Recoil follow through

[Joefrazell]

So I here about how people are back on target after recoil if they have proper form. I'm never back on target after recoil with any of my rifles. I snug it into my shoulder and feel I have decent form but when the shot breaks I definitely don't go right back to where I started and typically have to reset my front and rear bag for every shot. Thoughts here? I shoot a 30-06, braked 300 win mag, 6.5 cm.both .30 Cal's have moderate recoil the 06 being the most. These are pretty light setups.

 

[OG10]

Can you get someone to video you while shooting, cell phone video ? Light weight rifles off a bench are usually more difficult to shoot, especially heavy recoiling rifles.I shoot some 8 pound or less total weight rifles in 30-06, 300win and you have to be very consistent in your set up and recoil management.If you try to hard to eliminate all of the recoil it will have adverse effects you have to learn to absorb and control the recoil, without seeing what you are doing it is difficult to diagnose.

 

[Deleted member 107796]

I cannot imagine staying on target even though I love shooting my light magnums. I use Limbsavers on all of them, keep the rifle on target as I shoot as a primary, critical goal, then let the rifle jump into the pad. Staying on target is secondary at best and that's why I emphasize the importance of a spotter. Just my opinion.

 

[OG10]

+1 on the limbsaver air tech recoil pad as CO_GUY said , gods gift to the light rifle shooter.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I have a seven pound rifle wildcat about like a .264 Win Mag. It has a brake and always went the same way under recoil. So I filed a tiny groove on the opposite side of the direction it went. I continued this until I could see my impact at 100 yards even if the scope was on 20X.

The problem I created was the direction was different when I went to off hand shooting. There I had to drill a small hole in the top of the brake. I increased the hole size until I could see my hits again while holding off hand.

 

[308stillbrass]

The idea is to maintain your aim until recoil subsides. From a muscularly relaxed position, griping the rifle only with enough pressure to control it, be sure to follow through. This manipulation will appoint a limit and pattern to recoil, which concludes having a better corollary to the shooter's inital perspective of aim.

 

[Greyfox]

IMO, there are a myriad of factors that come into play that effect seeing the bullet impact. Recoil/cartridge, velocity, rifle weight/configuration, muzzle brake, distance to target, shooting position, scope power, sight picture/field of view, and overall shooting form. Given the precise spotting of hits is an important factor, I'll follow some basic practices:
-use the heaviest rifle I can that does not pose a problem for the particular use.
-use a good brake, and a cartridge/load that gets the job done with the least amount of recoil/muzzle flip. Overkill may have a penalty.
-use the lowest scope power/greatest field of view sufficient to hit, but also optimize the ability to acquire the target/game in the sight picture. "Always" keep both eyes open and follow through.
-if position is a choice, go prone. Regardless of position, make sure the shoulders are at a 90 degree angle to the barrel.-
-practice, and learn the positions and distances to understand where spotting hits can or cannot be achieved with a particular rifle
Just some thoughts.....

 

[raider1v1]

i lose sight picture if im over 6-8x on anything over a .243. i do get it back very quickly but im probably doing something wrong.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

most of it will be in your position if using bags ect off of a bench try a bipod, with a good center positions and load the bipod right and at long range you can see your bullet stryke even with a 300 wm or bigger cal. even on a 22 power scope

 

[biff's reloading]

Only position that I end up back where I started is prone with good v bag up front and my toes against something solid. Any other shooting position is a circus at the shot with most of my rifles. But they are pretty heavily recoiling guns. 375rum and bigger. I dont think "falling back on target" is really a common thing, probably more like a cool sounding story that internet heroes like to type. What's more important is staying in the scope, maintaining your grip, repeating yourself over n over so you know where that gun is going after the shot and muscle memory helps to drop it back in your groove quickly. I rarely see a hit, but I usually drop back on target fast enough to see what ensues.

By far the most important thing for me to become accurate was simply Shooting enough to overcome ALL trigger panic and flinch. Let that horse buck, relax, and follow the set of steps in my head to be as mechanical as possible. A remote trigger squeezer helped me a lot

 

[Rich Coyle]

I have a seven pound rifle wildcat about like a .264 Win Mag. It has a brake and always went the same way under recoil. So I filed a tiny groove on the opposite side of the direction it went. I continued this until I could see my impact at 100 yards even if the scope was on 20X.

The problem I created was the direction was different when I went to off hand shooting. There I had to drill a small hole in the top of the brake. I increased the hole size until I could see my hits again while holding off hand.

I had this rifle bored to 8mm. It went from firing a 130 grainer at 3,190 to a 198 grainer at 3,054. The recoil increased slightly, but it still stays on target.

 

[Rich Coyle]

I had this rifle bored to 8mm. It went from firing a 130 grainer at 3,190 to a 198 grainer at 3,054. The recoil increased slightly, but it still stays on target.

This rifle weighs 7 1/4 pounds. It lost 1.8 ounces when it was bored.

 

[WildRose]

So I here about how people are back on target after recoil if they have proper form. I'm never back on target after recoil with any of my rifles. I snug it into my shoulder and feel I have decent form but when the shot breaks I definitely don't go right back to where I started and typically have to reset my front and rear bag for every shot. Thoughts here? I shoot a 30-06, braked 300 win mag, 6.5 cm.both .30 Cal's have moderate recoil the 06 being the most. These are pretty light setups.

All I can tell you is it takes a lot of practice concentrating on staying on target.

Now, that being said how your rig is setup, the weight etc and how much recoil you are dealing with all makes a difference.

The biggest thing I find is you must control muzzle flip since that's what throws us furthest off target.

I concentrate on seeing my bullet impacts. That isn't always a simple matter with the Rum's and 375's but I have yet to fail to see my bullets impact on the critters I'm shooting at in many years. That way I can instantly adjust in my mind if a follow up shot is needed.

This is one of the reasons I always chuckle when someone is asking about an ultralight XXX Magnum for a "mountain rifle".

To me, Magnum and ultralight simply don't belong in the same sentence.

I have a 375 Ruger that is unbreaked that only weighs just under 8lbs fully loaded and scoped and it is a real bear and takes me a great deal of effort to stay on target.

Try to control the muzzle flip and take the recoil straight back to the greatest extent possible and I think you'll have the most success.

 

[Baker Alvin]

I never do. Years ago I'd load a medium charge, 130 gr Sierra game Kings .270, shot a lot of rounds, breathing and firearm became an automatic motion. The targets were the big paper, full color animal targets, could be had in many different animals, put them on a piece of cardboard and rebar stakes. Off hand practicing groups were almost as good as benched. My hunting success has dropped since I no longer use this method.