Rifle balance ?

T

txdan

New member
Where should a rifle balance at? At the bolt face? Ahead of the bolt? Or am
I oversimplifying my thoughts. Help me understand. Please
 
For what purpose? To be shot in what manner? Things that matter for one type of shooting, and/or manner of shooting the rifle do not matter nearly so much when the use or manner of shooting are different. Short answer:It depends. IMO the most critical situation as far as balance is concerned is when a rifle is being put together to shoot from a bench, free recoil. When a rifle is shouldered, balance is much less critical. Often it is an outcome of factors over which there is limited control.
 
I shoot mostly PB score. Wondering if a 21" barrel with more weight in the stock vs. 23" barrel would help
With tracking and muzzel jump. 3" forearm and 18" twist is OK for the torque
 
txdan said:
I shoot mostly PB score. Wondering if a 21" barrel with more weight in the stock vs. 23" barrel would help
With tracking and muzzel jump. 3" forearm and 18" twist is OK for the torque
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Like Boyd said..it depends. Somewhere between the action face and 2" in front of it works pretty well, but if you hold the gun any at all, it makes it much more forgiving. Even just a little thumb pressure on the stock wrist will make a huge difference. Same goes for a little shoulder. Also, caliber matters..The 30's are much more violent than a ppc.
 
Doesn't matter! You can't build a rifle that will win anything or anywhere thinking that the balance point has anything to do with it. If it's way out of balance and shoots well enough to win if you hold it somehow....just hold it somehow.
 
Txdan, your question about a rifle's balance point is a good one, and one I have wondered about myself.

The reason is that my LV 6PPC has a just broken-in 23" barrel and the rifle balances just over two inches in front of the action face. With a Kelbly SPG stocks built for free recoil it seems a bit front-heavy to me. I intend to shoot it in a match soon and wonder if the front-weight bias will prevent it from being competitive. I still have some time to have the barrel shortened, so I'm looking for the same answer you are!
 
MBrenner said:
Txdan, your question about a rifle's balance point is a good one, and one I have wondered about myself.

The reason is that my LV 6PPC has a just broken-in 23" barrel and the rifle balances just over two inches in front of the action face. With a Kelbly SPG stocks built for free recoil it seems a bit front-heavy to me. I intend to shoot it in a match soon and wonder if the front-weight bias will prevent it from being competitive. I still have some time to have the barrel shortened, so I'm looking for the same answer you are!
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If you are using a front rest stop, move it back a bit.

Most BR shooters want the balance point at the front of the action to about 3" ahead of that point.



,
 
Thanks for the replies. I will try a little thumb next then move out the stop. I still have the occasional train wreck but I know what caused those. It is those that go out the bottom or top that have me scratching my head and tail.
 
Balance point?

Given the demensions on all stocks are different it would seem that the percentage of weight on front bag and rear bag would be a better measure. As the forend gets longer more weight goes to the rear bag. That being said wouldn't a ratio be a better measuring stick than a balance point? I understand I could be wrong and am fine with that but just curious you guys have done this a lot longer than me and your experience and knowledge is greatly appreciated.
 
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A somewhat pertinent story...

I watched my good friend Mark Luksic shoot a group at Reidsville. The fellow that owned the spotting scope was looking with it so I was watching Mark and waiting on the scope. Mark set in shooting his group and the rifle slid straight back on some shots and came completely out of the rear bag on others. I was planning on telling him that his rifle was flying around but the group he shot was a smaller than the usual "one something" and ended up being small group for the agg. Don't really know what happened there but it seems that whatever the rifle does is not related to what the bullet does.
 
Wilbur said:
I watched my good friend Mark Luksic shoot a group at Reidsville. The fellow that owned the spotting scope was looking with it so I was watching Mark and waiting on the scope. Mark set in shooting his group and the rifle slid straight back on some shots and came completely out of the rear bag on others. I was planning on telling him that his rifle was flying around but the group he shot was a smaller than the usual "one something" and ended up being small group for the agg. Don't really know what happened there but it seems that whatever the rifle does is not related to what the bullet does.
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Supposedly the gun only recoils a fraction of an inch before the bullet exits the barrel. Some say about 1/10".

BUT, what the gun does after that in the recoil process determines how long it takes the shooter to get back on target and how much the bags are disturbed can and usually does effect the group.

.
 
I'll agree on the time part....maybe the whole deal if it's all related to time. I don't think it matters much about the bag getting goofed up...aside from the time it takes to get the next shot off....which may be what your sayin'.
 
Dan, I prefer shorter barrels with the weight more toward the rear. Of course, with a LV weight Rifle, you are limited on just how far you can take it. My LV barrels typically weigh about 74 ounces.

The 30 BR barrel I shot at the last three Region Matches on my HV is just 20 1/4 inches long. You know how it shoots. I actually filled the rear of the Robertson stock up with Devcon Flexain, a two part pourable rubber compound that hardens. I actually use a LV taper.

See you tomorrow morning at Tomball.
 
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