Hold that forend!

[M14AMU]

I'd be interested in hearing feedback from you guys regarding this info!

http://www.ballisticstudies.com/Resources/Articles/Hold+that+Forend.html

 

[Ole]

Way to much to read....Ole

 

[Eddie Harren]

When Tony starts gripping the forend, then I will. Hell, I, like some other "Internet Wizards", put a death grip on the keyboard when typing!

 

[BoydAllen]

A lot of what determines the best technique has to do with the weight, caliber, recoil, and style of stock of a particular rifle. This is one of those things that readily lends itself to testing by any shooter. Why don't you let us know what you discover? I have no doubt that the fellow that wrote the article is telling the truth about what he has found to be true. The question is, how much, if any, of it applies to your particular situation? I will say that generally speaking, rifle scopes are pretty fragile, and bendable, and for that reason, I tend to frown on using them for hand holds, rests, or handles. On the other hand, I find that for certain rifles (none of which are used in benchrest matches) that having two hands on the rifle can be beneficial. As a matter of fact, in the 1,000 yd. benchrest game, there are successful competitors who shoot that way. http://www.accurateshooter.com/guns-of-week/gunweek044/

 

[K22]

I'm not a competitive target shooting but I do a lot of practice shooting at targets for varmint hunting to refine my skills. I shoot off a shooting stick (cross stick style).

What I've leaned from many hours on the range is that under "free recoil" some of my rifles will "torgue" causing the shots to drift. This torquing is not uniform thus cannot be reliably compensated by scope adjustment. Therefore I've benefited by holding the forearm to prevent torquing of the rifle. This occurs primarily with my light weight rifles especially with the synthetic stocks, (i.e. Rem Model 7, Browning X Bolt Stalker, Tikka T3 Light). When using this method I've learned that maintaining a consist hold / grip on the forearm is key to accurate shooting. I've shot very well using this method but only use it because of the torquring with these lighter rifles.

For my heavy varmint rifles I do not hold the forearm since I have not experienced any torquring under recoil. This hold feels more natural to me but both methods have worked for me.

 

[wapiti25]

The key to what works best is recoil. You need to control the rifle during recoil/torque. Weight is your friend. A light recoiling cartridge is your friend.

 

[K22]

The key to what works best is recoil. You need to control the rifle during recoil/torque. Weight is your friend. A light recoiling cartridge is your friend.

This is exactly the experience I've had after spending many hours experimenting with different holds while shooting off shooting sticks.

 

[lal357]

it was a long but informative read and i agree it depends alot on caliber weight of the gun ect.. my 223 fclass gun weights 15lbs recoils is not a problem i load the bipod into the mat and it doesnt move off target. on the other hand my 308 fclass gun wieghts 16.5 and still torques to the left under free recoil so i grip the forend .