FTR first impressions and "jump"

[Brad Y]

I’m in the same boat and have a rifle build similar to pierce/litz- benchrest shape stock. These were rumoured to work very well with a light hold approaching free recoil. Again it’s too inconsistent. A firm but not tight hold has stopped recoil and torque. I shoot 200gr bullets and it’s rare for the gun to end up out of the 5 ring on recoil. Spent most of my shooting life as an FO shooter using free recoil on 284 and saum. FTR never worked well until I went away from trying to free recoil and changing to a more Angled position behind the rifle.

[jasmay]

I hard hold and have no problems. Its all about body position and firmness of hold. If I free recoil, she jumps around and its just not consistant. Learned that when I started out in F/TR. Then Jason told me to hold and it works.

Do what work for you. Re holding there are only a few in Aus who do it well as you can never hold the same every time and pressure moves the rifle, but if you are like Liam Hall (he does it well) do that way, but it is not something I advise as it is hard to get right.
Chris

Chris, what stock are you Shooting these days, still shooting Marks?

[Tim N]

FTR week 2
I managed to put a shot on the wrong target.
Even owned up to it!
Apparently I am now part of the club.
Got to use an auspod which I thought was really good, the extension arm for windage worked very well, certainly a worthwhile addition to any bipod.
Anyway I’m having fun with it and that was the main idea.
Did a ladder test with 185s and 200-20x and both show promise.
Next week will see more testing with the 200s and maybe some 155.5s
Just need to check the target number each time BEFORE firing

[Pommy Chris]

FTR week 2
I managed to put a shot on the wrong target.
Even owned up to it!
Apparently I am now part of the club.
Got to use an auspod which I thought was really good, the extension arm for windage worked very well, certainly a worthwhile addition to any bipod.
Anyway I’m having fun with it and that was the main idea.
Did a ladder test with 185s and 200-20x and both show promise.
Next week will see more testing with the 200s and maybe some 155.5s
Just need to check the target number each time BEFORE firing

We have all done it in FTR ie shooting the wrong target, you have done it done and you will remember. Shooting electronics is hardest as you are drawn like a moth to a flame to the screen for the shot result. Big tip is shoot, remove round, move back to target, THEN check monitor, hard to do as we are all impatient but if you make this routine wrong target will never happen again.
Chris

[Pommy Chris]

I hard hold and have no problems. Its all about body position and firmness of hold. If I free recoil, she jumps around and its just not consistant. Learned that when I started out in F/TR. Then Jason told me to hold and it works.

Do what work for you. Re holding there are only a few in Aus who do it well as you can never hold the same every time and pressure moves the rifle, but if you are like Liam Hall (he does it well) do that way, but it is not something I advise as it is hard to get right.
Chris

Chris, what stock are you Shooting these days, still shooting Marks?

I have a few stocks but shoot Marks most, it won a a Queens so very happy with it
Chris

[Tim N]

Quote
We have all done it in FTR ie shooting the wrong target, you have done it done and you will remember. Shooting electronics is hardest as you are drawn like a moth to a flame to the screen for the shot result. Big tip is shoot, remove round, move back to target, THEN check monitor, hard to do as we are all impatient but if you make this routine wrong target will never happen again.
Chris[/quote]

Thanks for the tip

[Quick]

Tim,

Or fine tune hold and rifle tracking so she doesn't jump at all. It is possible to make a F/TR rig track like its on rails.....just takes setup work and fine tuning technique. Its body position and recoil management.

[Tim N]

Tim,

Or fine tune hold and rifle tracking so she doesn't jump at all. It is possible to make a F/TR rig track like its on rails.....just takes setup work and fine tuning technique. Its body position and recoil management.

“Please explain”

[Quick]

Tim,

Pm sent.

[benculton]

Tim,

Pm sent.

I'd be interested in this as well seeing I am pretty new to shooting and f class as well.

Thanks.
Ben.

[Quick]

It depends on your overall setup. You have to experiment. I have shot around 2500 plus rounds in the last 12 months with my F/TR rifles. You have to experiment with rear bags (i tried 4 different rear bags before my current one) i tweaked things like my body angle, etc. This is going to be different for everyones rifle as each persons stock, etc is different.

I managed to get a F/TR rig tracking well and not jumping off target. Of course If I stuff this up, she doesn't track. But then I know I've stuffed up.

[Tim L]

I find that tracking is good on some mounds and not others. I free recoil and so just accept what comes.
My process is similar to Chris. Shoot, open the bolt, case out, lay a new round in. Back to target, check the target number, then look at the screen. Back to the scope, check the fu@#¥₩g number again, crosshairs in the black, close the bolt.
At belmont at 300 (and other ranges) its not possible to check the number without either backing off on the scope or moving the rifle. SSRs now allow for the target face to carry the number so its important we all petition for it at all comps.

[Brad Y]

There was a good poll on a international f class fb group. The numbers holding vs free recoil was pretty resounding in favour of holding, including some big names.

Consistency is key, it should track well all the time. I had the same issue, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Now a position change and the gun doesn’t leave the 5 ring. Amazing what a bit of angle behind the rifle does. Shaun has helped me and it’s been very positive. Been a huge transition from fo to ftr, shooting off the bipod has shown me how lazy a front rest can make a shooter (me) in terms of rifle handling.

[Tim N]

Week 3
Shooting 200.20x with a Gary Faulkner recipie.
Tried holding the stock and got a 59:7 -300 yds, all on the same target.
Holding kept me in the black.
Looks like there will be some learning ahead.
Keen to shoot the longs with it.

[Quick]

Tim,

How did it feel compared to free recoil? 59.7 t 300yds is good going. Its a really small target.