Thread: Confused! Shooting off bipod good, off bags bad.

Hold the front end of the rifle. shootng without holding the front only works for heavy or braked rifles

This stock you have ?
is it flat on the forend like an f class stock ?

You say your groups are opening up ? Did it still shoot flat or up slightly 30deg each side ? Or stringing shots virt?

How is the bi pod attached ?
If its just a sling attachment or you have a rounded forend it is likeley to be rolling in the bag!

Let's see some pics of the targets

Originally Posted by NewbieZAR

Hold the front end of the rifle. shootng without holding the front only works for heavy or braked rifles

Not necessarily, I have several medium weight rifles that will shoot well under 1 MOA off a front bag unaided and no better holding them down. Well, that's my experience anyway.

Originally Posted by 10-Ring

Not necessarily, I have several medium weight rifles that will shoot well under 1 MOA off a front bag unaided and no better holding them down. Well, that's my experience anyway.

Ha ha agree 100%. I think I detect Nathan Foster there somewhere in the back ground with "hold that fore end".

It's all about repeating exactly the same hold shot for shot isn't it.
Shot one of the tightest groups ever recently with my light weight 308 off the bench without holding the fore end.

I would add that it wouldn't be my normal hunting hold and I do the final sight in using a hunting hold.

Originally Posted by Dead is better

Try this mate, put you fwd hand on top of the front scope ring and let the weight pull the rifle down. It'd not the most versatile position but it will settle a jumpy gun right down. If that fixes your groups then as Rushy said it's a recoil issue. Maybe look at a good brake?

I second what Dead is better says. Yesterday I was at the range and shooting off a bipod for the first time on my rifle instead of a front bag, however I was still using a rear bag. My first groups I shot were as per I normally shoot with my left hand/arm under the butt controlling the rear bag. The groups while under an inch were spread out. One of the guys at the range made the same suggestion of putting my left hand on top of the front scope ring and applying downwards pressure while i squeezed off the shot. My first 3 shots went into a group of .453, the next 3 into a group of .323.

I would just worry if I could only get my rifle to group by pushing down on the front ring.
It's all very well if it's only a range rifle but how do you shoot like that out in the field? Surely you need to use a position that you would normally use?

Have some of you seen the latest video of Nathan foster on Vimeo ? ( you have got to pay $12 for it).
I am not entirely convinced by what is shown regarding the shooting. However he mentionned that the lighter the rifle and the bigger the caliber the more you need to hold the forehand .
He is shooting of the bags with a tikka t3 270 wsm with no bake nor suppressor.

Nathan who?

I stuffed up and forgot my beloved bipod and chose a shitty ditch to setup my run at 800y using my swede. Ended up using 2 gear boxes and a rolled up rain coat on the front, a baby seat / first aid pouch and sand bag under the rear. (I might as well shot sitting). Had zero wind and I chose my forehand on the cheek riser position which seems to work well. It did, but then I handed my rifle to my new shooter friend and he shot just as well using a hand under the forestock pulling down slightly.

The main reason I think that gun is shooting so well is that I stopped cleaning it so much. It's heavy AF so that helps too haha.

Originally Posted by Spudattack

I would just worry if I could only get my rifle to group by pushing down on the front ring.
It's all very well if it's only a range rifle but how do you shoot like that out in the field? Surely you need to use a position that you would normally use?

Yes good point. The only reason for pressure down on the forward scope ring was to stop the rifle jumping up off the bench under recoil. My rifle isn't suppressed and has a bit of muzzle jump (and always gets a comment from someone at the range).

Just for the record it shoots extremely well when holding normally as well 😊