Rick

Wolvesspeak

I’ve had mixed results with using “rests.” The groups you see in this article were shot using a rolled up doggie bed of all things. I’ve found that I use the rest, whatever it is, to steady my hand and still use my hand at the best ballance point of the rifle.

So far that has been working for me.

Thanks for your comments!

Rick

I have read in many forums and articles that you should NOT Sand Bag or Bi -Pod rest a Springer, under the barrel and even the fore arm of the stock .

I know some shooters have done and do this .
I have made some tests of my own because I am NOT as steady as I once was.
What I have tried and tested are the following .

I have taken a couple of empty shot shell bags and tried filling them with an assortment of fillers . ( Kitty Litter / Walnut Tumbling Media / Styrofoam packing material ( pop corn ) / Cotton or the fiber pillow stuffing . )
I then topped the bag off with a thin piece of leather that was from an old soft leather jacket and laid it over the bag before resting the rifle on it BY THE FORE ARM OF THE STOCK ONLY , AT THE SAME PLACE EVERY TIME .
The best results are from the Kitty Litter and the Styrofoam Packing )
The next thing I tried was to use an old ( Short camera tripod ( Table model ) and made a cradle that screws on to the threaded camera hold screw , and then lined it with soft material topped with that same old piece of leather that I mentioned above . Again resting the rifle only by the fore arm of the stock .

I have gotten good accuracy from using these methods.
Now don’t get me wrong the gun does and will shoot differently than if it was sighted in being hand held . You just have to know and or compensate for resting it or if that is the way you will be shooting sight it in for that .

Hope this might help someone .
Take care have fun shoot safe ….. JerryL

I would like to post my findings as to picking up your gun and firing the first shot of the day .. It doesn’t matter what gun or weather it’s loaded ammo or black poder or pumped air or CO2 or a Springer .
I have found that most times the first shot will go to a certain POI ( Point of Impact )or POA ( Point of AIM ) The second and following shots will go to another POI. As the gun slightly warms from firing ,the POI may or may not slightly drift to a given location . This might be only fractions of an inch to maybe 1 1/2 inches .
I also have found that weather the gun is warmed up or shot several rounds , that if you change brand and type of Amo your POI will also change a bit . Then when changing back to say what the gun is sighted in with it will take about 2 – 4 rounds to get it to shoot back at the POI / POA that was original set .

When I was working and before I retired I was with Cleveland Police Swat Unit …The guys that where the marksmen / snipers would have their weapons zeroed in for whatever season it was . ( according to outside temps )
They kept a scratch sheet with their rife as to where the sights should be set from a cold first shot ( according to season and weather ) to different ranges / up hill – down hill and the temp ranges . Also with the different brands of amo ( they usually didn’t don’t change )
But there is a difference from a COLD FIST SHOT to a second quick shot.

I guess how this all fits into this forum is that if your taking your first shot of the day and your target is small and far out . That if you need a second or 3rd shot or if for some reason you change amo your shots could be off. Will take some doing but you can know where those 2nd and following shots will go . might be easier to know what the first shot will do and compensate for it . Then the remaining shots with in a few minutes will all be in your POI or POA ( point of Aim )

Hope this wasn’t all boring and useless and that it makes some sense or helps someone .

JerryL99

What I am saying is ,if I am out in the field or woods or shooting out in my back yard and the paper bullseye shooting gets boring I start to pick out targets such as a very thin dead snag on a tree or a lone leaf or small mound of mud or bark on the ground a puff ball out on the lawn , it doesn’t matter what or at what range .

I just find that I can shoot and hit better at a random target .
It almost seems that when I look at a Bullseye weather the rings type / square / or even a picture of a critter I don’t hit as well . I have even tried different color schemes of rings / squares.

As I think about this , I have come to realize that I have done this all my life .

Don’t know why it is or what this is called if there is a name for it ( Other than FUN )

This happen with anyone else ?
JerryL99