Free Recoil on Light Rifle Affecting Accuracy?

[Lenny Foffa]

I only have one rifle I can shoot free and it's a Remington 40 XB bench rest rifle in 6BR ,evey other rifle I own must be properly controlled ! All my deer rifles must be in contact with my shoulder and with my ultra light in 270 Win my left hand is gently holding the stock just a couple of inches in front of the floor plate ! That keeps it from jumping off the rest !! For me. The greater the recoil the more control I need to apply .

 

[26Reload]

I dont mind throwing my backpack over a large sage and using it as my bench...
...
Works good for me....two at 405yds..can't get much better on a moving second shot as I held just in front of his chest..
...
Old warrior....glad to get him before the winter.....

 

[P7M13]

I use a sling on all my hunting rifles (7.5# - 9.5#), torque that butt right into my shoulder, and a stout hold on the fore end.
The trick is finding that force equillibrium spot where, when I relax and breathe, the POA doesn't change. If I'm not at that point, when I relax, the cross hair can move as much as 2" at 100, which makes for lousy groups.

 

[General RE LEE]

Since I started this post last summer, I have my left hand supporting the stock on all my rifles, even my 6.5 Creedmoor. I don't shoot with a muzzle brake on my hunting rifles so it provides better control to stay on target.

 

[David_h]

Reading up here and learning. I'm shooting 300 WSM, 6.8 Western, 7mm-08; and .243 Win. So I am going to try putting my non trigger hand between the stock and the front bag when shooting from a bench. Sometimes I use a bipod on the bench instead of a front bag; is there any advantage to placing hand at the bipod attachment point or stock (not touching barrel of course)? And, when shooting prone in the field, would I then want to place hand at bipod junction? I'm hoping for the most improvement with the .243 Win since it is a Sako Carbonlight and I'm thinking the muzzle jump could be moderated with left hand at the forend. Not much recoil but gun is crazy light and I struggle to get 1 MOA with it.

 

[26Reload]

Maybe......someone needs to adapt a piece of velcro to put around the barrel and forend of stock to add 'finger weight'....
Like in a figure 8...just stick a finger thru the bottom to add the weight....it will still recoil rearward...and hold some of the barrel jump down....but shouldn't pull the gun off target....

 

[Lenny Foffa]

I know I have already added to this thread, but If its ok, Id would like to add this. I think whatever style works for you, consistently well, become your style of shooting. 99 percent of my shooting of off the bench, with a front and rear rest. The Weatherby Ultralight , in 270 Win, Kicks and Jumps. It needs to be controlled. I cannot, with that light rife, squeeze the rear bag and fire. So to get back to the bulls eye, I may adjust the leg of the front rest, that is closest to me. The bench rest guys taught me that few years back. Then as I stated, I hold the rifle with my left hand just in front of the trigger guard . I know I SHOULD NOT BE DOING THAT, but during my many trips to the range prior to the hunt, I find it helps me shoot tighter groups with that Ultralight rifle. 100 rounds or more every season at paper targets, prior to the hunt, then go on the hunt I get to take ONE shot ( maybe ) . So I say to you, Listen to all the excellent advice you are getting Try out as many suggestions as you can, and the one that seems to work for you, keep it and make it your own. Good Hunting!!!

 

[Rich Coyle]

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?

It's the only way I fire my rifles. One is an eight pound 7-.338 RUM. The other is a 7 1/4 pound wildcat like a 8-.338RPM.

 

[Crockett12]

I've experimented with my Tikka in 270 WSM between what I call a "tight hold" and a "light hold" -- more like free recoil. My loads are far more accurate with my "tight hold" than with my light hold. So -- yes I've found controlling recoil is advantagious for accuracy as long as you hold the rifle consistantly the same way with the same pressure wherever you're touching the rifle. However, I've also had a muzzle brake on a .338 Win Mag I once owned and I'll never have another one because of the severe muzzle blast. It was so very loud, I was afraid to hunt with it because I won't wear hearing protection when I hunt!

 

[LDHunter]

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(?).

This! Stock design and quality is of utmost importance. I've never been a fan of brakes due to the extreme hearing damage they cause.

If I'm shooting a lightweight rifle I have always used McMillan stocks of the AWR or KS variety. For some reason felt recoil is quite minimal and muzzle rise is almost non-existent and one more thing I really like.... POI is very similar no matter what hold I use.

As far as I know those McMillan stocks are no longer available but the Bell and Carlson ones that use essentially the same pattern are possibly just as good. I have one in a lightweight Model Seven in 308 Win and the recoil and muzzle jump on that rifle are certainly comfortable.

 

[spladi]

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 think there is a breaking point that determines how tight to hold or how loose you can hold the Tikka's. The heavy varmint Tikka chambered in .223 with all bullet weights shoots very well just being allowed to fire with a very light hold, especially off of bags, on the other hand my 30-06 sporter Tikka is a jumping jack and until I put a Witt Machine break on it my accuracy was poor, and the gun was no fun to shoot. I still hold on to it but with far less intensity and accuracy is now great.

 

[jsummers05]

I run a break on all my hunting rigs as well. Makes all the difference in the world

 

[jrock]

I found that if I "muscle" up to the gun and try to counter act recoil, the gun jumps more. I also don't shoot as well. I've switched my mentality to consider my body as a shock absorber to the rifle and "go with the flow" of recoil instead of resisting it. It made a huge difference in shooting high recoil guns.

 

[Calvin45]

I found that if I "muscle" up to the gun and try to counter act recoil, the gun jumps more. I also don't shoot as well. I've switched my mentality to consider my body as a shock absorber to the rifle and "go with the flow" of recoil instead of resisting it. It made a huge difference in shooting high recoil guns.

For sure this is correct in my mind. There's a difference though between going with the flow and truly uncontrolled free recoil. But yes, the more you try to resist the recoil the more it hurts haha. Learned this as a scrawny 11 year old with dads old 6 pound break action 12 guage with goose loads haha…only time a gun has actually pushed me over Waaaaaaaay more kick than a .375 HH or .358 Norma, not even in the same universe