Need some advice....

Bullmark

Bullmark

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So I wanted to get some takes on my dilemma.
I'm a long time hunter but new to the long range space. I just bought my first bipod, an Atlas V8 I believe.
I took it to my lease and realized I was gonna hafta shoot from a prone position, which is not something I've done much.
I was shooting 2 different rifles, both very accurate off the bench.....always .5moa but usually less if I do my part.
Rifle #1 is a 6.5prc shooting hand loaded rounds. At a range of 205 yds, I shot 2 diff 3-shot groups and both groups were right on the money and inside of 1".
Rifle #2 was a different story. It's a custom .280ai also shooting hand loads and from the bench it's the most consistent shooter I've ever owned. I used the same "technique" with both rifles and felt like I squeezed off some good shots. But my POI was a good 3" low and 1.5" right. I have that rifle zeroed at 100yds, don't ask me why, but i dialed the 5 or 6 clicks to bring it up at that distance.
Both 3-shot groups were low and right, plus they were not great groups. This rifle is always .5 MOA and most of the time better. These groups were 2.5" groups.....at 205 yds. I checked my scope and it's rock solid, nothing loose.
Had I not shot such nice groups with Rifle #1, I would think it was me and my lack of experience both shooting prone and off a bipod.
I saw a Gunwerks video where the shooter said, in no uncertain terms, that some rifles would shift their POI from a bipod, while others may not.
I'm going to take it to the indoor range and shoot off sand bags and see what happens.
The POI shift is easy to fix.....but the grouping issue is altogether different.
What do you guys think???
Not that it matters, but Rifle #1 has a proof carbon barrel and #2 a Bartlein SS. Rifle #2 is supposed to be my deer size game option out to 450-500, but with groups that loose, I couldn't take that long of a shot.
Somebody throw me a lifeline.....thanks.


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Are the stocks on the rifles the same? Did you try shooting the way your used to again after. Could have been a fitment issue (cheek weld) with the one rifle. Do you us a rear bag type setup for stability, and is this the first time you have shot with a bipod? Could something have been touching your barrel? Either the stock or bipod/sling swivel it mounts to.
 
Last edited:
belldar said:
Are the stocks on the rifles the same? Did you try shooting the way your used to again after. Could have been a fitment issue (cheek weld) with the one rifle. Do you us a rear bag type setup for stability, and is this the first time you have shot with a bipod? Could something have been touching your barrel? Either the stock or bipod/sling swivel it mounts to.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input. The stocks are different so my cheek weld could be an issue. I did verify that my scopes were parallax free but there could bea very slight amount, a couple of inches at 200yds is not a lot of movement.
I did make sure nothing was touching my barrel. And both rifles have a short pic rail near the front of the stock where the bipod attaches.
I will admit that shooting prone is not something I've done a lot, and it didn't feel the greatest. Seemed like the stock was up too high on the top flat part of my shoulder.
I did load the bipod forward and was as close to rock steady as I ever get.
Im kinda hoping that, for whatever reason, that rifle is one that changes its POI from a bipod.
I doubt I'll be hunting using the bipod, so then it wouldn't matter.
 
When you load your bipod shooting from prone, especially if you load it heavily (I recommend loading as little as possible for this reason), you can see significant changes in POI which seems to originate in the bending load applied to the fore end of the rifle. I see changes in many guns when simply changing from one shooting surface to another (going from prone on dirt to prone on concrete concrete to sitting with sandbags on a bench, etc...). Characterizing your rifle is just going to be one of the things you need to do to know how it behaves in the different places and ways it'll be employed.
 
I had a problem with my wife's 270WIN. Took it apart to clean when I put it back together it went from 0.5" group to 3" groups. Messed with all kinds of stuff and finally realized I put the front stock mounting bolt in first and then then the rear. I loosened the bolts up and retightened rear first and the rifle went back to 0.5" groups.
All this to say maybe the bipod is torqueing your rifle mounting points in some different way.
 
Set your phone up to video your recoil. Side to side and jump. Throw a coat or pack down and shoot prone off them. If you're shooting off a hard surface, use a softer shoulder than normal and make sure your square behind
 
My plan this hunting season was to shoot off a tripod....attached with an Arca rail mounted more in the middle of the stock......I bought one tripod and ball head and figured out it didnt give me the stability I expected. I then got another tripod with a much larger center plate and that did the trick. I'm just getting back a couple of my rifles from having the Arca section installed, so I haven't actually fired any shots with the setup.
I'm hoping i don't run into the same issue.
Thanks for the input.
I need to get to the range and see where and how good that rifle groups just using sand bags.
 
It is body position..or difference in the way your eye perceives the reticle/target relationship.

When I was a young man🤪 going from standing, sitting, kneeling, prone- I would see similar changes at the same yard lines (glad we used data books). Different body position. Gotta practice each one.

Also, if you zero from the bench, try to apply as little of your body to the rifle as possible. Then in the prone, try to repeat, ie heavy head on the buttstock can cause the muzzle to rise more than if you have less pressure. Hard cheek pressure on one side from the prone can force the bullet to the opposite. Slight variances in the way you perceive the reticle as well (it's all angles).

Can be frustrating as h&@$. I used to think prone was my best. Now my back, neck, hips, and shoulders cramp up in the prone. Maybe I need to carry a bench in my pack. 🤪
 
A Bipod depending on how it is fastened to the rifle and depending on what hardpack or materials it is touching on as you shoot in
prone position will change and even cause barrel harmonics. That is why likely your POI has changed. Different barrel harmonics.

You need to make sure when you shoot off a bipod to seat the bypod is soft earth or sand or something (not concrete) that does not
reflect vibrations. It could also be how the bipod is mounted to your forearm or barrel. I will bet it shoots fine off benchrest not using the bipod. That will be the confirming test.
 
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