I am at 13 pounds with a Fat Bastard Brake on my rifle and I am not able to watch my impacts.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
What weight and brake to watch your impacts in a 300 Winchester
- Thread starter FjallJager
- Start date
Put your rifle on a diet high in biscuits n gravy,,,,that will certainly help.
If your game was perfect you still should be able to see impacts at that weight but I’m not sayin it would be easy for the average shooter.
A great bipod is something you shouldn’t overlook.
What a difference stock design and caliber make.
My old Sako TRG-42 I could see impacts in 338 Lapua and it weighed at least a couple pounds less.
My 6.5 Creedmoor I can watch impacts all day long.
My old Sako TRG-42 I could see impacts in 338 Lapua and it weighed at least a couple pounds less.
My 6.5 Creedmoor I can watch impacts all day long.
I can tonight. But this is what the recipe is.
American Rifle Company Nucleus LA
Tier 1 Uni-Mount
Meopta 6-24x56 ZD
McMillan A-5 with adjustable cheek and thumbwheel (I have some foam wrap around the cheek piece to keep it from moving and duct tape around that so it remains slick.
AICS aluminum bottom metal. Similar to Badger, but I not Badger and I can't remember who made it.
Proof 28 inch Carbon Fiber barrel
Fat Bastard Brake
CG-Xtreme Trigger
Weighs about 13 pounds. Based on manufactuers specs, I am at 12.7. But my bathroom scale tales me 13.2. So somewhere in that range.
American Rifle Company Nucleus LA
Tier 1 Uni-Mount
Meopta 6-24x56 ZD
McMillan A-5 with adjustable cheek and thumbwheel (I have some foam wrap around the cheek piece to keep it from moving and duct tape around that so it remains slick.
AICS aluminum bottom metal. Similar to Badger, but I not Badger and I can't remember who made it.
Proof 28 inch Carbon Fiber barrel
Fat Bastard Brake
CG-Xtreme Trigger
Weighs about 13 pounds. Based on manufactuers specs, I am at 12.7. But my bathroom scale tales me 13.2. So somewhere in that range.
How far are you trying to spot impacts?
You already have a brake that is good enough.
Heavier is better, but a properly sized rifle and recoil management technique can help most start spotting impacts. I know those were my problem. Good training is invaluable if you can get it.
Franks videos on recoil management and there are some good videos and discussions in the dumb questions forum.
You already have a brake that is good enough.
Heavier is better, but a properly sized rifle and recoil management technique can help most start spotting impacts. I know those were my problem. Good training is invaluable if you can get it.
Franks videos on recoil management and there are some good videos and discussions in the dumb questions forum.
I'd like to see them at 100, but I doubt that is possible. I'd love to be able to do it at 200 plus.
I have not shot it prone at all, I have seen Frank's video on recoil but it has been a few years. I'll get back after and report back in a week or two when I get back to the range.
I have not shot it prone at all, I have seen Frank's video on recoil but it has been a few years. I'll get back after and report back in a week or two when I get back to the range.
I have shot it a ton on the bench. Caldwell rest, heavy bags and so on. I'll watch some videos and report back.
Mostly I have been shooting it off of a Pig Saddle while sitting on my rear in the field. Or standing behind some big rocks.
Mostly I have been shooting it off of a Pig Saddle while sitting on my rear in the field. Or standing behind some big rocks.
I have a Harris, and normally hunt with the big Bogen Manfrotto tripod with a Pig saddle on a Feisol ball head. It is a really heavy tripod, one of the old ones from the early 2000's.
Its been said, but good bipod, load the good Atlas bipod. Get your scope and eye alignment perfect. How I do that part goes like this. I start with the cheek rest on the low side and drive my face down as hard as I can comfortable go and keep edging it up until I get a perfect sight picture. Work on your Natural point of aim. Lay straight behind the gun and you should be good. You should be able to spot hits on a 13lb gun.
Spotting shots at 200 ain’t gonna be easy.
Usually 300 or so is the baseline for assessing proper recoil management unless you’re running 20+ lb 6mm.
Usually 300 or so is the baseline for assessing proper recoil management unless you’re running 20+ lb 6mm.
I must have superhuman eyesight, cause spotting shots at 500 isn't hard. And I've been welding full time for almost 20 years. My eyes are terrible lol.
If you can't spot shots at less than that, you've got to be closing your eyes or something.
Last edited:
Your sight must be terrible because he didnt say what you think he said.
sand bag it till you can see your shots they you will know at what weight you need to be It would be an almost free way of testing or weighted bags of dirt if you don't have sand .
First off, the 300WM has a very sharp, snappy recoil. Second, what is your shooting position/recoil management like? Since you mention bipod I assume you are shooting prone. Stock design might be having a huge effect on your recoil pattern. My guess is that you are setting up your bipod too low and the recoil is making your muzzle jump and you are losing the target thru the scope. Your rifle looks like a solid setup with the only obvious upgrade being the bipod. Analyze your position and recoil management, you'll probably find the issue without much problem.
Nope. I know exactly what he said. And answered correctly.
"Spotting shots at 200 ain't gonna be easy"
Pretty straight up bud ?
Nope. I know exactly what he said. And answered correctly.
"Spotting shots at 200 ain't gonna be easy"
Pretty straight up bud ?
Ok dumbass. You’re seeing your trace and impacts as they hit at 200?
Not the steel move, not the dirt that’s still in the air. The actual shot as it makes impact at 200.
Been an ironworker for 20 years. I don't have feelings anymore lol. People don't bother me
For your educational purposes:
Spotting a shot means knowing exactly where it went at the time of impact (hit or miss).
If you don’t see exactly where it impacts, you are making an educated guess based on what you saw after the impact.
