Shooting Lightweight Rifles

[Hipshoot]

Light weight rifles are very hard to shoot accurately! The trouble is that any little mistake in shooting form shows up due to nothing to negate the mistake ( read weight).

Stablize the rifle the best you can ( I sometimes lay my non shooting hand over the top of the scope (this adds weight).

If recoil is a factor get a muzzle break. I have a clamp on on one of my rifles and it really reduces recoil and if you don't like it-----Take it off.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

 

[M-61]

I'm a SR shooter, so I shoot prone with a sling a fair amount, but still -- yeah.
I forget what I used for a rest, probably just a rudimentary folded-up blanket on top of the bench...
Try it! You might be as surprised as I was!

I don’t think so

 

[Wind River]

Personally, I’d just shoot it as is, no brake, etc. When hunting you want notice the recoil as your mind is on what you’re shooting at. On the bench put a cloth or a glove over your shoulder if the recoil bugs you. A 270 is not all that hard kicking of a cartridge.

 

[DShortt]

I just ordered a Limb Saver pad for my Henry 45-70. Brutal with the brass butt plate.

Unless I make modifications, the length of pull is typically too short on a factory offering. So they help in a couple of different ways for me. Heck, I've got one on my .22lr small game gun. I'm not interested in taking an expensive rifle out in the woods. Dead game is dead game. And I just like an excuse to go out in the woods more than anything with no worries about damaging anything.

 

[danny]

......take a friend with.....

Take a friend with what? A bottle??? That would help.

Danny

 

[FNSafari]

one of those strap on gel shoulder pads really helps, they aren't so thick they mess with your LOP and they really spread out the impact. I used to help a fellow hunter with his 300 win mag in a light savage, he could shoot it really well for about 2-3 shots then start flinching bad. Site-in problems solved.

Obviously a good brake or a can will help. My 7mag has nothing but when I added an Ultra9 can it was more like a bare .308 or even 6.5 CM, easy to shoot like that.

I don't own a rifle with a muzzle break. How do you folks deal with the deafening muzzle blast while hunting?

 

[41rem]

Been thinking about this. Going to re-shoot in a few days. I'll try some of the tips you guys have posted

Thanks for your help

 

[S Miller]

My father would tame his tikka t3lite in 300wsm with a big car sponge on his shoulder while holding the front down in a bull bag off a bench. It shot surprisingly pretty well that way.

 

[jwv2001]

Practice, Practice, Practice!

This is the best advice so far.

You know, you have to view hunting as an extremely ethical endeavor. You owe it to the game to make only one final shot, not to just throw one out there to see what happens. This should guide you while you're practicing. Anyone that hunts sees the evidence of poor shooting, Three legged antelope and deer in the bottom of a coulee that the shooter didn't even know he hit.

 

[joshb]

Put a break on it.

 

[6MMsteve]

sissy pad built into a vest makes life grand

 

[K22]

Wear a sissy pad and hold the rifle with both hands and a firm hold into the shoulder. Beware of point of impact change in a few rounds once the barrel heats up. After a few rounds you will become quite recoil conscious. It's an involuntary reaction that's difficult to control.

This sound advice in my experience.

 

[RaySendero]

Any tips for shooting a 5.5 lb rifle in 270 WCF off the bench or in the field?

Mine is a custom gun but similar to a NULA in most respects, very light and petite, built like a old school Kimber rimfire or 22 Hornet

Recoil with hunting ammo will definitely get your attention, my bench game is strong but this one is more difficult to run than most of my rigs

Any hints?


41

When I'm hunting recoil doesn't bother me much.
But i reload and developing reloads and shooting off bench does.

Best thing I found was an EVO shield tee-shirt like this:

Amazon.in

EVOShield mostly makes protective pads for sports. The pads are only about 3/8" thick. They come soft but when exposed to air and worn for 30 min, will harden to your body contour.

These t-shirts with shoulder pad will tame any recoil that's below eye socket/retina loosing.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Put a small sandbag like a brick bag between the butt and your shoulder. Takes the sting right out of it.

 

[Bronsin]

Put a sling on the rifle and set it for a Hasty Sling position. It adds your weight to the rifle and tames even the heavy kickers down. It takes a bit to get it in the right position and length from the bench, but it works great. I had no problems at all with my .375 H&H from a bench using one. Get a nylon sling, like the one's at the surplus store for M16's. The heavy leather ones are much harder to use, and a lot heavier if you leave it on.

 

[Knotwild]

25 lb bag of bird shot between your shoulder and the gun. Use a quality suppressor. English gunmakers had benches made at a height that allowed them to shoot standing.

 

[FNSafari]

I use a protector brick bag filled with sand between the rifle butt and my shoulder. Really tames the felt recoil but gives enough that you are not risking damaging your scope by using a lead sled.

 

[ebb]

Hold on tight

 

[Tesoro]

If it is a hunting rifle then zero it the way you would expect be shooting in the field. ie off a pack, or standing offhand with a rest like a tree.

For a light rifle best to match chambering to the game and not go over board. With mine I use a short action 6xc which spits out a 115gr at 3000 vs 130gr at 3000 with 270. Alot less blast and milder recoil. Pleasure to shoot vs cringe to shoot. The bullet makes more diff than 15gr.

Muzzle brakes on hunting rifles are horrible for all involved. Limbsaver pads are nice,

 

[Syncrowave]

...6xc which spits out a 115gr at 3000 vs 130gr at 3000 with 270. Alot less blast ...

Really? Seems to me my 223 is just as loud as my 300WSM. Less gas volume, but equal decibel volume...