Front Bag problems

B

Bob Kingsbury

New member
In an attempt to eliminate rear bag problems, I assembled some steel
blocks roughly the size of a rear bag . On top of this is a machined
aluminum V- block 45 degree notch and mounted to agree with stock
angle and lined with a thin layer of leather. Three pointed feet on the
underside provides zero motion. Four guns fired all shot as normal,
no more verticle than my regular bag set-up. What it did however ,was
to point out clearly and surprizingly errors in my front bag arangement.
My front bag is cordura. If it is adjusted free enough to allow the gun
to slide fore and aft, there is sideplay which can be demonstrated on the
tgt. When adjusted only to the point that side play is eliminated, it
is sticky. No medium ground here. Is it back to leather and talc.?
or is there an option left
 
I am a bit anal about looking after a nice paint job on my stock so I put cheap wide black plastic tape on the stock first and then apply the proper stock tape to that. That means I can remove the tape easily and it doesn't leave all the pile of very sticky goop.

Even with two layers of tape the forend is well under the 3.0 inch maximum width.

I found that even teflon stock tape isn't that slippery when used by itself. If you apply a couple of coats of car wax polish to the tape it will make it a lot more slick. You can then firm up the side tension on the front bag to lock the stock in to stop the side to side movement without making the rifle sticky and grabby in the front bag.

FWIW I have wound the side tension up pretty firm with this set up so that it did start to get a bit sticky and the rifle seemed to shoot just fine. Is there a hard and fast rule that say's the rifle has to slide really easily ?? Maybe a little firmness might work just as well for you so long as it isn't grabby ??

Bryce
 
Spray your Cordura surfaces, that come in contact with the stock, with this.
http://www.mclube.com/frames/sailkote/
I learned this trick form two of the best shooters in the North West. Do two applications and let it dry...great dry lube. It takes a huge amount of side clamping to restrict slide with stock tape and this on Cordura.
 
"Is there a hard and fast rule that say's the rifle has to slide really easily"?

No but there is a rule that says that it must be possible to lift the rifle straight up out of the front rest.
I know that some rifles I see won't do this.

Ted
 
Bjs6

a lil grabiness IS OK. The reason I say this is because of two shooters who you MAY have heard of. Allen Arnette and Smiley Hensley. These 2 world class shooters BOTH use all leather set-ups with, we'll say... good results. lol. I have felt how both of their guns slide on their set-up, and while it is not super "slick", it is even. Sliding the gun on their bags isn't choppy by any means, but you can feel a little resistance from the leather, obviously since it's not as "slick" as cordura. I know Smiley uses talcum and teflon stock tape on his guns, and I know Allen uses a similar approach. It is of my opinion that you DO NOT want ANY side to side play, and really you just want the gun to slide evenly, and NOT choppy. If those 2 characteristics are met, as long as the bags are aligned, you have a straight stock, and you do not disturb the bag in the guns heavily while reloading the gun should return to battery very closely, and that is the main thing. With all the variances in front bags that are being used successfully, I don't think the front bag is really that big of an issue. As I've seen top shooters use everything from the Edgewood, to the regular Tuller cordura, to just a regular leather front bag. As long as the gun returns to battery very closely, that is the main thing. Just a thought.

Matthew S Keller
 
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sporter rimfire

I shoot sporter rimfire where the stock must be factory stock. So any rearward movement and the skinnny,round bottomed forend is loose, tottering around on the round bottom. How does one hold something like that. I really could use some serious advice. If I squeeze the rear bag I can steer the rifle with my trigger hand with ill results , ditto holding the forend with the nontrigger hand,holding the rifle with the shoulder can also steer the rifle if one isn't really carefull. (or lucky) help would be appreaciated. Thanks Max
 
Let me see... if you put a vartical groove in the front of your forend, and use a vertical cylindrical forend stop, and pin it to the stop with shoulder pressure....As long as the stop is parallel to the groove (think V block) ...naa never work;)
 
I have no intention of using this rear araingement in competition. It was
done only to isolate a problem. The front bag is very
important. Thats what I found out. The bag I was using, was home sewn
and ok, but was not supported in the right areas. It was a flat bag design
It had to be tightened to much at the start and would wind up loose by
the end of a string, we would all agree thats not good. Shots previously
thought lost to the wind were not always so. The 15lb rear all steel
bag proved this for me
 
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