Author Topic: Shooting falling apart (Read 1286 times)

longwinters · « **on:** May 29, 2004, 08:25:05 AM »

Now I am not a great shooter, but typically shoot 1" pretty consistent. But the last few months my shooting has been terrible. I can shoot 2 out of three bullets within 1/2" but usually the 2nd or 3rd will be 1 1/2 - 2" off. I do reload but the loads are not the problem. Today I had my buddy (who is a very good shot) shoot the rifle I was using and he shot 3 at 100yds in 1/4". I took the rifle with the same loads and shot the old 2 inside an inch and one 2" out. I know of 2 bench shooting styles. One with the non-trigger arm kind of wrapped around the butt bag and the other with the non-trigger hand laying across the top of the scope.

If I shoot the style of wrapping around the butt bag the bad shoot will be high. If I shoot the hand over the scope style the bad shoot will be left. I understand that with the hand/scope style I could be pulling left, which is the direction the bad shot will be off. But I do not understand the high shots from the more common wrap around style. The cross hairs are steady, I feel as though my trigger pull is steady. My breathing seems good as I am not getting the pulsing that can happen when shooting.

I am having this problem with my 7m-08 Encore rifle and 308 Sako. But no problems with my 243 Tikka. I have had my buddy watch me and neither he nor I see any sign of flinching. And I have never felt I was recoil sensative. Any Ideas???

long . . . in the blues.

Jose Grande · « **Reply #1 on:** May 29, 2004, 06:25:40 PM »

When I shoot off the bags, my off hand doesn't touch the rifle or the bags either. I find a comfortable spot for it under or beside the rifle. But it does not touch the rifle. I don't know if that will help or not. It works for me though.

longwinters · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2004, 03:52:26 AM »

Can you get high flyers due to shoulder pressure, or leaning into the rifle instead of just bringing the rifle into your shoulder?

Long

Timberwolf · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2004, 06:52:25 AM »

Have you checked the run out on your reloads? Is your barrel free floated? What is your timing of the three shots? What contour barrel do you have? How many times did your friend shoot groups with your rifle, just once or several that all measured about the same? Info, info . . . too many variables.

Carl l. · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2004, 10:39:42 AM »

Longwinters,

Sorry you are having trouble shooting good groups. Just remember Baseball players have good and bad days, as golfer's, or gun shooters. I am just an old fart and don't know everything but here is my .02 worth.

We know that it isn't your gun or reloads because your buddy shot good with it. I can't shoot off sand bags very good. What I do is put a pillow on the sand bags and put a pillow under the stock next to your shoulder. I don't put a lot of shoulder pressure on the gun, but I do hold the forearm down with my left hand. When I get to shooting bad I go back to my .22,s and shoot them for awhile. Your are not having any trouble with the .243 so that should tell you something. The other guns are shooting bigger bullet,s and kick more. I am just talking shooting from a benchrest. Everybody has their own way to shoot so this may not work for you but it won't hurt to try it one time. Carl L.

longwinters · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2004, 04:18:37 PM »

This is not a gun problem, although I kind of wish it was . . . it is a shooter problem. For some reason there is a problem with my shooting style and for the life of me I cannot figure out what it is. The high flyers are the symptom but what is the shooters cure? :?

Carl, how do you put pressure on the forend? From on top or underneath?

long

Carl l. · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2004, 03:23:01 AM »

Longwinters, Underneath, just like you would shoot the gun standing up. This may not work for you but it does for me. I found out the harder the surface you shoot off of the more trouble you will have shooting high. Some sand bags people shoot off of are to hard because they have to much sand in them. I found out that air guns shoot better off a pillow or something soft also. It won't hurt to try this, if it don't work for you, you can try something else. Good luck Carl L.

K2 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 02, 2004, 11:51:35 AM »

The cure is to everything the same way every time. Have your friend watch you shoot and he will no doubt spot what you are doing, most likely some form of flinching or not following thru. Flinching takes on many forms, from closing the eyes, to tensing the muscles just prior to the shot. etc. Good luck, go to a smaller caliber such as a .22rf to solve the problem.

