Free Recoil on Light Rifle Affecting Accuracy?

[General RE LEE]

My Tikka T3x Superlite 30 06 is a thumper with 178 grain ELD-x handloads.

I shoot off a Caldwell Rock front rest and a rear bag.

I've found that Tikka can be tricky to shoot accurate. I don't have a flinch and follow through on the shot but man that muzzle jumps. I wonder if reducing that muzzle jump would improve accuracy.

I'm considering a Witt's clamp on brake or just holding the stock when shooting.

Anyone find allowing a light rifle to freely recoil off a front rest affect accuracy?

 

[Bob Wright]

My Tikka T3x Superlite 30 06 is a thumper with 178 grain ELD-x handloads.

I shoot off a Caldwell Rock front rest and a rear bag.

I've found that Tikka can be tricky to shoot accurate. I don't have a flinch and follow through on the shot but man that muzzle jumps. I wonder if reducing that muzzle jump would improve accuracy.

I'm considering a Witt's clamp on brake or just holding the stock when shooting.

Anyone find allowing a light rifle to freely recoil off a front rest affect accuracy?

I put a Witt brake on my sporter 30-06 R700. It works nice, it has ports on top to keep the barrel down. Decent price too.

 

[26Reload]

Absolutely....my lite rifle will eat hat brims
If allowed to jump...
But with the correct pressure of a few fingers on top of barrel the rifles will slide backwards better...
No brakes on anything
9.5#, 9#, 8.5#, 8#

 

[baldhunter]

That's one thing I like about longer barrels and heavy barrels,they don't have that muzzle jump like those short lightweight barrels do.I had a couple of 22" barrel 30-06's,I hated them for that reason.A brake would certainly make a difference for sure.

 

[bross64]

My Tikka T3x Superlite 30 06 is a thumper with 178 grain ELD-x handloads.

I shoot off a Caldwell Rock front rest and a rear bag.

I've found that Tikka can be tricky to shoot accurate. I don't have a flinch and follow through on the shot but man that muzzle jumps. I wonder if reducing that muzzle jump would improve accuracy.

I'm considering a Witt's clamp on brake or just holding the stock when shooting.

Anyone find allowing a light rifle to freely recoil off a front rest affect accuracy?

I shoot a Tikka T3 Lite in a 300WSM with a Witt brake on it. Used to kick like a mule now like goat. Ha. Feels like a 242 to me. Hardly any muzzle jumó easy follow up shots if needed. Week worth the money.
Ps I used to is a codwell lead sled. Now it just site in the garage.

 

[Calvin45]

I don't know how much it affects it BUT I do know to a certainty that changing the hold can change the point of impact…and one shouldn't be certain that it'll shoot the same in the field as it does off a lead sled!

none of my rifles kick that terribly, and my .300 win mag has little recoil at all, the rig weighs like 12 pounds. But there sure is a notable difference in accuracy and point of impact between firmly gripping the forend as opposed to "let er buck!"

 

[340 in Va]

My Tikka T3x Superlite 30 06 is a thumper with 178 grain ELD-x handloads.

I shoot off a Caldwell Rock front rest and a rear bag.

I've found that Tikka can be tricky to shoot accurate. I don't have a flinch and follow through on the shot but man that muzzle jumps. I wonder if reducing that muzzle jump would improve accuracy.

I'm considering a Witt's clamp on brake or just holding the stock when shooting.

Anyone find allowing a light rifle to freely recoil off a front rest affect accuracy?

I bought a Tikka 30-06 6.4 lbs for my wife 20 some years ago. After shooting it a few times it went to gunsmith for a brake and cut stock to fit her. If I had let her shoot that rifle without a brake, she would not have used the gun again. To answer your question, it won't make the rifle more accurate, but it will allow you to be more accurate (less kick, muzzle jump and better follow through).

