Shooting off a bench

[Bigeclipse]

I have read lots of articles and threads about best techniques for shooting off a bench. It seems practice and form are key. I want to make sure I am doing my best during reloading ammo tests to minimize shooter error. Unfortunately there are not a lot of people who shoot for accuracy where I am located so no one to really help me. First off, I do have an adjustable front rest with rear bag set-up. I set the front rest just under the front of the scope which will give ample clearance from the front swivel stud. I use the front rest to adjust my height to get on target but I use the rear bag to control micro adjustments with my non trigger hand. As of now, my non-trigger hand makes no contact with the rifle. I try to remain comfortable and relaxed and control my breathing. This is a hunting rifle situation and not target rifle. When I set-up to shoot, I pull the rifle with my trigger hand pretty firm into my shoulder. My thumb is around the stock but putting very little pressure. All the pressure is being drawn straight back into my should from my fingers (excluding my trigger finger of course). I try my best to center my finger on the trigger while pulling straight back and maintaining a steady firm draw into my shoulder with my fingers/hand. The one thing I have read is that you should be able to close your eyes...release your grip on the rifle and it should not move. I find this to not be true for me. When I release the draw back pressure into my shoulder it does move. Maybe I am reading that part wrong or maybe I am drawing back to hard I just dont know. Could someone please clarify this to me and if you have any other advice please feel free to elaborate.

One other question I have is our targets at the range are about 7 feet off the ground while we at the bench are sitting height so you are shooting up a bit. This of course causes the front rest to be a bit higher than the rear which causes the rifle to be slightly angled up. I am not sure if this would cause some sort of additional barrel rise and if so affecting shots. Anyone have experience with this?

 

[royinidaho]

I'd say you're doing good.

Shooting angle makes little difference, don't concern yourself with that.

The reticle should be centered on the target without any grip or force against your shoulder. There's a term for that which I can't recall at the moment.

Use your off hand to squeeze the rear bag to get the reticle centered with very little or no shoulder pressure.

Then easy your shoulder into the butt rather than pulling the rifle into your shoulder.

Maybe mess with thumb placement. Try laying the thumb along side the action parallel to the bore. Let the fingers do the hold. See what happens.

Remember your dancing with a lady rather than wrestling with a pig.

Having said all of that every rifle I shoot off bipod jumps to the left and I can't seem to cure it. Other shoot my rigs with straight back recoil. I don't get it....

Good luck.

 

[Canadian Bushman]

The reticle should be centered on the target without any grip or force against your shoulder. There's a term for that which I can't recall at the moment.

Natural point of aim

 

[jmitchell135]

I found this video very good on the subject. I set my rifles up with adjustable cheek rests so I don't do the chin to stock thing he describes, but the video explains a lot of other aspects of bench shooting.

 

[WildRose]

I have read lots of articles and threads about best techniques for shooting off a bench. It seems practice and form are key. I want to make sure I am doing my best during reloading ammo tests to minimize shooter error. Unfortunately there are not a lot of people who shoot for accuracy where I am located so no one to really help me. First off, I do have an adjustable front rest with rear bag set-up. I set the front rest just under the front of the scope which will give ample clearance from the front swivel stud. I use the front rest to adjust my height to get on target but I use the rear bag to control micro adjustments with my non trigger hand. As of now, my non-trigger hand makes no contact with the rifle. I try to remain comfortable and relaxed and control my breathing. This is a hunting rifle situation and not target rifle. When I set-up to shoot, I pull the rifle with my trigger hand pretty firm into my shoulder. My thumb is around the stock but putting very little pressure. All the pressure is being drawn straight back into my should from my fingers (excluding my trigger finger of course). I try my best to center my finger on the trigger while pulling straight back and maintaining a steady firm draw into my shoulder with my fingers/hand. The one thing I have read is that you should be able to close your eyes...release your grip on the rifle and it should not move. I find this to not be true for me. When I release the draw back pressure into my shoulder it does move. Maybe I am reading that part wrong or maybe I am drawing back to hard I just dont know. Could someone please clarify this to me and if you have any other advice please feel free to elaborate.

