Just bought a CZ-527 Heavy barrel Varmint in .204 Ruger. I've learned that it shoots very well when I treat it like a 30-06 ! Hard to the shoulder,with my left hand in front of magazine pulling it into front sand bag. Now my heavy Rem 700 in 6mm Creedmoor I don't seem to have to do that,(maybe if I did it would also shoot better) ? Today shooting my .204 I just let it rest in front and rear bag ,set the set trigger and fired. Target looked like a tight buckshot pattern. But I like I said hard to the shoulder and pulling it into bag it shot great ?
Pressure points
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vtmarmot
P Magoon, Livin' Free NH
You don't say which of the available stock options you have, or what your front bag setup is like. Too many variables there for us to guess what is going on. However, your fore end is going to be rounded to some degree, and you have at least one sling swivel stud. Also, if you are not controlling your fore end, then whatever is going on with the rear bag becomes the critical factor.
Absent a flat fore end with no stud, a flat bottom front bag of correct width, and easily sliding rear bag with no stud to interfere, you will generally have to control both ends of the rifle to a degree. None of my sporters and varminters shoot well without a hand on the fore end to some degree.
Even full out benchrest rifles sometimes like some shoulder pressure or trigger hand grip, but rarely a hand on the fore end. Every rifle wants something a little different and it sounds like yours has told you what it likes.
Absent a flat fore end with no stud, a flat bottom front bag of correct width, and easily sliding rear bag with no stud to interfere, you will generally have to control both ends of the rifle to a degree. None of my sporters and varminters shoot well without a hand on the fore end to some degree.
Even full out benchrest rifles sometimes like some shoulder pressure or trigger hand grip, but rarely a hand on the fore end. Every rifle wants something a little different and it sounds like yours has told you what it likes.
vtmarmot
P Magoon, Livin' Free NH
I just Googled the "Dog Gone Good" shooting bag. I am not familiar with it and don't know anyone who uses one, haven't even seen anyone use one. Perhaps another reader has experience and can be helpful.
That being said, it doesn't look like a recipe for consistency to me. Your rear bag setup is probably fine, especially if you make sure that rear swivel stud is in back of the bag and not contacting it. On the front bag, your swivel stud is almost certainly in contact with the bag. In fact, with that much surface area enveloping the forearm, it would seem like you could get some random actions going without some manual forearm control.
I am a big believer in a heavy front rest. A Caldwell "The Rock" is a good place to start without breaking the bank. I don't like Caldwell's stock bag however as they are very "grabby". I would at minimum get something like a Protektor Model cordura front bag and place a used drier sheet between it and your forearm. Then you can think about letting that forearm slide back on its own without any manual control.
If you have not attended a registered Score or Group benchrest match, it would be good to do so. You will learn a tremendous amount. Most competitors shoot "free recoil" meaning they touch only the trigger. The choice and setup of the front rest and bag are probably the most critical part of getting this to work right. It took me a long time to do that. I quickly settled on a custom Protektor Model Docter Bag with handle for the rear, filled with heavy sand and weighing in at 22 lbs. For the front, I now actually have four different rests with a wide array of interchangeable bags so I can match the rest and bag to the rifle and situation.
Good luck on finding whatever combination works for you.
That being said, it doesn't look like a recipe for consistency to me. Your rear bag setup is probably fine, especially if you make sure that rear swivel stud is in back of the bag and not contacting it. On the front bag, your swivel stud is almost certainly in contact with the bag. In fact, with that much surface area enveloping the forearm, it would seem like you could get some random actions going without some manual forearm control.
I am a big believer in a heavy front rest. A Caldwell "The Rock" is a good place to start without breaking the bank. I don't like Caldwell's stock bag however as they are very "grabby". I would at minimum get something like a Protektor Model cordura front bag and place a used drier sheet between it and your forearm. Then you can think about letting that forearm slide back on its own without any manual control.
If you have not attended a registered Score or Group benchrest match, it would be good to do so. You will learn a tremendous amount. Most competitors shoot "free recoil" meaning they touch only the trigger. The choice and setup of the front rest and bag are probably the most critical part of getting this to work right. It took me a long time to do that. I quickly settled on a custom Protektor Model Docter Bag with handle for the rear, filled with heavy sand and weighing in at 22 lbs. For the front, I now actually have four different rests with a wide array of interchangeable bags so I can match the rest and bag to the rifle and situation.
Good luck on finding whatever combination works for you.