 

[Gary in MD]

I was having trouble getting my light weight Tikka to shoot as accurately as I thought it should. I was advised to hold onto the forearm and it definitely helped. You just have to hold it consistently each shot. Chances are that shooting in the field while hunting you will be holding it at the forearm anyway unless you're using a bipod.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

A brake will always help with recoil management. I had a Barrett Fieldcraft in .308 and it definitely required and extra level of finesse to shoot accurately. I am not particularly recoil sensitive, but did have my labrum repaired and would feel it if I didn't do everything precisely. I think light rifles inevitably amplify any fault in your shooting technique, forcing you to have really good fundamentals. I know I am a good shooter, but I could not comfortably get the same level of consistent accuracy out of that gun that I could my other rifles under ideal bench rest conditions much less in the actual field. I didn't enjoy shooting it (not sure that is a rifle you enjoy) and ultimately parted with it for something a little heavier. Now I brake all my hunting rifles and have no regrets. Another/additional option would be to get a better stock to manage the recoil of that rifle. I am a huge fan of the Manners EH1 Elite, and GRS also makes stocks like the Bifrost that will fit the Tikka.

 

[Radman]

My Tikka T3x Superlite 30 06 is a thumper with 178 grain ELD-x handloads.

I shoot off a Caldwell Rock front rest and a rear bag.

I've found that Tikka can be tricky to shoot accurate. I don't have a flinch and follow through on the shot but man that muzzle jumps. I wonder if reducing that muzzle jump would improve accuracy.

I'm considering a Witt's clamp on brake or just holding the stock when shooting.

Anyone find allowing a light rifle to freely recoil off a front rest affect accuracy?

"They" claim it doesn't but I think it does!

 

[Calvin45]

I was having trouble getting my light weight Tikka to shoot as accurately as I thought it should. I was advised to hold onto the forearm and it definitely helped. You just have to hold it consistently each shot. Chances are that shooting in the field while hunting you will be holding it at the forearm anyway unless you're using a bipod.

Consistency is the name of the game! We obsess over it in our handloading regimen but sometimes neglect it in our shooting practice.

Additionally, it's highly unlikely that you're gonna get the exact same shooting position offered you in the field…prone is ideal but
Sometimes your shoot freehand or leaned up against a tree. Good to get an idea of what happens when you have to shoot like that. Lots of guys can no doubt shoot half moa groups at 600 and would struggle to connect with a milk jug at 200 shooting standing offhand. But for hunting that's a silly thing to not be ready and able to do.

 

[Philward]

I know that is a good sturdy rest, maybe not F-class quality but good enough. Try shooting off just sand bags(not those overstuffed Caldwell things) and no mechanical front rest. Stock design would be the next guess. Too much drop at the heel(?).

 

[Tac-O]

Yes... I think every tiny change in external forces on the light Tikka rifles has a big impact on POI. I use sandbags and have noticed that if I don't "reset" my bags every few shots, they settle and have an impact on groups. I've also noticed that POI is more consistent with a forearm hold. I have a Boyds laminate stock in addition to the factory synthetic, and it's easier to manage the buck and POI changes with the laminate.

 

[Tac-O]

Consistency is the name of the game! We obsess over it in our handloading regimen but sometimes neglect it in our shooting practice.

Additionally, it's highly unlikely that you're gonna get the exact same shooting position offered you in the field…prone is ideal but
Sometimes your shoot freehand or leaned up against a tree. Good to get an idea of what happens when you have to shoot like that. Lots of guys can no doubt shoot half moa groups at 600 and would struggle to connect with a milk jug at 200 shooting standing offhand. But for hunting that's a silly thing to not be ready and able to do.

Agreed. I think there's a huge argument to be made for hunters to quit obsessing over working up loads at the bench to try to get consistent 1/2-3/4 MOA, settle for a 1moa load and use the extra components and time for field shooting practice. Most misses are made due to wind call or positional shooting errors.... Not a 1/2" vs 1" load at the bench.