.35 Rem peep sights shoot waaayy left

[oldmike]

I have a 336 in .35 rem that has to have any iron or peep sight arrangement adjusted as far as I can take it to the left in order to get to center. All my other marlins I am able to shoot to center w/very little if any windage adjustment. I have tried 3 different peep sight arrangements as well as the factory irons...all with the same result. I've recrowned the barrel thinking that maybe there was a burr that was throwing the shots. With a scope, the gun is as accurate as can be expected....1.5 - 2 inches at 100yd. (handloads) Looking for some other solutions.....

[Richard P]

In a practical view, if it can be centered----leave it alone.  From a mechanical perspective, is the front sight centered ?  You are moving the rear sight to the left in order to move impact left. That means it shoots right if the sight were centered.
  I wonder if the root cause is the barrel not sitting square on the reciever. This would be because the reciever face is not square or the barrel shoulder isnt square---or some combination of both. If it is grouping acceptably the crown isnt the problem.
  It seems a call to Marlin is in order and possibly a trip back to them.
  Have you posted this at MarlinOwners.com ?  What were their responses ? 

[Halwg]

Is it shooting right or left? 

If it's shooting left, you have to move the rear sight to the right.  If it's shooting right, you move the rear sight left.

With the front sight, if it shooting left you move the front sight left.  If it's shooting right you move the front sight right. 

[zoner]

try centering the peep(rear sight) , shoot the gun, then adjust windage to POA by drifting the front sight. Then look at the front sight and see if it's centered in the ramp dovetail.

[jlchucker]

Is it shooting right or left? 

If it's shooting left, you have to move the rear sight to the right.  If it's shooting right, you move the rear sight left.

With the front sight, if it shooting left you move the front sight left.  If it's shooting right you move the front sight right.

YUP!  To zero a firearm you want to move the REAR sight in the direction that you want your bullet to impact.  Try to do your adjusting with the REAR sight if the front sight appears to be centered in the ramp.  If you must move a front sight that's dovetailed into a ramp, your best bet is to do that with a sight pusher instead of a brass drift.  Whacking away at a front sight that's in a ramp is a good way to possibly break off that ramp.  Then you've got a gunsmithing issue at best.

[zoner]

oldmike....the point of my post is that if the peep is centered on the reciever and you adjust POI with the front sight it will tell you if the ramp is out of alignment. When you get windage adjusted this way if the front sight is sitting way off center in the ramp it means the ramp needs to be moved..........Mike

[wallacem]

It is easy to see that your problem is that you are putting too much side pressure while loading it.  Happens to me all the tme, I just have to concentrate while loading. 

[dpe.ahoy]

It is easy to see that your problem is that you are putting too much side pressure while loading it.  Happens to me all the tme, I just have to concentrate while loading. 

What?    DP

[wallacem]

DP, having trouble following that?  Wallacem

[Rangr44]

Well, wallacem, if DP doesn't, I sure have trouble seeing how side pressure while loading the rifle leads to a sight alignment that's out of line with the bore C/L.

old mike, It sounds to me like the barrel had the front ramp mount holes and the rear sight dovetail machined in before it was installed on that particular receiver - but that receiver required the barrel to be screwed in either too much or too little, due to manufacturing tolerances.

The best way to clarify things would be to plumb the receiver, clamping it in position, then dropping a plumb bob at the front sight to see to which side, and how much it's "off".

The ramp could then be removed, the old holes filled with old screws filed flush, and two new ramp holes drilled/tapped in the correct position to leave the front sight plumb with the receiver.

A receiver peep sight should easily zero & center - but a rear barrel sight dovetail will still be "off".  I would just fill the barrel slot with a commercial blank, or file one up from an old longleaf sight.

.