Benelli M2 shoots really high

[dchang0]

There's another thread on this forum about the same problem and it mentioned bending the barrel, raising the front sight, etc. I've got a Benelli M2 21" Comfortech vent rib (no barrel clamp, no cheek risers, stock recoil pad) that shoots high on everything and at all ranges. It has done this since day one. But lately, it's been really gumming up my game, as I've gotten used to a certain hold-under at specific ranges, and then when I shoot at unexpected distances, then it's back to guessing and walking the shot in.

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the problem.

10 yds and under: hold-under is pretty easy. Put the tip of the triangle right at 6 o' clock on the 10" target. For 4" clays, I visualize the clay at the center of a 10" circle and hit consistently.

25 yds, slugs on an IPSC target: hold-under is bottom edge of target to hit in the upper A-zone

50 yds, slugs on an IPSC target: this is where it gets really annoying. I'm holding so low that it becomes guesswork as to how much "white space" to put between the target and the tip of the triangle.

What's the most cost-effective and quick way to get this fixed? Sending it in to Benelli will likely take months, and this is my only shotgun.

I've heard that changing the stock shims can fix this, but I have no idea how much change in the pattern can be had by switching shims, and it doesn't make much sense to me how shimming works, since the sight alignment is determined by the front bead and the back edge of the vent rib.

Here's what my sight picture ACTUALLY looks like with a rapid mount:

So I'm already aiming low with the current shim (which appears to be a 55mm B shim, if the B DX is supposed to be at the top of the rear metal shim). Adding more drop would probably change my rapid-mount sight picture to this:

Can this be right? Seems like I still have to raise the front sight...

Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide!

Edited October 12, 2010 by dchang0

[kz45]

Are you using reduced recoil slugs? Mine shoots high just like that, the slower the slug the higher it hits, also are you shooting this free hand or off a rest, mine off a rest with low recoil shoots really really high, try a full power load it worked for me

[dchang0]

They're low power slugs, but even my birdshot and full power 00 buck patterns the same way. I'll buy a box of full power slugs to test as you suggest--thanks!

[benny hill]

When looking down the barrel, do you see any of the rib? With a nordic clamp, the more I move it back, the higher it shoots & move it foward, it hits lower.

[Sean Gaines]

When looking down the barrel, do you see any of the rib? With a nordic clamp, the more I move it back, the higher it shoots & move it foward, it hits lower.

Thats odd, so is the clamp pulling down on the barrel, to make it shoot lower?

[M ammo]

I put a higher front sight on my gun ,, and now it works fine,

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=112595&st=25&p=1285954&fromsearch=1entry1285954

[dchang0]

With a proper sight picture (as shown in the diagrams), I don't see any of the top of the vent rib. Just the top edge of the back of the vent rib, lined just under the fiber optic triangle.

But I don't naturally get a proper sight picture when I quickly mount the shotgun--it actually mounts with the back of the vent rib higher than it should be (about halfway up the fiber optic triangle), so I am actually aiming LOW and still hitting high.

@Sean Gaines:

Yup, a barrel clamp messes with the POI. I had one and then sold it because it kept shifting around on the barrel when firing. And it tore up my barrel's camo finish (factory TimberHD).

@M ammo:

Where did you buy the higher front sight, if I may ask? And what brand? Thanks!

[dchang0]

WOW--according to my calculations, the front sight needs to be a whopping 5.5mm taller in order to print the slugs at the tip of the triangle. That's ridiculously out of whack. The problem is likely a combination of bent barrel and high-printing slugs. Sticking a super-tall front sight on my shotgun doesn't really address the root problem.

Thanks, guys, for all your help. I think I'm going to send it back to Benelli to get it fixed under warranty.

Best,

Dennis.

Edited October 12, 2010 by dchang0

[mpeltier]

Have you tried it with differant choke constrictions? Sometimes the choke will affect point of impact.

[dchang0]

Two chokes so far: IC and IM. Both perform the same. I could try other the other chokes that came with the gun, but those are the two I'd want to work.

[mpeltier]

Probably not the chokes then.

Good luck with fixing the problem.

[dchang0]

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

I did a little math and figure that my shotgun is shooting its slugs about 19 inches high at 50 yards. That's way, way, way too high, especially when my friends running FN SLP Mk I shotguns are holding dead on with low-recoil slugs at 50yds. Something is very wrong.

[Merlin Orr]

I think the thread we had last week on "My Benelli shoot slugs high" had a bunch of answers that might help with this.....

[dchang0]

@Merlin:

Are you talking about this thread?

http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=112595&st=25&p=1285954&hl=benelli%20m2%20high&fromsearch=1entry1285954

Yeah, this is the one I read before posting mine. I don't want to go M ammo's route, as I don't want to make such drastic changes to the barrel (cutting a dovetail, silver-soldering, etc.) My barrel's not black, it's got the factory TimberHD camo wrap, so cutting and soldering can't be easily or cheaply covered up.

[Merlin Orr]

Dovetailed in front sight

A pic of how Benny did mine is post 15. I think that it would not be to hard on the camo finish....

