June 17, 2022. To get the best accuracy from any benchrest rifle, it is important to determine the optimal position for the front rest and rear bags. It is important to remember that every rig is unique. One gun may be more efficient with the front rest at the tip of the forearm (Position D’ in photo). A gun with a rest further back will perform better. The laminated stock of the Editor’s 6mmBR rifle is quite flexible in the front. The front rest’s sandbag should be at least 6 inches from the rifle’s forearm tip. The front rest’s sandbag should be at least 6 inches from the forearm tip (position “A”). Benchrest shooters often spend a lot on equipment and spend hours handloading. But they don’t ever test the rifle’s balance on the bags. This article will explain why you should test your rifle in different positions. You may be surprised at what you discover, which could help you improve your scores. Next time you visit the range, try different positions for your rifle on the front rest and a few different positions for your rear bag. The rifle may respond better to small adjustments in the way your gun is placed on the bags. You can reduce recoil and track can be improved by optimizing the rear bag and front rest positioning.
The front rest of this competitor is positioned slightly forward, but not all the the way out. The front rest of this competitor is positioned slightly forward, but not all the way out.
Shooters can spend hours on load tuning, brass prep, bullet selection and brass prep in pursuit of perfect accuracy. The same shooters might not pay much attention to how their guns are set up on their bags. You should experiment with your new rifle to determine the best position for your forearm on the front rest and the best position for your rear bag. It is possible to make small adjustments that can make a big impact. Joel Kendrick, the past IBS 600-yard Shooter Champion, has shown that by moving the forearm on the front rest, you can tune out vertical. He has one carbon-fiber-reinforced stock that is extremely rigid. The gun tended to hop when placed with the front rest under the tip of the forearm. This created vertical. He was able to get the entire gun to settle by moving it forward with more forearm overhang than the front sandbag. This resulted in less vertical dispersion and improved gun tracking.
Even with wide fore-ends, it is important to place the rear bag in the right position. Many shooters will place the rear bag at the same distance as the front rest. Different stocks and calibers will behave differently. You can adjust the rifle’s overall weight by moving the rear bag forward or aft. This can greatly improve tracking. One of our shooters was using a Savage 6BR F-Class rifle. His rear bag was set almost to the end of his buttstock by default. He moved the gun a few inches forward by moving the rear bag a little further forward. He noticed immediately that the gun returned to the point of aim much better (crosshairs stayed on target from shot-to-shot) and that the gun was less torqued (twisted). This was a significant improvement in gun performance. A small adjustment in the position of your forearm on the frontrest or in the location of the rear bag can make a huge difference. You can experiment with the forearm placement by moving the rear bag around on the front rest. You can also move the rear bag a few inches. Once you have established the best positions for the front rest and rear bags, your gun will track better and return to battery more reliably. The gun may shoot smaller groups and have less vertical dispersion. All of these benefits can be achieved without spending a lot on new gear.
Similar Posts:Tags: Align, Bag Position, Balance, Benchrest, Center Of Gravity, Front Rest, Front Stop, Sandbags, Stock