One other question I have is our targets at the range are about 7 feet off the ground while we at the bench are sitting height so you are shooting up a bit. This of course causes the front rest to be a bit higher than the rear which causes the rifle to be slightly angled up. I am not sure if this would cause some sort of additional barrel rise and if so affecting shots. Anyone have experience with this?

I'm not sure where you are reading this but it's simply not true. The one area where it would hold true is with bench rest shooters who really want as little contact between the rifle and shooter as possible. They are also as a rule shooting very heavy rifles (compared to the average hunting rig) in light recoiling calibers.

If you try shooting an 8lbs 300 Rum in such a manner it's going to flat beat the hell out of you.

You want that butt firmly against your shoulder every time and overall you want to use the same form every time to get consistent results.

As for the trigger pull, only the last segment of your finger should be on the trigger. The more you bury your finger in there the more likely you are to push or pull to one side or the other.

Place your thumb on the rear of the trigger guard and last segment of your trigger finger on the trigger. Imagine drawing you finger straight back as if to form a chicken's head and beak like doing shadow puppets.

That is the best form for trigger pull.

In truth it should be termed "trigger press" because you should be trying to press the trigger just like you would press your finger and thumb together to form that Chicken Beak.

As for the shooting angle, it probably causes a little more barrel flip for you than you would otherwise have but it's not that big of a deal. You have to work with what you've got. You can do a lot of field shooting that has you shooting uphill at low angles as well.

 

[Bigeclipse]

I'm not sure where you are reading this but it's simply not true. The one area where it would hold true is with bench rest shooters who really want as little contact between the rifle and shooter as possible. They are also as a rule shooting very heavy rifles (compared to the average hunting rig) in light recoiling calibers.

If you try shooting an 8lbs 300 Rum in such a manner it's going to flat beat the hell out of you.

You want that butt firmly against your shoulder every time and overall you want to use the same form every time to get consistent results.

As for the trigger pull, only the last segment of your finger should be on the trigger. The more you bury your finger in there the more likely you are to push or pull to one side or the other.

Place your thumb on the rear of the trigger guard and last segment of your trigger finger on the trigger. Imagine drawing you finger straight back as if to form a chicken's head and beak like doing shadow puppets.

That is the best form for trigger pull.

In truth it should be termed "trigger press" because you should be trying to press the trigger just like you would press your finger and thumb together to form that Chicken Beak.

As for the shooting angle, it probably causes a little more barrel flip for you than you would otherwise have but it's not that big of a deal. You have to work with what you've got. You can do a lot of field shooting that has you shooting uphill at low angles as well.

Thanks for the advice. That is what I was thinking. I didnt mean to sound like I was ramming the rifle into my shoulder, but simply putting a bit of pressure with my should and trigger hand. I was not sure if for working up loads that I should be doing more of the "free recoil" method or not. I have shot my rifle out to 300 a few times now with great accuracy so I think I will keep doing what I am doing, focusing on my breathing and trigger control and making sure everything is consistant from shot to shot. I dont want to confuse people with this is how I intend on shooting out in the field. I always confirm POI with my field shooting positions as well after load deveolpment, but this was more for optimum shooting form during load development.

 

[WildRose]

Thanks for the advice. That is what I was thinking. I didnt mean to sound like I was ramming the rifle into my shoulder, but simply putting a bit of pressure with my should and trigger hand. I was not sure if for working up loads that I should be doing more of the "free recoil" method or not. I have shot my rifle out to 300 a few times now with great accuracy so I think I will keep doing what I am doing, focusing on my breathing and trigger control and making sure everything is consistant from shot to shot. I dont want to confuse people with this is how I intend on shooting out in the field. I always confirm POI with my field shooting positions as well after load deveolpment, but this was more for optimum shooting form during load development.

Free recoil just means you are allowing the rifle to slide back on recoil vs having it clamped down in a shooting vise or lead sled.

Most of us like to "load" the rifle by leaning into it and getting it firmly planted in the crease of your shoulder.

That doesn't much matter with light recoiling rounds like a .223 but as you get up into the magnums it really does because the rifle can do a heck of a lot of moving around before the bullet makes it from the chamber to the end of the barrel and the magnums will beat the snot out of you to boot!

Good luck.