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Thread: Scope shooting tips

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    Scope shooting tips

    I know this will sound crazy, but in all the years I have owned and shot my rifles they have all had open sights. Today I finally sucked it up and scoped one of my old swiss rifles (K31, basically a .308). I guess I had it sighted in towards the end of the day, but I would still get a flyer every now and then. I am pretty sure it was my fault though, in that my first shot gave me "scope eye" and hurt like hell. After that shot, the other 30 or so were pretty much worthless because I had one hell of a flinch. (Have no flinch with open sights though)

    Any tips for keeping that thing steady on the sand bags?

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Hey Matt. I shoot .308 also. I have a bolt action all weather Ruger, and I swear by it. I have pulled the trigger 11 times at large game, and I have hit "paydirt" 10 times. But I have killed every animal that I have shot at. My only miss was at a small buck in Alabama that I missed so poorly, that the animal didn't know I shot.

    The weapon is going to recoil. You can't stop that. In my opinion, a high quality scope with adequate eye relief makes all the difference. Practice. Practice. Practice. Get accustomed to the recoil. Make sure you have your ears protected at the shooting range.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    I think you may be on to something with the eye relief. The scope itself is ok, not great but ok. Its the new simmons master series. I was so close to the scope when shooting the first shot, the scope nearly broke my big nose. I was using the same positioning as I would with irons, so I am pretty sure I was too close.

    I did a little reading last night on zeroing in a scope, so i am about to get back out there today and have at it. I just need to focus on the target and squeeze. If I do that everything will work out. Also, I was only firing one shot then adjusting the scope. I should have shot a three shot group then adjusted. Once I get it figured out, this is the rifle I am going to take to hunt with so I need to get good with the glass.

    Oh yeah, its hard to go wrong with a .308. the round will do almost anything you ask of it.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    I'm having trouble getting my rifle sited in correctly. I'm a very inexperienced rifle shooter, so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. I just think my groupings should be a little better than they are. It's probably a 3 or 4 inch grouping at 100 shooting 130 gr. ballistic tips (out of my .270 WSM)
    Time is your friend. Impulse is your enemy. -John Bogle

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Johnny are you on bags when shooting, or some kinda stand to keep everything still? All I had were bags yesterday and to be honest it was not the best (either is my shooting, but anyway )

    I am going to try and get some kinda stand to steady the rifle, then fire 3 shot groups to see about where it's shooting. After that my scope has 1/4 inch adjustments per click, so at 100 yards four clicks is one inch in any direction.

    Once you get an idea of about where its shooting, then start counting the clicks in your head for adjustment. .270 is a nice shooting round and I am sure you can get the groups down to about 2 inches or less.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    I had a stand, but it didn't fit really well with the shooting situation. I was at the shooting range in Monroe that last time I shot (yes, it's been a while). It was like I had to sit the stand on top of the bags. It was just tought to get a repeatable shot...does that make any sense?
    Time is your friend. Impulse is your enemy. -John Bogle

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Oh yeah it does, trust me. Your shooting does not sound that bad at all if that was the case. If its hard to repeat a shot, the groups are going to open up big time. I may ask to use somebodys stand at the range today. My goal is to get a 5 shot group 2 inches or less about 1.5 above point of aim. That way it will be money at 250 yards and still very nice at 100.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Quote Originally Posted by MattB View Post
    I think you may be on to something with the eye relief. The scope itself is ok, not great but ok. Its the new simmons master series. I was so close to the scope when shooting the first shot, the scope nearly broke my big nose. I was using the same positioning as I would with irons, so I am pretty sure I was too close.

    I did a little reading last night on zeroing in a scope, so i am about to get back out there today and have at it. I just need to focus on the target and squeeze. If I do that everything will work out. Also, I was only firing one shot then adjusting the scope. I should have shot a three shot group then adjusted. Once I get it figured out, this is the rifle I am going to take to hunt with so I need to get good with the glass.

