To hold the forearm or not?

[teej89]

I'm sure this has come up plenty of times... Mainly I'm an archery hunter, in PA I was the kid seen lugging in his bow on the first day of gun season. This year however we're doing 3rd season elk in Colorado so I purchased a new 30-06 and we sighted it in this weekend. My dad who is very knowledgeable on rifles was telling me I need to place my left hand on the ears of the rear rest of the sandbag and not on the forearm when I shoot. I shot a good group at the end, <1" but I noticed the front end would rise and bounce off the front rest. To me this doesn't seem accurate... but coming from my dad who shot competitively in the military and won plenty of matches I have a hard time doubting him.

I'm wondering what everyone else does when sighting in their hunting rifle...

 

[charliebravo77]

As long as you are gently pressing the trigger until the sear trips and you don't jerk around the gun while doing so, it doesn't matter where your hands are. The bullet will be out of the muzzle before it bounces up off the rest. That said, I personally find it easier to shoot groups using the method described by your father while sitting at a bench on the range, or prone if I am able. However, those positions are not typically available while hunting so it's important to be versatile and capable of shooting from a number of different positions, including using improvised rests. Typically I'll use the described method to confirm zero and shoot groups with new loads, but I also make sure to change up hand positions during range trips as well.

 

[WapitiBob]

Your pops is correct, using the left hand to squeeze the rear bag for fine adjustment and keeping it off the rifle.

 

[teej89]

Great thanks guys! I wasn't doubting him but I became curious and started reading threads online about this subject and they were all stating that it is essential to hold the front end. I was just wondering what everyone else's opinions on here were.

 

[cowboy]

Your pops is correct, using the left hand to squeeze the rear bag for fine adjustment and keeping it off the rifle.

In addition your problem of the rifle jumping - if you're right handed it'll jump to the right off a bench and vice versa for left handed. Most common beginning shooting error. You are leaning into the rifle on the bench and not enough behind it. Plus the dreaded grip of the trigger hand - think of that trigger hand the same as your left hand while shooting your bow. You do not want grip and torque.

Try dry firing your rifle a couple hundred times before season. Watch what the cross hairs on your scope are doing - it is muptiplied many times when you light a primer.

 

[teej89]

In addition your problem of the rifle jumping - if you're right handed it'll jump to the right off a bench and vice versa for left handed. Most common beginning shooting error. You are leaning into the rifle on the bench and not enough behind it. Plus the dreaded grip of the trigger hand - think of that trigger hand the same as your left hand while shooting your bow. You do not want grip and torque.

Try dry firing your rifle a couple hundred times before season. Watch what the cross hairs on your scope are doing - it is muptiplied many times when you light a primer.

yeah my dad had me relaxing my right hand and putting my thumb on top of the stock not around it... he said think of pinching my thumb and trigger finger together.

I was thinking about the leaning into the shot, I lean enough to get a full picture in the scope or is this a different lean that you're talking about?

 

[cowboy]

yeah my dad had me relaxing my right hand and putting my thumb on top of the stock not around it... he said think of pinching my thumb and trigger finger together.

I was thinking about the leaning into the shot, I lean enough to get a full picture in the scope or is this a different lean that you're talking about?

Come into the bench from behind not from the side. Just like you'd do from shooting in the prone position. Most people shoot from a bench with their off shoulder almost pointing at the target - square up your shoulders so rifle recoils straight back. Your shooting shoulder needs to be perpendicular to your target.

Go out in the back yard or off your dinner table and dry fire and watch your scope reticle - if it doesn't move you're doing things right - if not - work on it. Dry firing is your friend.

one other thing most people don't pay attention to is focus and parralax in their scopes. If you want to shoot small groups that is very contributing.

What kind of front and rear rest do you use while on a bench?

 

[have gun will travel]

This is a great conversation.. I don't think enough emphasis is put on correct stance, hand placement, and trigger pull.

 

[cowboy]

Your pops is correct, using the left hand to squeeze the rear bag for fine adjustment and keeping it off the rifle.

One think to add to this. When you get everything lined up, have your crosshairs just below the bull, then squeeze your rear bag ever so slightly with your left hand to bring the crosshairs onto the bull. This is why us old timers call a rear bag a squeeze bag. This does a couple of things - it aligns your crosshairs the same way every time without blacking out the bull and gives you a uniform cheek weld to your stock.

Same thing holds true when you are using a bipod and shooting at game. I will add that once you have your load and rifle ready to go - forget about the bench and practice how you will shoot in the field. All 3 of my normal hunting rifles have a scope adjustment after I'm done with load work ups on a bench to shooting off a bipod.

 

[teej89]

Come into the bench from behind not from the side. Just like you'd do from shooting in the prone position. Most people shoot from a bench with their off shoulder almost pointing at the target - square up your shoulders so rifle recoils straight back. Your shooting shoulder needs to be perpendicular to your target.

Go out in the back yard or off your dinner table and dry fire and watch your scope reticle - if it doesn't move you're doing things right - if not - work on it. Dry firing is your friend.

one other thing most people don't pay attention to is focus and parralax in their scopes. If you want to shoot small groups that is very contributing.

What kind of front and rear rest do you use while on a bench?

what do you mean about the paralax?

Very good pointers for shooting off the bench tho! I know I definitely did not square up my shoulders but repicturing my dad shoot he 100% does to that. I kinda crowd the gun and hunker into it. I'm going to be doing some dry firing for sure, probably annoy the hell outta my GF with the "click" then the bolt working every 10 seconds lol

I'm assuming dry firing is equivalent to blank bailing with a bow, to some seems like the most boring drill ever but I love it.

We were both shooting right handed, but I was hitting dead on and my dad was 1" to the left. Would that be because my shoulders weren't square (essentially my left shoulder was forward of my right shoulder) and we sighted it in for me and the gun was recoiling to the right? Trying to dig up middle school geometry with this one.... lol

 

[have gun will travel]

If the gun shoots different for the two of you, my guess is some one is pulling the gun when it goes off. It could be a result of holding differently like you said not being square with the gun.

 

[cowboy]

what do you mean about the paralax?
l

It would be best for you to google parallax on a scope rather than me totally confuse you. What scope do you have on your rifle? Your scope may not even have a parallax adjustment but came preset at a distance.

 

[teej89]

It would be best for you to google parallax on a scope rather than me totally confuse you. What scope do you have on your rifle? Your scope may not even have a parallax adjustment but came preset at a distance.

leupold vx 3i 4.5-14x40

I have to kill an hour or two at the vet today... I'll read up on it then

 

[Ben Lamb]

Double rifles and pump slug guns are the only firearms you need to hold the forearm on for bench work. Everything else, rest on the bag and use your off hand for elevation control on your rear bag like others have said.