10/22 Zeroing factory sights

[villageidiot]

I took a new 10/22 carbine to the range today to zero the factory iron sights. Initially, it was shooting 2.5 feet left and 1.0 feet low at 21 feet. After pounding on the rear sight best I could with a mallet and a punch and raising the blade on the rear sight as high as possible it is now hitting about 15 inches left and about 9 low.

The front sight would not move at all to permit any adjustment, so I was thinking of knocking it out and trying the clean up the dovetail. That still leaves the rifle hitting too low. It seems unlikely that front sight would come the wrong height from the factory, but I feel like I must be "missing" something here. Any suggestions?

[SideShow Bob]

Did you follow the instructions on page 30 ?

http://www.ruger.com/products/_manuals/1022.pdf

[villageidiot]

Yep. I am several 'gradients' on the sight from being on the paper in the vertical axis. The front sight appears to be canted to the right (as viewed from the receiver). However, if that was the issue it should be shooting high-left not low-low left. Correct?

[Big Wall]

My suggestion is to buy these (if your sights aren't canted):

http://www.tech-sights.com/ruger3.htm

[villageidiot]

Tech sights would have been my first move, but its my wife's gun and she wants to shoot the open sights.

[SideShow Bob]

You should be drifting theRear sight in the direction you want the POI to move not the front sight. As far as a canted front sight, is this a takedown model ? If so, you may not have the barrel seated completely.

[villageidiot]

I finally got back to the range with a bigger hammer and was able to move the rear sight. I am now out of adjustment in both windage and elevation (4 inches low and two inches right, at 21 feet). Note that the rear is drifted about 1/4 inch off the centerline (the front sight appears to be centered in its dovetail).

[SideShow Bob]

Probably time to contact Ruger for a fix to the bore / sight alignment. The barrel may have been bent at the factory or wasn't placed in the jig properly when the site dovetails were cut.

[villageidiot]

Thanks for the advise. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't over looking something before contacting Ruger.