Not equipment related methods to improve groups

[WinMag4me]

What methods and practices do you use to improve groups? I am speaking of non equipment related methods to close groups. (Mental,physical,etc) ?

 

[Salmonchaser]

What methods and practices do you use to improve groups? I am speaking of non equipment related methods to close groups. (Mental,physical,etc) ?

Sight picture; sight alignment; trigger control; breathing; follow through.
Don't lift your head or look for the bullet hole.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Consistent pressure on the bipod or bench support; consistent pressure buttstock to shoulder. I'm supposed to be cooking dinner.

 

[Barrelnut]

I like to get the rifle settled on the bags and me settled behind the rifle. Then I like to do several dry fires to bring it all together.

 

[manitou]

RELAX! I shoot best when I am completely relaxed and don't put pressure on the gun. As little influence on the geometry as possible.
Consistency... consistent cheek weld, consistent sight picture, consistent hold.

 

[26Reload]

At the range I shoot my bolt action 77/22 several times warming up my trigger finger and working my timing in my head....let everything clear out and squeezing that trigger....then grab my bigger rifles and go to town....

 

[sturner]

I dry fire until I get a feel for trigger

 

[26Reload]

Now...when all of you are dry firing those rifles...are you putting a used piece of brass with used primer in there to absorb the striker..or or a snapcap.....or just empty chamber.....

 

[sturner]

Old piece of brass

 

[Barrelnut]

Yes the spent primer in fired brass stops the reticle hop that usually happens when you dry fire on an empty chamber.
Don't always do it though....

 

[sturner]

Shoot and shoot some more

 

[entoptics]

Now...when all of you are dry firing those rifles...are you putting a used piece of brass with used primer in there to absorb the striker..or or a snapcap.....or just empty chamber.....

Empty chamber. I click away ruthlessly on everything except rimfire and real old guns, without any concern.

Yes the spent primer in fired brass stops the reticle hop that usually happens when you dry fire on an empty chamber...

My tip to the OP, is "you're doing it right" if you know where and when the shot broke. The recoil (whether from springs or powder) should have no bearing on where the cross hairs were when the trigger was pulled. Sounds simple, but it's harder than you think. Blinking, flinching, jerking, etc will have far more affect than "free recoil" or "bipod loading" or "whatever". If you can break the trigger exactly when you want, you're 95% of the way there.

If you're already able to dead steady break the trigger, then I concur that consistent shooting position is next most important. Same body position, same shoulder/grip tension, same bipod/bag tension, etc. There's a few milliseconds from trigger break to bullet free flight, where the rifle is moving. Keep that variable as consistent as possible.

 

[dfanonymous]

Just to throw in some 2 cents that I don't see typically covered...but see people doing at the range all the time is "improper hand grip."

You'd be surprised what hand grip does to group size. Your hand grip should not be supporting the rifle when firing. Obviously you can use it to manipulate the bolt and get back to level, but before firing the rifle should be free as far as your shooting hand goes. Trigger control on top of pulling straight back. Avoid imparting thumb pressure as well, where it rest doesn't matter, but I like mine on the side of the rifle out of the way.

 

[357Mag]

WinMag -

Howdy !

- Consider use of a lighter trigger pull or overall better trigger, if your rifle can accept one; and your shooting circumstance allows for use of such in the field.


- If you are judging your/your rifle/your load's performance based on actual bullet impact point relative to intended bullet impact point.... or going for tightest " group "; as one indicator; then:

-Try use of windflags @ the practice range, and also then trying to always shoot the same " condition ". Yeh....you won't use them in the field, but.... you might notice better overall shooting performance when using them @ the range.

Just a thought.


With regards,
357Mag