Shooting a .338 LM RPR. Shooting off a bench/bag with a rear leather "eared" bag. Every shot seems to pull the rifle left, in other words, after recoil my scope is usually aimed about 5' left of the target. Is this due to my "technique", the way I'm grasping the grip, pulling it in to my shoulder, etc?? Admittedly, I'm getting too old and I'm probably too small for this size of rifle, kinda kicking my ass. Technique or something else??
Do I have a technique problem?
- Thread starter coyotewillie
- Start date
not necessarily that its relevant to form, but what distance is the target at when you are coming off by 5 feet.?
where are the rounds impacting relative to POA?
shooting with a brake?
where are the rounds impacting relative to POA?
shooting with a brake?
RPR so yes it's got a brake. I'm hitting the target, 1 3/4"-2" groups at 300 yds yesterday. But my point is that ideally the rifle should recoil straight back, right? It's not. It's always bouncing left. Everything I read says you should come back relatively on target. I'm always off in La La Land, usually left of the target. Is there something in my technique that I should change that I'm doing wrong?
I would say to get behind it with it off your shoulder, and just pull the trigger and let it free recoil without your body influencing the rifle, but the 338 might hurt a bit doing that.
sounds like your shoulders might be bladed off to an angle with the rifle. Your shoulders should be perfectly square behind the butt of the rifle. From what you describe, it sounds like you are a right handed shooter and at an angle to the rifle. The recoil will push you back and push the butt off to the right off your shoulder.
If it’s a traditional bench that puts you beside the rifle, try standing behind the bench and squaring up to the rifle.
Not to discount the technique comments, but have you tried to open the ports on top of the brake? I have the 300 PRC (much milder than the 338), after I opened up the ports on top of the brake the muzzle rise decreased considerably and kept me on target much better...
Do you look like this when shooting off the bench, if not, that is your problem, you can remove the bag and use a bipod, but the position should look the same?
This is the key to recoil management on a bench.
I'm probably not sitting as square as he is. I'm trying to keep my left shoulder back , but I'm sitting in an angled cutout on the bench so I'm probably not getting over behind the rifle enough. I imagine that it really hasn't showed up on the smaller calibers being off some to the side, but is really kicking my ass on the heavy recoil of the 338. Another thing, the cheek rest is really smacking my cheek/jaw on the recoil too. Too much downward pressure? I'm not trying to hold the stock down but trying to keep a solid weld on the cheekrest.
Interesting scope choice for a single shot rifle.
Looks like something I would do.
I was shooting today on a traditional T shaped bench and noticed the same left bounce. This was a 6BR, but it still moved left.
Looks like something I would do.
I was shooting today on a traditional T shaped bench and noticed the same left bounce. This was a 6BR, but it still moved left.
To Frank's picture, if you are not square like the pic, you can imagine under heavy recoil, the butt will slide to the right and down, having your poa after recoil among up and left. I was making the same mistake early on, and even showed up on small cal. I usually shoot prone but when moving up to avoid mirage(shimmer), my groups would worsen and poa would jump more. Frank's and Marc's training up in Alaska hammered this in.
I am guessing you are right handed and your right cheek is on the cheek rest.
The cheek is not pushing straight down. It is pushing to the right and down. Among other things, I think that may be part of it.
In my experience, cheek pressure pushes the butt to the right and muzzle to the left. Let up on the cheek pressure or figure out how counteract it.
Because you are using the ear bag, you are not getting much downward movement, but lots of others see the reticle move up and to the left because the butt moves down and to the right.
The cheek is not pushing straight down. It is pushing to the right and down. Among other things, I think that may be part of it.
In my experience, cheek pressure pushes the butt to the right and muzzle to the left. Let up on the cheek pressure or figure out how counteract it.
Because you are using the ear bag, you are not getting much downward movement, but lots of others see the reticle move up and to the left because the butt moves down and to the right.
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