing a stock fitter anyway. Fitter might be able to stop the cant and make this a never on your mind factor.

Bob Lawless

 

[howardc]

Pheasantmaster,

When I shot this gun 20 years ago I carried an A average and shot my way to the 25 yard line. I realy don't remember if I canted the gun at all back then.

Bob,

I can line up the beads without canting the gun, but I feel like it's not a completely natural mount. However, when I cant the gun toward my face slightly, the beads line up perfect and the gun feels better locked in. Maybe I should just remove the center bead?

Howard

 

[Hap MecTweaks]

Howard, I own two Carey stocks and both have comb adjustment to either side. Are you sure your's isn't? Hap

 

[Rollin Oswald]

Howard & Gerald,

There are two possible causes for canting a gun. One is to allow the recoil pad or butt to make better contact with the shoulder pocket because the bottom toe of the pad sticks out too far. The gun is canted to move the toe into the armpit where it is less troublesome.

The cure is to have the pitch of the stock changed (increased) to eliminate the toe of the butt sticking out so far. The pitch is correct when the entire pad, top to bottom (heel to toe) makes simultaneous contact with the shoulder picket when the gun is mounted and the shooter is in his or her chosen body posture.

The other reason for canting is to position the eye in the desired place relative to the gun's rib. Canting may indicate that the comb is too high (inadequate drop at the comb) or that the cast or offset, i.e. the horizontal position of the comb, does not match the facial structure of the shooter. It may also indicate that the gun mount may need to be corrected.

As was indicated above, canting the gun is most troublesome when it is excessive and/or when the gun is high-shooting (its POI is considerably greater than 70/30). Depending on the POI and the amount of cant, the center of the pattern may be moved enough to cause lost targets when accompanied with a less-than-perfect sight picture.

Rollin

 

[howardc]

Hap,

My gun went out to Don around 1989. Maybe it was an earlier design, but this comb will only adjust up or down.

Howard

 

[phirel]

In general, I believe a cant is not good. It will move the pattern. But, it is better to cant a gun into your face than lift your face off the gun as you look at the target.

Pat Ireland

 

[hmb]

In general, canting the gun is good, when done to improve fit and vision. HMB