It's time for a sighting rest / shooting rest

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Jcann

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I want you to know I truly appreciate you trying to help me instead of being one of those people who just criticize and go on, thank you sir
You’re very welcome sir. I thought that’s what this forum was for, helping one another. Lord knows I’ve needed more than I care to imagine.
 

Osage1978

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Build your platform off the basics. Range time cost money. Dry firing the weapon before each shot. After you get consistent the cheap ammo start looking for ammo the works best in your rifle. If needed step down to a caliber that has little to no recoil. That will help with the fundamentals
I'm going to order some snap caps because I've heard not to dry fire the handi rifles a lot. I am shooting 223 primarily because I am prone to flinching if I shoot larger calibers which I use to shoot with no problem, somewhere along the way I've picked up some bad habits and am going to have to fix it.

I don't really understand it all because I shoot my son's savage 111 223 lights out and consistently get 5 shot groups around & under a 1/2" with it but it is considerably heavier with the mods done to it. Perhaps I'm shooting it poorly to but the heavier gun is compensating my poor shooting & hiding some of my shortcomings?

Appreciate everyone trying to help
 

1Mudman

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I have noticed shooting from a real benchrest, expensive rest, front and rear with 1/2 ounce triggers on a custom 11lb, 6ppc that even a little more or less thumb pressure can open your group up. I have experimented with lots of rifles and with light weight hunting rifles, that it seems best to have a firm shoulder and grip makes the best groups, especially with larger calibers with more recoil. With the smaller calibers such as 223, 22BR, 22-250, 243 ect. that using just enough contact to shoulder and a light grip with a straight back trigger pull will produce the best groups. I have also noticed that returning the rifle to the same place on the rest makes alot of difference. You can sure ruin a group by not returning the rifle to pretty much the same position on a rest. The difference of muzzle climb or side deflection will create open groups or a Flyer. Good Luck! and a Happy New Year!
 
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Do you remember how many lbs of beads it took to fill your bags?

Amazon has 15lbs bags of the beads but they want like $50 that plus the price of the bag puts it back into mechanical rest prices.

I'd use sand but it would probably be messy and leak at the seams
Use kitty litter clay or the corncob brass polishing material.
 

Osage1978

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I have noticed shooting from a real benchrest, expensive rest, front and rear with 1/2 ounce triggers on a custom 11lb, 6ppc that even a little more or less thumb pressure can open your group up. I have experimented with lots of rifles and with light weight hunting rifles, that it seems best to have a firm shoulder and grip makes the best groups, especially with larger calibers with more recoil. With the smaller calibers such as 223, 22BR, 22-250, 243 ect. that using just enough contact to shoulder and a light grip with a straight back trigger pull will produce the best groups. I have also noticed that returning the rifle to the same place on the rest makes alot of difference. You can sure ruin a group by not returning the rifle to pretty much the same position on a rest. The difference of muzzle climb or side deflection will create open groups or a Flyer. Good Luck! and a Happy New Year!
Excellent information!!
 

HoLeChit

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I'm going to order some snap caps because I've heard not to dry fire the handi rifles a lot. I am shooting 223 primarily because I am prone to flinching if I shoot larger calibers which I use to shoot with no problem, somewhere along the way I've picked up some bad habits and am going to have to fix it.

I don't really understand it all because I shoot my son's savage 111 223 lights out and consistently get 5 shot groups around & under a 1/2" with it but it is considerably heavier with the mods done to it. Perhaps I'm shooting it poorly to but the heavier gun is compensating my poor shooting & hiding some of my shortcomings?

Appreciate everyone trying to help
A heavier rifle definitely helps. The weight helps reduce the recoil, makes everything steadier, etc etc. my 223 Howa was porked up to 13lbs and shot like a dream. My 7lb Ruger American in 223 is a completely different rifle to shoot, due to the weight. It’s accurate, but the weight of the Howa helped immensely. Just sucked when I took it out hunting. There’s a reason why you can find benchrest rifles that weigh 18+lbs.
 

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