Point of Impact

[azsugarbear]

I finally found a diet that my 300 RUM likes. Now it's time to start building a bullet drop table for my Leupold so I can dial in the clicks from 200-1000 yds. This is primarily a hunting rig. My question: Should I continue to shoot from my Caldwell "lead sled" to keep as much of the human element out of the equation as I build my table? Or should I start shooting from my bipod, which is what I will be using in the field for hunting? Will switching from the "lead sled" to the bipod after the fact, change my point of impact? Let me from all you two-center types out there. Thanks.

[Varmint Hunter]

Magnum rifles often respond (print) differently when fired from a bi-pod. Front rest sand bags absorb some of the forend pressure that recoil generates. Bi-pods tend to flex and/or bounce when the big guns go off.

At least that has been my observation.

[Fiftydriver]

Get off the lead sled. I have found these things to cause more problems for shooters then just about any other shooting accessary.

There is no way a rifle will print in the same spot fired from one of these supports compared to a shooters shoulder. The recoil characterists of the rifle are just totally different.

We do not want to manhandle recoil, we will eventually loose everytime in that fight. What we want to do is control it consistantly every time we pull the trigger.

The only way we can learn to do that is to fire off our shoulders and actually learn how to shoot the rifle.

Unless your going to pack that lead sled in the field, I would say get off it and start practicing with a bipod and rear bag, or front and rear back. Does not really matter, POI can shift comparing bags and bipod so stay consistant with what you use and you will get better results in the field, especially when ranges get past around the 500-600 yard mark.

Good Shooting!!

Kirby Allen(50)

[sambo3006]

I had suspected as much, but I didn't have any proof. A good brake or porting (as I had done) can tame the recoil of big boomers. I have learned alot over the last year or two about dealing with recoil. I used to tense up and smash the gun against my shoulder, and was getting a sore shoulder and inconsistent groups with my bigger guns. Since I learned to relax behind the gun and not smash it so tight to my shoulder, my groups have tightened up and perceived recoil is much less. I can shoot my 300WM equipped only with factory recoil pad from the bench without discomfort, and it doesn't jump up, merely slides back with me.
I need to come up with a steady setup for field use before I go to Colorado this October. I tried a bipod but it bent the front sling stud after only a few shots.
Good luck on finding a good field setup Sugarbear.

[azsugarbear]

Thanks for the input. It's what I suspected. The sled is gone and the bipod is what I will use when building my drop table data. I really appreciate being able to use your collective experience as a soundingboard.

[Fiftydriver]

One tip when using the bipod, if you shoot off a hard surface, you can get bipod bounce which will effect your POI compared to say shooting off the ground.

If you shoot off a bench, lay down a blanket or somthing to give a little cushion to the feet of the bipod. This will help control this bounce.

Most importantly, when you are finetunning your system, shoot it the way you would in the field so its stays consistant when its time to go hunting.

Kirby Allen(50)

[davewilson]

what surprized me was my gun would print 2 moa to the right when shooting off the bi-pod as compared to the bags.my verticle was the same.my guess would be the torque was the culpert. at any rate, i was expecting the verticle to change, not the horizontal, and got the exact opposite.