Free Recoil

[Wallrat]

So I have this Howa 1500 in .300WM. Hogue stock, bedded, shoots pretty well. I decided to get all tacticool and try the free recoil with a couple of boxes of Hornady Precision ammo. What a mess! 6" groups at 100y! I thought that the bullet was supposed to be gone before the recoil could move the rifle that much. Apparently I missed something along the way. It had me thinking I'd jacked up the scope somewhere. What's the trick to that? This has always been a pussycat to shoot, moderate recoil…I thought it would work.

 

[ShtrRdy]

I would think free-recoilingba 300 WM would cause the scope to cut open your forehead.

 

[Mark37082]

You've got some deciphering to do. So you shot a box or two of factory ammo and all of sudden your rifle won't group. Try another few shots with the brand or reloads you were shooting before and if you still have issues, check all your scope rings and bases. It will be a process of elimination. Too little information to really offer much help at this point.

 

[Fiftydriver]

So I have this Howa 1500 in .300WM. Hogue stock, bedded, shoots pretty well. I decided to get all tacticool and try the free recoil with a couple of boxes of Hornady Precision ammo. What a mess! 6" groups at 100y! I thought that the bullet was supposed to be gone before the recoil could move the rifle that much. Apparently I missed something along the way. It had me thinking I'd jacked up the scope somewhere. What's the trick to that? This has always been a pussycat to shoot, moderate recoil…I thought it would work.

You need to realize that rifles designed to be free recoil shot have stock designs that result in the rifles recoil movement being straight back and level. Meaning the forend and butt of the stock are flat and on the same plane so the rifle tracks straight back.

your howa has a very slopped buttstock. And also some slant on the forend. As the rifle slides back, the rear of the stock will drop down dramatically causing significant change in muzzle position by the time the bullet leaves the muzzle.

Also, the 300 win generates a decent amount of barrel torque as the bullet is forced down the bore. Your rifles forend is rounded and not designed to handle this torquing force so the rifle will roll to the side as the bullet is forced down the bore.

simply put, your rifle is NOT designed to be fired free recoil, a sporter weight rifle actually needs to be PILOTED by the shooter for best results. That piloting needs to be exactly the same for each shot as well to get fine results. Thats why sporter weight and sporter design rifles are the trickiest to get to shoot really small groups. Certainly can be done. Thats proven all the time, just takes more piloting in our part as shooters.

 

[Wallrat]

Thanks! That's exactly what I needed to hear.

 

[std7mag]

As Fiftydriver says, free recoiling rifles are built specifically for that purpose.

The only part of the body touching the rifle is the trigger hand or even just the trigger finger.

Scopes are mounted high. There is no cheekweld.
LOP is usually shorter also.
Triggers are in the ounces, not pounds and ounces. I've seen some as light as 2oz.

Barrels are usually 1.25" the full length. With rifles weighing in at 14-17lbs.

Usually you'll see a lot of cartridges like 6BR, 30BR, 6PPC and such. Not a lot of 300 Win Mag.

For the larger cartridges, instead of just a flat 3" wide forestock, you'll see a widened section offset to one side to help with torquing. Some as wide as 6".

 

[wasskeet]

I too had to learn this and am still learning. Things you can get away with on a heavy barreled .243 will not work on a 7lb. 300 PRC. Listen to the wise words from folks here.

 

[Reelamin]

Don't knock the free recoil hunting rifles. Most springers are more accurate if you let them free recoil v grip them tight.

 

[DoneNOut]

I've only seen the free recoil method out of F-Class/benchrest style stuff. Tacticool has always been "load the bipod".

 

[bear41]

In the 1990s the 300WM was often used in 1000 yard benchrest competitions but as noted earlier the stocks were designed to be free shoot.

 

[old_heli_logger]

Don't knock the free recoil hunting rifles. Most springers are more accurate if you let them free recoil v grip them tight.

Seriously? Maybe that's part of my problems with my RWS Diana 22 cal...lighter pellets seem to group a little better with less flyers.
Thanks, I'll give it a try