[colorcountrygunner]

For those of you who shoot those pretty little clover leaf groups, how do you get set up to shoot comfortably and repeatably. Off of a bipod? A sand bag? I always seem to have a hard time getting really comfortable to shoot. I don't reload or have custom rifles or anything so I know I am not going to have the world's most incredible accuracy, but I always feel like I am the weak link when it comes to printing a group and I cannot see what my rifle and ammunition is fully capable of because my lack of skill holds it back. What pointers do you have for executing the shot well time after time? Lately I have become keenly aware of the importance of a good trigger.

 

[DallanC]

I have a home built wooden mount my rifle goes in. The front is supported directly and I use a bunny-ear sandbag at the rear stock to adjust aim. I've had it for 20 years now, its kindof ugly... I finally own a router so I've been thinking of rebuilding it with nice wood and finish.

Step #1 of any load development should be securing the rifle in a way that eliminates as much human error as possible.

Its amazing to me pictures people post here of their "target shooting" as they are shooting off "shooting sticks" and making scope adjustments and claims of XYZMOA. I dont get it.

Really your gun should be in a vice, and using a pneumatic trigger release to get precise, accurate results.

-DallanC

 

[bowgy]

I hesitate to be the first to answer this since there are many more qualified to answer this, Springville shooter comes to mind.

However, for me it is the basics, your first part of your question is I do my best from a bench rest, I have a portable one that has padded leather rests but sand bags are great.

You mentioned a good trigger, the better the trigger the better I can shoot.

But for me, it is as I said, the basics.

Proper sight alignment, proper sight picture, breathing control, trigger press. "DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE"

Then perfect practice, not just practice, you don't want to practice bad habits.

Make sure the butt of the rifle is seated in to your shoulder pocket the same every time, this is kind of like making sure your anchor point in archery is the same every time.

Watch that you don't hold your breath too long, "DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE". If you find yourself starting to shake a little, relax and back off for a few moments then try again.

Don't worry about the last shot, concentrate on the shot you are making. Concentrate on the site picture and sight alignment. "DON'T FORGET TO BREATHE."

Your rifle will shoot different as the barrel gets hot, I let mine cool every few shots, I practice more for fun and hunting so the first shot on a cool barrel is important to me. I don't shoot competition except against myself.

I reload but more for fun than accuracy, I shoot a lot of factory ammo with good results.

Then there are a lot of other factors that come into play, such as matching bullet size to twist, different types of barrels and finishes, bullet coating, etc. etc. I don't get that involved, I just enjoy shooting and trying to improve my ability. I like to grab a few guns, and a lot of ammo and spend some time at the range.

Make that second to answer

 

[Springville Shooter]

Bowgy covered the basics. If I were to add anything it would be to start practicing group therapy. Start with a 22 at very close range and practice all of the fundamentals over and over until you can shoot 5 shots into a dime every time. I would start about 25 yards. Then transition to bigger rifles gradually going back to the 22 when you start to flinch or tire of the loud booms and big kicks. Everyone interested in improving marksmanship should own what I call a "Proof" rifle.(not the brand) this is a rifle that is known to be extremely accurate and can be used to gauge the ability of the shooter. Mine is a Cooper M-22 in 243. If I can't shoot 1/2 MOA with it then I know I need to work on my shooting.

Another good practice is to have a buddy hand you your rifle on the bench either loading a round or leaving the chamber empty. You should not know before hand. If the crosshairs move on the target when you drop the hammer on an empty chamber then you have work to do. Tweak your mechanics until the hairs remain locked on target all the way through the process. I shoot my absolute best this way. This will help you experience the 'surprise' effect when the rifle goes off at the end of a well prepared trigger pull.

Just some tidbits that have helped me. There are a thousand ways to improve marksmanship. Find the ones that you enjoy and happy shooting.------SS

 

[Bax*]

I went shooting yesterday and many times took 30+ seconds between shots to control my breathing. Additionally I watched to be sure my crosshair wasn't dancing all around the bullseye, if I couldn't hold perfectly still then I knew I needed to back off and adjust.

Btw- it took me nearly 25 min to shoot 20 rounds out of my AR. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast as they say.

 

[Critter]

I have found that my rifles and load combinations will shoot way better than I can, but on those rare occasions I can put 5 shots into the target with all the holes touching each other, and on real rare occasions I can make it like one hole.

But as others have said, you need to practice a lot. 22's are a great spot to start on controlling your trigger pull and breathing. I have a 3x9 scope on my 10/22 and at 25 yards I can cover a + on the target with the crosshairs and start shooting. That way I know exactly right where I am aiming every time. I can do the same thing with my Ruger #1 in 22-250 with a 6.5x20 scope on it at 100 yards and watch the bullets hit the target.

Now when I move up to my larger calibers it doesn't work quite as well but I can still make a nice single hole in the target at 200 yards if I do my part, but that is the hard part.

 

[Cooky]

Take the human out of the shot. Humans are quivering masses of twitchy muscles. The rests (plural, use a rear bag) have to be solid and steady, if you have to hold the rifle in position reset the rests. Rest your face on the gun gently and comfortably. Pull the trigger with just the pad of your finger avoiding grabbing onto the gun with a death grip. The whole thing should be comfortable, if you're straining in any way you'll move the gun around as the shot goes.
Wear good hearing protection and a sissy pad if it's a big boomer, everything you do will go out the window when the flinch shows up.

 

[Kevinitis]

I like all that has been said. Now for me, I hold on target, and slowly put pressure on the trigger, concentrating on keeping the cross hairs on target. The gun should surprise you when it goes off. That way you don't anticipate the recoil and flinch.

 

[longbow]

Take the human out of the shot. Humans are quivering masses of twitchy muscles. The rests (plural, use a rear bag) have to be solid and steady, if you have to hold the rifle in position reset the rests. Rest your face on the gun gently and comfortably. Pull the trigger with just the pad of your finger avoiding grabbing onto the gun with a death grip. The whole thing should be comfortable, if you're straining in any way you'll move the gun around as the shot goes.
Wear good hearing protection and a sissy pad if it's a big boomer, everything you do will go out the window when the flinch shows up.

Perfectly said Cooky.
My setup and shot is a titch different but if you want an excellent blueprint for maximum accuracy, Cooky said it well.