I'm almost to embarrassed to admit this, but hopefully it will help someone to avoid the same mistake as I have been making for the last 2&1/2 decades.
Been shooting HP rifles and bolt action slug guns from the bench in the pursuit of achieving the highest level of accuracy as I could for a LONG time now. In all those years I would, like most other people have days when I shot outstanding groups and other days, not so much.
About 10-12 years ago, I finally admitted I really didn't know much about what form to use to properly shoot a hard recoiling rifle from the bench, so I invested in numerous books on the subject, but all of those books centered around either legitimate bench rifles that shot mild recoiling rounds or "F Class" rifles neither of which proved terribly helpful shooting a 8.5lb 338wm or my newest acquisition a Tikka T3 in 300wsm that with optics barely weighs 7.4lbs.
I did learn some invaluable information like using a well made front rest that adjusted for wind and elevation as well as using well made shooting bags filled with "heavy sand" along with how to properly mount your rifle in the rest and bags as well as a lot about what form to use grasping the rifle, hand placement, trigger squeeze and so on.
Basically what I had done was take the bench form used for shooting 20-40lb bench rest specific rifles and modify it for use shooting hard recoiling hunting rifles.
What I failed to learn until quite recently turned out to be the most important facts of all. I had been dissatisfied with my most recent shooting with my new Tikka. Although I was getting some great groups, I was getting more fliers than I was use to. Some of the fliers I attributed to the Tikka's lite weight, but I strongly suspected there was likely something else influencing the rifle causing my accuracy inconsistencies.
Like most people these days when confronted with a problem I sought my answer in the endless source of information AKA the internet. I read dozens of articles concerning shooting hard recoiling rifles from the bench and finally came across several that combined described certain important aspects of form and execution I was completely ignorant of.
I ended up completely rethinking how I shot a rifle from the bench and do nothing the same as I had prior to my "ENLIGHTENMENT" as I like to call it. I didn't experience any changes I would term or describe as radicle, but the changes or modifications would be best described as suddle.
But by far without doubt the #1 most important change I made to how I shoot from a bench was setting up my rifle in my rest and bags so the cross hairs perfectly bisect my target with exactly zero influence from my body.
#2-was developing a shooting form where I can maintain control of the rifle while recoiling that doesn't move the cross hairs off target.
In short I absolutely can not allow my body, no matter how slightly to force the cross hairs onto the target, the only purpose I the shooter serves is to pull the trigger without influencing or causing the cross hairs to move off target, and to maintain control of the rifle during recoil.
Once I was able to do this, my groups only got a little smaller, but the most noticeable improvements and they are IMHO for ME are huge. I know can consistently over and over shoot tiny little 3-shot groups because my number of form induced fliers dropped of dramatically and a second equally huge improvement was I can now shoot CONSISTANT 5-shot groups MOA or better.
I'm going to post a few pictures to prove my point. One will be of a six shot group where the first three form a nice small sub MOA group that would be impressive for a custom rifle let alone for 100% factory rifle to produce, then shots #4, #5, and #6 are made after I used ever increasing influence from my body to force the cross hairs back on target. I should mention at no point was the force I used ever more than IMHO greater than slight to vary slight, which proves to me just how great of importance consistent influence free bench form is.
The second target is three consecutive groups I shot utilizing my new bench form, so there is a decent possibility as I become more proficient and refine my form my groups that my groups will improve. Hope this proves helpful to those just starting out or like me, were not so blissfully ignorant.
Been shooting HP rifles and bolt action slug guns from the bench in the pursuit of achieving the highest level of accuracy as I could for a LONG time now. In all those years I would, like most other people have days when I shot outstanding groups and other days, not so much.
About 10-12 years ago, I finally admitted I really didn't know much about what form to use to properly shoot a hard recoiling rifle from the bench, so I invested in numerous books on the subject, but all of those books centered around either legitimate bench rifles that shot mild recoiling rounds or "F Class" rifles neither of which proved terribly helpful shooting a 8.5lb 338wm or my newest acquisition a Tikka T3 in 300wsm that with optics barely weighs 7.4lbs.
I did learn some invaluable information like using a well made front rest that adjusted for wind and elevation as well as using well made shooting bags filled with "heavy sand" along with how to properly mount your rifle in the rest and bags as well as a lot about what form to use grasping the rifle, hand placement, trigger squeeze and so on.
Basically what I had done was take the bench form used for shooting 20-40lb bench rest specific rifles and modify it for use shooting hard recoiling hunting rifles.
What I failed to learn until quite recently turned out to be the most important facts of all. I had been dissatisfied with my most recent shooting with my new Tikka. Although I was getting some great groups, I was getting more fliers than I was use to. Some of the fliers I attributed to the Tikka's lite weight, but I strongly suspected there was likely something else influencing the rifle causing my accuracy inconsistencies.
Like most people these days when confronted with a problem I sought my answer in the endless source of information AKA the internet. I read dozens of articles concerning shooting hard recoiling rifles from the bench and finally came across several that combined described certain important aspects of form and execution I was completely ignorant of.
I ended up completely rethinking how I shot a rifle from the bench and do nothing the same as I had prior to my "ENLIGHTENMENT" as I like to call it. I didn't experience any changes I would term or describe as radicle, but the changes or modifications would be best described as suddle.
But by far without doubt the #1 most important change I made to how I shoot from a bench was setting up my rifle in my rest and bags so the cross hairs perfectly bisect my target with exactly zero influence from my body.
#2-was developing a shooting form where I can maintain control of the rifle while recoiling that doesn't move the cross hairs off target.
In short I absolutely can not allow my body, no matter how slightly to force the cross hairs onto the target, the only purpose I the shooter serves is to pull the trigger without influencing or causing the cross hairs to move off target, and to maintain control of the rifle during recoil.
Once I was able to do this, my groups only got a little smaller, but the most noticeable improvements and they are IMHO for ME are huge. I know can consistently over and over shoot tiny little 3-shot groups because my number of form induced fliers dropped of dramatically and a second equally huge improvement was I can now shoot CONSISTANT 5-shot groups MOA or better.
I'm going to post a few pictures to prove my point. One will be of a six shot group where the first three form a nice small sub MOA group that would be impressive for a custom rifle let alone for 100% factory rifle to produce, then shots #4, #5, and #6 are made after I used ever increasing influence from my body to force the cross hairs back on target. I should mention at no point was the force I used ever more than IMHO greater than slight to vary slight, which proves to me just how great of importance consistent influence free bench form is.
The second target is three consecutive groups I shot utilizing my new bench form, so there is a decent possibility as I become more proficient and refine my form my groups that my groups will improve. Hope this proves helpful to those just starting out or like me, were not so blissfully ignorant.
