I have recently gotten back into bolt action shooting. My setup is in my signature. I have fired 80 rounds since I got her. When shooting from the bench with the bipod, I am experiencing the rifle jumping from the point of aim to two targets to my right (at the range) usually after pulling the trigger. I am holding the rifle tight to my shoulder with my cheek planted on the riser and my free hand squeezing the two sandbags under the palm swell of the rifle to manipulate the point of aim vertically. (Damn that was a long sentence) Should I be gripping the fore end to control recoil? If you were wondering, the rifle weighs 12 lbs all together. I would say with all the groups I have shot, I am averaging 1" 5-shot groups. I have shot several sub half MOA 3 shot groups but they usually open up after the 4th and 5th shot. I have noticed that it gets super accurate when the barrel (or maybe me) warms up a bit. Is this barrel jump hurting my accuracy? How can I fix this problem?
Re: Looking for advice: shooting from the bench
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Re: Looking for advice: shooting from the bench
You are experiencing bipod jump. This is common. 1" groups indicate that whatever effect it's having is minimal.
Make sure your body is behind the rifle, not angled off to one side. Placing a soft (not bouncy) pad beneath the bipod feet, and leaning slightly forward to preload the bipod can help with accuracy and the jump itself. The bullet has left the barrel before (maybe well before) the rifle recoils more than 1/2".
I use a technique which combines the use of the bipod with a sling. Your position remains much as it is now, except that the sling is allowed to hang below the rifle, and the arm (left arm if you're shooting right-handed) is passed between the rifle and the sling. The sling is attached to the front and rear sling studs and adjusted to suspend the elbow just clear of the bench, and the body's weight is allowed to bear down on the sling.
The weight of the body prevents the rifle from lifting under recoil. This technique can be used off the bench, and when shooting prone. It is taught to military Designated Marksmen.
Greg
You are experiencing bipod jump. This is common. 1" groups indicate that whatever effect it's having is minimal.
Make sure your body is behind the rifle, not angled off to one side. Placing a soft (not bouncy) pad beneath the bipod feet, and leaning slightly forward to preload the bipod can help with accuracy and the jump itself. The bullet has left the barrel before (maybe well before) the rifle recoils more than 1/2".
I use a technique which combines the use of the bipod with a sling. Your position remains much as it is now, except that the sling is allowed to hang below the rifle, and the arm (left arm if you're shooting right-handed) is passed between the rifle and the sling. The sling is attached to the front and rear sling studs and adjusted to suspend the elbow just clear of the bench, and the body's weight is allowed to bear down on the sling.
The weight of the body prevents the rifle from lifting under recoil. This technique can be used off the bench, and when shooting prone. It is taught to military Designated Marksmen.
Greg
Re: Looking for advice: shooting from the bench
I have the display of signatures disabled because frankly some signatures here are just a pain, especially when the body of the answer is something informative as "+1". All this to say, I have no clue what your setup is.
If you are using a Harris bipod, consider getting something better, anything will work, including two sticks as long as the top end of the legs are not directly under the forearm.
I would also get rid of one sandbag and move the other to just under the heel of the butt and thus move your free hand further back; your present position creates a central fulcrum point which allows the rifle to swivel around it. By placing your free hand at the rear of the stock, you eliminate or at least minimize this effect.
I have the display of signatures disabled because frankly some signatures here are just a pain, especially when the body of the answer is something informative as "+1". All this to say, I have no clue what your setup is.
If you are using a Harris bipod, consider getting something better, anything will work, including two sticks as long as the top end of the legs are not directly under the forearm.
I would also get rid of one sandbag and move the other to just under the heel of the butt and thus move your free hand further back; your present position creates a central fulcrum point which allows the rifle to swivel around it. By placing your free hand at the rear of the stock, you eliminate or at least minimize this effect.
