Advanced Marksmanship getting a better shooting platform

[taseal]

I shot with my rifle for the 1st time today...

the end results weren't all that impressive to me. I ended up with a 1.8moa group with some Winchester xp3 180gr ammo.

I had couple shots here and there that made the bullseye dead on, but mostly it was 'around' the area. very embarrassing for me since I consider myself a 'good' shot.

I realized with the 21x power, at 100 yards, I could see the reticle move with every heartbeat (very little, but enough to not stay within a .9 inch square). I tried to control it, and it worked a little, but I realized there might be more to it.

I thought maybe I'm not palming the butt of the stock right, but I've palmed stocks before, and when I did it the way I've learned, it felt natural and right. I'm thinking maybe for sake of zero I should use something to rest the butt on and just put forward pressure for recoil.

any ideas or suggestions (or links) to improve my shooting platform?

I've always shot and zeroed off prone, and this time I was doing it on a bench, sitting. maybe that's what my problem was... I didn't have enough round to be where I wanted to be. and I won't be until I get some ammo to reload

I also hope it's not the rifle and me not doing something right.

I know how to properly load a bipod, and my scope is perfectly balanced and horizontally aligned)

for the record I'm shooting:

<ul style="list-style-type: disc">[*] Remington 700 ADL .30-06 with the stock barrel (sporter I think? about 80 rounds down the tube)[*]B&C A2 stock torqued at 55 in/lb[*]Wyatt DBM (10 round mag)[*] 1.5lb trigger with spring kit [*]Bushnell HDMR 3-21x50 (H58 reticle) [*]UTG Bipod [/list]

 

[Topstrap]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

May sound really dumb but you might try cranking the power back a bit and try again. Sometimes trying so hard to find that exact center of a target and seeing your heartbeat tends to make you try too hard and get a big pucker affect and sometimes makes groups bigger. Kind of the opposite affect you'd expect. You might be trying to control it too much and not letting the shot happen.

Might not work for ya but worth a try.

Topstrap

 

[CleanMoostang]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

Ive always hated UTG, but possibly next time use sandbags on the bench or a rest of some type?

I zero my stuff in using bags/rest, then move down to the bipod and see how it relates.

and I agree with the above, more power isnt always the best idea.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

Using magnification on a bulllseye target can lead to some imprecision.

The shooter attempts to maintain the reticle intersection in the middle of the 'X' (or whatever) ring, and despite common wisdom, this is not easy to do. Despite best efforts, the intersection still 'swims' about within a broad zone. Imprecision exists even when it's not even clear that it does. All additional magnification does is to amplify the expanse of the 'zone' of imprecision.

Reticles work better when they can be hold 'in contact' with sharp, discrete target reference.

Rather then trying to guestimate a perfect relationship between the reticle and some vague undefined spot within, I do something else. I take the bottom and side (left or right, which one is immaterial) of the center target ring, and lay the horizontal and vertical crosshair wires in direct contact (on a tangent) with those edges, which places the reticle intersection outside the circle. I then adjust the POI into a slight offset until the perfect circle/wire alignment puts the POI at dead center within the bull.

This refines the relationship between reticle and bull ring, and eliminates aiming error.

Under these circumstances, magnification should not make as large a difference.

Other factors contribute to aiming error.

One really significant factor is parallax. If you can observe the target through the riflescope, and head/eye motion up/down, left/right behind the eyepiece causes a corresponding 'motion' of the reticle across the target face, your parallax is compensated incorrectly. If you can adjust parallax, you need to do so until you have adjusted that 'motion' out of the scope image.

Eliminate these two sources of potential aiming error and your shooting should improve. They are key contributers to the phenomenon called the 'unexplained flyer'. Resolving them is a key technique that allows a properly trained shooter to obtain unexpectedly good performance out of otherwise unremarkable firearms.

Greg

 

[taseal]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

thanks guys!

I think the UTG bipod does the job, it's sturdy, and with proper load, it didn't hop/jump or anything.

Maybe a sandbag might be better though.

I'll try lower power next time, that might do the trick. I would have probably gotten smaller groups with iron sights LOL

it probably wasn't parallax, I tuned that pretty nicely. I don't go by the numbers, I adjust to get the best picture, and I'll move my head around and make sure reticle isn't floating.

 

[George63]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

the ammo may be great, consistent, accurate ammo but if the shock wave is at the end of the barrel when the bullet exits then the 1.8 moa may be the best possible, some other ammo varieties or working up a load may be the key

 

[Sterling Shooter]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

What's the point? You appear to know how to shoot; and, with the results you're getting, seems to me, for deer hunting or similar, you'd be good to go.

 

[aubie515]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

You post on SH and when people give you suggestions you blow them off. Perhaps you should read more and type less...there are a lot of guys on here that know so much on the subject of shooting.

Just because you qualified "expert" in the army doesn't mean you are an above average shooter. Shooting an M16 isn't the same as shooting a precision rifle.

I know you have the HDMR, so I'll rule that out...I have a feeling it's your ammo. Get some quality match ammo and see how your rifle does. If it was me, I'd take out all the unknowns by ruling out the optic and ammo and going from there.

 

[DustyJacket]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

Perhaps you should pay the price for the online training here. It helped me.

I wish I'd have stayed with it, but they slowed down the lessons for a while, redoing things so I kept the $10/month. Dumb.

 

[tullius]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

Get back on the ground.

 

[SPAK]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

One brand of factory ammo, first time out with rifle 1.8MOA doesn't sound all that bad if you're not too familiar with it...depends on what you're going to do with this stick.

how do you shoot with other rifles?

If you shoot better in the prone, I would shoot prone and see what the rifle does with handloads or a different brand of ammo.

 

[CleanMoostang]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

There is tons of ammo out there, some good, some bad, buy a box of each and test your groups. Cant compare walmart federal to a good box of Hornandy imo.

Do ya homework bud!

 

[kentactic]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

assuming your a capable shooter try different ammo. my Rem700 .308 loves FGMM 168gr SMK's but HATES the 175's..with the 168's i get sub .5 MOA and the 175's got me like 1-2 MOA groups. and 10x is plenty for shooting groups at 100 yards for me.

 

[rickp]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

let me ask you, were were your impact? Did they favor left and right of target center or high/low?

I agree, with the comments, you have a precision system use precision ammo, unless you don't need or want that precision, which it sounds like you do want it.
Also, go back down to prone with good support and REALLY focus on your NPOA and fundamentals, especially trigger.

Again, like mentioned you need to eliminate possibilities like ammo first.

Lastly, give yourself a chance to learn the rifle, go out a few more times and really get use to it.

let us know.

R.

 

[breezernate]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

1 FLINCHING?
2 POOR AMMO?

 

[KeithR41]

Re: getting a better shooting platform

From the way I read it the OP isn't using a rear bag.

Step #1. Get rear bag.
Step #2. Throw away cheap ammo.
Step #3. Obtain match ammo.
Step #4. Throw away GTG bipod.
Step #5. Get Atlas or Harris bipod.
Step #6. Don't ask silly questions on the hide if you're going to disregard the answers you get.
Step #7. Take a training class from a professional.
Step #7. Repeat #1 - #7, rinse, repeat!

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