Benchrest technique

[Clinton350]

For the life of me I cannot shoot a rifle with any amount of recoil off of a benchrest with any consistency. As you could imagine, this makes testing loads very difficult. 22LR or 223 don't seem to give me much trouble but my M1A in 308 is about to make me pull my hair out.

I'm using a mechanical forward rest and a rear sandbag. I've tried every conceivable shooting position I can think of. I've tried holding the rifle with both hands or hold the rear bag with my offhand. I've tried pulling the rifle into my shoulder and I've tried letting it "free recoil".

The end result is always the same. The rifle rolls over in the front rest to the left between 30-45 degrees. This has got to be something to do with the way the butt of the stock meets my shoulder but I can't say for sure. Last week I managed to shoot 10 shots in a row without this happening. I had placed a spare magazine under the rear bag to give it some more elevation but the concrete bench messed up the magazine pretty good so I did not repeat that today.

Anyone else ever had this problem?

 

[badkarmamib]

I have noticed the front of my rifle will jump to the left during recoil. I managed to (mostly) fix this by keeping cheek pressure on the comb to a minimum.

 

[Clinton350]

I don't think it's cheek pressure. I mounted a scope on the rifle and the eye position is so high that my jaw bone barely touches the stock. I plan on installing an adjustable cheek rest on it eventually. Was actually considering bearing down on the cheek rest with my face to help control the rifle.

 

[Bart B.]

I've seen scope reticle's twist left when shooting 30 caliber magnums. Watched the top or bottom of the crosshair and it jumps to the side as the rifle fires. There is quite a bit of torque bullets put on the barrel from rifling twist.

Learn to shoot properly slung up in prone. Put a bag under your hand at the stock fore end and another under the stock toe. That typically produces smaller groups.

 

[Qball16]

Here are some of the ways that I've tried to get decent benchrest results from a non-benchrest gun. I made risers for my rear bag with books. I glued rough-out leather on each side so it sticks to the bench like the bag bottom. I also bought a wide, smooth leather Protektor front bag for the rest that fits the Sinclair benchrest adaptor that I attached to the furthest back swivel nut. Then some sinclair wax powder to let it all slide consistently. Make sure you don't have swivels or a sling or anything on the gun to catch on the bags when shooting.

 

[jmorris]

This rig makes it pretty easy to eliminate the shooter as a variable.

The rifle was aimed at the target before I started the video.



And I changed it from when I made that video so it could also absorb recoil from the rifle.

This is a 5 year old hitting a 9" steel plate (about 2" off center) at 300 yards, you can see the lack of movement (it's a video).

 

[mach-1]

For what it's worth... Started long range shooting about a year ago. I read a post here about getting my gun off the rest. This really helped me. If you are having problems with a front and rear sand bag with your shoulder as the stop. I would guess your the problem. You can lock up your gun and shoot it with a trigger pull. That might help judge your re-loads but won't help you enjoy them. Proud of the 5y/o either way.

 

[Steve S.]

My benchrest technique is simple for me; if I get my body comfortable at the bench/ shooting position, then my groups are consistent. If I torque any part of my body (twist, reach, etc), I shoot terrible (I might as well throw rocks at the target). If you torque any part of your body (you will feel it at the bench), you will torque the rifle and your groups will open up.

 

[jmorris]

You can lock up your gun and shoot it with a trigger pull. That might help judge your re-loads but won't help you enjoy them.

For the life of me I cannot shoot a rifle with any amount of recoil off of a benchrest with any consistency. As you could imagine, this makes testing loads very difficult.

Absolutely, my suggestion won't do much for the first issue but solves the 2nd because it takes the first (largest) variable out of the equation.

You can take it one step further and not even need to touch the rifle.


Or one step further than that and not even be in the same vicinity as the rifle.


Didn't do much to improve my skills but enjoyed the play time.

 

[Bart B.]

you can lock up your gun and shoot it with a trigger pull. That might help judge your re-loads but won't help you enjoy them.

I disagree

Fixed, rigid rifle's barrels whip and wiggle very little when fired compared to what they do when fired off ones shoulder. Bullets leave at different angles relative to the line of sight. Test groups are not the same size with the same load.

Fixed barreled actions are best for getting velocity AVG, SD & ES numbers if that's your only objective.

 

[jmorris]

Test groups are not the same size with the same load.

Especially when,

For the life of me I cannot shoot a rifle with any amount of recoil off of a benchrest with any consistency. As you could imagine, this makes testing loads very difficult.

 

[Clinton350]

Thanks for all of the replies. The more I think about it the more I believe my lack of cheek weld may be causing the problem. I never remember having this problem before I put a scope on it. I'm going to install a proper cheek rest and then see if the problem persists.

 

[Sunray]

"...using a mechanical forward rest..." Can't imagine an M1A having excess felt recoil, but lose the mechanical rest and the rear sand bag and use just a front sand bag under the forestock just in front of the mag. The rifle should sit on the sand bags(it'll probably be a couple. Cat litter or range sand for filler. Rice will do if the bag is water tight.) by itself on its balance point. Then sit with the butt stock snugly in your shoulder and leaning a bit forward with your left/right/front hand wrapped under the butt stock. Easier to do than describe.
"...rifle rolls over in the front rest..." Your mechanical front rest is likely at fault. It got a lock? Or it might be how you're holding the rifle. Suspect it's more likely to be the rest though.

 

[bangswitch]

For bench shooting with my M1A, I use a Caldwell Tack Driver bag. It's about a foot long, and it's got deep pockets top and bottom (sort of "X" shaped) to rest the fore end of the rifle. If you're shooting with a scope, a cheek riser is pretty much mandatory for this rifle, otherwise you can't get a cheek weld. Plus, if the front of the gun is rotating, you're not holding it tightly enough at the pistol grip. That's what keeps the orientation of the rifle where you want/need it. Use the butt plate to keep the butt from slipping down, get rid of the rear rest, and use your off-hand to support the bottom of the stock. I made a removable cheek riser for mine from leather, it laces to the stock; I didn't want anything that would mar that beautiful splinter of walnut.

 

[Nature Boy]

I'm going to install a proper cheek rest and then see if the problem persists.

My I suggest....

http://bradleycheekrest.com/

 

[mach-1]

Steve S, I believe your spot on. If I'm relaxed and everything feels the same I can hit 5 in 10" at 1,000. Push the rifle for comfort, can't clear the scope and... well, just go shoot a pistol. From the post there just did not seem to that much of an issue with his rest. Gotta love fellow re-loaders!

BTW, you can just change the front sand bag position back or forth an inch and see changes.