Ok guys, it is time I lose a little pride. I have a Rem. 700 BDL SS in 300RUM. I have done a little work, like pillar bedded, trigger adjusted, and barrel free floated. I shoot both factory and handloads. I can get about 1.5"- 2" groups at 100 yards consistently with factory loads. Had Rem. look at it and they sent me a target with .9" or so groups saying no problem found. Had the local range officer shoot it. He got great groups. All subMOA. When I shoot at the range, I shoot on sandbags and only hold the gun with my right hand and stock against my shoulder. He was holding the front of the stock with his left hand. Do you think he outshot me do to this? Maybe muzzle jump? Is it possible I am flinching? My groups did tighten up alot when I lowered the trigger from 6lbs to 2lbs. I try to shoot every week so I am working on it.

I got another 300RUM in the 700P tactical model with the bull barrel and H-S stock for a great price. Since this gun is so much heavier than the 700BDL , the recoil seems not near as severe. Right off the bat, I am getting MOA groups. Which leads me to believe that I am torquing the gun somehow due to the expected recoil on the BDL. Any suggestions. I could always group well with my 243's, 270's and 308's in the 700 BDL models but have had trouble with this magnum. Makes it hard to test loads.

[This message has been edited by bigcountry (edited 01-10-2002).]

I shoot all of my hunting rifles like the range officer did anyway. It simulates real hunting postitions.

And with really big stuff like you are shooting your left hand gripping the stock will soak up some recoil.

Big,
What do the groups look like when you shoot your RUM? Are they consistently stringing horizontally or vertically? Do you get "flyers" going lower left or upper right from the main group?

Any trends or consistencies you can identify will help the folks here better diagnose your problem.

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J.W.
Hero of the Hapless
Master of the Obvious

Good question. They are mostly horizontal groups. Looks like a 1.5-2" football.

I think you are "pushing" a little with your shoulder as you shoot in anticipation of recoil.....you might try a using what they call a "bull bag" which are basically sand bags sewn together in the shape of an "X". You place the forend in the X and it grips the rifle a little and really guts down recoil. Another thing to try is what is called a "sissy bag" between the rifle and your shoulder....I use one all the time even for some fairly light recoiling rifles if I am going to fire a lot of shots.

Some other things to try are:

1. Check the distance you place your eye from the scope for consistency. Put a mark on the stock or use the bill of a base ball cap as a reference.

2. Check the consistency of the pressure you are applying to the stock when you grip the rifle. When the gun recoils, small changes in pressure on the rifle will change where the barrel is pointed as the bullet exits. (This effect is magnified by a light rifle with heavy recoil.)

3. Take a fired case and fill the primer pocket with silicone. Between each live round, aim and dry fire the rifle 3-4 times or until you can snap the trigger without the cross hairs moving. (This helps control recoil anticipation and develops good habits.)

These three things will solve many of the most common horizontal stringing problems. If this doesn't work try having a knowledgeable friend watch you when you shoot and see if he notices any thing.

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J.W.
Hero of the Hapless
Master of the Obvious

OOPS,
You said horizontal and I was thinking vertical. I need to lay off the coffee!!

With a light rifle, trigger control is very important. Even with a 2lb trigger you can exert sufficient amount of force to "push" the shot off. Check how you squeeze the trigger. Try to pull the trigger strait back. (This is easier to accomplish with your PSS because of the nice palm swell.)
Dry fire the rifle using the method I described above and see if the cross hairs move. If they don't try a live round and then dry fire some more. Repeat until you fire a group.

Also,
When using sand bags, set the bags up so that the rifle is naturally pointing at the center of the target even before you touch it. If you are twisting or putting any left to right pressure on the rifle when you shoot, the rifle will recoil differently each time.(This is why the bench rest crowd spends big $$$ on adjustable rests)

Try this and see if it makes a difference. If not, I'm sure the bench rest guys will have some more suggestions.

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J.W.
Hero of the Hapless
Master of the Obvious

[This message has been edited by J.W. Blute (edited 01-10-2002).]