M&P shoots low...how to adjust?

[Rastoff]

Here ya go:

It's important to note this is for a right hand shooter. For a lefty just reverse it.

 

[jayman9207]

That is very similar to the one I ran across. Thanks.

 

[dksledz]

Yesterday I went back to the range and, using all of the great information I have read on the forums, shot a few rounds of 5 each. After practicing a while, my last round is shown below shooting at 7 yards. Thanks for all the great information. Also now getting used to the M&P 40 trigger pull.

 

[Rastoff]

dksledz,
That is some nice shooting.

 

[EugeneNine]

I got to shoot mine for the first time and found myself wanting to shoot low as well, must be a common thing.
I had 0 issues with the gun or ammo despite it being 17 degrees at the "range"

 

[EugeneNine]

Here ya go:

It's important to note this is for a right hand shooter. For a lefty just reverse it.

I have found a pdf of the army pistol marksmanship training guide listed on this but I don't see this chart in it, do you if there are multiple revisions of the manual?

 

[Rastoff]

I have not read the marksmanship manual. However, I believe that the information was taken from the manual and the graphic was created by sportshooter.com.

 

[NineBear]

I recently acquired an M&P ProSeries 5" barrel in 9mm. It shoots lower than any handgun I've ever owned or tried.
I figured I would resolve the problem by dialing in a Burris FastFire III RMR on a low rise bracket specifically for my gun and Red-Dot.

I went to the range with the new setup and really had to crank the elevation screw to get it zeroed at 7-9 yards. I then moved the target out to 15-18 yards, and it was a little low again. I was going to give it another twist but I was already at max elevation for the Burris.

Unless someone has any ideas how to raise POI I may have to "Shim" the mount, which won't look very good.

I also have a few questions:
- I have been shooting 115 grain FMJ ammo, would 124 grain have more "carry" at the 20 yard range ?
- I've read that I should run some oil on my boresnake when cleaning, any idea if this would do any good ? I have never made any attempt to run any oil thru the barrel.‌

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rastoff]

NineBear,
I'm not sure what you mean by "carry", but the accuracy between the two bullets will be the same. At 20 yards the difference in drop is insignificant for this type of gun.

Also, the same question to you, did you test your gun off a rest or just shooting off hand?

 

[rsrocket1]

Rastoff, have you shot the M&P? I think your sight picture is for another gun.

My Ruger Service Six and 1911 line up where the top of the front blade is in the center of the bullseye just as you illustrate, but my M&P shoots dead center when the dots line up and are centered on the target.
Sight Image #3 from this picture on the handgunforum:

 

[Lost Lake]

Army (post 15) sights under target

vs

Air Force (post 16) dots on target

Who will win this battle of conflicting information....

Stay tuned, more to come on this local station!

(full disclosure, I shoot as Rastoff does, as this is what we were taught in the army. It's kind of hard to see a target at 300 meters when your front sight is covering it. For my M&P's, if that makes them 2" low at 25 yards I'm good with that.)

 

[rsrocket1]

Yeah, I hate having to cover the target with the dot, but in reality if you are shooting defensively, I doubt that you are saying "should I put the top of the front sight on the target, or put the dot on the target?".

To make matters worse, a lot of rifles are adjusted so that Sight Picture #1 is the way to shoot. The problem is, what if the circle is farther away or of a different size? My Saiga is sighted that way and shoots perfectly at 100 yards, but the front sight post is locked in so tight, I can't adjust it and am afraid of busting something if I tried, so I simply say to myself "aim for the belly button (or a more private spot) and maybe hit the chest"

 

[M&P Freak]

Rastoff, have you shot the M&P? I think your sight picture is for another gun.

My Ruger Service Six and 1911 line up where the top of the front blade is in the center of the bullseye just as you illustrate, but my M&P shoots dead center when the dots line up and are centered on the target.
Sight Image #3 from this picture on the handgunforum:

I agree. The M&P is designed to use a "combat sight picture" (#3), where POI is behind the dot. Personally, I prefer sight picture #2 because that is what I've always used in the past (1911's). This is my only gripe with the M&P platform, but I'm getting used to it. I often catch myself shooting a little low and have to remind myself to "float the dot".

