# F.Y.I.- camo tape wrap



## bobt (Oct 1, 2008)

Had a nice broadside shot the other morning at about 180 yard. I was laying pron and felt rock solid, fired and missed clean. first thing I did when I got home was stick a target up on the 200 yard backstop and went to get my rifle, as I was pulling it out of the case I looked at the gun and thought " you idiot". A few days before I had wrapped the stock and fore arm with white camo tape and never rezeroed. I layed pron and fired two rounds, they both hit the target about 1.5" apart but they where 7" low!! Just gos to show any time you work on your gun rezero. hope this keeps someone else from having that long walk back to the pickup emtyhanded. BOB.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Yeah you can't wrap the crap out of it.


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

I guess im a bit confused as to how that would happen. The only two things I can think of are if its a floated barrel? If so a tight wrap going over the forearm and barrel could do that, I guess. You have to be aware, I guess is the way to put it, of floated barrels. Than can be touchy when it comes to "pressure" changes.

or

Did you actually take it apart to wrap it?

When I painted my 250 this summer I took the scope/rings off (with a piece of tape and witness mark so I could mount it as close as possible to original location) and took the action/barrel out of the stock. Put it all back together and went to the range, I was 1/2 inch right of original zero.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

BBJ got it...I forgot to clarify that. Is your barrel free floated? Both mine are NOT, and I wrap them, and don't seem to get problems .


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## gsehnter-bloms (Dec 16, 2007)

When i wrapped my gun it was still sighted in. Thats weird..


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

The stock on my Savage is like rubber, and I have to wrap very lightly. I have seen rifles shift more than 7 inches. You often find that you need a scale and must put pressure on heavy calibers with light barrels. I gave my son a 300 Winchester Magnum that will shot 3/4 inch groups all day with four pounds of pressure on the forearm. A pound more or less and it opens up. I bedded it with four pounds pressure.

Try this some time. Rest your bipod on soft ground and shoot at 100 yards. Then rest it on hard ground and shoot at 100 yards. Depending on the rifle you will find three to four inches difference in some rifles. You will find the most difference in rifles that are not free floated.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

Plainsman

Speaking of the pressure thing, what do you think of this scenario:

I have a bipod on my Weatherby Vanguard. Not a free floated barrel. I sight it in from a prone position with the bipod extended. This deer season I had shots at TWO different badgers in the ditch. Jumped out of the pickup and shot from a kneeling position with the bipod folded up. Missed both animals.

Do you think the tension of the bipod could have thrown off my zero in that case? I was close both times to each badger, as I got a chance to go up to the holes and see where I hit the dirt.


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## nosib (Dec 4, 2008)

i'd say the bipod would make a bigger difference than wrapping it


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## coyoteman (Jan 18, 2007)

Free floated barrels should be the only one that would be affected and depends on the stock. It takes a bit of pressure to change your zero.


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

Just my .02 but here goes.

Anytime you alter the state of the barrel you are fooling with the barrels natural harmonics(the way it vibrates) and that can surely mess with the zero whether its floated or not. An unwrapped barrel vibrates a certain way when shot. If you then wrap it in vet wrap or what ever, you have now changed the way it vibrates and are quite likely to find a different zero.

Like Plainsmen said, his .300 shot best with 4lbs of fore end pressure. Now wrap that barrel and that pressure is increased to 5 lbs and its probable that you will see a shift in POI. Sometimes that shift might only be 1/2 inch but its better to find out at the range than still scratching your head after your 3rd coyote miss at 80 yards.

Fallguy,

I would say its very likely that your POI changed because of the bipod. I have a Browning Abolt in 22-250 that shoots under an inch at 100 yards off a Caldwell front rest and a rear sandbag and then put it on a bipod(hard surface) and it opens up to 4 or 5 inch groups with the same load! Its ultra sensative to the bipod(why I use shooting sticks).

