Need advice on shooting off the bench

[cephas53]

Have been doing allot more shooting since hanging around here! When shooting off the bench, being right handed, what do you do with your left hand? The firearms I'm working with are mid caliber, and I don't really need to hold the forend to control recoil. However it seems to me I'm noticing different points of impact if I do. Nothing major. For real world use what would be best, try and hold the forend the same, or use the left hand to manipulate the rear bag? Any optional advice appreciated.

[Echo]

I don't have any commercial bench rest equipment. Our range has carpet-covered 4x4's and 6x6's that I rest a sand bag on for the fore end, and I put a sandbag below the toe of the stock. I use my right hand to pull the gun into my shoulder, and fold my left arm in front of me, and use my left hand to squeeze the toe sandbag to adjust elevation. Makes for a fairly consistent position, and hold.

[thx997303]

I do the same as Echo, but I would suggest making sure your forend rest is not a particularly hard surface.

Seems rifles tend to shoot away from hard surfaces when rested which will change your point of impact.

A sandbag makes a good forend rest.

Edited to add: Just noticed Echo mentioned using a sandbag.

[gray wolf]

sand bag or front rest under for-arm ( same place for each shot )
Smaller sand bag or rear rest under stock behind your grip hand.
Left hand folded under rifle/ or along the side the front rest.
DO NOT put left hand on the rifle , do not rest it on the scope. Stick it in your pocket if you have to. If you rest your free hand on the rifle it will shoot different and if you position the for-arm different it could shoot different.

[Tom W.]

I have been using the Midway bags ( the cheap set) for some time and always used my left hand to move the rear bag around. I recently bought a Rock, Jr. front rest, but still use the left hand to adjust the rear bag.
I suppose I will until something else makes it's way into my house...

[bearcove]

The bench is a workbench. Shoot in the manner you plan on using the gun.

[Bent Ramrod]

High-velocity rifles with not excessive recoil are reportedly best fired with light, but consistent cheek pressure on the stock, a light right hand on the grip (just enough to keep the trigger finger in the same place and neutralize any movement from the trigger squeeze) and the left forearm in front of the chest, with hand on the bottom front of the rear bag. Its function is to squeeze the bag as necessary to elevate or lower the sights on the target.

Light loads with cast boolits are supposedly better shot with the rifle on the bags as above but the left hand gripping the forend in a firm but consistent manner. Heavy recoiling rifles are held in the left hand with the hand on the bag and a harder, but equally consistent, grip.

Of course, being this consistent for a string of shots is the major league athletic part. Both Townsend Whelen and Harvey Donaldson advised to watch your follow-through and make sure the sights go straight up from the target as the rifle recoils. I've been trying the first method on the light cast boolit loads lately and it seems no worse than the light grasp method with a one-piece stock rifle. With a two piece stock single shot, I seem to need the grip method regardless.

[runfiverun]

i have noticed different points of impact depending on where you touch the gun.
my ruger target will pull to the right a tad if i don't hold the fore end down next to the bbl.
my light weight ruger 308 does better if i reach around the rest and push back on the rifle.
to kinda hold it down.
my front rest is an outers with the thin little leather thing on it.
my buddy uses a similar set up but puts his left hand on the scope and i am not about to argue with his groups.
the correct way i have been told is to squeeze the bag with your left hand for up and down adjustment

[NSP64]

We have wood blocks with a 'V' cut in them for the front, I pull into my shoulder with my right, and use my left in a fist under the pistol grip to adjust elevation.

[stephen perry]

There are several ways of shooting off a bench depending on the calibers being shot. For calibers 22-250 and less you can get by with free recoil. In free recoil your left hand controls tha back bag. If your blind as a bat and crowd the scope don't do free recoil. The pain and the blood may be more than you can handle. For calibers above 22-250 I mean heavy recoilers hold your gun on the bench as you would hunt with them. Nothing hurts accuracy more than your fore stock bouncing a foot off your front rest and believe me a factory .243 load will do that, also you look stupid to the others on the Range that are controlling their hi power rifles.

You can get good results with sand bags or a front rest. The front rest should be stable a block of wood like a 2x4 is not stable. For a rear rest for the gun a sand bag smaller is better or a sand filled leather/vinyl bag.

Guns with sling swivels are hard to use on a shooting bench. Take off the sling and place the bags so that the swivel studs are not riding on the bags.

Stephen Perry
Angeles BR

[twotrees]

Cut the leg off of a pair of levi's and make the front bag about 6 or 8 inches high. the rear bag, made from the lower part of the leg should be about 4 inches high.

Sew the top of each bag and fill with old worn out corncob/walnut media. (Kitty litter, rice, works too, but don't get it wet). Then sew up the bottom of each bag.

The front bag needs to be firm, but not rock solid. the rear bag needs to be softer.

Now you have your own and it just cost ya some time.

Good Shooting.

BTW: see if your local library can get you a copy of "The Accurate Rifle" by Warren Paige. Old book, but still some of the best reference to bench shooting, there is IMHO.