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What's wrong

6K views 26 replies 23 participants last post by  wickedwd5000 
#1 ·
I just got my HP .45 and cannot hit very well at all with it. I do very well to keep 5 shots in a 2 foot circle at 10 yards. I know some of it's me but I find it hard to beleive it's all me at that close range. Should I use a full or fine bead while aiming? could it help to use the ghost ring sight? any insight would be appreciated as I am ready to throw the gun over the hill.
 
#2 ·
Not sure what you are doing. I just took my JHP to the range for the first time and it shoots great.

Here is a pic the #9 on the left was the second clip through the gun, at 35FT. ( 11 2/3 Yrds )

The center is also the JHP, alot of the other holes are the C9 I was tring to sight in.

 
#3 ·
Should I use a full or fine bead while aiming?
Not sure what you mean??

any insight would be appreciated as I am ready to throw the gun over the hill.
Well let me know when and what hill, and I'll be at the bottom ready for it.

You might want to have someone else try it and see how they do.
 
#5 ·
You may need to site it in. Some Hi-Points are great out of the box, others, though, need to be completely re-sited.
 
#6 ·
welcome to the fold.

Do this if you haven't already: take a deep breath and know the gun is accurate. The next steps will prove it to you.

Find a bench to shoot off of - that is, hold your gun on a solid / sand bag surface. Shooting slow and steady - aim 5 shots at a target about 10 FEET away. See where the shots are hitting. If all ALL are in a tight group but not on target, adjust your sites very little and shoot again, 5 shots. Once you're close to the X, back the target out to 15-20 feet and repeat. Then maybe out to 30 feet.

If your goal is self defense, this is the longest you'll likely need to site in. If your goal is target or deer hunting at 100 yards or so, you have more work to do.

Assuming it is self defense - 30 feet, the gun off the bench should be about dead on, shot after shot, once you site it in. AFTER that - assume a correct stance and grip and try it. If it hits the target, you're done. If it doesn't - it's YOU it's not the GUN.

Don't fret - every one on this board at one time had to realize it was the shooter and NOT the gun!!! Keep at it and let us know how you do. If you do throw the gun away, send me a PM and I'll tell what direction to aim your toss! :devilsidesmile:
 
#12 ·
what ammo are you using? did you try different ammo? have you cleaned the gun? is there copper or lead fouling in the bore? all of these things can affect short range accuracy. also the bore needs time to smooth out. is this anew gun? if so it may need a couple hundred rounds beofre the rifiling smooths out. at 12 feet it should group under 2" if all is well.

SW
 
#13 ·
OK so I tried my .45 using sand bags at 12 feet from the target. I fired 6 shots and all shot hit low and left, and the group was about 8 inches in diameter. At 12 feet the gun should hold a tighter grouping than that. Not thinking to much of HP firearms right now
What SW said, and I'll add based on the quote: Don't take this the wrong way, but........... there's NO way, an HP on a sand bag, at 4 yards, slowly pulling the trigger, gun completely resting and supported, has 8" groups. I can see low/left if the sights are off; but NO way on the groups. My reco is seek out an experienced shooter / other shooter and have them bench shoot it. I've never read anything from anyone on this forum that would explain that spread at that distance off a bench.

Let us know how it goes!
 
#14 ·
I feel your pain man. Give it 200 rounds. When I got my new HP JCP 40 I couldn't hit squat. I've been shooting firearms over 25 years. Man was I disapointed (at first). After a couple hundred rounds (and removal of ghost ring) it's rare to miss 8 1/2x11 paper target at 25 yards.
 
#15 ·
ditto.. what ammo are you using? new WWB fmj shoots dead on for me, at 40feet I got this group of 7 shots on my first time out with my new .45, also first time owning a gun and shooting. I practiced stance and grip for a few days before pulling that trigger for real:

That was representative of the groups I got that day shooting.
Since then I have shot reloaded fmj and it varies...a lot. Most shots still hit somewhere on that sheet of paper at 40 ft. but some just go off and don't even leave a note where they went.

I also used this target down here and it seems to be right on with what I find myself doing when I miss that target center. I also tried the ghost site and really didn't get used to it like I did the original sight. Oh, and be careful when adjusting elevation, I overtightened it and messed up the ridge that the screw rides on.. no problem though I called up the .45 factory and they sent me out a new one in 2 days. I had to adjust that sight 2 clicks up from starting it down at the lowest setting before it was dialed in similar to what I had before.
I hope you find the fix for your problem, and if you decide to throw that gun over a hill instead of sending it in for a lookover and repair, let me know what hill too so I can be there with the others trying to catch it. 8) But I do hope that it works out for ya.

