Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 31 to 33 of 33

Thread: How to bench rest shoot at 25 & 50 yards?

  1. #31
    Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Butler Pennsylvania
    Quote Originally Posted by Jay Cunningham View Post
    Hmm, that's interesting. Have you ever shot a semi-auto this way?
    Only .22 semi autos. If I get out tomorrow I will give it a go with the glock.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  2. #32
    Site Supporter LtDave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Central AZ
    I normally shoot groups off sandbags, with 2 side by side on the bench and 2 more stacked on top. This gives me the right height with the chairs and tables available at my range. I rest my hands firmly in the top bag, the butt of the gun or the mag may rest on the bag depending on the size of the gun. It doesn't seem to affect group size. My favorite bench rest target is a 5 spot archery target that has a white bullseye surrounded by dark blue rings. Works great for either a center or 6 o'clock hold. Also works well with .22 rifles at 50 yards.
    The first indication a bad guy should have that I'm dangerous is when his
    disembodied soul is looking down at his own corpse wondering what happened.

  3. #33
    OK, so I shot from a rest yesterday and today. I tried to re-create my upper-body position when I shoot offhand—head erect so I can see my sights, with shoulders, neck, and arms relaxed—but seated with my arms on the bench. I built a rest out of sandbags, then got into position and sat there for a few minutes watching the sights as I breathed and as my heart beat. Then I adjusted my position until my breath and heartbeat had no effect on the sights. My groups were not as small as I wanted them to be, but they were smaller than when I usually shoot from a rest, so learning continues.

    As I was going through all of this, a bunch of stuff came flooding back to me from my days learning to shoot rifles from a rest. Most of it applies to shooting without a rest as well.
    • Don’t rest your chest on the bench—your sights will move with every breath and heartbeat.
    • Get into position, then dry fire a few rounds. If the sights move when the shot breaks, adjust your position and technique until they don’t.
    • You have to hold a state of intense concentration—Carlos Hathcock called it “being in the bubble”. It excludes input other than sights, trigger, and target. Ignore the random knuckleheads who want to chat, other shooters and their issues, etc. Obviously, you want to be in the bubble as you shoot, but I try to stay in the bubble as much as I can between strings. If I fall out, it’s all but impossible to get back in. For that reason, I prefer to shoot for accuracy when no one else is around, or when the people there are also serious shooters.
    • Call each shot, then check it in the spotting scope. Don’t shoot a five- or ten-shot string and then check your group. Intsead, verify that your hit matches your call for each shot. If it does, then any flyers are your fault and you’ll know then when you threw a shot and why. If it doesn't, then there’s either a mechanical issue with your gun, your ammo is causing problems, or your technique needs work.
    • Keep your heart rate low. You can raise it by eating and drinking, and by physical activity. To avoid the first, don't eat a big meal right before a range trip--a full stomach makes your heart pound, which makes your groups get bigger. I prefer to shoot a few hours after a very light breakfast, or to let a couple of hours pass after a meal. To avoid having physical activity raise your heart rate, wait a few minutes after you go downrange to change targets or lift anything heavy. When I’m actually shooting, I move like I’m underwater.
    • Avoid eye strain by using targets with a buff or cream-colored background. Classic bullseye targets are not on white paper because white is too bright, which tires the eyes. Also, between shots, look at something that’s at a different distance from you than your front sight. Don’t look at your smartphone between strings—the tiny type they use strains your eyes. And finally, don't fire all five or ten shots in a string at once. Rest the gun on the bench between shots to let your arms and shoulders relax. You’re going for pure accuracy, not realism.
    • Don’t wait all day for a surprise break. There’s a window for a good trigger press AND a good sight picture. After that, the sights start to swing in ever-increasing arcs. If you press the trigger before the sights are truly aligned, then you’ll throw the shot. If you wait too long, you’ll be tempted to snatch at the trigger on one of the increasingly rare occasions when the front sight speeds past the notch. I tested this with my timer and found that my best shots broke ~1.25 seconds after the buzzer at 25 yards, and ~1.75 seconds at 50 yards. If I go faster or slower, the groups open up.
    • Establish a routine. I put one round in the magazine, chamber it, and fire. The slide locks back, I set the gun down, and pick up the fired case. Then I walk to the spotting scope to check the hit. Then I walk back to the bench, put the fired case in the box with the others, and repeat until I’ve finished the string. As mentioned above, I move like I'm underwater, which helps preserve my concentration and focus, and keep my heart rate low. Also, the time it takes helps reduce eye strain. Using this routine, I shot this 50-yard offhand group today:


    The extreme spread is three inches.


    Okie John

User Tag List

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •