N/A Spring gun hold(yes we all know)

[harrympope]

I was just at the indoor range shooting my R7 .177 at fifty feet. I was zeroing a scope I hadn't remembered where it was at. The gun was shot rested in my hand with my hand on top of a hard sand bag.
After I got it where I wanted I decided to see how it shot rested directly on top of the sandbag nestled in my shoulder. As you can see the groups dropped an inch plus and were all over the place.
I ended this session with one group from my .177 pro sport. Also hand held over a rest.

When I see these guys on YouTube resting their spring guns in a sand bag I wonder how they get them to group ,I never have been able to? I shoot bench rest with low velocity cast bullet powder burners and i'm very familiar with how to control a gun on a rest.I've given up trying with spring guns!

 

[Sqwirl57]

I always use semi-full sand bags with my springers and it always works great. The groups I question are the ones shot from bipods...

 

[Mycapt65]

I've never been able to make rests work on springers. They seem to hop on them. Usually my groups print worse and higher every time I tried to shoot rested. Even on the softest of rests. My best groups which might be mediocre to some were always shot holding the gun lightly with both hands

 

[Sqwirl57]

The front bag has never really been an issue for me but I have found that some guns prefer different bags/fills. A rear squeeze bag has had questionable results though to the point where I dont really use them often

 

[SpiralGroove]

Yeah, I always shoot my Springers with the forearm (end) rested on a 90% full bag (rice/aquarium rocks). I haven't ever had my hand on top of the bag holding the gun. My left hand (I'm right handed) grips the stock very lightly in front to the trigger guard, while my right hand is gently holding the pistol grip.

The gun gets a free ride otherwise, follow through is critical too ...... Same hold works on every Springer .... with only minor adjustments needed.

 

[Jay308]

The hand between the rest is the best but I have used my pb rear squeeze bag on the rest and it works decent.

I make mine out of a big tube sock filled with airsoft bb’s and tie the top of the sock in a knot.

 

[drpietrzak]

Here is what works for me.

 

[harrympope]

Maybe I'll try a softer front rest.
The way I've been doing it my point of impact is the same rested or shooting unsupported field positions

How does the POI consistency do with you guys that rest the guns directly in the bags?

 

[KWK]

Too much like Daddy holds the gun and I pull the trigger in post #7

 

[drpietrzak]

Well, I shoot more for precision so there is, for me, a shift. There is a shift from early in the day to later in the day as the gun is used. There is a shift from cold to hot (or reverse). To me a shift of 1/4 inch at 50-yards is a shift.

I shoot mostly 50-feet when shooting off-hand. There is generally about a 3/8" to 5/8" shift from Bench to off-hand. The shift is due, like my off-hand pistol technique, mostly to differences in trigger pull timing. On a bench I do not have to time trigger to crossing my poa. It is a steady sight picture. Off-hand I have to "zen" in on the pull as the the crosshair passes the desired poa. While I am usually consistent within session I and often consistently different across sessions.

Not enough to affect a squirrel shot at 50-yards (I wouldn't off-hand one of those) but enough to off for my expectations.

 

[AirShot]

All depends on the springer, each one has its own likes and dislikes....then you give it a tuneup and have to figure it out again. Some are very sensative to minor changes, others not so much. In general, I find most springers do best when the rifle is free to slide front to rear and the surface is not hard.

 

[harrympope]

All depends on the springer, each one has its own likes and dislikes....then you give it a tuneup and have to figure it out again. Some are very sensative to minor changes, others not so much. In general, I find most springers do best when the rifle is free to slide front to rear and the surface is not hard.

I have an RWS 48 .22 with Vortex kit that shoots good groups on a rest but it's my only one.The point of impact is different by 2" as opposed to held in the hand.

 

[Sawney Bean]

I always use semi-full sand bags with my springers and it always works great. The groups I question are the ones shot from bipods...

I've only tried it with three rifles and only one of them grouped well from a bipod. My TX200 shoots nice tight groups from a bipod, but they shoot to a different point of aim than when I hold it any other way that I'm aware of. My Hatsan 135 produced shotgun patterns when shot from a bipod and my Kodiak didn't shoot horribly, but it didn't shoot well either.

Given my track record so far and that most bipods require mounting rails or a stud to the stock, I'm a little hesitant to do any further experimenting.

 

[A.G.R]

I don’t know if I have any special hold. What I do know is I subconsciously repeat every time which I’ve done for over 30 years. That being said I do a lot of standing door jamb or tree lean shooting and my left hand is always under the stock with a birds grip .. I don’t bench shoot rarely.. I hunt ..
I did break out 7 hunting guns and two plinker that range from 8 ft lbs to 32 ft lbs.
I shot 30 shots from 10 meters door jam left hand balancing Against the jamb gun held in birds hold ( covered but resting ,not crushing sides) there are over 30 shots in that hole ..

I did the same with the same with 6 of those guns at 25 yards same hold with 8 to 32 ft lb

I had one flyer with my .25 that still would have resulted in a kill in most situations.
springer hold is simply repeat muscle memory. THAT BEING SAID,having a well tuned gun and knowing the trigger and custom bespoke fitted stocks make worlds of difference

 

[harrympope]

what 32 FPE spring gun are you shooting.

 

[A.G.R]

what 32 FPE spring gun are you shooting.

My own design , prototype that I never went to market with . I made a new design at 15 to 20 ft lbs that uses a Stem design piston as Webley closed shop. I’m finalizing the new trigger design currently.

My custom Patriot that I completely rebuilt everything with my own piston and LW barrel is also doing 30 ft lbs but the trigger as good as I have made it is not near the Uk Tommy trigger in the Firefox prototype . I had to lengthen a Uk Patty tube 3 inches for a new rear block to hold the Uk Tommy trigger and the custom internals

just think of a Tommy on steroids …. It sure is fun to see poop when you hit them ,they drop …

 

[harrympope]

nice wood and rifle. I had a custom tuned up theoben eliminator .25 about 10 years ago snd I think it was putting out mid twenties FPE and it was a beast.I think Kingfisher here owns it now.
At that time I also had a tuned up (polish a turd) a cheap .25 Hatsan 125 to put out the same energy. He added a quality gas ram and a bunch of other work.It was quite accurate for a Hatsan barrel.
They were quite a challenge to cock and shoot accurately,But really did smack down the collered doves.

 

[aaroncr]

My own design , prototype that I never went to market with . I made a new design at 15 to 20 ft lbs that uses a Stem design piston as Webley closed shop. I’m finalizing the new trigger design currently.

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My custom Patriot that I completely rebuilt everything with my own piston and LW barrel is also doing 30 ft lbs but the trigger as good as I have made it is not near the Uk Tommy trigger in the Firefox prototype . I had to lengthen a Uk Patty tube 3 inches for a new rear block to hold the Uk Tommy trigger and the custom internals
View attachment 411337
just think of a Tommy on steroids …. It sure is fun to see poop when you hit them ,they drop …

Wow that stock...looks like tiger maple.

 

[HeyU]

When I was benching my HW97K. My front rest is a couple lead shot bags filled with sand and my rear rest is rabbit eared bag filled with sand. My groups were ehhh soso. I then added a couple of very soft cloths and my groups improved significantly. Thx drtetrzak. I never use the artllary hold anymore when shooting in my camp chair with any of my springers.

Here is what works for me.

 

[AirShot]

I have an RWS 48 .22 with Vortex kit that shoots good groups on a rest but it's my only one.The point of impact is different by 2" as opposed to held in the hand.

What is it rested on, sounds like something hard and stifff. Also consider the point of rest....little things can nake big differences on poi.