Even slight torque on a rifle system can reduce hit percentage.

[ChrisWay]

RifleKraft Torque Video



TLDR




Align reticle and NPA on the target for every shot if you want the highest hit percentage for your skill level and rifle system.



Even small amounts of torque can significantly impact shot groups, so be mindful of the influence of torque.



Just because its possible to hit a target doing things wrong, it’s a better plan to do what has the highest probability of outcome youre looking for.

Background

The purpose of this article is to highlight an observation that was made on a tripod ballhead as well as on a shooting bag regarding steering the reticle to point of aim out of NPA. I conducted a short test to...

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[shootingnut]

Interesting findings! This seems to contradict the tripod trick I had heard about locking down the ballhead with the reticle about half a mil to a mil low below the target so that when you settle in to your NPA the reticle rises to the target. Would you agree?

 

[ChrisWay]

Interesting findings! This seems to contradict the tripod trick I had heard about locking down the ballhead with the reticle about half a mil to a mil low below the target so that when you settle in to your NPA the reticle rises to the target. Would you agree?

well, I would disagree that it contradicts and argue that its perfectly aligned with the results. why?
With the tripod ballhead the NPA shifts with the clamp to the end spot therefore if you got it on, clamped and it ended high and you pushed it down you would be doing the articles test in the vertical plane resulting in shots center or dispersed vertically. NPA is the resting spot of the rifle and so after its clamped down it would be in its NPA.

 

[308pirate]

The negative effects of forcing the rifle into the target (which is not necessarily torque) have been known forever. This is not news.

 

[ChrisWay]

The negative effects of forcing the rifle into the target (which is not necessarily torque) have been known forever. This is not news.

To you.
Some havent thought about it and just turned on lightbulbs.

 

[shootingnut]

well, I would disagree that it contradicts and argue that its perfectly aligned with the results. why?
With the tripod ballhead the NPA shifts with the clamp to the end spot therefore if you got it on, clamped and it ended high and you pushed it down you would be doing the articles test in the vertical plane resulting in shots center or dispersed vertically. NPA is the resting spot of the rifle and so after its clamped down it would be in its NPA.

I guess I used the wrong terminology. Yes, aligns with the results.

I had wondered if this were the case ever since I was able to induce deflection with a clip on thermal on my night vision bridge if I bent the chassis foreend with a bipod or tripod. Albeit much more grevious of a deflection than your testing, but I had always wondered if it would still affect the normal day optic doing that, which it would seem it does.

 

[flogxal]

To you.
Some havent thought about it and just turned on lightbulbs.

Even to people who learned the idea (torque = instability) somewhere, learning to build that bridge connection is probably a brand new idea. I started using the bridge idea maybe a year ago (from a Phil Velayo video) and it completely changed stability and repeatability for me. Thanks for this reminder. Just a few weeks back, I found myself forgetting it on the clock in a match.

 

[FatBoy]

This is even more exaggerated when you are positional shooting with a sling. Trying to defeat bad NPA with muscle almost never works, especially in string fire.

The flip side is a very good, repeatable NPA can allow you to get away with some “oh shit” moments when you do something stupid, like break the shot with your eyes closed or you snatch the trigger. Often, it’ll fall into or just outside of your group. I’ll take a wide 10, or an edge shot on steel.

I’ve never shot off a tripod but it doesn’t matter. This is a neat way to remind people to master the basics.

 

[Barelstroker]

To you.
Some havent thought about it and just turned on lightbulbs.

You'll have to forgive old 308Pirate for his comment.
Old 308 is just one of a long list of retards who's opinions are almost solely guided by anecdotal wisdom, (wives tales). In this case, the wives tale just happened to align with your test otherwise, you'd be wrong.
Thanks for the test.
My Son-in-law uses a tripod very frequently to shoot foxes at night with a thermal. He captures all the footage & it's clear to see some anomalies when we can see the reticle on target but the shot misses. Due to the foxes moving around, he would tend to twist the riffle on the tripod possibly causing the rifle to be torqued in the clamp.
I'll get him to look at this thread.

 

[Makinchips208]

Using a bag on the tripod would eliminate this I presume?

 

[Barelstroker]

Using a bag on the tripod would eliminate this I presume?

I would think it would if the rifle was resting on top & not clamped or influenced by the clamp.
Even so, I'd imagine that twisting the rifle on a bag would not be conducive to retaining NPA which probably has a negative effect. I think it's the physical constraints of shooting off a tripod while trying to maintain fast & noiseless transitions.

 

[David Warren]

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This article is very helpful. I am just beginning shooting off a tripod.