300 Win Mag Muzzle jump????

[Jeffrthehunter]

Remington R-5 300 win mag, bedded HS Precision stock(Remington factory) , Gen II Little Bastard brake, Timney trigger set 2 pounds, Atlas bipod, VX6 24 power,

I was hoping some of you might be able to help me out. I have been fighting with this gun to keep it under 1 moa (early test were 1.5" to 1.0"). After spending lots of time at the range I have found a fews things that have helped reduce group size, mainly anything I can do to keep muzzle jump to a minimum. Lighter grain bullets and a very firm grip pulling hard into shoulder helped. Looking at the groups I have posted you can see that going from a competition front rest to a bipod has help (I believe loading the bipod and the extra weight keeps the muzzle down). Then I found that putting my left hand on the top of the scope with a little downward pressure really helped (getting sub moa at 200 yards). My question is are there any ideas of a better way to remove this muzzle jump? You can feel this gun jump when fired. I shot a Gunwerks 338 in a light barrel type design that had no vertical recoil, only straight back. I really do not like putting my hand on the scope and really hate the heavy pull into the shoulder. Is there a better muzzle brake that would help and or a better stock? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank, Jeff from Oregon

 

[Rich Coyle]

Jeffrthehunter,

You can take it or leave it, but this is meant to be helpful. I have been called "weird" enough that I expect it here. Now to my solution....

I have two .270 Wins. One is a Savage and doesn't kick. The other is a Mark V six lug which kicks hard. I mean painfully hard. I had a brake installed. It helped but still kicked too much. It also went to the left about three feet at 100 yards. I installed a bigger brake and it really tamed it. It still went to the left about three feet. No matter if I'm causing it or not I wanted it to stop. So I took a small file and notched the left port farthest from the muzzle. It worked a little so I filed a few more strokes and viola! I could see the hits even on 20X. You can see the notch in the photo below in the far side of the muzzle brake.

With all that posted I suggest you drill a 1/16" hole above the last port and check that. (I know from personal experience if you go too big you have to drill a hole in the bottom; which defeats the purpose of a side vent brake.) If that is not enough drill another in the next port. A 1/8" hole has more than twice the area of a 1/16" hole. That's why I would go with another small hole.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Something else you might consider is a different stock design. Something that has a comb which is more inline with the action. This helps the recoil go straight back.

 

[Jeffrthehunter]

Is there a model/brand you would suggest? BTW, I want to keep this a hunting rifle.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Oh, like a AICS (legacy design), or a McMillan A5 or A3-5, or a Manners T2 or PRS.

Re-reading your original post, it sounds like you're trying to get better accuracy. Muzzle jump is something you figure is causing the problem. The Muzzle brake you are using is one of the best available. Have you had someone else shoot the rifle?

I'm still learning how to shoot the 300 Win Mag consistently myself. I have two of them. Just this morning I was shooting the one that groups half-inch or better at 100 yards and I was shooting groups around1 inch. Frustrating, but sometimes that happens. I feel like I had more tension in my shoulders this morning. That may have contributed to my inconsistency.

 

[jimbires]

does it jump only using the bipod ? does it also jump when using sand bags ?

 

[Jeffrthehunter]

When I shoot with a competition style front rest and rear bag the group size grows. Muzzle jump seems less when i shoot with the bipod (must be loaded up), I think the extra weight of the bipod helps. I have beento the range on multiple trips were I switch to the bipod and groups got smaller. Then I noticed a very firm grip reduce group size even more. During all this shooting I can feel the rifle jump, when the rifle feels steady through the shot my grouping is great, less than moa.

 

[MudRunner2005]

So, are you inaccurate because of your target panic, recoil flinch, or because of your handloads?

If having trouble getting the accuracy you want, try a different powder, or different bullets, or different seating depth.

 

[jimbires]

it sounds like the rifle jumps around however you try to shoot it . I thought maybe you were not loading the bipod or something like that . this is how my 300 wby acted with a radial brake , I just couldn't shoot it . I put on a side discharge brake with top holes . it made a big difference , I can shoot it now.

the bastard brakes have a good reputation so this bring me to this question ;
could your brake be on up side down ? this would cause muzzle rise , instead of holding the muzzle down .

 

[Jeffrthehunter]

Looking closely at the brake it does not have a top or bottom.

 

[Barrelnut]

I think you are learning that you need to hold onto a heavy recoiling rifle to get good groups. It is not the brake. The bullet is a ready out of the barrel before the brake affects anything.

Get a good steady grip on the rifle and try setting the butt of the stock lower on your shoulder. The muzzle is rising because the butt of the stock is lower than the action. This is causing the rifle to pivit on your shoulder and rise. A stock that does not have a square butt can make muzzle rise worse.

It is the amount of rise before the bullet leaves the barrel that is causing the problem. The muzzle brake is just lessening the recoil and stopping continued muzzle rise after the bullet leaves the barrel. It is your hold that is affecting the grouping.

 

[FEENIX]

Have another NUT behind the trigger (please take no offense but preferably a more seasoned shooter gun)) shoot it and see if he/she get the same results as you.

 

[Rick Richard]

Bipods can sometimes be tricky to shoot especially if being shot off a hard surface like concrete, and that depends on the rifle. I would experiment with different load variations by shooting off bags, front and rear until you get something that is acceptable. Also, as mentioned it is a good idea to get a second verification from someone else behind the trigger.

Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[jimbires]

I thought of one more thing for you to check on your brake . what size is the hole ? it seems most brakes have the hole sized .020 bigger than the bullet dia . so your hole should be about .328" . can you see a difference in the port shape ? angles or anything ? my one brake has angled ports to help control muzzle jump , it's obvious .



my other brake has top holes to help with muzzle jump . the ports are cut kind of straight . I've been through what you're going through . this brake with the top holes fixed my problem .