help with my prone position

[blacknzr1]

hi everyone, im new here and have been reading all the good info for quite some time.

so i just shot my new 7mm rem mag the other day and have a question about the prone, rests and holds.

my rifle is the sendero, 26 inch heavy barrel, 7mm mag. im sure you guys know it.
its my biggest recoiling rifle iv had. i thought id try shooting off a pack and rear bag. but cant seem to get overly comftable. and find it hard to get a consistant repeatable hold.
i have been using my off hand to hold the forend of the stock.
with my small .17hmr i have a good position using my off hand to support the butt or rear bag and using a bipod. but of course this is low recoiling.
so, what does it take to do the same with the 7mm mag?
i feel as i need to hold the front down, and would expect to get hit in the head with the scope if i didnt.
the scope does have 3.8-4 inches of eye relief, and im sure iv seen pictures or clips of others doing it.
i dont have a break or suppressor. i dont mind the recoil, i guess its just a matter of trying to get the rifle to come straight back, instead of the muzzle wanting to lift, if your hand is off the forend.

so would you guys like to share some tips with me, or am i just over thinking this?
thanks for anything you would like to share.

 

[FEENIX]

Welcome to LRH and enjoy!

Try this ... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNoq5KMnZXE]Holland Long Range Shooting School-The Prone Position - YouTube[/ame]

Good luck!

Ed

 

[blacknzr1]

thanks! some good info there. i can see where i went wrong with the rear bag. im not sure what keeps the muzzle down, i guess just getting the recoil to come straight back. it would of been good to see him fire a round.
but i will watch it again when its not 1am.

 

[Bravo 4]

I know you said you were shooting over a pack with a rear bag, but try it with the bipod. Then try loading the bipod.
Here is a video from Sniper's Hide.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqFH0A7Py1Q]Recoil Management, *Bipods Don't Hop* - YouTube[/ame]

 

[blacknzr1]

yes, iv made up my mind, im going back to the bipod.

so here is what iv figured. even if you have a big magnum, and you shoot with you forehand on the rear bag. if you have a good body position and not too much wieght on the butt of the gun, yet some loading on the bipod. the muzzle shouldnt rise too much if any. as this hold allows the recoil to be obsorbed in a straight back manner. where as if you death gripped and pulled the rifle into your shoulder hard! the recoil really has no where to go, so the muzzle jumps.

does that sound about right?
and the often said sentence, " its a big gun, pull it into your shoulder tight, and hold down hard on the forend" is really the opposite of what is needed.?

 

[codyjoe1128]

Wonder if that will stop my muzzle jump on my wsm?

 

[grit]

Hard holds impart movement and adversely effect accuracy. You want a snug, but relaxed hold. Make sure the rifle can track properly, at least initially. The brake is a personal decision. But, for precision shooting I highly recommend it. Or better yet, suppress it. Absorbing recoil from positions where your body can move is much more comfortable than prone. Your brain and body will anticipate recoil. It's always easier to shoot lighter recoiling rifles accurately. It's possible you are creating muzzle rise through muscle tension.

 

[blacknzr1]

i think i was creating muzzle rise through muscle tention. its like i say, people tell you, hold those big guns tight. when i shot my friends light 24 inch 7mm-08, he said that to me, i think alot of that came from him being hit in the head as his scope had poor eye relief. so he tells me be carefull, pull it too the shoulder and pull the forend down hard.
i havnt been back to practise yet because of the weather, but most probabley if i just use it like my 17hmr, relaxed and cross armed (not even a hand on the forend) i would have had better luck, and still not get hit in the head.

well thats what it seems, i will take my crash helmet and give it a go.

 

[grit]

Mabey a little tighter than the .17. Snug, like holding a girl close. Just not like lifting weights.

An unbraked 7mag is gonna push you a little.

I would start with dry fire excercises. Hold on a small, distant target and dry fire. Adjust your hold, body position, tension, and trigger squeeze until the crosshairs stay put when you fire. Then go hot. Pay attention to where the rifle lands after recoil. This will tell you if you're pulling the rifle around, or if the set up needs adjustment. Ideally, you want to be able to recover your sight picture and watch the bullet hit. This'll be tough in an unbraked mag.

Have a buddy load for you and not put a round in once in a while. This will comically illustrate flinching. If you can't shoot it well, brake it! In my opinion, ear plugs are easy. A flinch is a bear.

 

[blacknzr1]

for me, i was trying to be clever, as i herd shooting from a pack can have better results than a bipod.
but i couldnt get very consistant at all. so im going back to the bipod.
iv had lots of tips here and am ready to see what i can do next time.

im not worried about the felt recoil. but i do want to shoot straight or at least be consistant.
i did dry fire, and used ear plugs. but if need be maybe i will get a suppressor or brake.

 

[codyjoe1128]

I'm goin out tomorrow to try loadin my bipod, my wsm is loud but not much recoil, just muzzle jump....

 

[grit]

Shooting off a pack is good / similar. You should be able to achieve good results. A bipod is better. The added weight and stability help. A bipod and a rear bag is my preferred method. Even for load development. I'll take a bipod and bag over a bench and sand bags. I do 90% of my shooting this way. It won't take long to become proficient.

Suppressors are a pain for us to get. $200 just for the application fee. Couple months processing time. Average cost for a mag suppressor is a grand.

 

[blacknzr1]

my pack just seemed to sink, so i would roll it over a different way to get the height back. then i read the swivel mounts could be catching and throwing everything off. so now the whole idea just seems too inconsistant. and a bipod seems more repeatable.

but i must admit, the whole idea of not holding the forend while using a bipod does seem scarry, as in what stops the rifle from rearing up and kicking you in the head.
iv done it with the little gun with no worrys. but this is alot different. i do understand its keeping the rifle level and bipod loaded. but just nervous to do it the first time.

 

[codyjoe1128]

First time I shot my wsm it knocked my hat back.....