Steel may swing left, but you didn’t see that it was also high. Dirt may have already been moved by wind. Also, some berms send dirt in awkward directions. So it may look like you are hitting high, when in fact you are low.
Anything closer than 300 is going to be extremely difficult as very minimal movement will not allow you to spot the actual impact as you do not have enough time of flight.
What most *think* they see at that distance is slightly after the impact has already taken place. You’re going to be very hard pressed to spot the actual impact at under 300yds unless you have a very heavy rifle or a very light recoiling rifle.
As with everything, distance gives us time and opportunity. 500yds is much, much easier to spot impacts than 200yds.
This is why many ELR don’t really follow all the fundamentals of marksmanship when it comes to recoil management as they have several seconds to get back on the glass.
Spotting a shot means knowing exactly where it went at the time of impact (hit or miss).
If you don’t see exactly where it impacts, you are making an educated guess based on what you saw after the impact.
Steel may swing left, but you didn’t see that it was also high. Dirt may have already been moved by wind. Also, some berms send dirt in awkward directions. So it may look like you are hitting high, when in fact you are low.
Anything closer than 300 is going to be extremely difficult as very minimal movement will not allow you to spot the actual impact as you do not have enough time of flight.
What most *think* they see at that distance is slightly after the impact has already taken place. You’re going to be very hard pressed to spot the actual impact at under 300yds unless you have a very heavy rifle or a very light recoiling rifle.
As with everything, distance gives us time and opportunity. 500yds is much, much easier to spot impacts than 200yds.
This is why many ELR don’t really follow all the fundamentals of marksmanship when it comes to recoil management as they have several seconds to get back on the glass.
In this case, he is using a 13lb 300wm.
Spotting impacts at 200yds is likely not going to be within the real of reality for him.
Prone, with perfect fundamental, lower magnification, and very very good concentration......is still a big maybe at 2-300.
Positional, don’t even think about it unless you can pin the rifle and then you have to worry about too much reticle wobble.
Spotting impacts at 200yds is likely not going to be within the real of reality for him.
Prone, with perfect fundamental, lower magnification, and very very good concentration......is still a big maybe at 2-300.
Positional, don’t even think about it unless you can pin the rifle and then you have to worry about too much reticle wobble.
You have a good brake already. If you shoot with a pig/hog saddle adjusting the position of the saddle may help.
I run my saddle as close the the action as I can. Basically the center point of the rifle so it’s semi balanced. Never tested if the saddle further down the forend would be better for spotting shots or not. I’d think the more weight of the rifle in front of the saddle would be best.
I can spot shots with both my 300’s with a suppressor but at 100 I’d have to back the power off a bit. The rifle doesn’t move much but if I’m load testing on a higher power I’m not spotting shots at 100-200 yds
I run my saddle as close the the action as I can. Basically the center point of the rifle so it’s semi balanced. Never tested if the saddle further down the forend would be better for spotting shots or not. I’d think the more weight of the rifle in front of the saddle would be best.
I can spot shots with both my 300’s with a suppressor but at 100 I’d have to back the power off a bit. The rifle doesn’t move much but if I’m load testing on a higher power I’m not spotting shots at 100-200 yds
OP, turn down the power on your scope,
this will drastically widen your field of view.
No need for 20x to see a hit or miss with a 300 win mag. You still need proper form and a good bipod, etc.
this will drastically widen your field of view.
No need for 20x to see a hit or miss with a 300 win mag. You still need proper form and a good bipod, etc.
I’ll second the good bipod part. Having a bipod that is squared with the rifle is essential in control. I’d probably get something better like atlas. But that will not change how your shooting from the tripod.
You could try adjusting your butt pad up a bit (if your able to do this) which would center it more with the bore of the rifle. Lots of guys in fclass do this trying to keep the flip/rise of the muzzle down.
I've tried to stick with only snarky posts, but the bottom line is that it's super hard if not impossible to spot for yourself with high recoil magnums, period. I think I have good fundamentals and shoot well. They could always be better, but I've attended several classes had plenty of LR instructors critique my form and tell me I'm solid. I get behind the rifle and get in position and it feels right. The rifle pretty much comes straight back and the scope stays in the same general area every shot, I can't "hold a sight picture" with a .300WM. I can only reacquire a site picture after the shot, because the recoil disappears the sight picture when the trigger is pulled.
I have a very heavy GAP Templar (.300wm with a big bull barrel in a Manners). I'm shooting 230s @ 2,700fps. Even with a Badger Brake or a 9" TBAC I cannot keep a sight picture. I can get back on target and see the dust kick up after the fact, but it has to be shooting at range before I feel like I can reacquire to actually see the plop rather than just the after effects of it. Someone had mentioned 500 yards, but I think it's even farther. I don't get one second till 750 yds, and my pills are pretty slow for a .300wm.
You know, the SS and DS programs use a two man team, and the non-shooter guy’s job isn’t primarily making coffee and telling sea stories. He's there for a reason.
I have a very heavy GAP Templar (.300wm with a big bull barrel in a Manners). I'm shooting 230s @ 2,700fps. Even with a Badger Brake or a 9" TBAC I cannot keep a sight picture. I can get back on target and see the dust kick up after the fact, but it has to be shooting at range before I feel like I can reacquire to actually see the plop rather than just the after effects of it. Someone had mentioned 500 yards, but I think it's even farther. I don't get one second till 750 yds, and my pills are pretty slow for a .300wm.
You know, the SS and DS programs use a two man team, and the non-shooter guy’s job isn’t primarily making coffee and telling sea stories. He's there for a reason.
I had another brake that had top ports on it still pushed me off target. A 300 win has recoil. Allegedly the Holland brake is the best at keeping you on target.
