Thread: Most comfortable/steady rifle

Originally Posted by alexr

Morning everyone,

I was having a conversation with another hunter the other day about some of the nicer rifles that we have used over the years. Something interesting that came up, is that there are some rifles that when you hold it up to your shoulder, it just seems to sit steadily and very comfortably, where as other rifles tend to be much harder to keep still. I'm sure many of you have experienced the same thing. An example is recently i was gifted two .22s. They are the exact same make and model and look identical, but the wooden stocks have been made slightly differently to each other, and so the weight distribution is different. One is ok when you pick it up to shoot, but the other just sits in your hand beautifully with hardly any movement.

When shooting off-hand I reckon that the biggest accuracy factor is how comfortable you are with the rifle because it impacts how steady you are when you pull the trigger. Of course you can make any rifle work if you're shooting at close range, but if you have to pull off a quick, tricky shot, then it helps a huge amount to have a stable rifle.

The thing we couldn't figure out though, is what makes a rifle so steady. Lighter, shorter rifles tend to be more steady in my experience but maybe it's more to do with where the weight is balanced. This being said, I have used a friends 7-08 with a 23" barrel, also suppressed, and that was one of the most steady rifles i've picked up.

So, what are the most steady rifles you guys have used, and what makes them that way?

You almost answered your own question toward the end of your post. What you are talking about is balance, quality rifles tend to lean toward better balance but sometimes the cheaper ones fit nicely too.
Something I think helps to make sure of is having good scope height and eye relief, and a scope weight that complements the weight of the rifle.

One rifle that stands out to me is a Remington788 that wears an early (much longer than contemporary) DPT Suppressor. It is heavy to carry on the hill but I forgive that when it almost feels like it aims itself.
The JW15 that I started out with stands out for me too, but I suspect that a few years of it being the only rifle I used and used a lot, I think maybe I grew into it, like how one can grow into a pair of boots if you wear them lots.

A few months back a mate who is just getting into hunting bought a CZ457. I helped him to sight it in and I was impressed with the balance of that one.