Rifle weight for free recoil

[hpshooter]

A question from a bench / F class shooting novice. In your experiences what is the min. weight a rifle can be benefit from using free recoil?

50% of my serious rifle shooting experience has been sling shooting in small bore prone and high power and the rest at groundhogs from a bipod or bags on the truck hood . I have been shooting some club 300 yard non sanctioned F class matches with a 6.5x47 Lapua in a Masterclass stock (using an aluminum plate in the front rail to ride the bag) with a 27 inch medium Palma Pacnor. The trigger scales at 2.5-3 oz. on an electronic scale. I am shooting from a Wheeler front rest. Both the front and rear bags are currently packed pretty tight with chromite sand. I have shot several 200's but want to improve the x count.

This rifle weighs app. 13 pounds. I have tried light holding and really tight holding and seem to be stuck around 15 X's even on practice days with no wind showing on my flags.

Do you think experimentation with this rig is worthwhile to improve consistency from the bags from the bench or in prone?

Respectfully,
T W Hudson

 

[ARIZONA_F_CLASS]

Most F Open shooters I know use every bit of the 22lbs weight limit! Heavy rifle= less recoil.

 

[Tim Singleton]

+1 on maxing the weight limit out
As to free recoil I may be wrong but i think free recoil is against the rules.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3763774.0

That doesn't mean that a lot of guys push the limit on this rule as well putting as light a contact as they can with their shoulder

The heavier gun may help more than you think

 

[Jay Christopherson]

IMO, "from the shoulder" doesn't mean what a lot of anti-free-recoil people think it means.

So far as I am concerned, until someone disqualifies a competitor at a major event for "free recoil" and sets a precedent that withstands a dispute, it's a perfectly legal practice.

As to the OP's question, my advice is to run as close to the weight limit as you can. I also think that rifle balance is very important if you want to shoot free recoil.

 

[Lapua40X]

... rifle balance is very important if you want to shoot free recoil.

Ditto

 

[Tim Singleton]

I don't shoot Fclass so I don't have a dog in that hunt. This has me curious tho
What do the Fclass free recoil guys think from the shoulder means?

 

[hpshooter]

Thanks for the input. I am pretty sure I have adequate room in the barrel channel and the wrist area of the stock to add substantial weight to the rifle and have it balance around the chamber area of the rifle.

T W Hudson

 

[Erik Cortina]

+1 on maxing the weight limit out
As to free recoil I may be wrong but i think free recoil is against the rules.
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/index.php?topic=3763774.0

That doesn't mean that a lot of guys push the limit on this rule as well putting as light a contact as they can with their shoulder

The heavier gun may help more than you think

Tim, read the last two replies to the link you posted. Free recoil is legal.
If you don't have a dog in this hunt, don't push the issue as it's somewhat controversial, but only with the non-winners.

 

[Erik Cortina]

To the OP, get the weight up and balance the gun properly. Also bag setup is critical for proper tracking. Torquing is the biggest issue with free recoil.

 

[hpshooter]

Eric,
Thanks for the input.
T W Hudson