Strange way to hold a rifle

[Alex Wheeler]

Boyd is correct. As soon as I saw that picture i was wanting to see a close up of the butt in the ears. That setup will not work. Everyone wants to shoot free recoil, fact is MOST rifles will shoot better with some hold. One of the jobs of the bags is to absorb and transfer vibration from the stock. Your body touching the stock is better at that job. The bags also have to control any weirdness in the guns recoil to tame it and make it consistent, again your body is better at this IF your consistent. Free recoil has its benefits but rifle design and bag design become critical. That said, if you want that rifle to work in the bags you need get a rear bag or you may need to re shape the stock. I still would like to see a close up of the but in the ears as well as the bottom of the butt out of the bag. Also, check your front rest for play, look to see if the bolt handle touches the stock or if the trigger touches the stock or trigger guard, two sources of bad harmonics that holding will help absorb.

 

[jaybray]

Thanks for the advice. The bald eagle rest does have a slight bit of play in the top. Everything fastener is tight. Bolt is not touching the stock and the trigger checks out also. You know Im not sure ill buy another bag for the time being. Ill try a few things that Boyd Allen suggested and try free recoil again. I measured my groups that were shot holding the forend and they were right around half inch or so with two smaller. At 250 yards that is pretty decent. I seem to be able to be consistent somewhat shooting this way. Not sure if free recoil will tighten them up much more. I don't compete and only shoot alone for fun but have been trying to nail down this free recoil style for a while. Its a fussy son of a gun. Yup probably need a shorter rear bag.

 

[jaybray]

Here is the butt in the bag same way as when I shoot.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

Id like to see one from the rear to see how the stock fits the ears. And that hard Leather under the ears is not helping the situation, its too hard and causes bounce. That stock looks like it could use an adjustable rudder in that notch.

 

[jaybray]

Ok I will take another pic tomorrow evening from the back.

 

[gambleone]

I think that I know the source of your problem. The area on the toe of your buttstock that is set up to interface with your rear bag has the butt hanging down just in back of it, and the pistol grip hanging down at the front. Your bag appears to be a Protektor Doctor bag that is long with long ears. the back of the grip and where the butt hangs down have the bag sort of wedged in place with not enough room for the rifle to slid on the bag without contact being made in the aforementioned areas. This is the equivalent of someone having his front sling swivel in contact with the front of his front bag. It will cause thrown shots all day long. If you borrow a shorter rear bag, that does not come hear to the contact areas that I have mentioned I believe that your groups will become much better. Bottom line before during and after firing no part of the stock should touch any part of the rear bag beyond the inside of the ears and the space between them. If something is touching at the back when you start is may be holding the butt slightly out of the track that it falls into when it starts to the rear, and if some part of the stock runs into the front of the bag, or even the top of the base part during recoil it can cause thrown shots. In short, IMO you need a shorter (front to back) bag. Also, if your bag slides on the concrete bench this is totally unacceptable from an accuracy point of view. I have tried many things for this, and all have fallen short of the mark for one reason or the other, except one thing, open mesh sanding screen in full sheets about 150 grit minimum. I believe that Home Depot sells some. IMO it would be better to shoot off of the rubber mat than to have either your front rest or rear bag move while you are shooting.

Similar thing happened to me where the stock was sitting on the ears of the bag &
was throwing shots. Once corrected, group shrunk.

 

[BoydAllen]

On the front rest, The plate that touches the top of the main threaded elevation post is attached with a FH machine screw. You cannot check it without taking the rest apart. If the rest is on a hard surface, and you lay your open hand across the full width of the bag and top, you should not be able to rock the top on the rest at all. If you can, that needs fixing. What is the pull weight of your trigger?

 

[Phil]

This sv action is round and smooth on the bottom. No recess cut in the bottom to act as a recoil lug

That`s odd........Mine all have the "Notch" in them......

 

[jaybray]

On the front rest, The plate that touches the top of the main threaded elevation post is attached with a FH machine screw. You cannot check it without taking the rest apart. If the rest is on a hard surface, and you lay your open hand across the full width of the bag and top, you should not be able to rock the top on the rest at all. If you can, that needs fixing. What is the pull weight of your trigger?

Trigger is 1.5 0z from what I remember. It is extremely easy to set off. I will check out the rest and see if I can stop the slight movement it has.

 

[jaybray]

That`s odd........Mine all have the "Notch" in them......

Yes that is what I have read about the sv also. Most have a notch cut into the bottom. Not this one.