For a much better explanation, google "float the dot & shoot the shot" and choose the top link.

 

[4barrel]

If you are sure it shoots low file the front sight down.

 

[NineBear]

Rastoff,
I did shoot off a rest for all my zeroing.

"Carry" is the golfer in me, sorry. I did mean bullet drop. It just seems to me if it shoots right on at 7 yards, then low at 18 yards it might be load related, or bullet weight?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Rastoff]

Rastoff, have you shot the M&P?

Not very much yet. I've only had the gun since the second week in January and I've only had time to put, 1,648 rounds through mine. I will try to shoot more.

I think your sight picture is for another gun.

No, it's for this and every gun.

First, the M&P is not a bullseye gun. If I'm going to shoot a precision match I'll use a revolver with at least a 6" barrel. So, as a defensive gun, I prefer sight picture #2.

Why, you ask? Well the answer is simple. If you use sight picture #2 it will work for every gun at every distance. The 6 o-clock hold is good for some shooting, but it changes with distance and the size of the circle. #3 is OK too, but you have to block out the target, that's bad. Further, what if the dots are not drilled properly? I've seen more than one gun with the dots not properly aligned.

Lastly, #2 is the only sight picture that works for every gun. What if you pick up a gun that doesn't have dots? I train hard to be able to shoot on target with relative speed. That training has me looking for sight picture #2 and works with every gun. If I trained to use #3, what do I do when I come across this:

If you're used to using #2 then it's not an issue. If you're used to using #3 then you'd have to adjust your picture.

I'm not trying to tell you how to do it. Just posting my experience and what makes sense to me. For me, simple is better, and #2 is the most simple. I guess if I only had one gun...no, I'd still use #2.

 

[tonesurfer]

Rastoff, have you shot the M&P? I think your sight picture is for another gun.

My Ruger Service Six and 1911 line up where the top of the front blade is in the center of the bullseye just as you illustrate, but my M&P shoots dead center when the dots line up and are centered on the target.
Sight Image #3 from this picture on the handgunforum:

The problem with the M&P & sight picture #3 is that it is impossible to line up the dots and also the top of the sights. You can do one or the other, but not both at the same time. The darn dots are different sizes. So when you line up the top of the sights, the front dot is out of alignment (higher) than the rear dots. My solution, black out the rear dots with model paint, the align the tops of the sights, but cover the target with the dot (so in effect picture #3). Only way to hit what I'm aiming at.

 

[Rastoff]

It's really a moot point. In a defensive situation, if you're taking the time to perfectly line up either the dots or the top of the sights, your moving too slowly.

Hard focus on the front sight and put that on the bad guy. At self defense distances, you'll put a bullet on the bad guy this way.

When the target presents itself, present the gun and fire two controlled shots. If they are more than a hand span apart, slow down. If they are closer than 2", speed up. This is how to gauge the balance between speed and accuracy. If you do that you'll see that the difference between #2 and #3 is moot.

 

[labworm]

I have a M&P 357sig and it shoots low. As far as I can tell there is no up/down adjustment. I also have the M&P 22 and it shoot dead nuts at the same distance and target; thus, I am thinking it's not me. Any advice…

Welcome to the S&W Forum SlickDog, a great place to gain knowledge.

 

[M&P Freak]

The problem with the M&P & sight picture #3 is that it is impossible to line up the dots and also the top of the sights. You can do one or the other, but not both at the same time. The darn dots are different sizes. So when you line up the top of the sights, the front dot is out of alignment (higher) than the rear dots. My solution, black out the rear dots with model paint, the align the tops of the sights, but cover the target with the dot (so in effect picture #3). Only way to hit what I'm aiming at.

This is exactly what I do, and I'm not talking about in a defensive situation. I typically shoot 10-inch diameter steel plates at 30-40 feet. At this range, #2 is definitely a miss.

Three dots have never worked for me.