Question about muzzle flip problem

[Smooth73]

When I go to the range I typically shoot from a benchrest position, with bags or a gun case over wood blocks as a rest. I don't use a bipod, though I may put one on my AR down the road. When shooting, I prefer to place my support hand under the stock and let the bags support the forearm alone.

The problem is I have experienced some nasty muzzle flip with one of my rifles on several occasions recently. I had this happen with one other rifle too, but it only happened like once or twice. I usually rectify it easily enough by bringing my support hand out and under the forearm for additional support, but I know that this has to be due to something I'm doing wrong as it doesn't happen all the time. I just haven't figured out what it is...

Am I positioning my bore centerline too high somehow, or am I just not driving correctly? Poor shoulder/body position? I'm guessing it has to be how I'm angling the barrel to the target somehow.

Any answers and solutions to this problem are greatly appreciated.....30+ yrs shooting, having this happen humbles you in a hurry

BTW, both rifles I had this happen with were your average semi-auto, wood stock deer slayers. Thanks again.

 

[Deadshot2]

Many shooters have different techniques for handling "muzzle flip". This is usually aggravated by an unbalanced rifle but can be more manageable if you let the rifle do a little "free recoil" especially when shooting off a sandbag.

Place the forend on the bag, hold the stock into your shoulder with your left hand, and when the round goes off let the recoil push you back a little than then let the body fall back into position when the recoil has subsided. If you can, take a look at how a Bench Rest shooter will allow the rifle to freely float back on the rest and then return it to "battery". Practice by sliding the rifle for and aft on the sandbag while trying to maintain good sight alignment. Adjust your position so you can make the movement straight back and forth along the barrel axis.

With heavier target rifles this is usually handled with weight being shifted forward or aft on the rifle itself. With AR's one can also do so by adding weight under the handguard or in the stock if it's not a collapsible stock. They make pre-formed weights for each.

I'm sure there other suggestions, this is just what has worked for me without making my rifle heavier. I've got a "Seventeen Pounder" in .308 when I want a "heavy".

Handling recoil while on a bipod is often a different tactic requiring that the 'pod being preloaded and very little recoil movement allowed. That is assuming you have something for the bipod legs to dig into or grip.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Doesn't stock design effect the muzzle rise too?

 

[Smooth73]

Deadshot-

Thanks for the info, that's basically how I usually set up when I get to the range. The rifle in question is a carbine length (22") .308, so I was thinking the shorter length might have something to do with it. I invested in some actual shooting bags hoping this might help, as typically I haven't been using a rear bag under the stock. In the past, due to lack of things to work with, I would have to lower myself and the buttstock to get on target; causing the barrel to be at an upward angle. This seems to be when I notice it more. It's just annoying as I know I should be able to shoot from a rest and have the gun recoil straight back without jumping that much, so i know it's either in my position or my form. Whenever I shoot any rifle, I try to impart as little of myself on the gun as possible. This one I have to really hang onto. I don't have this problem with my other .308, which is longer but not by that much.

Do you guys think it would work better if i can bring the whole rifle up, which would straighten my sitting position a little more? I know it's hard to try to visualize this over the internet, but I'm just trying to improve my form from benchrest and make sure I'm doing this correctly. I'm shorter so when I'm at the bench, it ends up looking something like a sitting version of prone leaning forward into the rifle with the barrel upward to the target. I hope this helps, and thanks again!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Don't overthink this. Since it's mostly just the one gun, it's probably a stock design issue.

If the bore axis/centerline (when extended back beyond the action, this is a mental exercise) passes above where the shoulder and stock come together, muzzle flip exists, and the higher the bore axis is above that contact point, the more pronounced it will be.

My guess is that flip exists to some degree with most of your rifles, but the bore axis mismatch with the stock/shoulder contact point is probably greatest with that particular stock.

What to do?

Good question. You could shoulder the stock higher on the butt pad. You could replace the stock with one that reduces the mismatch. You could sell the rifle and get an AR or something with a better (at aligning recoil with the shoulder contact point) stock design, more like the AR.

Greg

 

[Deadshot2]

Doesn't stock design effect the muzzle rise too?

Absolutely. The more misaligned the axis of the bore is to the contact point on the shoulder the greater the movement.

That's part of the design theory in the AR-15/M-16. A high "bore height" for the sighting device and a stock totally inline with the barrel axis. Better control of muzzle rise, especially on Full Auto without making he rifle nose heavy..