PRS Talk Shooting lite rifle in a match

[Mrindecisive]

I know the trend is for rifles to be heavy, obviously because they are easier to shoot. I was wondering if any of you have shot matches or done any positional shooting with a 12-14lb rifle. How did those rifle compare to your match guns?

Wouldnt good fundamentals make shooting a lighter rifle still as effective as a 20-25lb match rifle?

 

[MakeSawdust]

It can be done. The effort to manage recoil is more with the lighter rifle. All last year I ran a bravo chassis and a savage varmint contour prefit barrel in 243 shooting 115 DTACS. I did pretty well most of the year. This year I'm running a 6 Dasher with an MTU contour in a Foundation. It is almost like cheating in comparison, but I was able to see most of my impacts with the light gun last year. It is a lot easier to see trace now though.

 

[Travis224]

While my test bed is limited, I just shot a 2 day match with a 17lb 6.5 creed rifle. Apa Lil bastard brake, and I did only ok. My corrections weren't the issue, but the rifle was fairly easy to control and get back on target.
I then set up the same action and barrel, changing to a MPA hybrid with out weights, and put on a APA Fat Bastard gen 3..it has LESS recoil than the first setup I used in the match. Currently as it sits, I'm ready and willing to use it in another match and I think I would do better than I previously had.

It's crazy how well this rifle does now, and wish I had been using it in the match. Totally worth shaving 5lbs off my previous setup.

 

[Yoteski]

I think weight sometimes gets too much credit, or should I say there's a point of diminishing returns. If you check out some of the NRL hunter scores, you'll see the 12 lb rifles compete hand in hand with the 16 lb rifles. Good shooters are good shooters no matter what you stick in their hands. A lot of guys think strapping a rifle with weights so it weighs 25-30 lbs buys them more impacts, I disagree. I mean how much weight does it really take to offset recoil from a braked 6 dasher? I wouldn't build anything that weighed more than 18-20 lbs myself on the high end.

 

[Rant Durden]

I’ve been thinking about a light(er) setup and was wondering if going light rifle with a big scope (think gen2 razor) with a generous eye box might help.

 

[Mrindecisive]

It can be done. The effort to manage recoil is more with the lighter rifle. All last year I ran a bravo chassis and a savage varmint contour prefit barrel in 243 shooting 115 DTACS. I did pretty well most of the year. This year I'm running a 6 Dasher with an MTU contour in a Foundation. It is almost like cheating in comparison, but I was able to see most of my impacts with the light gun last year. It is a lot easier to see trace now though.

That makes sense, that did enjoy shooting more personally?

 

[Mrindecisive]

While my test bed is limited, I just shot a 2 day match with a 17lb 6.5 creed rifle. Apa Lil bastard brake, and I did only ok. My corrections weren't the issue, but the rifle was fairly easy to control and get back on target.
I then set up the same action and barrel, changing to a MPA hybrid with out weights, and put on a APA Fat Bastard gen 3..it has LESS recoil than the first setup I used in the match. Currently as it sits, I'm ready and willing to use it in another match and I think I would do better than I previously had.

It's crazy how well this rifle does now, and wish I had been using it in the match. Totally worth shaving 5lbs off my previous setup.

Do you think the rifle was balanced better in the lighter configuration?

 

[Mrindecisive]

I think weight sometimes gets too much credit, or should I say there's a point of diminishing returns. If you check out some of the NRL hunter scores, you'll see the 12 lb rifles compete hand in hand with the 16 lb rifles. Good shooters are good shooters no matter what you stick in their hands. A lot of guys think strapping a rifle with weights so it weighs 25-30 lbs buys them more impacts, I disagree. I mean how much weight does it really take to offset recoil from a braked 6 dasher? I wouldn't build anything that weighed more than 18-20 lbs myself on the high end.

Yeah I get that weight helps and I think there’s a point of diminishing return. I currently have a 20lb rifle that I have yet to shoot. But I think shooting something lighter would be more rewarding and force me to be a better shooter fundamentally.

 

[brianf]

@Dthomas3523

rifle weight and matches is right up his ally

 

[bschneiderheinze]

I dropped about 4-5lbs off my rifle changing stocks and I like it much more in positional stages and prone.

 

[Mrindecisive]

I dropped about 4-5lbs off my rifle changing stocks and I like it much more in positional stages and prone.

What setup did you have and what did you change to?