Quote from: longwinters

This is not a gun problem, although I kind of wish it was . . . it is a shooter problem. For some reason there is a problem with my shooting style and for the life of me I cannot figure out what it is. The high flyers are the symptom but what is the shooters cure? :?

Carl, how do you put pressure on the forend? From on top or underneath?

long

longwinters · « **Reply #8 on:** June 02, 2004, 12:49:37 PM »

I have put together a small platform to put my butt bag on in order to raise the rifle to a higher level. I tend to think that I have it too low and am getting the butt of the rifle too high on my shoulder thus pushing it forward or down on the shot. Hope to see this weekend if my guess is right.

Long

Carl l. · « **Reply #9 on:** June 03, 2004, 02:27:58 AM »

Longwinters, Let us know how everything works out. I think you are on the right track. Carl L.

RipOne · « **Reply #10 on:** June 07, 2004, 02:42:34 PM »

LONGWINTERS: Everyone has times of nothing working for one of the many reasons. I have to shoot off a bench, sticks or dead caracas anymore - anchor the front and the back, focus, concentrate - there's nothing else going on in the whole world, you have a set goal to accomplish - smoooooth she goes ..... yaaaa, right into the center of a broad sided barn - LOL. Another day, clean barrel and correct ammo, focus and they will fly true.

longwinters · « **Reply #11 on:** June 07, 2004, 06:20:03 PM »

Went out this past weekend and shot the Encore again. Best I could do was 3/4" but I was not consistent in all of my groups. One more thing to try . . . a new Sims recoil pad. I never thought I was recoil sensative, but I shoot my 243 with no problems and then get to higher calibers and have this problem. I must be a wimp :eek: . Thanks for all the help it was much appreciated.

Long

RipOne · « **Reply #12 on:** June 10, 2004, 01:07:04 PM »

LONGWINTERS: Limbsaver Recoil Pad - tame it down. Recoil can make a bad shooter out of anyone - no fun when it kicks your teeth out. Tame it, and then conqure it ..... get mean, squeese and you don't care when it's going off because your going to take it ( Do not anticapte ) .... when you quit caring, things smooth and you've whipped it - anticapating the blast is something we all work on .. and then work on again Cycalogical - it isn't natural to have things blowing up in our face - LOL.

K2 · « **Reply #13 on:** June 11, 2004, 08:46:02 AM »

Longwinters everyone is recoil sensitive it is a conditioned response. Press the trigger and a small amount of pain is the immediate result. It shows up faster with the bigger calibers cause the pain level is harder to ignor. Your eyes blink when the pressure wave hits your face but it happens so fast most don't recognize it. This is why sometimes you will see a shooter closing his eyes just prior to the shot. It is a conditioned response.

PS 3/4" out of the Encore isn't bad :wink: They didn't build the encore for serious bench rest competition. Your not a wimp even if you get a Past Recoil sheild.

Quote from: longwinters

Went out this past weekend and shot the Encore again. Best I could do was 3/4" but I was not consistent in all of my groups. One more thing to try . . . a new Sims recoil pad. I never thought I was recoil sensative, but I shoot my 243 with no problems and then get to higher calibers and have this problem. I must be a wimp :eek: . Thanks for all the help it was much appreciated.

Long

RipOne · « **Reply #14 on:** June 13, 2004, 05:07:58 PM »

LONGWINTERS: I'm taking my 12G Trench Gun ( 97 Win Pump ) out Monday with many slugs, and it will make me wish I had taken less slugs - I might even flinch, blink, yank and snort. This thing is very hard on Varmints with slugs in it .... back-door belly crawl gun - LOL.

longwinters · « **Reply #15 on:** June 28, 2004, 11:33:15 AM »

Well, I got things straightend out. Got a Pachmayer Decelerator put on the rifle and . . . . .back to good consistent groups. So the answer to the question has to be that I was flinching. Thanks for all the help guys !

Long

Carl l. · « **Reply #16 on:** June 28, 2004, 12:16:28 PM »

Long, Glad you got everything under control. It sure is a good feeling when you are shooting good, isn't it? Carl L.

longwinters · « **Reply #17 on:** June 29, 2004, 03:50:08 PM »

Carl,

It certainly is. Pass the recoil pads please . . . I have a couple more to put them on.

Long