2 o-clock 8 o-clock stringing F/TR .308

[dsbur]

I know I read about this somewhere here in the forums...

As the title says, really showing up in my local league shoot mid-range 600yd targets and don't know where to start. Can do .5MOA at 300yds with good waterline. What is it about my hold or scope work that I am missing? Currently in the low to mid 190's on the MR63 target at 600yds. Let's take wind out of the equation for the moment...

My Jewell trigger seems to be becoming a '2-stage' unit at the moment but thought I was dealing with that (until season is over).

.308 Lapua Palma brass neck size .335 Redding S dies then .3065 Sinclair expander, occasional bump, and .002 tension, unturned
CCI450 primers
43.3gr RL15 for 2645fps
175 Nosler CC .009jump with .002-.004TIR
Benchmark 3 groove bbl at 28.75"
Duplin bipod with B&C A5 stock, Rem 700 short action
Jewell HVR at 5oz
Nightforce NXS12-42
Redding Type S neck bushing die set

Suggestions where to begin? Thanks in advance-

 

[6BRinNZ]

Does it start low and climb high right over the string? Do you shoot right or left handed? What is the overall vertical dispersion value?

What are you using for a rear bag?

 

[lawrence97]

What does your ES and SD look like for your load?

 

[dsbur]

1. Usually high right moving to low left in a 20 shot string.

2. Right handed shooter. Straight back, flat fingered pull back at pistol grip. Nada with the left hand.

3. Bastardized rear bag, leather from Bruno's with talcum, a little nicer and more refined than this style http://accurateshooter.net/Blog/boardbag03.jpg The A5 stock has a flat rear bottom that is about .75" wide so most bags don't fit well or ride correctly. Will try an Edgewood that this fellow (above) has that appears to be double or triple stitched wide. Love the adjustability and fit of the B&C but have to do coarse elevation corrections with the Duplin.

4. ES generally 10 to 19. SD's generally 5 to 8. Love the Palma brass and RL15.

5. Last measured vertical at 600yd is 5.25". If I rotated it horizontal it would be about 3.25"

 

[6BRinNZ]

Do subsequent strings do the same? After each shot where does you POA end up?

It sounds a little like technique to me - maybe get a camera to video your self. Definitely sort the rear bag and reassess. It can be difficult to sort these things out if you are fighting your setup.

 

[dsbur]

1. Fire on target "9" and scope bounces to target "8" on recoil to the left. It used to be REAL bad until I got more behind the rifle.

2. Most of the targets for this season (6) show a similar pattern. The one 199-11X target was my pride and joy with no symptoms and damn if I can figure out what I did that evening....

3. I've tried a variety of bags with this stock. It's more a tactical stock but the price point and collective features fit my pocketbook nicely.

That little bit of vertical due to the slant is consistently costing me one or two points each evening.

 

[noload]

I think its definately you, not the load causing the stringing. I believe its all in your rear bag and how you realign it to line up on the x on your next shot. Its a progressional string meaning what ever you are doing wrong, it just keeps getting worse as you shoot. If you were to get up off the gun then resetup it would probably stop the progression. I think your rear bag is walking side ways one way or the other, and goes farther and farther every shot, if you don't realign your body the gun recoils on a different spot on your shoulder. Try to figure out which way you rear bag moves after recoil, then push it back slightly before you line up the next shot. I know it tough with a bipod jumping, but its not just the bipod moving, your rear rest is probably moving slightly also. Thats good that you keep your body straight behind the gun,(not off to the side.) I shoot F/open, I get that progressive stringing too and have figured out its happining in the rear of the setup cause the front is pretty much glued down in the front rest. It turned out my rear bag progressively walked and I didnot correct it. Hope this helps, Pat

 

[dsbur]

Pat,

Thanks, I think there is something to that. I put a finger between the 'hook' of the rear stock and the rear of the bag after every shot to maintain consistent fore/aft location on the bag. I don't like to break position but I do notice that if I don't pay attention the bag will not be 90degrees to the rifle after a few shots and so I have to straighten it up. I think I'm pretty consistent in checking this but maybe not enough in the heat of the battle. Perhaps when I readjust I don't realize that the bag moves inward or outward left/right and I'm not readjusting relative to my body, kinda scrunching or stretching minutely to compensate. A little more grip action under the board may help but I will try my friend's 3/8" wide eared Edgewood bag tomorrow, dang thing weighs a ton.

 

[6BRinNZ]

It sounds like a lot is to do with the rear bag - jumping off to the next target at 600 seems like a lot to me. Typically I jump to the top left hand corner of my target and if I am running well I'm not coming out of the black - Duplin bipod and Protector rear bag...SEB on its way.

I do wonder if you will get better results by putting a flat over the hook and go with a better rear bag setup. Mucking around with the rear bag will take your focus away from the wind if nothing else.

Maybe break it down into one thing at a time - try for a setup that doesn't push you off your target so much and the vertical will come into alignment as well.

 

[1shot]

I shoot sling/prone, and am left handed but I had the same problem (high left to low right) until my partner stood directly behind me and solved. over the years I somehow developed more and more of an angle between my body and the rifle. I shoot with a bent left leg, and rarely remove the rifle from my shoulder unless I start to se the rifle recoil at and angle. In my opinion, your remedy lies with the rear bag and your body alignment with the rifle.
I hope this helps,
Lloyd

 

[timeout]

I've recently encountered this type of stringing trying to shoot free recoil. The rifle is capable of low 1's with a less than perfect marksman (me) behind the butt. I was working on the stringing yesterday and it is frustrating to say the least. I worked more with the front bag. The rear bag theory sounds promising. I have a few different rear bags to try. Would there be an advantage to the extra large & heavy rear bags? I see those can weigh over 25 lbs. filled as opposed to under 15.

 

[noload]

In my case I do not think a heavy rear bag will help...but I never tried one?? I shoot a 284 Shehane with a Neo front rest. My rear bag is filled with plastic chips and I think it weighs less than 2 Lbs. I have figured out how to use this setup and it works good enough to place 1st in a 2 day 8-9-1000yd AGG. If it works don't change it is my theory.