 

[bschneiderheinze]

I changed from a heavy fill manners T4-A to a Manners PRS-2

What setup did you have and what did you change to?

 

[MakeSawdust]

That makes sense, that did enjoy shooting more personally?

Even the current setup is under 20 lbs. I have put a 243 barrel on it and shot 115s. The recoil is a lot less than the light gun with a 6 Dasher barrel. I can still move the gun around easily and I see trace better. Also, in windy, or shitty situations it is much easier to get rid of wobble. I would not build a heavier gun to shoot a small 6mm cartridge. I can see all I need to see now. The guys running 25 or 30 lb guns are dicking with extra weight for basically no reason in my opinion. With a larger cartridge there may be some benefit. I don't see it with the br based cartridges.

 

[MakeSawdust]

I dropped about 4-5lbs off my rifle changing stocks and I like it much more in positional stages and prone.

A lighter stock fixed the rifle balance. Having a rifle balanced in the right spot is the key to reducing wobble on barricades and canceling muzzle flip regardless of the weight of the rifle. I see a lot of people running ass heavy rifles and struggling. If you are not hard into the gun, when you pull the trigger the muzzle wants to flip up.

I think this is where a lot of the 25+ lb setups come in. My wife runs an ACC and even with a 26" heavy varmint contour the balance point is too far to the rear. An MTU contour gets it close, but it really needs a proof comp contour or a straight 1.250" for a 26" barrel to balance well. Going to a 28" barrel will improve tracking on it some. When guns are ass heavy then people start adding friend weights to guns that are already heavy.

 

[Nate60x]

Tagged

 

[Mrindecisive]

I changed from a heavy fill manners T4-A to a Manners PRS-2

What barrel contour are you running? I have been debating getting a manners prs1 and a 26in heavy Palma or a 24in carbon proof prefit. I’m not sure how either of those would balance but I think an area 419 tunable Arca rail would help with that.

 

[theLBC]

unless fast follow ups are part of the competition, i would think the weight has a little less to do with recoil and more to do with a stable platform, sinking deeper and more firmly into the bag they throw under it, or even sitting on top of a bipod.

 

[Travis224]

Do you think the rifle was balanced better in the lighter configuration?

I kept the same balance by removing the front weights and swapping the buttocks from a folding BA to a ultralite fixed buttstock.

 

[b6graham]

stability
seeing trace
limiting recoil

if anyone tells you there isnt a difference between a 17 and 24 pound rifle

if im talking experience. 24 pound 7SAW running 162s at 2840 is easier to shoot than a 17 pound 6XC with 105s at 3040

this is all assuming they have the same balance point 2-4" in front of the magwell/barricade stop

 

[MakeSawdust]

stability
seeing trace
limiting recoil

if anyone tells you there isnt a difference between a 17 and 24 pound rifle

if im talking experience. 24 pound 7SAW running 162s at 2840 is easier to shoot than a 17 pound 6XC with 105s at 3040

this is all assuming they have the same balance point 2-4" in front of the magwell/barricade stop

I'm not discounting your experience, but there is a point where you can see everything and going heavier just limits mobility. It might not be at 17 lbs, but there is a point.

 

[beetroot]

I shoot very lightweight rifles by today's standards and out shoot many people with heavy behemoth rifles.
My match rifle is a Tikka CTR that weighs 12lbs suppressed or 10.5lbs unsuppressed.

I came 3rd in a medium distance match last year with a Tikka T3 lite in 260 last year.
Yes weight helps with many things but it's not like lightweight rifles are impossible to shoot well.

The best gear in the world doesn't make up for crap fundamentals, or replace range time getting to know your gear and learning how to build a position under time pressure.

 

[ThomasBeckett]

I shot my first match a few weeks ago with a 13 lb 308 and finished 7th out of 18 people. My gun is not a tricked out comp gun, it's a 20" Rem 700 with an SWFA 12x fixed power scope. It has a muzzle brake but there's still plenty of recoil. I'm far from perfect with my fundamentals but I have no problems spotting impacts/misses at 300 yds or less, and waiting for the impact at 1000+ yds actually took a small amount of patience. I haven't shot a heavy small caliber comp gun, but I imagine that more weight and/or a smaller cartridge only gets easier from here.

I'm considering adding a bit of weight to the front of the stock, not for pure weight but to move the CG farther forward to improve balance on bags and props. I don't want a 20 lb gun, as sometimes this one does double duty as a coyote slayer.