Rifles can be so sensitive that changes in your grip pressure can move your shots around. Dead serious. Try it sometime-put your rifle on the rest and hold it real loose(free recoil) and shoot a group and then give it the old death grip(tight to the shoulder, both hands) and shoot another group and see what happens), so anytime you zero your rifle or add a bipod or anything, its always wise to check your zero.

Good luck fellas, hope this helps

jaybic


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Fallguy, there are a number of things that come into play. If your barrel isn't free floated the likely culprit is your shooting lower with a soft hold. This is the same as shooting from a soft surface or a hard surface with you bipod on. I have had some guns that when I sighted in perfect at 100 yards with sandbags would shoot three inches low when held in my hand.

The other aspect is distance from bore to center of scope. If you have high rings and shot at something close, it will put you low. Lets say you have rings that lift the center of your scope 1.8 inches above center of bore. If you sight in at 100 yards you would then be 1.46 inches low at ten yards even if everything is perfect. Throw in 1.46 inches, add maybe 1 inch for a soft hold, then the unknown for barrel harmonics from temperature shift, hold, bipod, etc you could be off by maybe three inches.

I would definitely duplicate that shot on paper to see what is going on. It's not that bad once your aware of what the rifle does.


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## SDHandgunner (Jun 22, 2004)

Yep, been there, done that. In my case I had wrapped the barrel and forend (did a really nice job too). Well I used a white cloth safety tape from work. What I experienced was when that tape got wet it shrunk and things got really tight. I had to cut it off with a razor blade.

Yep it changed not only my point of impact but also my group size.

A wise ole feller once told me "If you're doing it right kid the only part of your rifle the Coyote is supposed to see is the MUZZLE". Well that is kind of true but we all know that isn't always the case.

Larry


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## barebackjack (Sep 5, 2006)

Jaybic said:


> Rifles can be so sensitive that changes in your grip pressure can move your shots around. Dead serious. Try it sometime-put your rifle on the rest and hold it real loose(free recoil) and shoot a group and then give it the old death grip(tight to the shoulder, both hands) and shoot another group and see what happens), so anytime you zero your rifle or add a bipod or anything, its always wise to check your zero.


I would say this is due to the person though, not the rifle.

The most accurate shots will be with a loose grip and steady pressure on the trigger. Like on a sandbagged rifle shot off the bench.

"Death grips" mean a less controlled trigger pull and impart movement into the rifle from the shooters body, i.e. breathing motion, hearbeat, twitches and jerks.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> I would say this is due to the person though, not the rifle.


I'm sure that's true, but we are concerned about what the rifle does, and it also reacts. 
I would say it's the rifle reacting to the persons hold. I think it is the same as a hard or soft surface reaction. Another thing is point of hold on the forend. Try resting on sandbag at the same point your bipod attaches when you sight in. Now for kicks slide the sandbags way back on the forend. Many of my rifles have grouped best when the sandbags were moved back a ways on the forend. That's why the very expensive machine rests have a devise that locates your rifle forend in the same position for each shot.


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## Jaybic (Sep 8, 2005)

BBJ,

I agree that its a shooter issue, but it was just to illustrate how sensitive a rifle is to outside input. I think maybe Plainsmen explained what I was trying to say better than I did. I also agree with him(and you probably know this also) about the placement of the sand bag at the forend.

Plainmen is also correct about the forend stop on a good rifle rest that allows it to "return to battery"(same spot on the rest every time). When a person realizes that these little tiny things can make a POI or group difference, then its easy to understand how a bipod or wrapping a barrel can make a HUGE difference in why a bullet goes where it goes(or not).

Anyway,

good luck

Jaybic


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## duckp (Mar 13, 2008)

Tape will sure do it.Almost aything can do it.The smart way,after basic zero,is shooting with you and your equipment in 'hunting mode'.Off bipod/sticks,offhand,sitting/kneeling,with/without gloves,with/without facemask(note some long rangers even have adjustable cheek pieces),and so on.It WILL vary some but at least you'll know what to expect.
There's a reason good 'benchers'don't alter anything w/out testing-even so much as changing their foot positions.
Burning some powder is the only way to know.


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