What am I doing wrong

G

gundogblue

Guest
Hi All,
I've been shooting all my life, but since this last March I've tried to apply myself to benchrest shooting, but I just can't seem to become consistant. I feel I have good equipment, my rifles are a 22-250 Savage model-12 with accutrigger, a glassed B&C Medalist stock,and a Nikon Buckmaster 6x18 scope. Also a Savage 10FP with accutrigger in .308 with the H.S Precision stock, and a Nikon Monarch 6x20 scope, both gun are shot with a bipod, and rear sandbags. I've worked up serveral loads for both guns useing three different powders, but the loads that the rifles seem to like the best are, 22-250-35.5grs Varget, a Hornaday 52gr BTHP, CCI benchrest primers, and WW cases, I've tried serveral C.O.A.L but the 22-250 seems to like a 2.360 C.O.A.L. The .308 likes 42.5 grs Varget, 168gr Sierra Match bullet, CCI Benchrest primers, and Remington cases. I shoot every Thursday, about 20 rnds from each rifle, and my shooting has improved, but every time I have a good group going I seem to pull a shot. At first I was blaming the loads, rifles, scopes everything but me, then a week ago last Thursday I shot two very good groups, with the 22-250 I shot a five shot group @100yrs messuring 0.310 inch, and with the .308 I also shot a five shot group @100yrds messuring 0.412inch, now for me, thats great. I figured I finally have this benchrest shooting down pat, then yesterday at the range I was right back to pulling a shot or two and ruining the groups. I shoot at a piece of plain white paper, I fire a bullet into it, and just put the crosshairs on that bullet hole, and try to get a good five shot group, but the hardest thing Im finding is that when the crosshairs are on the bullet hole, every time my heart beats I can see those crosshairs move, I think that may be the biggest problem for me, but Im probebly doing alot of other things wrong as well. I know I must have done everything right when I shot those two good groups, because good groups don't happen by accident, but evidentally I can't put it all together again, any advise will be GREATLY appriciated.
Thanks,
Paul :confused:
 
Paul
I am not sure what you are doing wrong. But I do know that good groups CAN happen by accident or chance. Just like bad groups can happen by accident.
If you shot both of those good groups on the same day near the same time then I would guess that the wind conditions were more favorable to your shooting style at that time.
Do you really understand how much a 30 degree switch in wind with NO velocity change can move a bullet?

Ted
 
Hi Ted,
Both groups were shot on the same day, within an hour apart, and I realize that wind makes a differnce, but I never even considered wind shift, I just thought that with those bullets moving as fast as they do, it would take at least a 10 mph wind or better to affect the impact, I guess I have alot to learn. And now that I think about it, the wind was much stronger yesterday than it was the week before. I guess the answer to your question is no. What I am learning though, is that benchrest shooting seems to be more a science than sport.
Paul
 
If you don't have windflags up when you are shooting groups, you are wasting time and ammo. Fun but you are not learning anything.
 
I guess there are two loosely defined definitions of benchrest. Benchrest with a small "b" is where one goes to the range with equipment something like you mention and just see how small of groups this equipment will produce. Groups from "your" equipment will produce 3-shot groups from about 1-1/4" to about 3/8".

Benchrest with a capital "B" is a sport, sanctioned by one of several organizations (NBRSA, IBS, IR 50/50, UBR, etc) that have specific rules on equipment design and construction as well defined rules on how the events are conducted. This is very specialized in not just equipment but components, bullets, powder and such. And as someone mentioned above, placement and use of wind flags. This equipment has the capability, properly tuned and shot, to produce 5-shot groups from about 0.300" to about 0.050".

Go to the home page of this forum and click on the logos of these sanctioning organizations. Then read the rules and equipment requirements. Then join us, you will have a blast!!
 
Paul
When I am shooting groups the most important thing is consistancy of the wind. If the wind is consistant from one direction with minimal velocity change then groups are easy.
When the wind is switchy with frequent let ups and pick ups then good groups are hard to get.
Wind flags do help.
The wind that fools most people the most is what they believe is a head wind but probably a switching rigt and left value that rotates about 30 degrees around the axix of the direction of flight. With out flags we just sense a head wind but the bullet sees a constant switching from righ value to left value and back again.
 
I'd like to thank all of you for this info, the club I belong to has a red flag to notify people that shooting is in progress, but the flag is positioned at a spot not visible to the shooters. Even if there were windflags Im not sure I would know how to adjust for the changing winds. I live in IL and as you all know it's a terrible state for gun owners, so I think benchrest matches would be few and far between here, can anyone recommend a good book that can at least explain the basic techniques of this sport, Im also going to search the net to see if there are any up-comming benchrest matches within 4/5 hours drive from me, I could learn alot from going to some of the matches and seeing how it's done, and talking with the guys there.
Thanks again for all the good info
Paul
 
""can anyone recommend a good book that can at least explain the basic techniques of this sport, Im also going to search the net to see if there are any up-comming benchrest matches within 4/5 hours drive from me, I could learn alot from going to some of the matches and seeing how it's done, and talking with the guys there.
Thanks again for all the good info
Paul ""

Missouri, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan.. Lottsa 100/200 yd score or group Benchrest matches held in these states not too far from ya...
Check here for times and locations...... NBRSA >>> http://nbrsa.org/

Books.... These:

Mike Ratigans book:
http://extremerifleaccuracy.com/
Also available through:
http://www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/pid=35822/Product/Extreme_Rifle_Accuracy_by_Mike_Ratigan

Tony Boyers book...
http://www.sinclairintl.com/.aspx/pid=44550/Product/THE_BOOK_OF_RIFLE_ACCURACY

Once behind solid Benchrest competition equipment.... A new realm of ACCURACY/PRECISION is realized.
A 1 - 1/2 MOA hunting rifle is just that... The every now and again 1/4 group is just typically not representative of the "factory" gun.... There are few exceptions.

Good luck, hope to see ya on the firing line in the heat of competition..!
cale
 
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