Here's a thought: try loading to the high end of the specs for .40 S&W. It should give you a milder 10mm load without totally wreaking havoc on the listed chamber pressures (since the casing will be quite under-filled). Also, for competition shooting, heavier bullets are almost always better. If memory serves, you can get bullets as heavy as 220gr. for that calibre.
You need a good coach Mark: someone who will beat you up a bit over whatever bad habit you have. I once shot on the wrong target at a match and the guy next to me took it in stride while taking me to the proverbial wood-shed. No harm was done and I didn't shoot on anyone else's target again. By the way, most issues with side to side movement are trigger control related and up and down is typically either trigger control or sight picture - maybe try painting the front sight with orange or yellow nail polish.
File the rear sight either more open or down. I have a relatively new Marlin .22 rifle that has a factory buckhorn and I had to open it up a bit with a little careful file work. Much improved.
Sight is very visible and looks like this:
View attachment 203957
If I hold this sight picture; dead centre on the bulls eye, I shoot 10 inches low, and 8 left.
If I aim so that the top of the front end of the slide is level with the top of the rear sight, and the front post is two inches above the upper right corner of a large pistol bulls eye target, I can print most of them on the paper.
Filing is not going to help me with this pistol; and I have a buyer that is willing to buy it from me for what I paid (president of my club actually), and had been looking for one for some time. It breaks my heart as it is beautifully finished, and with over 1000 rounds through it, not one single malfunction.
After over 1000 rounds through it and the only improvement has been that I learned how consistently badly I shoot with it (and the other shorter grip Russian and Chinese Tokareves as well).
Closer range combat style, I could likely do OK with it; but this pistol, for obvious reasons, does not qualify for IPSC shooting; and we are building our outdoor range to accommodate ISPS also.
I'm thinking CZ or more likely a NZ 75 or 85 CZ clone by Norinco. The Norincos are approved; they have forged, rather than cast steel slides and frames, parts and accessories are fully exchangable with the CZs and they are about 1/4 the price:
Ammo was the issue; all we have available is crap corrosive surplus. I did get that NZ85 and I love it.
I picked up an IWI Jericho, full-size, all steel last month in .40. I am presently shooting 200 gr loaded to book max with HP38. I am shooting consistently low with it. I'm going to try some lighter bullets to see if that affects my POA much.
I can relate to that for certain. Especially when using an IR Night Scope for hunting hogs. My first time out I didn't realize how quickly the batteries would be used up so even my spares were soon gone. After that I made sure to have 4-5 fully charged 8000-10000mah battery packs with me. And I also carry a spare scope and rings when I go hunting. I would hate to ruin the entire trip because the reticle ring came loose or a lens broke. And, it has happened.
No, I have not.
First, my favorite powder for now is PowerPistol and 2400 but I have to agree on your assessment of HP38/Win238. They are both clean and they do take less per load, but when you look at their weight/volume ratio you get a very small amount of powder so that when you aim the gun the powder is down at the bottom of the case and ignition/burn is on the lower half of the case. My experience has been that those hotter powders which take less (for us stingy types, LOL) are also more sensitive to even the most minor deviations. The best situation is a powder that will produce the desired effects with a full case and no compression. That allows that the primer will always spark the powder in the near center and always produce the same effect regardless of the angle of the cartridge. One example of that is that Alliant 2400 will fill the .357 magnum case nearly 100 percent. It will just touch the base of a properly seated 158 grain bullet and not require compression.
