How do you hold your sporter rifle in the rests?

[RonAKA]

I have a Savage LRPV 6BR. It has a HS Precision stock, that is about 2.5" wide in a semi beaver tail design. The trigger pulls at about 6 oz.. I've had good success with a Savage rimfire using the thumb behind the trigger guard, and finger on the trigger and just increasing pressure until it fires. No hold on fore-stock other than perhaps a very light feel, and stock just touching shoulder.

Have tried the same with the 6BR with mixed results. While recoil is light, it obviously moves a lot more than a rimfire.

What do you do or suggest for a sporter type stock in a 6 BR with a 6 oz. trigger.

 

[jo191145]

You can shoot that gun free recoil easily enough. Heck I've free recoiled 308W's a good bit lighter than your LRPV with good effect.

Does the LRPV still come with slight texturing on the stock?

If it does you might want to consider some stock tape on it. You want that gun to slide not grip.

Oh yeah, keep that free hand off the forearm. Unless your shooting an Elephant gun it has no business there ;D
Slow down, remain calm and practice. Yes, it recoils a bit more than a rimfire. You'll find its quite predictable once you get over the fact it moves. I also do not allow my shoulder to touch either.

 

[RonAKA]

Joe, the stock in my opinion is textured with a flat finish. I am seeing a lot more vertical variation and less horizontal than I would expect, and suspect it is my hold technique.

 

[jo191145]

The LRPV's are rather muzzle heavy. Never owned one myself but its pretty obvious
Its also pretty obvious they can be very accurate.

Next time your at the range try holding the rifle and see if your vertical tightens up.

Vertical can be caused by many things. Sticky bags, sticky stocks are probably the biggest culprit.
Both vertical and horizontal can be found in "tuning" the load also. Not many folks believe in horizontal tune but its there. Its not always the wind.
Don't be surprised if that factory tube takes 200rds to come around and start singing. Thats more the norm than not.

 

[RonAKA]

Joe, thanks for the advice. For sure the LRPV is quite muzzle heavy. I will try some packaging tape in the front rest area, and some Teflon spray on the rest bag, to see if that helps. Will also have some more faith in the free recoil method, and see what happens.

I think I am having some issues adapting to a light recoil centerfire, after shooting a .22 LR rimfire. On the rimfire especially under artificial light, I can actually see the bullet going to the target. With the centerfire, there is a lot more going on...

 

[bozo699]

ron,
I wrote a post but lost it somewhere in hyberspace? I have a 6xc with a stock similar to yours. If I try to shoot it free recoil it shoots 5/8 to 3/4"@ 100 yds. But if I hold the pistol grip lightly and just let my sholder touch the stock, easly squeeze the 2.5 oz jewell one ragged hole's are the result. other rifles I have are the opposite. I guess what I am saying you will have to experiment with yours for your best results. Have you tried adjusting your side tension on your front rest?
Wayne.

 

[jo191145]

Have to admit I'm not familar with Teflon spray. Is it designed for shooting bags? If not you may want to be careful using it unless its a known procedure.
In years past I've used talcum on leather. Then I used HBN and that works even better. Both will leave some white on the stocks tho.

Try some tape on the butt also. With a muzzle heavy gun your likely to see more problems from the rear.

Two "used" dryer sheets nestled in the front and rear bag are a quick,easy way to create slide for an impromtu test.

 

[jo191145]

Its quite possible bozo is correct also. Perhaps the balance is off enough free recoil is not the best option.
I had a Sav F-Class in 6.5x284. Due to the extra tall forearm height and fast twist barrel free recoil did'nt work all that well. I changed to an offset SSS Dog tracker and 6BR 8 twist. Reduced recoil and offset, low forearm and it shoots bugholes without touching the rifle.

 

[RonAKA]

I owe a big thank you to the responders in this post. After doing a ladder test with 80 grain Bergers and getting a very questionable result, I went on to make some changes and got good results with the 69 grain Bergers. In short I used plastic packaging tape on the forearm in the rest area, and some silicone lube on the tape. I put a used dryer softener sheet on the rear rest. I still very lightly held the forearm, used the thumb finger squeeze on the trigger, while allowing a light rest on the shoulder. I also think I gained a little experience. I had not shot targets at 200 meters before.

Another significant change was to shoot a fouled barrel instead of a clean barrel. Still not sure what to make of this, but it would seem that a fouled barrel is much more repeatable than a clean barrel.

I used the results of the ladder tests to do an initial 3 shot group test. In this first test it seems that 0.010" jam works best on both bullets and resulted in 100 meter groups close to 0.3" for the 80 grain and 0.4" for the 69.

 

[Laurie]

Ron,

consider buying a forend stabilizer as per that sold by Sinclair and use it in conjunction with a 'proper' 3" wide front bag on the rest. The stabilizer is easily attached and removed so doesn't have to be a permanent fixture. Being smooth Delrin it slides easily on a cordura bag. Adding stock tape would reduce friction a bit further but would cover the mounting and adjusting screw-heads.

At the rear end, some form of friction reduction agent is essential whether stock tape or lubricants on the ears such as silicone spray (cordura) or bag wax (leather). I've found that my LRPV recoils smoothly in the bags with the Sinclair stabilizer up front and a leather rear-bag generously anointed with Sinclair bag wax (finely powdered carnuba wax). A free-recoil hold and thumb-index finger trigger operation using the rear of the trigger guard as you suggest works fine. I didn't even adjust the factory trigger setting leaving it at the factory-set 12 ounces, slightly heavier than ideal but very crisp. I've tried shooting with and without the bag wax and have been impressed by the difference it makes - the rather rough texture of the LRPV's H-S Precision stock obviously sticks on the bag material inconsistently.

For more standard stocked sporters or leverguns, especially those that are lighter than the LRPV and similar and use harder recoiling cartridges, I've found the best bet is a small pillow sand-bag or similar placed on top of the front-rest top / bag with the back of the weak hand resting on it while holding the forend as lightly as possible consistent with not losing your hold. This stops the inevitable vertical jump that you get with the forend sitting on a bag. I first read of this technique many years ago in an article in the annual 'Gun Digest' about owning and shooting the Marlin 336 in .35 Remington which said it is essential to do this in order to get any idea of how such a rifle groups given the stocking methods. Giving it a try, I found it works very well, not only with leverguns including my .444 Marlin, but skinny stock bolt-action sporters too. Rear bag lubing in one form or another is still needed as even holding the front end of the rifle, there is still a lot of rearward movement.

Laurie,
York, England