    Oh yeah, its hard to go wrong with a .308. the round will do almost anything you ask of it.
    Three shot groups are the way to go. You can't learn anything from shooting one at a time. I sighted my Leupold in at my buddy's ranch in Mississippi 2 years ago. Three shot grouping within 0.75" at 100 yards, three shot grouping within 2.5" at 200 yards. That is on a bench rest with bags. Of course I'm not nearly that accurate free handing. I'm trying to wean myself off of rifles anyway.
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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Thats pretty good shooting beefcakes. Anything under an inch at 100 yards and you're doing something right to say the least.

    Well today was much much better. First thing I did when I got there was to have the range guy set up my bags and get the bench right. Next I had him fire off three shots then I fired off three shots. Both of us shot pretty tight groups at the perfect height but about 3 inches to the right. So he dialed in 12 clicks to the left and then the magic happened. I was about an inch high like I wanted and could cover an eight shot group with a quarter. (I had two flyers about 2 inches off, but we are not going to count them) The barrel got a little hot after that and I had a couple go off a little, but not too bad. All in all much better.

    I got a lot more comfortable with the scope too, just be smooth and squeeze, and the rest took care of itself. I will get my digi cam and post pics in a bit.

    Edit: here is a pic of the group.
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    Last edited by MattB; 11-12-2006 at 07:45 PM.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Unscrew the eyepiece on the scope a little. Doing this will allow you to have more distance between your eye and the scope still maintaining full vision through. This will keep you from needing stitches in your eyebrow.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Quote Originally Posted by shreveportdawg View Post
    Unscrew the eyepiece on the scope a little. Doing this will allow you to have more distance between your eye and the scope still maintaining full vision through. This will keep you from needing stitches in your eyebrow.
    Sorry to laugh Matt , but I'm laughing with you, not at you. There aren't may folks who have shot much that have not done what you did. sheveportdawg has the best suggestion. The adjustment is there for a reason.

    A few things I do that might help...

    Try taking a small caliber rifle to the range too. No recoil and it gets your confidence up.

    Squeeze the trigger while breathing out. Don't try to hold your breath.

    I don't like to shoot more than three without letting the gun cool down a little. May not be anything to it, but a guy who shoots a lot told me one time to do it that way.

    When you get to a point of confidence you will know for sure if it's you or the rifle making the mistake.

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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    I've often wondered about the wear on my barrell. I've got a short mag and I read somewhere that they are unsure about the barrell life in some of those fast calibers. I don't recall allowing time for the barrell to cool. I'll try that next time.
    Time is your friend. Impulse is your enemy. -John Bogle

  13. #13
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    Re: Scope shooting tips

    Quote Originally Posted by maddawg View Post
    Sorry to laugh Matt , but I'm laughing with you, not at you. There aren't may folks who have shot much that have not done what you did. sheveportdawg has the best suggestion. The adjustment is there for a reason.

    A few things I do that might help...

    Try taking a small caliber rifle to the range too. No recoil and it gets your confidence up.

    Squeeze the trigger while breathing out. Don't try to hold your breath.

    I don't like to shoot more than three without letting the gun cool down a little. May not be anything to it, but a guy who shoots a lot told me one time to do it that way.

    When you get to a point of confidence you will know for sure if it's you or the rifle making the mistake.
    Haha, I even laughed at myself too. Here I am thinking I am about to punch a 5 shot group in one ragged hole, and I almost end up knocking myself out. It caught more of the top of my nose than anything. You know when you have been hit in the nose pretty hard and you get that "hollow" pain in the middle of you nose? Yup, it sucks.

    I adjusted the eye relief and backed off it some on the next range trip (the one where I posted the pic) and it was 100 % better. Towards the end I was not flinching very much and just letting the rifle recoil, hence the much better groups. I think one of my flyers was from the barrel getting too hot. I let loose the 10 pretty quick back to back, so I know it was smoking by number 10. (Maybe not, but it makes me feel better) With every shot I take it is getting better, so I just think it is something to work through. With the last group I didn't even notice the recoil, just aim, concentrate, squeeze, bang. (And for the gutter minded, I am only talking about SHOOTING, not other sports)

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