Benchrest... Shooting off front and rear bags... etc...
- Thread starter Afy
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Well ya can't argue with what works. Maybe I'll try that big scope after all.
A little more food for thought: I try to keep my front bag from getting packed down too hard. I have read that some shooters will use a piece of sheepskin on the front rest to keep the rifle from bouncing away from a hard bag. I imagine that you could have similar problems with a bipod on a hard surface. Something else to experiment with anyway. Any thoughts?
FLRon
Member
Here are a couple of very helpful videos i found that you can watch. There are two parts.
http://www.archive.org/details/Rifle_Marksmanship_with_M1_Rifle_Part_1
http://www.archive.org/details/Rifle_Marksmanship_with_M1_Rifle_Part_1
ken22250
Member
as shooting off a benchres goes, everyones diffrent, and you wil need to develop a system that works for you.
ken
ken
R.W.Dale
Member
It's a hands off shooting technique where once the rifle is aligned with the target using bags and or rests you take the shot with only your trigger finger touching the rifle and your shoulder a couple inches away from the buttpad, thus allowing the rifle to "freely recoil"
R.W.Dale
Member
LOL
and probably a 15 lb minimum weight
243winxb
Member
Real Benchrest and Target Shooting, Big Difference.
Forget free recoil, UNLess you have a 2 oz trigger, a Bench rest stock that rides the bags like a rail gun,6ppc, 65 to 68 gr bullets, 1-13 twist. Or you have a Super Heavy Rifle. For target shooters, its fine to use the "left hand" when holding the forearm just behind the front bag/rest, this can be useful to avoid the bounce from a to hard sandbag. For best accuracy, do everything the same for each shot. Hold the gun firm, but dont fight the recoil. Keep the pistol grip from hitting the rear bag on recoil. Dont let any sling swivels touch the bags. Return the rifle to the exact positon after firing. Small adjustment on cross hair aiming point can be made by turning the foot screw of the front rest that faces you, instead of squeezing the rear bag. Work the rife into the bags before firing any shots, it should move back and forth with no drag. Sit up straight, lean into the bench corner if you can for body support. Keep cheek pressure light on stock. Be aware of shoulder ,cheek, trigger hand pressure, it must be the same every shot. Recoil must be the same. Now comes the Pressure Shot. The Pressure Shot starts with the first shot of a string of 5. 1. you line up the sights and shoot. 2. 2nd shot, you want to have it go near the first so you pay more attention. OOPs it hits 3/8 low and 1/8" left of 1st shot. OK, not to bad, still working on a 3/8" group. In most cases the 2nd shot hits at a different point because on the 1st shot you were totally relaxed, no pressure. 3. 3th shot trying a little harder, it hits in between the two, great , all touching in a vertical row. 4. 4th shot, pressure is on now you must put this one in the 3 shot group, you tense up, hold gun tighter, heart rate goes up.KABOOM, it hits in the group, all is well. 5. 5th Shot, Total Pressure shot, Here is where most choke, you do ever thing wrong, hold gun to tight, to much cheek pressure on stock, forgot to check the wind flags, heart rate ,blood pressure at maximum, for the last and final shot. Darn now its a 1" group, must have been a bad bullet LOL Nope the Pressure Got to YOU.
Forget free recoil, UNLess you have a 2 oz trigger, a Bench rest stock that rides the bags like a rail gun,6ppc, 65 to 68 gr bullets, 1-13 twist. Or you have a Super Heavy Rifle. For target shooters, its fine to use the "left hand" when holding the forearm just behind the front bag/rest, this can be useful to avoid the bounce from a to hard sandbag. For best accuracy, do everything the same for each shot. Hold the gun firm, but dont fight the recoil. Keep the pistol grip from hitting the rear bag on recoil. Dont let any sling swivels touch the bags. Return the rifle to the exact positon after firing. Small adjustment on cross hair aiming point can be made by turning the foot screw of the front rest that faces you, instead of squeezing the rear bag. Work the rife into the bags before firing any shots, it should move back and forth with no drag. Sit up straight, lean into the bench corner if you can for body support. Keep cheek pressure light on stock. Be aware of shoulder ,cheek, trigger hand pressure, it must be the same every shot. Recoil must be the same. Now comes the Pressure Shot. The Pressure Shot starts with the first shot of a string of 5. 1. you line up the sights and shoot. 2. 2nd shot, you want to have it go near the first so you pay more attention. OOPs it hits 3/8 low and 1/8" left of 1st shot. OK, not to bad, still working on a 3/8" group. In most cases the 2nd shot hits at a different point because on the 1st shot you were totally relaxed, no pressure. 3. 3th shot trying a little harder, it hits in between the two, great , all touching in a vertical row. 4. 4th shot, pressure is on now you must put this one in the 3 shot group, you tense up, hold gun tighter, heart rate goes up.KABOOM, it hits in the group, all is well. 5. 5th Shot, Total Pressure shot, Here is where most choke, you do ever thing wrong, hold gun to tight, to much cheek pressure on stock, forgot to check the wind flags, heart rate ,blood pressure at maximum, for the last and final shot. Darn now its a 1" group, must have been a bad bullet LOL Nope the Pressure Got to YOU.
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243winxb
Member
Equipment & Misc.
As said, 36 or 45 power scopes are needed for small groups. But they are almost useless to the regular guy. I would suggest buying a variable scope if your not a hard core Benchrest Competitor. Some of the heat waves seen in the scope come for barrel heat. Run a light piece of cardboard or thick paper on top of your barrel from the action to within 2inch of the muzzle. It needs to be about 2 1/2"/ 3' wide. Use the smallest aiming point you can see, this can reduce group size. Wind flags are a must have, they can be home made. I have aluminium arrows/modified with fins and ribbon tail , riding on a wood dowel stuck in the ground. The flags are best at 25 and 75 yds if shooting to 200 yds. The reason being that the bullet going off course early is worse then the wind catching it past 100 yds. In other words, the sooner the bullet changes angle when hit by the wind, the futher out of the group the bullet will hit.
As said, 36 or 45 power scopes are needed for small groups. But they are almost useless to the regular guy. I would suggest buying a variable scope if your not a hard core Benchrest Competitor. Some of the heat waves seen in the scope come for barrel heat. Run a light piece of cardboard or thick paper on top of your barrel from the action to within 2inch of the muzzle. It needs to be about 2 1/2"/ 3' wide. Use the smallest aiming point you can see, this can reduce group size. Wind flags are a must have, they can be home made. I have aluminium arrows/modified with fins and ribbon tail , riding on a wood dowel stuck in the ground. The flags are best at 25 and 75 yds if shooting to 200 yds. The reason being that the bullet going off course early is worse then the wind catching it past 100 yds. In other words, the sooner the bullet changes angle when hit by the wind, the futher out of the group the bullet will hit.
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Amateur here. Took out my new mini 14 and 30 for the first time yesterday. First time at the range in 12 years. The video link above was super helpful. However, I apologize for even posting but I just gotta say it, I tried using some bags I got from Wal-mart. First, I couldn't get the gun lined up on the target without putting a box of shells under the front, then I couldn't get set right to see the targets clearly. After burning off about 6 rounds, said the heck with it and fired from the bench using my arm and shoulder. I was a whole lot more accurate. I worked my Mini 14 in with 18 total rounds to a 2" group at 100yds using open sights and mini 30 with only 6. The scope was a whole 'nother matter. Anyway, sorry again for posting fodder for the fire but had to tell someone.
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