Sure gives you the warm fuzzies to have it hit where the little FO is at.

[dchang0]

Ah, yeah! I saw that photo and liked it. What brand of front sight is that exactly?

[Jadeslade]

Get a couple of cases of slugs. Shoot a bunch to get the barrel hot, barrel bend it. Shoot some more, barrel bend it. Gets dead on eventually. When you put a high sight on, it shoots correctly in the vertical plane, but may not canted or sideways. High sight works for most people. It's still a crooked barrel. I suspect most gunsmiths know the barrel bending, but don't do it once out of school. Sometimes the rib cracks and needs welding on a bend.

[dchang0]

Hey, that's a good idea, and I won't lose access to my shotgun for weeks or months... My barrel might need to be bent more than this method allows, however.

[Merlin Orr]

Get a couple of cases of slugs. Shoot a bunch to get the barrel hot, barrel bend it. Shoot some more, barrel bend it. Gets dead on eventually. When you put a high sight on, it shoots correctly in the vertical plane, but may not canted or sideways. High sight works for most people. It's still a crooked barrel. I suspect most gunsmiths know the barrel bending, but don't do it once out of school. Sometimes the rib cracks and needs welding on a bend.

Your logic escapes me.....

Educate me.

Edited October 13, 2010 by Merlin Orr

[dchang0]

He's talking about firing slugs through the barrel to heat it up, then bend the barrel downwards while it's still hot. Keep doing this gradually and gently, and eventually the barrel shoots straight. If done too aggressively, the vent on top of the barrel may crack off and need to be reattached.

My barrel gets plenty hot when running it at a match, and I do have fireproof Nomex gloves. I could take it over to the bench after shooting it and gently press down on it. Could probably correct it by several MOA, then use a slightly taller front sight to fix the rest.

[M ammo]

That is my down fall!!!

I don't care what the gun looks like,,,

It has to me as close to 100% as I can make it,,

and the sights need to be NUTS ON<<, or they are worth nothing,,,,,,

I can't tell you,, how many folks I run in to that live the windage game with Shotgun slugs,,,, I can't stand that crap,,,

I'll take and ugly gun that shoots where the sights are pointed first,,

I put some stuff on the end of the barrel with a hose clamp to figure out how hight to make my front sight, I started with it real hight,, and shot two slugs,, snipped it off a little bit and shot 2 more slugs,, I walked it up the paper,,, until I got waht I wanted,,

No Voooodddoooo

well maybe just a little chicken blood,, and a goat head!

[dchang0]

LOL-- hey, what works, works, man. And I can tell you from months of frustration that yes, having a shotgun (or any gun) hit where you aim it is a goooooooood thing. I've botched so many slug targets (and correspondingly, the stages with the slug targets) that it just isn't worth going to the matches until my shotgun shoots dead on.

Still, I'd like to correct the barrel without having to cut or solder it much. The plan is this:

1) bend barrel downwards for gross elevation adjustment

2) get longer 3-56 flathead screw and insert small or aluminum shims under the HiViz front sight for fine elevation adjustment

Windage has been perfect so far, thankfully!

There is one good reason to bend the barrel. I noticed that if I only raise the front sight, the back of the receiver begins to rise up into the sight picture, and the gun begins to feel ridiculously unnatural in the hands/cheekweld. Better to bend the barrel down to where it would naturally be on target when I mount it rapidly.

Edited October 13, 2010 by dchang0

[M ammo]

The barrel bend,,, did not do it enough,,, and did not last,,,, it bent back,,

Done that,,

you need a higher front sight,, the how,, is up to you,,

Jim M ammo

[dchang0]

Wow, it bent back!? I suppose that means the chamber itself is pointing upwards (each successive round straightened the tube back to match the chamber)...

Crapola. Looks like I'll need a new barrel. This M2 goes back to Benelli with instructions to fix it... Hopefully, they'll swap the barrel for me.

[dchang0]

UPDATE:

Just got my M2 back from Benelli (quick turnaround--about 4 weeks).

They replaced the "barrel stop ring," whatever that is, and the problem was fixed. The test target they sent back has Federal low-recoil slugs hitting POA=POI or slightly higher, just like my buddy esskay's M2.

I'm posting this because it might save other people a lot of money and effort. They didn't have to bend the barrel, nor did they have to modify the chamber, etc. Just a new barrel ring, free of charge, under warranty. Oh, and they gave me a new set of shims for free (mine were missing when I bought it).

Thanks very much, Benelli! And thanks to you guys for your help!

EDIT:

I think I found the barrel ring. It's a weird spring-like ring hidden in the front of the foregrip that presses forward against the barrel's "ring-lug" (I have no idea what the official name of that is). The official part number on the work order is "60394 RING/BL/M1/3.5" It is diagram # 105 in the M1 exploded diagram. It is NOT the spring-washer-thing in the foregrip but goes on the front of the mag tube and fits firmly against the back of the spring washer. Anyway, my mag tube now tightens down completely and super-snug, and the whole shotgun feels much more solid. I guess I had gotten used to the forearm being a teeny bit loose without knowing it.

Edited November 30, 2010 by dchang0