 
#16 ·
For me the HP .45 was about the most accurate thing I've shot. With that long 4.5 in barrell, it is highly accurate. Now, the gun is heavy. You have to hold onto it, tho. Initially my grip was a little loose. Not limpwristing per se, but I have small hands, so I had to hold it a little more firmly than I would have had to a lighter gun. Also, the way you pull the trigger does make a difference. Keep reading.

Squeeze slowly but consistently. Use followthrough with the trigger and with the shot. Think of it like swinging a baseball bat. The bat doesn't stop once the ball is hit. The bat is expecting to come on around, and if you try to check your swing once the bat is contacted by the ball, you'll not be hitting well. Same is true of golf, tennis, billiards, etc. This also applies to shooting on two levels. When you squeeze the trigger, allow your finger to follow-through the trigger pull. Doing so will prevent you making "triggering" errors.

Also remember that although the bullet is traveling very fast, it still has to travel down the barrell and exit the muzzle, so you have to consciously hold the gun in good aim until the bullet leaves the muzzle. You might not think so, but relaxing the grip for even a fraction of a second after the trigger is pulled can and does affect bullet trajectory.

Also, you might think about shooting stance. The standard stance, gun held in both hands centered in front of the body, works for most shooters, but I noticed that the way I look down the sights, the modified weaver stance works better for me. You can find lots of info here about shotting stance and find one that works best for you.

MOST IMPORTANTLY! Don't get frustrated frustrated and give up. Every person here has had troubles shooting at tone time or another, and every gun is different. Sometimes its about getting used to you gun. Much the same as driving a motocyle is different from driving a bicycle and you just have to get used to it, and practice, and determine that you can do it!
 
#18 ·
well without getting to technical you suck just kidding but im with the others the hi point pistol is exceptionally accurate by design and its probably just in need of a good sighting in.


P.S. in my experience the ghost ring sights suck all but everything in the accuracy department so i would advise against them.
 
#19 ·
well without getting to technical you suck just kidding but im with the others the hi point pistol is exceptionally accurate by design and its probably just in need of a good sighting in.

P.S. in my experience the ghost ring sights suck all but everything in the accuracy department so i would advise against them.
Quick sight picture, Bad precision shooting sight on a pistol... plain and simple! ;)
 
#20 ·
Seriously, No offense intended, but at that close a range I cannot believe it is anything but you.
Try shooting from a rest, and practice trigger discipline. Smooth steady pull.
You must first achieve a group. Then you can adjust the sights to get the group on center.
Don't yank it, and don't try to anticipate recoil. Accuracy is a product of practice.

Don't get discouraged, you just need to practice more, and pay attention to stance, grip, trigger discipline.
Fire slowly, and consciously reset your aim. Look at your sight picture the same way every shot.
Try to find an experienced shooter to watch you shoot, they can give you some tips on those functions of shooting.
Shooting a Hi-Point really is a bit different from shooting many other pistols. The blow-back operation, and massive slide weight,
make them a rather unique animal to shoot.
 
#21 ·
I like how people get super pissed off when someone mentions "limp wristing". It's cool man, nobody's judging you for your nancy regan grip.
 
#22 ·
Ha, I knew the problem wasn't with me. I took it to the range when I took my concealed weopons class. after shooting 5 rounds the instructor asked if he could try. Once again 5 shots from the instructor at 7 yards was in a 6-8 inch circle. He looked the gun over and found the problem. The rear sight was rocking back and forth. The hole for the side screw was larger on both ends than the middle. H e used a dab of super glue on it and the next 5 rounds I fired was covered by a half dollar. low and left but grouping. Called high point the next day and in 2 days I had a new rear sight assembly. put it on and tried the gun again. Now I can say this gun is not going anywhere
 
#23 ·
SHUCKS! :mad:

I was scrolling through the post & anxious to tell ya "the gun is junk"... "buuuuut cuz I'm a swell guy I'll send ya $50 +shipping via paypal" :devilsidesmile: :D LOL

too bad ya found that prob w/the screw :'(

JK, I wish ya all the best gunning mountaineer! I know I enjoy my .45 and it shot tight groups fresh from the box, so i was reading w/baited breath to discover what could be wrong - glad ya got her figgered out!
 
#24 ·
Good deal. Glad it was an easy fix. People are a lot harder to fix than the gun. LOL

Welcome to the forum from Michigan.
 
#25 ·
Congrats on figuring that one out mountaineer!!! Be safe, shoot straight *now you got a new sight, shouldn't be a problem* and don't miss... *See other text surrounded by asteriks* :D
 
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