Gunsmithing Is the weapon or the operator totally out of wack?

[ace31]

I don’t know much about bolt action weapons but because I have a great passion for shooting I decided I would get in to long range shooting. All I have learnt has been through the Hide and you guys have been a wealth of information. I have been trying to put together a bolt action rifle for the past year. The only thing holding me back has been lack of funds. After much waiting and much preparation I finally got my weapon out to the range last week for the very first time. I took it out all the way to 300 after much practice and managed to land my target enough times for me to feel confident to do it again.
Remington 700p Cerakoted Tan
Harris Bipod LM with notched legs als Cerakoted Tan
Farrell 20 MOA Base
Leupold Mark 4 Low rings
Leupold Mark 4 6.5-20
I immediately noticed that my reticle was canted to the left. I figured I had not leveled the optic so I readjusted and continued shooting. I brought the weapon home set it down and stood above it. I noticed that the whole weapon seemed as if it was leaning to the left. I put up the left leg one notch and the weapon and the scope seem evened up, but now the reticle is off due to the fact that I overcompensated too far to the right. As I already stated I have never had any training and have no operational experience with bolt action weapons or scopes. I have no clue what the issue may be. I measured the bipods legs, inspected the weapon ( looked at both sides of the weapon in relation to stock, don’t know any better way ) to see if it may have been bedded improperly and cant figure out what the issue may be. I have been doing a lot of reading and searching on the hide for the past two days and cant come up with anything. Also I have heard a lot about Lowlight’s feeler gauge method but every link I click on comes up with nothing. I’m not sure that’s even the right way of resolving this specific issue.
http://www.snipershide.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=25

Here are some pictures to better demonstrate the issue I’m having. Both pictures were taken from directly above the rifle.
First one is what the rifle looks like regularly.

Second picture is after having raised the left leg on the bipod by one notch.

Once again I don’t know much about this side of the house, I hope my suspicions are not completely irrelevant and a waste of everyone’s time.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Drumie]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of wack?

I have one bipod, not sure if it is a Harris or one of the cheaper nock off ones, but it does the same thing. I think one leg of the bipod is shorter/longer then the other. I have to adjust one leg to get the rifle level on the bench. Take the bipod off of the gun and see how everyhting is lined up. If the scope, crosshairs and rifle are still all lined up then it would be a bad bipod.

 

[Pat M]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of wack?

a lot of times the bipod stud is not centered

 

[WPG]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of wack?

Smooth friction lock legs or notched?

 

[GasLight]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of wack?

you should level your scope to the scope base or the races of the rife, don't trust the bipod for leveling the scope.

Once you know the scope is level, your eye will be a pretty good indicator of if the rifle is level or not when you are shooting.

The feeler gauge method is a great way to make sure the reticle is level to the rifle.

After the scope is level, I wouldn't worry about how the rifle sits on the bipod, or how level it looks, odds are good that unless shooting from a bench, you will have to compensate for the bipod on unlevel ground to one degree or another anyway. A bipod with swivel function is excellent for this issue.

DD

 

[ace31]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: WPG</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Smooth friction lock legs or notched? </div></div>



Notched

 

[ace31]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DebosDave</div><div class="ubbcode-body">you should level your scope to the scope base or the races of the rife, don't trust the bipod for leveling the scope.

Once you know the scope is level, your eye will be a pretty good indicator of if the rifle is level or not when you are shooting.

The feeler gauge method is a great way to make sure the reticle is level to the rifle.

After the scope is level, I wouldn't worry about how the rifle sits on the bipod, or how level it looks, odds are good that unless shooting from a bench, you will have to compensate for the bipod on unlevel ground to one degree or another anyway. A bipod with swivel function is excellent for this issue.

DD </div></div>

One of the above mentioned issues was that I could not find a working link to take me to Lowlight's feeler gauge method.

Ill look in to a swivel Harris, but wont I eventually have issues with long shots if everything isn't lined up?

 

[GasLight]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

This is why you need the scope lined up to the rifle, not the bipod. If your eye isn't doing the job leveling your reticle, you can get a level that mounts to the rail, but at the end of the day, you aren't depending on the bipod to level the gun, you are counting on the reticle or level. The bipod is there to support the firearm, not to hold it in the proper 'level' position. When in the field, I rarely have found any piece of ground where I could lay down and take a shot without messing with the legs of the bipod. Until I went to swivel versions, they make it way easier, adjust height with legs, and then cant the rifle until it is level...

I will search for that link

DD

 

[Red_SC]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ace31</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
One of the above mentioned issues was that I could not find a working link to take me to Lowlight's feeler gauge method.
</div></div>

Here's the short version:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=86445

 

[ewoaf]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

why not just get a swiveling bipod?

 

[GasLight]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

I can't find the post that showed pics or vids, but it is pretty straight foreward.. even used it myself one time

 

[DedicatedShooter]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

All of my Harris bipods do the same thing.

I've noticed that the more you tighten the mounting screw on the bipod, the more it cants

 

[ace31]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

ITS THE BIPOD!!!!!!!! I spent most of today getting the tools I needed and going through the process of figuring out where the cant was. The rifle is bedded and good to go, the scope is fine and the reticle is good to go as well. I used levels, feeler gauges, caldwell shooting bags, string and a weight. Everything is great, up until I put the bipod on.

I will definitely be moving on to a swivel bipod.

Thanks to you all and a special thanks goes out to Lowlight.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: Is the weapon or the operator totally out of w

One thing I've noticed about the Harris' mounting method is that when you get it snug but not tight, it has some sideways slip. IMHO, this is where the tilt originates with Harris rigid bipods. Try loosening yours enough to slip sideways, and see if you can get it to level out that way.

Greg