bench rest shooting techniques--help needed pls

[JDHasty]

Baby powder on both bags.  Sling swivels removed or at the very least not close to touching bags. 

Get it lined up and then I only hold with trigger hand and seat the rifle into my pocket firmly (I shoot 300 Wby & slug guns this way).  Off hand squeezing rear bag. 

[Bob33]

Take a friend with you. Have him load the rifle for you without you watching. Ask him to not load it one of the first few times but not tell you which time. He can carefully watch you shoot to see if you flinch and how you pull the trigger. If you flinch that's probably the issue. If you don't, good for you and you can rule that out. Flinching is more common than many would admit.

[hogslayer]

I would have a hard time believing that the way your holding the gun would make a 1-4" difference.  Maybe 3/4 to 1/2' difference at 100 but not inches.  Especially at 100 yards.  I would also focus on where your cheek weld and how centered you are behind the scope.

[Alchase]

Take a friend with you. Have him load the rifle for you without you watching. Ask him to not load it one of the first few times but not tell you which time. He can carefully watch you shoot to see if you flinch and how you pull the trigger. If you flinch that's probably the issue. If you don't, good for you and you can rule that out. Flinching is more common than many would admit.

I agree, I have seen guys flinch bad enough to not be on paper at 100 yards.
Most can be fixed by realizing what is taking place.

[wooltie]

I would have a hard time believing that the way your holding the gun would make a 1-4" difference.  Maybe 3/4 to 1/2' difference at 100 but not inches.  Especially at 100 yards.  I would also focus on where your cheek weld and how centered you are behind the scope.

Today for example, the first shot was 2" high and slightly left.  Second shot was on target.  Third shot was 2.5-3" high and right.

The rifle has grouped moa before on the target, and also off the target--I've put 5-6 shots in an inch together but like 1" high and right.

I just notice that my best shots occur when the right recoils straight back and does not torque.  Coincidentally, the rifle recoils (physically moves) back very little when the straight back/no torque thing occurs.  It's like on these shots my body is providing enough firm resistance to absorb the recoil but not let the rifle wander left/right/up/down or torque.

I know the rifle is solid, so it's either me, the rest/bag, the ammo, or a combination thereof.

[jmscon]

Double check scope mounts, clean the holy heck out of the barrel then do it again.

The other thing I've been thinking about lately when people are talking about their rifle used to shoot well and now it doesn't, if your bench is in the sun and you are hanging out for a while that barrel has a hard time cooling down. Left out in the sun long enough it will get pretty darn hot without firing a shot. Also the sun heating the barrel is not even where firing the rifle with heat the barrel more evenly (in the circumference not length).

[JDHasty]

I would have a hard time believing that the way your holding the gun would make a 1-4" difference.  Maybe 3/4 to 1/2' difference at 100 but not inches.  Especially at 100 yards.  I would also focus on where your cheek weld and how centered you are behind the scope.

Today for example, the first shot was 2" high and slightly left.  Second shot was on target.  Third shot was 2.5-3" high and right.

The rifle has grouped moa before on the target, and also off the target--I've put 5-6 shots in an inch together but like 1" high and right.

I just notice that my best shots occur when the right recoils straight back and does not torque.  Coincidentally, the rifle recoils (physically moves) back very little when the straight back/no torque thing occurs.  It's like on these shots my body is providing enough firm resistance to absorb the recoil but not let the rifle wander left/right/up/down or torque.

I know the rifle is solid, so it's either me, the rest/bag, the ammo, or a combination thereof.

Is the barrel clean?  My 300 Wby shoots about 7/10ths clean, but with copper buildup it goes south real fast. 

[kentrek]

How many times have you shot moa ? Could it have been a false positive? Good ammo goes along ways

I'd upgrade the trigger beings it's a light rifle.....if you have 6 pound trigger pull on a 7 pound gun....well you get my point

Also practice alil dry firing

Invest in a led sled

Solid bench ??

Your prolly a better shot then you realize, something is wrong with the rifle/ammo/scope/bench

Hope this helps

[yorketransport]

Shooting a relatively light weight rifle free recoil is more difficult than you'd think. Part of what you're seeing could be the forend bouncing off of the front test. I usually get better accuracy from hunting rifles when I grip the forend to control the bounce off of the front rest. Also, make sure that the contour of the front bag matches the forend. Using a 2" front bag on a standard spotter forend won't offer much help.

Try shooting it off of a bipod too. This will take away some of the problems you can get when your front rest is either too hard or too soft. A bipod with a good rear bag is my preferred method for shooting groups with a spotter style rifle.

[wooltie]

Shooting a relatively light weight rifle free recoil is more difficult than you'd think. Part of what you're seeing could be the forend bouncing off of the front test. I usually get better accuracy from hunting rifles when I grip the forend to control the bounce off of the front rest. Also, make sure that the contour of the front bag matches the forend. Using a 2" front bag on a standard spotter forend won't offer much help.

Try shooting it off of a bipod too. This will take away some of the problems you can get when your front rest is either too hard or too soft. A bipod with a good rear bag is my preferred method for shooting groups with a spotter style rifle.

Thanks.  I use a Caldwell Rock Deluxe w/the factory bag and a leather bunny ears rear bag.  The benches are solid wood or concrete which require a pallet jack to move.

The trigger is the factory MOA turned almost all the way down to where I'm comfortable.  All the way down is pretty darn light.  The rifle+scope weighs about 7.5 lbs I believe--it weighs under 8 lbs for sure.  Shooting 180g factory accubonds for a hunting load right now.

By free recoil I mean (1) the rifle sits on the rests at the target, (2) I bring my body and shoulder to the rifle, (3) I lightly grip/shoulder the stock not to disrupt the point of aim, and apply pressure to the trigger.  The gun comes off target considerably when it recoils, typically going up and torquing right or left.  I can see where the point of aim moves to during the shot, and where it goes is where my shots always end up.  That's why I'm trying to find the right combination to get consistent recoil of just straight back--neither up/down/left/right.

[Magnum_Willys]

Zip tie a 20 oz water bottle to your front sling mount or hold the forend or get a good brake or lighten your loads?  Looking forward to hearing your solution to keeping a light 30 cal rifle from rising off rest. 

[poopooheaddad]

try a lead sled 

[JDHasty]

Shooting a relatively light weight rifle free recoil is more difficult than you'd think. Part of what you're seeing could be the forend bouncing off of the front test. I usually get better accuracy from hunting rifles when I grip the forend to control the bounce off of the front rest. Also, make sure that the contour of the front bag matches the forend. Using a 2" front bag on a standard spotter forend won't offer much help.

Try shooting it off of a bipod too. This will take away some of the problems you can get when your front rest is either too hard or too soft. A bipod with a good rear bag is my preferred method for shooting groups with a spotter style rifle.

[/b]

Trrue

[kentrek]

A muzzle break might helps aswell

[wooltie]

From what everyone is saying--it sounds like I may just not be controlling the recoil enough.  And by "control" I mean just not letting the gun fly all over the place.

I mean, I know you don't need a death grip but I could certainly use a firmer grip and also pull the rifle into my shoulder--which is fine by me, I'm not trying to shoot any particular style e.g. free recoil, I just want to improve my marksmanship and group moa consistently.

When I shot my .308, which weighed a pound more, using 150g factory loads, I didn't run into this issue of "the gun flying all over the place", probably because of less recoil.