Break Barrel and Benchrest Shooting to Zero Scope

[SkwirrelBeware]

I try to rest the stock where I'd place my off hand, military hold, and the butt on a sand bag.

To allow the gun to shoot as accurately as it can, How much tension should I be applying?

From cheek weld, to trigger hand grip, shouldering the butt stock, and off hand on butt stock, etc?

Should I be holding the gun as lightly as possible when shooting from a benchrest? Not so lightly as to allow it to recoil several inches, but not death gripping it either...

I began at 10ft, and walked it back 10 ft or so after I was satisfied at that range. I made zero scope adjustments until 25 yds. At roughly 25 yds, all my shot started going high right. 

On bullseye, the grouping is 1", high right. I could use a hold over, but that kind of defeats the purpose of the zeroing in process.

Or am I asking too much from this air gun, while being used to firearms type of results? E.g. pellet accuracy...

Thank you all in advance.

 

[Matt247365]

How rigid is your front rest?

I put a 1/2 inch piece of rubber/foam under my sandbag and accuracy really improved.

You can see it if you zoom in.

 

[AirShot]

I have also found that it helps that the surface the rifle rests on should be slippery so the rifle can float backwards and forwards easily. As far as grip goes, experiment as it can vary from one rifle to another!!! My R1 likes a firmer grip but free to recoil back and forth, where my TX200 likes a light hold but still free to recoil back and forth. The foam pads mentioned in prior post do work well. I have a large block of closed cell foam that has worked very well over the years, but starting to crumble now due to age. Dont adjust your scope after each shot, instead shoot at least 3 shots in a group then adjust scope to the center of that group. You will need to repeat that hold each time you shoot to get consistant results. 

 

[thumper]

Rest the forearm at the balance point on a softish bag. Hold the butt and grip naturally, not rested on a bag solid. 

That's the best you can do and will be the least finicky. 

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

A spring airgun will make a person shoot better. Not the other way around. Springers are not at there best off a bench. A person needs to find what works for the particular airgun in hand. Each is different. When bench accuracy is obtained that same springers poi will usually change when shot offhand. Many people don’t like springers because of this. Even steadying off a tree can change the poi. There are limits to cheating when shooting a springer. They don’t let you get away with much.

This is where tuning one properly comes in. Eliminating issues like screws loosening, scopes moving and just taming the firing behavior in general. Still that springer will like a particular technique for optimal accuracy achievement. They have a personality. That is what I like best about them. I guess they’re like a horse. No two alike. Probably the cowboy in me.

 

[maxtrouble]

I use a cloth between my rifle and the bag for maximum slide. Light grip on the side of bag. Light but firm grip on the stock. At the bottom of exhale pause. Pull the trigger directly back, feeling the first and second stage very clearly (If I screw up, it is usually right here and I rush the shot and miss). Follow through with the shot and pause.


I struggle to get great accuracy when shooting a springer. However when I do hit something, it is very satisfying! Hitting a tin can in 14 mph winds at 55 yards is quite addictive!

 

[jccams]

Rest the forearm at the balance point on a softish bag. Hold the butt and grip naturally, not rested on a bag solid. 

That's the best you can do and will be the least finicky.

This is what I do also but rest my hand on the front bag and the rifle on my open palm.

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

That’s right. Try to keep the bench shot similar to the offhand shot. Also a big part is getting the head placement on the stock exactly the same continuously. I try to get the scope as close to the receiver as possible. If the stock has an adjustable comb then I adjust the comb at a very difficult spot to get a full view out of the scope. This forces consistent head placement and not only do my groups tighten but my poi doesn’t change between shooting sessions.

 

[SkwirrelBeware]

Thank you all so much.

I really appreciate your wisdom and help.

 

[c_m_shooter]

Sight in how you are going to shoot it. I use my normal sitting field target position and bum bag. If I competed in Hunter class field target I would use crossed sticks to sight in. You will see poi shift when you change your hold, so practice shooting steep uphill and downhill targets to see where they hit before going hunting.

 

[OldSpook]

I have had good luck using bean bags as a rest front and rear. They seem to approximate a natural hold out in the field better than anything else I've ever tried. I've never had to adjust my zero for hunting after I took my rifle off the bench.

 

[AirShot]

I have had good luck using bean bags as a rest front and rear. They seem to approximate a natural hold out in the field better than anything else I've ever tried. I've never had to adjust my zero for hunting after I took my rifle off the bench.

With my foam block falling apart from age, I have recently started using my old bean bag seats from past FT days as gun props for bench rest shooting. I must say they have worked very very well!! As old crow mentioned the poi seems to be the same when changing position. Only just starting using these recently so I cant say for positive, but early tests appear to be the best I could hope for. Also easy to poof up or flatten down to get best position and the surface is slippery sovthe rifle can recoil freely.

 

[SkwirrelBeware]

Just a few pictures of my rig. Today, 10, 15 and 20 yards, bullseye no problem, great groups.

When I pulled out to 25 yds, thats when my accuracy dwindles. I swear it is due to operator error and will work to become more proficient.

Some one mentioned, zero in the same way you'll shoot when varminting. I know I'll never shoot freestanding, always in the crotch of a tree or some kind of rest... this makes sense to me too.

 

[AirShot]

I would be concerned with the thin piece of material supporting the front of the rifle in your pics. I use a much thicker support, when out in the field I carry an old snowmobile glove to support the rifle if I use a tree or fence post. Springers tend to deflect away from the surface they rest on unless it is well cushioned !!!

 

[Matt247365]

Like AirShot said,

Springers don't like to be rested rigid like that.

They need to move around a little during the shot cycle or accuracy will suffer.

Try resting the fore stock on a rolled up towel and you'll see what we mean.

 

[SkwirrelBeware]

Thanks guys and gals. I'm a diy'er as evidenced by the car jack turned into elevation component, and homemade sand bags.

I had weather stripping left over and thats what the small padding is.

I'm gonna remove that and recut the 2x4 and insert a pad with a bit more padding.

My only reason for the BR shooting is to zero as best I can; eliminating reasons for misses/so I can't blame the gun, bit more so, myself.

Thank you all again.

Got two squirrels this morning. Sadly neither were inspecting my new squirrel feeder... The birds like the unshelled peanuts though!!!

 

[Teber66]

I use a Caldwell adjustable front rest and a rear squeeze bag with light fill. I try to put the rifle in the same place every shot but to me that’s not the most important thing at least with my springer. To me the most important things are head placement( same every time), light grip and the same trigger prep and follow through. For me if a shot doesn’t go where the other shots are(25yds and under) it’s almost always my trigger pull and follow through.