Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Why are light rifles harder to shoot accurately?

I've heard several on here complain about how hard it is to shoot light rifles well. I do understand it's easier to hold a heavier rifle still, but is recoil, or even anticipation of it, the number one limiting factor?

Point being, I can take my light weight CZ 453 and shoot a squirrel in the head at 40 yards from field positions. Why can't an accurate shot be made just as easily with a light weight centerfire, if most of the limitation isn't recoil?

I see what you're saying, but if you shoot well then you're going you're going to regardless of rifle weight. Been said before, "I would have made that shot it my rifle were 2#s heavier" not really.....

Which is more affected by the swells on the sea, a rowboat or a supertanker?

There's a reason LR Tactical's are heavy...

Disagreed.

Add a high heart rate from climbing a mountain with a lightweight rifle, and you have a recipe for a miss.

Light centerfire rifles require a heavy hold, which isn't great for accurate fire. Also, many factory lightweight rifles don't balance particularly well, which makes accurate fire from field positions really tough.

A 6.5 lb. rifle setup is simply tougher to shoot well from field positions than a 8 lb. setup.

I've pretty well abandoned the sub-7 lb. all up rifles for just this reason.

The rifle starts moving as soon as the firing pin falls and any variation in how the rifle moves in recoil will affect point of impact. A lighter rifle is harder to control as it moves in recoil so in general the groups will be larger or it'll be harder to hold your point of impact closer to point of aim.

I've found that with my lighter rifles with a bit of recoil I get better (more consistent) results if I hold the forend pretty firmly in my left hand and rest the back of my hand on the bag. Even then I have to really concentrate on trying to use the same grip, same rearward pull, etc. for every shot. Consistency in hold is the key.

I've never had an issue shooting lightweights well. Or, at least, just as well as anything else.

What are you calling a lightweight (weight at the bench)?

I agree, a few years ago I got into the ultra-light phase. I put together a small T/C Contender carbine chambered for the 25-35 Winchester.

I was needing something to use with portable climbing deer stand use. Something light to carry and portable.

The rifle worked great from high in a tree where I was able to prop from a limb for support. Shooting off hand was akin to shooting a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.

Said differently, there's a right tool for every job, which is why the LR Tactical is heavier.

I'm saying the fundamentals of shoot should be the same, the technique may vary. A good shooter, not to be confused with a good hunter, should fundamentally be able to shoot either well.

It's been a while but, I recall reading steelhead's post about shooting the crown royal box at some ridiculous range off of a back pack with a light rifle.

Maybe we're talking about the difference between accuracy and precision.

Well if your rifle wasn't so heavy your heart rate wouldn't be so high

Seriously though yes I can shoot smaller groups with my 8-10 pound rifles. That said I have no issues killing animals I am hunting with my sub 6 pound rifles of which I have 3 and do 90% of my hunting with them. I rarely shoot beyond 300 yards so shooting prone or sitting from field position while shooting out that far isn't an issue (in there isn't a huge crosswind) to hit minute of kill zone.

Plus when hiking 10+ or more miles in to where I hunt I sure am glad I am hauling the sub 6 pound rifle as opposed to the 8-10 pound rifles. If it means I have to get 100 yards closer or have to wait for a better stalking opportunities. I'm a pansy and an extra 3 or 4 pounds of rifle could equal to 2 or so more days of extra food to be out there so wait for the opportunity.

No argument the it takes more effort to settle down a lightweight rifle, but for me and the distance I shoot its not worth hauling the extra couple pounds.

I can't throw a baseball 90mph, that doesn't mean no one can. Just because some people can't shoot a light rifle, doesn't mean it can't be done without the aid of a bench.

Balance/fit matter the mostest.

Buddy of mine had an Ultra Light 300 WM that weighed under 5 pounds. Talk about "whispy"! Never shot it, but I'd hazard that it could not have been very pleasant off a bench. And he certainly was not a great shot with it in the field...although his issues regarding accuracy went way beyond the gun itself.

Barrel jump...

I have a Rem. 700 Varminter 25.06 that I customized for the purpose of being a shooter at the range, and just to look darn nice. With a Harris bipod, must weigh at least 11 lbs I figure.

I read somewhere that keeping one's hand away from the forearm will produce better groups. I used to grip one leg of the bipod to control jump from recoil, but decided to try this. Instead I place my left hand under rear of the stock to attain greater stability, and let the rifle react however it will.

Despite its weight, gun jumps considerably, and isn't pointing anywhere near the target when the dust settles. And this is only a 25.06 out of a pretty hefty weapon.

The two attached targets demonstrate the results, 100 yds with Fusion 120s, and 200 yds with some 117 gr handloads.

Quick math tells me that, at about 3000 ft/sec, the bullet moves the length of the barrel in about 1/1000th of a second...give or take a couple ten thousandths or so.

Point being, the bullet has left the barrel before recoil starts to move the rifle, at least to any real degree that would affect accuracy.

So what does affect accuracy?

Anticipation of recoil, and muzzle blast. Thus, it's what happens in the instant leading up to the trigger breaking. The body tenses for the kick and noise. This transfers through both hands, and relative to sensitivity to both kick and noise, moves the rifle off point of aim. The hand on the forearm, because of leverage, can move the rifle off target more than the one on the trigger.

This affect is most likely more pronounced at the target range than in the field, 'cause there's more time to think about it, and fewer distractions...like that hog buck on the treeline at 200 yds. Which is why few actually remember recoil as part of the shot process while hunting.

That said, the lighter the rifle, the more it is likely to react to the body's anticipation of the perceived intensity of what's coming next, which in large part is relative to the caliber,...not to mention the increasing difficulty in steadying for the shot. And in the field, minus a bipod, the more is the potential for severity of effect of this anticipation transferred through the forearm of the rifle.

This is why snipers and competitive shooters hone in on the finest details of self control...breathing, heart rate, etc...in order to minimize the effects of the body's natural anticipation of recoil/blast and its tendency to react in advance of the event.

Off of a sandbag or designed cradle, a hand sitting atop the barrel is not nearly as likely to transfer the shooter's reaction as is one actually gripping the barrel/forearm itself.

This is also why a nice, crisp and light trigger improves shooting. Not only does it prevent tugging the rifle off target, it hyphenates the amount of time the body has to react ahead of the shot.

IMHO and FWIW.

[/URL]

[/URL]

[/URL]

Add a lot of "well practiced properly executed technique" seasoning to your recipe and you'll have the perfect cake. The rest is just sprinkles on top.

Exactly!

Most rifles, especially those available of late, are generally capable of shooting better than the person behind the trigger.

Nice deflection.

Apparently you can't comprehend English...

All I asked is what you consider a light rifle.

To me a "light" rifle at the bench is sub 6.5lbs... which is another way to say I don't consider a 7.5lb rifle a lightweight.

Others have different standard's.

Just trying to get some actual parameters/standard's into the discussion, which is meaningless without them.

My Scoped Kimber MT 308 weighs 5lb's 15oz's with one round in it. I shoot it well, but shooting a 7lb 4oz 308 at the bench is far easier.

People...

Yeah...

Here's 3 shots at 100 with a 6 pound rifle, all up. I'm good with it and have some heavier that I can't do as well with because the weight is in the wrong place.