Hello,
I have a Remington 20 gauge pump action. I have about 300 rounds through it, and like it very much.
I’ve observed in order to hit my target, I have to aim what seems like 1 1/2 inches below the target. Doing this, the shotgun is always 100% accurate.
Can anyone explain why I have to aim lower rather than put bead/barrel right on the target?
Your opinions would be appreciated.
Thank you

When you aim and put the front bead on the target, do you see some rib surface? If you do, that is the reason the gun shoots a little higher than you are expecting.

If you shoot with your eye looking along the surface of the rib and no actual rib surface is showing, you should hit where you are aiming.

With a shotgun, the eye's relationship to the rib serves the same purpose as the back sight on a rifle. Move either and the bullet or center of the pattern will move in the same direction.

With rib surface visible when you aim, the eye has moved up and so does the pattern,

Know that when shooting moving targets, you should not aim; you should always focus only on the target and see the bead in your peripheral vision. You aim ONLY when shooting at stationary targets, as you would when shooting a turkey or when shooing a slug.

Very good. Thank you for the explanation.

I would make sure that your beads are stacked like a figure 8. It could be that if you press your head down really hard onto the stock, that will raise the point of impact. Might be helpful to use a patterning board, most ranges have them, and then you know where it is shooting if you feel like it is shooting high. A patterning board is always a good place to start with a newer gun that you may not know where it shoots.

It also depends where the target was going with what you described. If it is a dropping target or outgoer you need to aim under the target otherwise you will shoot over it. If that is the case, the easiest fix is just to spend more time at the range and build a shot library of target leads for various distances. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the process!

Thank you for your advice.