New rifle...... Flinching

[Gundog74]

Here is an interesting comparison if you are interested, @Gundog74

Muzzle Brakes: Sound Test

I thought about these muzzle brake tests for over a year before I started this field test. We all kn...

precisionrifleblog.com

Interesting. Thanks

 

[WYO300RUM]

I may have missed it, but I don't think you mentioned anything about your trigger. For me, if I wanna shoot a good group it's important to have a good trigger. Many factory rigs will miss the mark with their triggers and come with something that's terrible. Most any Trigger Tech, Timney, jewell, etc will be a huge improvement over what the factory uses.
I like my hunting triggers set at 1.5lbs. Everyone is different though.
If your trigger is set too heavy or has any creep, it makes your job much more difficult.
It may the wrong thing to do, but I've practiced by dry firing with a heavier trigger.....
Long shots take a high level of concentration, good form, and being confident.
Go back to 100yds and shoot some good groups to get your confidence up.

Well said !

 

[Gundog74]

I may have missed it, but I don't think you mentioned anything about your trigger. For me, if I wanna shoot a good group it's important to have a good trigger. Many factory rigs will miss the mark with their triggers and come with something that's terrible. Most any Trigger Tech, Timney, jewell, etc will be a huge improvement over what the factory uses.
I like my hunting triggers set at 1.5lbs. Everyone is different though.
If your trigger is set too heavy or has any creep, it makes your job much more difficult.
It may the wrong thing to do, but I've practiced by dry firing with a heavier trigger.....
Long shots take a high level of concentration, good form, and being confident.
Go back to 100yds and shoot some good groups to get your confidence up.

It has a trigger tech trigger. Little heavy. I'll lighten it up a little and see what happens.

 

[Gundog74]

Once you have identified the cause of your flinching and minimize the cause and effect, here is what I do to reduce the flinch gremlin. I do this routine anytime I have not been shooting for a while...

I take several rifles to the range and shoot for grouping from low to higher recoil levels. Starting with a 22LR, I shoot 4 groups of 5. If OK I move to a 223/5.56 and shoot another set of 4 groups. Next I move say 308 or 30-06. I keep progressing up to my magnums. If I have trouble with any caliber, I go back down a power level and repeat. It may require more that one range session to get to where I need to be. Sometimes I will change the group size/repetitions depending on time and other factors. If you are not shooting well, don't keep blasting away. The goal is to be really good with the first group; not just OK on the twentieth round. You can adjust this plan to match your situation.

As my old instructor always said, "Practice does not make perfect, but perfect practice gets you closer to perfect"

Good info. I have been working a lot and shooting very little. Maybe I just need to take some time and burn some rounds first with what I'm comfortable with. Thanks

 

[Mike Matteson]

We only had the orange flange while working on Mech. Inf. Or both I my but headsets while running tacked vehicles.

The men that road the APC in Vietnam had nothing, but steel pot on our heads, or bush hat. The people that operated the APC had helmets to be able to talk to each other, but that didn't do much good hitting a land mine. Part of the problem was we need to hear what was going on around us. So we paid with our ears. Then with the VA they told me and probable others the hearing lost wasn't service connection.
My Hat Is Off To The Men & Women That When Into The Armed Forces After The Draft Was Stopped.
Believe me if they could have been tested for pot when being drafted, nobody would have been drafted. I've seen men smoking Pot while walking in the field as dismounts in front of the APC's and Tank's. No me, we had to watch for Bobbie trap + the NVA & Chuck on our own. We all walked Point while being on line. To Clarify that. The Troop of Cav would spread out over about 400 meters on line. The dismounts would spread out over that 400 meters in front of the Tanks and APC and walk so we had to watch for everything. So if you didn't, you paid a hell of a price. We were the first to make contact with the enemy. The worst of if was we couldn't sneak up on anything. They knew we were coming. We never got off the first shot.
MY HAT IS OFF TO YOU AND OTHERS THAT SERVICED!
I've seen a lot of men with PTSD from our last wars. It's SAD, to see that too.
Take Care.

 

[FEENIX]

Good info. I have been working a lot and shooting very little. Maybe I just need to take some time and burn some rounds first with what I'm comfortable with. Thanks

Before you do that, consider investing in a better muzzle brake. Since it is already threaded, get a self-timing version.

 

[Gundog74]

Before you do that, consider investing in a better muzzle brake. Since it is already threaded, get a self-timing version.

I'm not that experienced with brakes. What do you mean by self timing??

 

[FEENIX]

I'm not that experienced with brakes. What do you mean by self timing??

There are plenty of options out there, and here are just examples ...







I am in no way advocating which muzzle device for you to go with but here's another example of what a good muzzle brake can do for you ...



Here's a .375 Cheytac with Eliteiron suppressor. I have Bravo SD for my .30 Cal

 

[chutinlead]

Have you checked out the 28 Nosler? I just listened to a gunwerks podcast about big calibers and light rifles where they talk about recoil. The big 300s and 338s can have over 45ft-lbs of recoil compared to under 30ft-lbs in a 28Nosler.

