Scope Wobble

[Eustachius234]

Just watched a video that said that scope wobble is impossible to eliminate, and that all you can do is minimize it. The video said that we should just trust our wobble, do the fundamental things like squeeze the trigger, and we'll be on target.

I know that scope wobble infuriates me at the range. I'm constantly trying to compensate for it, and my shots are all over the place.

Would trusting my wobble be the solution?

Just wanted to get y'alls opinion.

 

[Hertzfeld]

If the scope is tightened securely to the rings it eliminates the problem for me. I have a Bushnell Red dot mounted on a Ruger MKIII Comp and just had to use some red loctite on the screws when mounting on the base to correct any kind of wobble. If it shakes or wobbles anymore its so minimal now I could never tell.

 

[doubleh]

I think what is meant by "scope wobble" is actually body wobble. If your scope is attached properly it can't wobble on the firearm it is attached to. But you sure can. You just try to time your shot as the crosshairs line up with the target as you wobble around.

 

[Geno]

Hey Eustachius234:

What'd the drunk turkey to the hunter?

"wobble wooble" as he staggered about.

Okay, seriously now. I have seen high speed videos of scopes flexing under extreme recoil. I don't buy it. Aluminum is very unforgiving. That much flex and the puppy would eventually snap.

Doc2005

 

[Ol` Joe]

I think what is meant by "scope wobble" is actually body wobble. If your scope is attached properly it can't wobble on the firearm it is attached to. But you sure can. You just try to time your shot as the crosshairs line up with the target as you wobble around.

You can`t eliminate your heart beat, breathing, ect and the scope will "wooble" some. The more X`s the more apparent it becomes. As Doubleh said, time the movement and you`ll will hit the target.

 

[benEzra]

Yes, it is physiologically impossible for a human being to hold something perfectly steady. A rifle moves a little bit when you hold it. Thing is, if you jerk the trigger when you think it is lined up right, you will move the rifle more by jerking the trigger than it was originally wobbling, and you will shoot worse.

The key to good shooting (unless you are someone of David Tubbs' abilities) is to take a shooting position that minimizes wobble as best you can, breathe a couple times, take a deep breath, let it halfway out, hold it, focus on the cross hairs (or front sight) and gently squeeze the trigger without disturbing the rifle. The exact instant the shot breaks should be something of a surprise. And that way, you don't jerk the rifle trying to nail the trigger as the rifle crosses the bullseye.

Having said that, ultra-top-level shooters (like Tubbs) can time the shot so that it breaks as the rifle wobbles across the bullseye. But those are people with near-superhuman abilities using $2000+ target guns with ultralight modified triggers, and years and years of practice. Mere mortals tend to do a lot better with the regular technique.

 

[Art Eatman]

It takes a lot of practice to shoot between heartbeats. The same thing to learn to anticipate where the crosshairs or sights will be after that 0.2 second lag from the time you think to pull the trigger and your finger actually moves.

The latter is why good sand-bagging at the bench is important, and you remove as much of the human factor as possible.

From offhand in the field, I've found that if I tell myself to shoot just a smidgen before swinging the crosshairs into "perfection", I'll actually hit where I want to. But everybody's "smidgen" varies.

 

[taliv]

and your finger actually moves.

and then from there til the time the bullet actually leaves the barrel