So where is your balance point?

[Shooter13]

Saw one other thread about the balance point, where should it be on a short range benchrest gun? 1-2" in front of receiver? I've got several BR guns and I don't think one of them balances at the same point as the others. Your thoughts appreciated.

 

[Bronsin]

Mine were balanced at the front edge of the receiver.

 

[BoydAllen]

for a LV you can only do so much with balance by adding weight in the butt. What really matters (gonna ruffle some feathers here) is having enough actual weight on the rear bag. Recently the hottest shooting rifles have carbon fiber and wood stocks and feature much longer forends than are available on the older style stocks. If you set up your rifle rest and bags with your rear bag on a package scale, as I have, you will discover that the best way to get additional weight onto the rear bag is to move your front bag as far forward as the stock allows (assuming you are already at the weight limit and can add no more weight to the rear). Those longer forends actually have the effect of moving the balance point farther forward, but the effect of reducing the weight in front of the front bag is much more important. If you are talking about stocks with the same forend length, then looking at balance point has some merit, but if that is not the case, it may not. If you have to live with an older stock design, another way to improve balance is to shorten your barrel and/or do some recontouring, thereby freeing up some weight that can be added to the butt, and with the shortening reducing the weight in front of the front bag. Back in the day I needed to take about 5 1/2 ounces off of a rifle to test a tuner. It was already at the limit, and I did not want to take everything out of the butt, so my friend stepped the barrel to my specifications, taking exactly the amount off that I needed. The rifle shot better than before with a tuner, a deresonator, and the stepped barrel, but it did look really different. I have never seen another stepped barrel at a match.

 

[JMayo]

Ahhh, i may be able to get better accuracy from my 10lb rifle if i shorten the distance it sticks out the front rest .... I'm gonna work on a plan.

My30br with nf 15x55, ezel tuner, bolt in.
That's about the closest i can get for balence.

 

[snert]

I am following because I have two similar rifles. One a HV, the other a LV and while the LV (22PPC) seems to have a tad more potential accuracy, the HV (6x50) is easier to shoot well due to a weight in the butt. It just rides better and seems less twitchy.

Since I have no plans to compete with either, I can play with weight all I want. So I am watching this discussion closely for pointers and ideas.

 

[Shooter13]

for a LV you can only do so much with balance by adding weight in the butt. What really matters (gonna ruffle some feathers here) is having enough actual weight on the rear bag. Recently the hottest shooting rifles have carbon fiber and wood stocks and feature much longer forends than are available on the older style stocks. If you set up your rifle rest and bags with your rear bag on a package scale, as I have, you will discover that the best way to get additional weight onto the rear bag is to move your front bag as far forward as the stock allows (assuming you are already at the weight limit and can add no more weight to the rear). Those longer forends actually have the effect of moving the balance point farther forward, but the effect of reducing the weight in front of the front bag is much more important. If you are talking about stocks with the same forend length, then looking at balance point has some merit, but if that is not the case, it may not. If you have to live with an older stock design, another way to improve balance is to shorten your barrel and/or do some recontouring, thereby freeing up some weight that can be added to the butt, and with the shortening reducing the weight in front of the front bag. Back in the day I needed to take about 5 1/2 ounces off of a rifle to test a tuner. It was already at the limit, and I did not want to take everything out of the butt, so my friend stepped the barrel to my specifications, taking exactly the amount off that I needed. The rifle shot better than before with a tuner, a deresonator, and the stepped barrel, but it did look really different. I have never seen another stepped barrel at a match.

Thanks @BoydAllen that makes a lot of sense!

 

[dave@aDave]

Dang!!!!
Mis-read the title of the post.
My balance point is around three shots of Wild Turkey Rare Breed.

(apologies to all)

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Ahhh, i may be able to get better accuracy from my 10lb rifle if i shorten the distance it sticks out the front rest .... I'm gonna work on a plan.

My30br with nf 15x55, ezel tuner, bolt in.
That's about the closest i can get for balence.

That's pretty close to where I'd wanna be Johnny, with a 30. I'd try to get it back a little because you're at 10.5. I think you're just about right for a 13.5lb gun but it's probably a little nose heavy at 10.5. I spend a lot of time getting this just right on my guns and guns I build. And I don't balance a 6mm exactly like I do a 30, either. The other side of that is a little thumb pressure on the wrist can make a ton of difference if need be. It can be done well with practice, too.

 

[Shooter13]

Ahhh, i may be able to get better accuracy from my 10lb rifle if i shorten the distance it sticks out the front rest .... I'm gonna work on a plan.

My30br with nf 15x55, ezel tuner, bolt in.
That's about the closest i can get for balence.

Mike @gunsandgunsmithing had me do this exact thing this weekend on my 13.5 lb gun, I had it a little far forward, balance and recoil were better.

 

[cuznguido]

Dang!!!!
Mis-read the title of the post.
My balance point is around three shots of Wild Turkey Rare Breed.

(apologies to all)

I think you misspoke. It seems you have explained your imbalance point. But I like how you got there.

 

[Shooter13]

That's pretty close to where I'd wanna be Johnny, with a 30. I'd try to get it back a little because you're at 10.5. I think you're just about right for a 13.5lb gun but it's probably a little nose heavy at 10.5. I spend a lot of time getting this just right on my guns and guns I build. And I don't balance a 6mm exactly like I do a 30, either. The other side of that is a little thumb pressure on the wrist can make a ton of difference if need be. It can be done well with practice, too.

Sorry for the late reply BUT are you balancing the 6mm 13.5 lb guns closer to the receiver end?

 

[gunsandgunsmithing]

Sorry for the late reply BUT are you balancing the 6mm 13.5 lb guns closer to the receiver end?

No, the other way around, a bit. You've got more overall weight to work with so you can settle the back down and then focus on what works best up front.

 

[6.5 forever]

I shoot off a Accutac bipod extended to 45° and a heavy squeeze bag under the rear. From prone to bench. I try to make sure I have enough barrel weight to allow the bipod to load ITSELF. Then I add weight to the rear so it will balance when I pick the rifle up in front of the mag. It works for my application.