Tuning or poor recoil management

[Alantra]

Im practicing FTR and lately im noticing im getting spitters to the left or right, throwing me into the 9s and occasional 8. It happens at 600 and at 200.

How can I identify if the issue is me or the load? My waterline is flat.

 

[wkdickinson]

I don't shoot FTR, but I shot with a sling for years. Today I shoot from a bench at the F-class target at 600 yds. Do you understand the concept of "calling your shots" - where were the cross hairs when you broke the shot? If you can't do that, you need to learn how. If you are shooting 8s and expecting 10s, you have something seriously wrong with you rifle, load, position or whatever else. An occasional 9 is usually a wind error, but 8s are something else.

 

[Lone Hunter]

Wind or jerking the trigger would be my assumption. ( know what happens when you assume ) . I think when I pull a 9 or 8 it generally is my fault by jerking or really not jerking but not squeezing properly or positioning my finger lower or higher on the trigger. The other, my wind reading just really sucks….
Edit, do you load the bipod or just let it go?

 

[Alantra]

I’m in my 3rd year shooting FTR.


I can call my shots. Where I’m struggling is that I can get .3/8 moa for a string of 5-6 shots, Then I get a a shot just outside the x opposite direction in the 10. Then right back, then a 9 on the right side.

Some of these shots just don’t make sense.

I shoot a 10 twist 6 groove 32” barrel, 200.20x beans, vh150, 43.6gr, ftr reamer, into the lands.

At the beginning of the year I came in hot. Not sure what’s going on now.

 

[Alantra]

Wind or jerking the trigger would be my assumption. ( know what happens when you assume ) . I think when I pull a 9 or 8 it generally is my fault by jerking or really not jerking but not squeezing properly or positioning my finger lower or higher on the trigger. The other, my wind reading just really sucks….
Edit, do you load the bipod or just let it go?

I push into my Edgewood gator and my tier on bipod is on a mousepad.

 

[Alantra]

Trigger is 6oz

 

[BoydAllen]

Try putting a hair of vertical in your tune and see what that does.

 

[Alantra]

Try putting a hair of vertical in your tune and see what that does.

Boyd, I’ve gone all the way up to 44.7 in .2 gr increments.

The best I’ve found so far is 43.6 and 44.02gr and between .005-.011” from jam.

Best groupings so far were from Virgin SRP Alpha and Lapua brass.

After sizing on a Dillon sizing die or a Redding competition. I feel like I’m chasing the dragon.

 

[memilanuk]

It's entirely possible to shank a round wide to either side from shoulder or cheek pressure, especially off a bipod. How's the gun recoiling from shot to shot? Do the shanked shots correspond to any differences in how the gun behaved when recovering?

 

[Alantra]

It's entirely possible to shank a round wide to either side from shoulder or cheek pressure, especially off a bipod. How's the gun recoiling from shot to shot? Do the shanked shots correspond to any differences in how the gun behaved when recovering?

Memilanuk,

I have two options, I can can have a half target movement or 1.5.

I’m either one or the other, and I try not to fight what feels natural when I start.

 

[Lone Hunter]

Thinking on it, most of my misplaced shots are not concentrating correctly or bad rifle handling. If I don’t concentrate I will throw my shots so to speak. Or, as I said real bad wind reading skills.

 

[Larry Koch]

Barrel on tight, scope etc.

 

[Alantra]

Barrel on tight, scope etc.

I’ll double check.

 

[memilanuk]

Memilanuk,

I have two options, I can can have a half target movement or 1.5.

I’m either one or the other, and I try not to fight what feels natural when I start.

All I can say is really focus on calling the shot... including tracking the crosshairs as the shot breaks. Take a mental snap shot of that, and how the gun feels as it's recoiling. I'd say odds are high that it's something you're doing just a little different on those shots. Cheek, shoulder pressure and grip are the most likely culprits.

 

[Larry Koch]

I’ll double check.

I’ve seen slight lose barrels and scopes cause the very problems you have described even scope glass coming lose on the inside. Was Not a cheap scope. 85 foot pounds barrel torque. Or what your manufacturers recommends.

 

[JFrank]

If it were a mechanical or tune issue, rounds would likely be erratic rather than a consistent left or right impact.
I’m with @memilanuk on gun handling.

 

[K22]

Do you understand the concept of "calling your shots" - where were the cross hairs when you broke the shot? If you can't do that, you need to learn how.

^^^^ this is a must to become an accomplished marksman regardless of discipline.

 

[USMCDOC]

I’m in my 3rd year shooting FTR.


I can call my shots. Where I’m struggling is that I can get .3/8 moa for a string of 5-6 shots, Then I get a a shot just outside the x opposite direction in the 10. Then right back, then a 9 on the right side.

Some of these shots just don’t make sense.

I shoot a 10 twist 6 groove 32” barrel, 200.20x beans, vh150, 43.6gr, ftr reamer, into the lands.

At the beginning of the year I came in hot. Not sure what’s going on now.

where do you have your mirage focused at?

 

[K22]

Here is something no one wants to hear but having spent 30 some years competing, albeit in NRA pistol, too many shooters spend too much time on equipment, cleaning, etc. rather than on learning to become a skilled marksman. The latter is not something you can buy but requires work and dedication.

I am not saying that equipment and cleaning etc. isn't important, just that none of that matters if you have not learned the fundamentals of marksmanship, practice on a regular basis, and keep track of your scores analyzing the results. By practice I mean always shooting for score. If you don't measure your performance, then you have no baseline to judge your training and improvement.

 

[Alantra]

where do you have your mirage focused at?

If you mean parallax, it’s set to no crosshair wiggle or just before the target.