bag technique??

[justme]

I have a pretty fair shooting 6br 1 in 14 with Hart barrel, set up for prairie dogs. 24x Leupold with Premier dots, one 3 moa high and one 3 moa low. Xhair is zeroed at 300 with 31.5 Viht 133 and 6b Bergers. I've had the gun for a few years.
Tonite, just ahead of a thunderstorm, I put 9 moa on the gun and used my bottom dot at 600 yds, as I have done infrequently in the past, but often enough to expect to stay in the black of a SR1 target. First 5 were high and right, with 3 in one group of about 4 inches, and the other 2 were 10 inches high of the first 3 but right together.
I drove down to mark the target and returned to the bench. I made a turret correction and shot 3 more. Those were in the 9 and 10 ring about 3 inches mostly verticle.
One more trip to mark the target. I had come down 1 moa from the first expected setting. Now I'm 8 moa up plus the 3 on the bottom dot. I shot 5 more, this time letting the bags do all the work and just pinching the trigger. I got a nice group about 6 inches tall and just 1 inch wide, but,,,,12 inches above my last group. Thunder and lightning from the south ran me off and I didn't get a chance to confirm my hunch that the difference in elevation between groups might be from letting the gun free recoil. What do you think?

 

[jlmurphy]

Every aspect of your contact with the gun has an effect, cheek, shoulder, hands, fingers, that's why benchrest shooters don't touch the rifle at all, except to pinch the trigger against the guard. Change of impact would be expected.

 

[justme]

Thanks jl. I've always simply grabbed this rifle and blasted away at the dogs. I was suprised that I was 2 moa high out there. More shooting is of course now required!

 

[LHSmith]

Pretty much for the same reason Lead Sleds are are a bad idea. The bullet is still in the barrel in the early stage of recoil.......any change to the manner the rifle is held will change POI.
Also, the dead calm just before a T-storm is not a condition I would rely on for sighting in prior to a hunt or match.

 

[justme]

I was shooting just to shoot! Actually went out there to try 168 in 7saum but drug the 6br along too. It was still enough that I thought I'd try to shoot some groups with the little gun. This long range stuff is pretty addictive.

 

[zullo74]

This long range stuff is pretty addictive.

600 yards is MID-range, but still addictive! ;D

 

[BoydAllen]

Shooting a rifle free recoil requires a bag setup that will work with that style, a stock of proper shape, and that the rifle be properly balanced as well. If any of that is not right, the best you will get is result that tease you, but never quite give you what you want. Tell us about your rifle and bags.

 

[justme]

Rifle is an older Model 7 with a glued in single shot follower. Barrel is Hart that finished .910 at about 27". Stock is a 70s era 40xb reworked to take the shorter action. I glassed in a block of walnut in the mag box area and the old recoil lug mortise and used a piece of round stock to mold in the top to mirror the action o.d, then recut a new recoil lug mortise and drilled a new front action bolt hole. Got a reamer from Kiff and put in a $100 Timney with no safety. I tried to put together a rifle heavy enough to see the dogs go poof but in 6br and shooting about 70 grns. It's way front heavy.
I tried a Speedy recommended load with 68 Bergers first and never changed.
Front rest is a Sinclair with Protector bag and rear is a short eared Protector with solid base. Stock has a slick Laquer finish.

 

[justme]

My range goes to 800 before I run out of hill. 600 seems far enough and I can still hear a faint' blang' when those little bullets hit the steel. It takes a fair day to see bullet holes in paper out there. At 800 I sometimes can't clearly see the bullet mark on the painted steel gong, with the 6br.

 

[BoydAllen]

With that barrel length on that stock, I would guess that you rifle is a tad nose heavy for free recoil, add the lack of a flat forend and you are holding for sure. No matter, some fine work can be done that way. Sounds like you have a fun place to shoot.

 

[justme]

Fun indeed and no neighbors! Please expound on the balance issues vs free recoil. Also butt stock bottom profile. With the side plates on the rest top I can more or less set up a narrow recess for the forarm but with the shot the rifle recoils straight enough it seems, but with the angled bottom of the butt the gun ends up pointing way over the target frame.
Does a stock designed for free recoil have a flat butt bottom profile?
Thanks for the insight

 

[DHD]

A good friend of mine shoots a Jarrett .222, trued 700 SA, straight no contour 20" barrel, bedded in a Six FG stock. The long forearm has a slight beavertail, but the butt is really similar to the 40X stock you use. He has shot it free recoil but gets some vertical. When he holds it lightly it is really an accurate rifle.

FWIW, my son shoots it almost as good as he cause he holds it (and doesn't have the old guys bad habits!). As you can imagine that slope lets the rifle slide up when it recoils with what little recoil there is.

I know what I described ain't exactly what you are dealing with, but that stock design needs to be held a little in my experience. In truth I hold everything, so what do I know 8)

 

[BoydAllen]

I used to have a rifle that had the same stock that you are using. I tried to shoot it free recoil. It did better with a light hold. This was not a problem. It shot really well with a light hold. This can be determined at 100 yards. For most rifles, that are not designed for it, free recoil is a bad idea that creates inconsistent performance. I have a full house 10.5# 6PPC. I can shoot mid twos holding it like a deer rifle. The trick is to have a good rest setup.

 

[justme]

All info much appreciated. The little light starts to come on.