 

[Gundog74]

There are plenty of options out there, and here are just examples ...







I am in no way advocating which muzzle device for you to go with but here's another example of what a good muzzle brake can do for you ...



Here's a .375 Cheytac with Eliteiron suppressor. I have Bravo SD for my .30 Cal

ok thanks

 

[Cowboyblaster]

So I have been shooting practically my whole life. I consider myself a pretty fair shot. Last year I decided I wanna shoot farther. I'm hunting elk and I had been shooting 500 yards. Now I wanna shoot out to 1000 yards. Sounds simple right...??? Well I've got a huge education. Lol. So last year I started shooting with a good buddy who has been shooting long range for a while and he gets me hitting at 1000 pretty consistent. I was shooting a 300 RUM with 180 grain barnes bullets. After doing some research I see I'm shooting 775 ft lbs at 1000. I wanna be at least 1000 ft lbs. So I buy some 190 grain barnes LR bullets that's supposed to get me over the 1000 ft lbs. Problem is I haven't got a muzzle brake, so 180 grains have little recoil but 190's kick like a mule! I decided to buy a new rifle with a brake. I ordered a Weatherby 338-378. Sweet rifle! Now the problem is I am flinching BAD! The gun doesn't kick that bad, I think it's the brake messing with me. I never owned a gun with a brake before and it's different. With the price and availability of ammo I'm not sure what to do to quit wasting it. I can't even see what powder charge shoots best cause I can't shoot a group. Definitely not the gun it's just I'm a head case behind it. I'm not afraid of it, I'm just not sure why I'm doing it. Anyone have any ideas or pointers to help me out? Anything is much appreciated.

If your determined to stay with this rifle id suggest every other round you load being a dummy then put a couple thousand firings through it like wear out a barrel that should cure you. Good luck

 

[dukxdog]

Isn't an accurate long range shooter a better elk hunter? Guess it depends on how you look at it.

Not in my book. Good shooter is not always a good hunter. He said he was having issues.

 

[car_walk]

So I have been shooting practically my whole life. I consider myself a pretty fair shot. Last year I decided I wanna shoot farther. I'm hunting elk and I had been shooting 500 yards. Now I wanna shoot out to 1000 yards. Sounds simple right...??? Well I've got a huge education. Lol. So last year I started shooting with a good buddy who has been shooting long range for a while and he gets me hitting at 1000 pretty consistent. I was shooting a 300 RUM with 180 grain barnes bullets. After doing some research I see I'm shooting 775 ft lbs at 1000. I wanna be at least 1000 ft lbs. So I buy some 190 grain barnes LR bullets that's supposed to get me over the 1000 ft lbs. Problem is I haven't got a muzzle brake, so 180 grains have little recoil but 190's kick like a mule! I decided to buy a new rifle with a brake. I ordered a Weatherby 338-378. Sweet rifle! Now the problem is I am flinching BAD! The gun doesn't kick that bad, I think it's the brake messing with me. I never owned a gun with a brake before and it's different. With the price and availability of ammo I'm not sure what to do to quit wasting it. I can't even see what powder charge shoots best cause I can't shoot a group. Definitely not the gun it's just I'm a head case behind it. I'm not afraid of it, I'm just not sure why I'm doing it. Anyone have any ideas or pointers to help me out? Anything is much appreciated.

Thanks for the good read. Long time lurker here, but I enjoyed reading everyone's opinion. It's still wild in my mind to have a rifle powerful enough for elk at 1000 yards

 

[Idaho Lefty]

DITCH the "Cannon",.. you WILL, learn to shoot better,.. AFTER the "Flinch" goes, away !
Lots of "Good" Calibers that will still be going, "Fast enough" at, 600- 700- 800 Yards for the Bullet to, "open up" and Kill Elk !
The .280's, 7mm-08, .284 Win. and 7 Rem mag with, 168 Berger HVLDS, ( or, comparable ) and a near Max Powder chg, are still flying FAST, way, WAY out there ! And "maybe", you could TRY to get, a little,. CLOSER than,.. 1,000 yards ?
The, bigger and FASTER, 6.5's, the .270's with, 140's / 150's etc. And DON'T forget the ole', .30-06 with, good high BC, 165's / 180's loaded, STIFF , all can do "well" at, the more "reasonable" ranges !
EXAMPLE, my .270 WSM Tikka at, 7 lbs, 10 ounces, 24" bbl with, 140 Berger, Classic Hunters, starting at, 3,185 FPS, IS still going OVER, 2,000 FPS at, 800 yards and, I can, shoot IT,.."well" as, my .338 Win Mag "Flinch", IS,.. finally,.. GONE !
OOP's,.. I forgot that, this is, a "Long Range" Forum,.. my BAD !
Anything OVER, 500 Yards in, the "Field" is, "Long Range", to ME, tho !