What am I doing wrong?

[6shooter]

I shoot F-Open with a 7mmWSM (3" forearm on stock), used to use a .308. I have a front tripod with a Protektor 3" leather bag filled with heavy sand (sand blasting media) and an entry level Caldwell rear bag also with heavy sand. Apon recoil the rifle always ends up pointing high and left. What am I doing wrong? Could my front bag be too firm (I have taken some sand out of it but the problem remains) and should I maybe go back to a softer filler (rice?). I lie on the mat at about a 35 degree angle with my left leg straight and my right leg bent at the knee. My left elbow is just north of level with the rear bag and my right elbow is away from the rear bag by about 4 inches. The stock has a thumbhole and a cheekpiece. I know the rear bag is not quite suitable and have a better one on order from Sinclairs, a Protektor with grab handle and cordura ears. The recoil pad is against my shoulder with a small amount of pressure, as is my cheek on the cheekpiece. I had the same issue with my .308 so it is not the rilfe or stock. While setting up the rifle slides freely front to back on the bags. I am using a dry stick lube on the bags and the stock is finished in carnauba wax.
Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[XTR]

No guarantee, but In all likelihood it is your position behind the rifle. You are not square so the butt stock is slipping right and meeting resistance, this gets the gun off alignment and then the barrel drives up and left.

 

[bozo699]

Alan,
I am no expert or even a Novice at f-class I have only shot one f-class match in my whole life
(loved it) but when I gave my Caldwell rear bag to my neighbor and bought a DR protector rear bag, and a good Edgewood front bag that problem all but went away, and then I was showed how the settle the bags and that even helped more, and then having your body squared up to the rifle and target even more, I know this isn't much help and guy's that really know will chime in but that was my experience with what your experiencing on both prone and BR use.
Wayne.

 

[gme]

Try shooting the rifle with very little pressure on the cheekpiece, I've found that if I bear down too hard with my face the rifle will end up at about 10:30, I don't hike my right leg as that interferes with lining up correctly behind the rifle, lay flat on your belly straight inline with the target and try not to let the weight of your right arm hang from the pistol grip, a small bag under your right forarm can help.
Gary Eliseo

 

[bozo699]

Try shooting the rifle with very little pressure on the cheekpiece, I've found that if I bear down too hard with my face the rifle will end up at about 10:30, I don't hike my right leg as that interferes with lining up correctly behind the rifle, lay flat on your belly straight inline with the target and try not to let the weight of your right arm hang from the pistol grip, a small bag under your right forarm can help.
Gary Eliseo

I forgot to mention that, I think that helps a ton with either prone or the bench! While waiting for a condition your arm can get very heavy!!
Wayne.

 

[6shooter]

Do you have your right arm/elbow away from the rear bag by a few inches or do you snug it up close?

 

[6shooter]

Thanks so much for your input - ALL of you!! Went to the range today to try the "square yourself up with the target" method you all suggested. Fired at my home-made shoot-n-c target at 300yards. 10 shots into 2.75 inches wide by 1.75 inches high - with the first sighter a bit high and left. Only used this new gun 5 times but best group I've done - first shot was right in the middle.
Thanks again for your valuable suggestions.

 

[TheSnake]

Fired at my home-made shoot-n-c target at 300yards.

Good shooting and can you tell us how you made your target? First I've heard of a home made one and looks like it works well.

 

[Nodak7mm]

Gotta love it when you leave the range after session like that!! Not many better feelings when you go to the range and "try a new thing & it works", makes you warm and fuzzy all over.. 8)

Rod

 

[bozo699]

Yes as others stated I am glad it is working out for you Alan, nice shooting, a lesson to all of us the importance of form!!
Wayne.

 

[Nomad47]

Great shooting, Andrew. What power scope is on your rig?

 

[6shooter]

Bill, it is still the Simmons 6.5-20x50......got the cash for another (better) scope....just waiting for someone called Nomad47 to move to his next place of abode!!
The shoot-n-c target I have explained on other web forums so I will just copy and paste....
The target I made today is standard Full Bore 300yard size but I can use it back to 1,000 (if I made a 1,000 yard target I wouldn't be able to lift it!)
On your cardboard or whatever you normally use to put your targets on, glue down and cover the target in fluoro A4 paper. Then cover the lot with clear packing tape. Finally spray paint the lot with matte black. When the bullet strikes it knocks a small section of the paint off the packing tape allowing the fluoro green (or whatever colour) to be seen quite easily with a high mag. scope or spotting scope.
Frame took about 1 and one half hours, just copied the 300yd frame at the rifle range, because I need to be able to lift it onto the frame by myself. Putting the paper down: I sprayed half the area with contact adhesive, waited a few minutes for it to tack off then just lightly sprayed the back of each piece of paper, one by one, and stuck them straight on. Got my son to help with the packing tape part but it can be done alone, just don't stretch the tape: pull enough out to go from one side to the other,let it "relax" and then stick it down. I smoothed it down with a dry paint roller. I overlapped each length of tape by about an eighth of a inch. The matte black paint was easy and dries quickly. All up it took about 2 and one half hours. The circles I put on are in-between the size for 600 and 700 yards and I included a super V as I shoot F-Class Open. I downloaded some plotting cards to record each bullet strike.
The target can be patched out with sticky tape and then just touch up the black paint. I used a white paint marker for the lines but I have now bought a "chalk marker" which is similar.