Two shooters, two different POI, same gun

[Stonyman88]

While shooting yesterday with my girlfriend and her rifle at 315 and 505 yards validating the drops for it…..

I noticed with the same dope we had different points of impact. Grouping size only varying marginally between us.

I noticed a similar thing when zeroing it at 100 on a different outing

Does a shooter's style/technique come into play here?

Where were the groups difference's , close or what, high, low, right or left. As everyone said Parallax is very likely, if she is smaller and mounts the gun to the left or right high or low and the scope has Parallax issue, could be a few inches + at 100 yds. Everyone is correct, many factors come into play.

 

[JWhitty]

I've often wondered.... I have multiple buddies that I've shot w/ at different times. My brother-in-law, a close firearms friend, and my dad (others too, these three jump out) all shoot identical on multiple firearms. I would feel very comfortable shooting their guns out to 3-500yds.... my brother however, is lefty and tends to throw rds to the right on my guns.
As for the wife, she shot her 700cdl in 243 once after the initial sight in, hit right where I had it 1" high, since then she's pulled the trigger 2x's on that gun with devastating results. (kids put a damper on her field time, and likes the freezer full)

 

[TR1Hemi]

Story about 2 shooters, 1 pistol. I obtained one of the Dekalb Co, Ga. Beretta 92 when they converted. I am assuming it had a stiff recoil spring in it. Grabbed a box of target ammo, and when to the range with a buddy who was a PD in our city. Gun was 100% functional in my hands. It was 100% non functional in his. In my hands the casing would just roll out the port, with him it stove piped. Difference in grip coupled with a +P+ recoil spring and target ammo.

 

[freefloater59]

It's common. Take every point that you touch the gun, sight, and squeeze is a contributing variable. Gripping the forearm, how tight you hold it to your shoulder, cheek contact with the stock, eye position and parallax, even breathing pattern and how you (or not you) squeeze the trigger all makes an impact difference. My buddy has giant hands and biceps to go along, would grip the forearm and pistol grip like a hydraulic pipe wrench and shooting my rifle he would would always hit high. I would shoot his and consistently hit low compared to where he had it sighted in for himself.

 

[Gary Schmidt]

While shooting yesterday with my girlfriend and her rifle at 315 and 505 yards validating the drops for it…..

I noticed with the same dope we had different points of impact. Grouping size only varying marginally between us.

I noticed a similar thing when zeroing it at 100 on a different outing

Does a shooter's style/technique come into play here?

There will always be POI differences between 2 or more different shooters shooting exact same gun and ammo because no one person uses exact same sight picture. I used to coach and teach in CORPS for over 15 years and always saw excellent shooters shot same rifle or pistol and both have massive bullets but one would group 2 inch group at 12 o'clock right above perfect bull and the other would be right below bull. It's the aiming point and hold point when round is released. You'll notice it more shooting butterfly or open sights.

 

[SSG Graybush]

While shooting yesterday with my girlfriend and her rifle at 315 and 505 yards validating the drops for it…..

I noticed with the same dope we had different points of impact. Grouping size only varying marginally between us.

I noticed a similar thing when zeroing it at 100 on a different outing

Does a shooter's style/technique come into play here?

Parralax.

 

[Joefrazell]

Not yet.

It was a consistent shift in vertical. Started with her shooting and centering the shots on the plate. I then took a shot and it landed low. I adjusted and the shot centered up on the target. After my adjustment she fired and the shot landed a minute high while mine would land low following her adjustment for a center hit

To me is sounds like her rear bag wasn't compressed like it should have been causing the rear of the rifle to dip slightly. How was her group?

 

[R. Cram]

For every action there is a equal and opposite reaction. That is to say from the moment the primer is struck and the explosive force of the powder pushes the bullet down the barrel there is recoil pushing back on the shooter before the bullets exits the bore. The result is that depending how the individual shooter handles the rifle and manages the initial push back from recoil will cause the rifle to be pointed in a direction different from another shooter who manages that bullet in barrel recoil differently.

This is exactly correct try shooting NRA smallbore and the 22's will show exactly how fussy the results of reciol are and how NPA is critical all this transferes to larger calibers also which is why shooting benches should not be used anywhere close to how much they are used because your rifle has a very good chance of hitting in a different spot when you shoot it in a field position not to mention field positions need to be practiced way more than shooting off benches unless your sport is benchrest shooting

 

[matt_3479]

You can experience this yourself. When you try new grips, new positions, free recoil, loaded bipod, loaded shoulder but relaxed bipod you can see different poi. I noticed it a lot when shooting rimfire with my prs 22 set up. Experimenting with different tensions and stuff I noticed different poi

 

[tonyf3]

Uncle shoots lefty, i shoot right. When we shoot the same rifle my groups always print left of center and his print right of center. I have always believed its just the subtle difference in pressure based applied to the stock from different sides.

 

[baggy270]

While shooting yesterday with my girlfriend and her rifle at 315 and 505 yards validating the drops for it…..

I noticed with the same dope we had different points of impact. Grouping size only varying marginally between us.

I noticed a similar thing when zeroing it at 100 on a different outing

Does a shooter's style/technique come into play here?

Not unusual.

 

[Chrsm]

I think this phenomenon is explained in detail somewhere in the movie Escanaba in da Moonlight! But I could be wrong

 

[VLD Pilot]

Anyone can show a POA/POI shift from just how they hold the rifle. Hard hold vs free recoil will show a definite impact shift on the target. Won't need another shooter to prove that change. Experiment with any rifle and the way you hold it at the bench or on a rest and impacts will vary on the target with each hold type. This is just one variable. Then the different shooter behind the rifle is a whole other issue.

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

Guys, thanks for all the interesting replies. This has been informative, and makes me wonder how I even get a
1 MOA group. I thought POA was POA.