Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Where should a rifle balance?

Is there a general rule for this? An optimum spot? I like a rifle that is a little muzzle heavy over butt heavy, but it seems with some of the lighter bolts today they feel butt heavy to me.

Appreciate your help!

most here say right on the front action screw....

In your hands (grin)...

I as gonna say over my day pack......grin

Dober

(and for me I want them to have some weight forward and not butt heavy)

Slightly barrel heavy is probably better for shooting offhand but I keep making my decision based more on how the rifle carrys in one hand. (I think this is called the "trail carry".) I want to be able to wrap my hand completely around the rifle at the balance point. This creates a problem with a scoped rifle if the balance point is right under the front scope mount ring. I'd rather have the balance point either far enough back so I can grasp the rifle around the front of the bolt under the scope or far enough forward so I can hold it forward of the front scope mount. The objective bell of the scope usually interferes with this carry unless you mount a scope with no objective bell. A low mounted scope pretty much prevents either carry. Fortunately my long neck lets me mount the scope pretty high and still have it immediately lined up with my eye.

Thanks for the replies!

If it is a heavy rifle primarily for bipod/rest use, I don't mind if the balance is a bit in front of the recoil lug. If it is a hunting rifle, I like it to be somewhere between the lug and the action screw.

On the front screw, on a mountain grizzly skull, is my preference.



Even a light rifle like this Rifles Inc. Lightweight Strata (5 lbs. 14 oz. as you see it above with mounts and scope) can be set up that way if you don�t cut the barrel too short. This particular rifle, which is chambered in .270 Winchester, has a 23-inch barrel and balances just right.

I like my rifles to have a little weight forward in the tube.

Thanks again!

If you hunt with a loaded chamber and the gun in your hands all day at port arms, you'll probably appreciate a butt heavy gun.

Depends on the use. I actually load rounds in my butt cuff to move the balance back sometimes as most of my rifles are a little muzzle heavy.

For short range shots at moving deer I like it between my hands when carried at high port, in other words about two inches behind the front action screw.

For most use I like it on the recoil lug screw.

If it is sagebrush type country where you end up with some fairly long range off hand opportunities it should be more muszzle heavy.

What they said, plus whatever feels best to you.

This may seem like a weasel statement, but the question of balance DOES depend on the person more than where the front screw is located. My wife, for instance, hates any rifle heavier than 6.5 pounds, and doesn't mind if they are a little muzzle-light, because she is not the he-man offhand shooter many guys are. She can shoot quite well offhand at 150 to 200 yards with a rifle that most guys would call a "wand" or some other derogatory term.

So shoot a lot of rifles offhand and see what works for you. There is no magic balance point.

Yep. Balance is a personal thing. I shoot everything better with a slight muzzel heavy feel. But, that's just me.

O

Personally, I've decided I like the balance point of a bolt action rifle to be about 6.0 to 6.5 inches in front of the trigger. That's with a scope and rings if the rifle is to be scoped.

Also personal is my preference for using the trigger as a reference point, since not all action screws are in the same place.

- Tom

Again I appreciate the posts...as I've read your answers and played with this more, I still seem to like a rifle a little muzzle heavy and in the 7.5 to 8.5 pound range.

But as JB says, I get to enjoy more off hand shooting to find out what works best.