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By Steve Bowers
Sunday, 01 November 2009
Q)When stalking, I usually shoot from sticks, but there are occasions, especially on the hill in Scotland and using a bipod, when I find both the accuracy and point of impact shift dramatically. Why is this?
J. GREAVES
By email
A) This is a question I am frequently asked and the answer relates to how your rifle recoils when shooting from different surfaces. On sticks your rifle will freely recoil and ride in your shoulder and, so long as you have a consistent hold and stance, the point of impact should remain the same as your initial zero on the range.
However, when a bipod is fitted, the differences between this and your hand pressure, plus the fact that the bipod now rests on a solid object i.e. the ground rather than on sticks, means that more often than not there is a shift in impact, usually upward. This is why you must shoot the rifle not only from a zeroing bench, but also in the style in which you are stalking, be it from sticks or bipod. Under recoil from a bipod rest the rifle bounces slightly and if the barrel is not sufficiently free-floated or is stiffly bedded, there will be a differing upward pressure exerted from wood to barrel, so altering the zero.
When you fit a bipod be sure it sits at least 2in from the foreend tip to ensure as little foreend flexing as possible and also, when shooting from a prone position, make sure you are not twisting the rifle from the parallel.
If you shoot directly in front of you and then, say, twist to the left for a different shot but without moving the bipod legs, on some rifles the wooden or thin synthetic fore-end will itself twist to touch the barrel and so cause an erratic shot.
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