Tried to sight in my rifle today...

[gogoalie]

.30-06 Savage, ate up two boxes of ammo doing it...thought I was going to do a one shot zero @ 100 yds (bought a Leupold magnazero) & the bullet went way over right...so, I moved to 25yds & did a barrel zero, & sure enough my rifle was off...I get it back on, & shoot a good group at 25yds, & move to 100 yards, & look at my scope, as it was high, but alligned center. The Scope moved forward! ARGH!:mad:

I continued to shoot, after adjusting my scope down, & got it near center as I could, considering my scope moved. (heck I just wanted to fire up some ammo)...

& after the first box I notice a coupla things...one, target panic. I've got it...I'd sit there, & flinch, anticipating the shot, & would have to back off, take a breather, concentrate, & breath, relax, aim & squeeze off a round...

Another thing I noticed...boy does my shoulder HURT! My aught six KICKS like a MULE! I was only using 150 grain bullets, & I don't know how you guys can shoot with .300 win mags+...I need to get a limbsaver shoulder cushion...(could be the fact that I was squeezing the butt of the rifle into my shoulder to hold the scope & rifle steady, much like the M16 BRM I went through years ago)

[kgpcr]

Its all about trigger controll. Slow constant squeeze and not anticipating the shot.

[brav01]

Practice

Just chalk today up to experience. Sounds like you need a set of rings that hold the scope in place, as movement in the field when hunting could cause problems.
Once you get the rifle sighted in you probably won't shoot more than 20 rounds through the gun in one session. A Limbsaver might not be a bad investment as it could reduce anticapated recoil and flinch. Also if you decide to shoot heavier projectiles the recoil will increase and the problem might worsen. I replaced the recoil pad on my Tikka T-3 Lite (which weighs in at 7 1/4 lbs including scope) with a Limbsaver and the difference was VERY noticable.
ENJOY !

[gogoalie]

Thanks Brav...

I think you answered my next quetion I was going to post...heavier grain projectiles=more propellent=more kick...

[brav01]

Goalie

You get my pm ?

[Nitroman]

This is easy to fix:

1. Find a big old pair of socks. Put one inside the other.
2. Pack them with rice. Sew the tops closed using really close stitches.
3. Place between shoulder and stock.
4. Use only your finger to squeeze the trigger, get rid of the death grip.

This would work better if you had a leather bag filled with lead shot. You can also just call GNG in Anchorage and have them send you a sack of No. 8 shot, but the socks and rice cost almost nothing.

[Smitty of the North]

We all have bad luck sometimes. Things don’t go as planned.

Well, of course the first thing ya gotta do is get the scope where it should be and tight. (Adjust the back and forth so you can see through it without straining your neck.

Then start over like you done before. Bore sight, 25 yards, and then 100.

As to the recoil you can get a slip-on for use only at the range. Some of them will a bit too much to the LOP, even for bench shooting. Cabelas sells one that is ONLY for range shooting, and it’s a sorta ugly thing, and it made outa some kinda soft foam. They work great, I’ve bought several, and gave them away. I don’t give them away anymore, because they doubled the price.

For me, the Main Thing, when shooting at the bench is how you sit. You need to position yourself Upright, and maybe a little bit sideways. NOT leaning into the gun. I always have to use a shorter stool for the bench. Fortunately have one I bring from home.

Try it.
Smitty of the North

[e45colt]

Good advice!

We all have bad luck sometimes. Things don’t go as planned.

Well, of course the first thing ya gotta do is get the scope where it should be and tight. (Adjust the back and forth so you can see through it without straining your neck.

Then start over like you done before. Bore sight, 25 yards, and then 100.

As to the recoil you can get a slip-on for use only at the range. Some of them will a bit too much to the LOP, even for bench shooting. Cabelas sells one that is ONLY for range shooting, and it’s a sorta ugly thing, and it made outa some kinda soft foam. They work great, I’ve bought several, and gave them away. I don’t give them away anymore, because they doubled the price.

For me, the Main Thing, when shooting at the bench is how you sit. You need to position yourself Upright, and maybe a little bit sideways. NOT leaning into the gun. I always have to use a shorter stool for the bench. Fortunately have one I bring from home.

Try it.
Smitty of the North

I fully agree with Smitty

When I was eleven I killed my first deer with a Win94 30-30 but my father had tried hard to have me shoot a rifle that did NOT fit me(more power in the ballistic tables). It hurt and I even chipped a bone in my finger due to recoil. LOP(fit) and repeatable sight picture are more important than anything else for consistent shooting. That 30-30 fit me and does to this day. I use a larger caliber now(same platform) but it's still comfortable because the rifle fits me.
Many big name gun-mag writers have been burned by the 30-06 in a rifle that did not fit. Bryce Towsley and Craig Bodington come to mind if memory serves. I'm sure there are many others.