I've read quite a few threads in this forum and I'm still left with a fundamental conflict about primary marksmanship. I shoot a Rem 700 at work as a DOE Sniper and a Surgeon at home. Both .308's. The "technique" I've developed for shooting them accurately is incorrect by most any fundamental marksmanship standards but in a small way it's right too. The results seem to agree with me that it's more right than wrong.
I want your opinions on it and your understanding of the ballistics of the whole thing.
I noticed pretty much on day one of Sniper School that if I "Shouldered" my bolt gun like I did my M16 and got a "solid" cheek weld that the pulse and breathing made cross hairs wobble way too much for my liking. Keeping in mind that to day I'm only shooting 500yds and in. I started shooting with as little contact with the rifle as possible. Hardly any shoulder contact and virtually no cheek pressure and a very loose pistol grip. This significantly steadied the cross hairs and my accuracy with this method is consistently sub-MOA.
That being said, the rifle jumps all over the place after the shot because I hardly have any contact with it. Follow up shots require some readjusting. That doesn't really bother me because I'm only really concerned with getting that first shot dead nuts accurate.
From a ballistic standpoint since I'm getting good results "breaking the rules" like this, it leads me to believe that the bullet has exited the barrel long before the rifle recoils to the rear.... Is this correct?
Also, am I "getting away" with something here because it's only 500yds and in that I will not be able to do with 800yd shots?
If my accuracy is sub-MOA consistently using this "no-contact" method should I still strive to use a more traditional shooting style?
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated...
I want your opinions on it and your understanding of the ballistics of the whole thing.
I noticed pretty much on day one of Sniper School that if I "Shouldered" my bolt gun like I did my M16 and got a "solid" cheek weld that the pulse and breathing made cross hairs wobble way too much for my liking. Keeping in mind that to day I'm only shooting 500yds and in. I started shooting with as little contact with the rifle as possible. Hardly any shoulder contact and virtually no cheek pressure and a very loose pistol grip. This significantly steadied the cross hairs and my accuracy with this method is consistently sub-MOA.
That being said, the rifle jumps all over the place after the shot because I hardly have any contact with it. Follow up shots require some readjusting. That doesn't really bother me because I'm only really concerned with getting that first shot dead nuts accurate.
From a ballistic standpoint since I'm getting good results "breaking the rules" like this, it leads me to believe that the bullet has exited the barrel long before the rifle recoils to the rear.... Is this correct?
Also, am I "getting away" with something here because it's only 500yds and in that I will not be able to do with 800yd shots?
If my accuracy is sub-MOA consistently using this "no-contact" method should I still strive to use a more traditional shooting style?
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated...