# Floated barrels and shooting stick



## owwwwww (Jan 8, 2008)

I was thinking of this the other day, on a floated barrel gun, do you think it messes up the harmonics and accuracy when you have your barrel resting on a shooting stick? Especially with a heavy gun. I usually rest my gun on the barrel compared to the stock, dont think im gonna do that anymore but just curious if anyone knows for sure. Im sure its not good unless you sight in that way. This could explain some peoples missed shots on small targets! Im referring to smaller calibers like 22-250 and .223 :sniper:


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## Ambush Hunter (Jun 29, 2009)

Not a good habit to develop. There is a reason no one clamps bipods to barrels...although I am sure some tried :wink:


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## People (Jan 17, 2005)

That is not a good plan ever. It is always best to not touch the tube even with your thumb. It can affect how your rifle shoots. Best practice is to use the stock for any rest you have.

Coroners refer to dead people as "ABC's". Already Been Chucked.


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

I have always been a follower of sighting in and target shooting the same way I shoot when I hunt. Most of the time that means I sight in while laying prone off my bipod. I don't sight in sitting at a bench or using a shooting vice because I am never going to be doing that hunting. I may not get as tight of groups that way but oh well.


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## huntin1 (Nov 14, 2003)

Very bad idea, anything that puts pressure on the barrel can affect accuracy.

Like fallguy, I never use a bench, ever. All my sighting in, load testing, everything is done prone, with a bipod up front and a small bag under the rear of the stock that I grip with the off hand. I can squeeze or release this bag to make minor corrections in elevation.

huntin1


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## Fallguy (Jan 23, 2004)

huntin1 said:


> small bag under the rear of the stock that I grip with the off hand. I can squeeze or release this bag to make minor corrections in elevation.
> 
> huntin1


That's a great idea....using that off hand to help change your elevation. I am going to try that.

A few weeks ago papapete and I went down to his dad's range to check our rifles prior to leaving for the Bremen tournament. Papapete was shooting off the bench and I just kind of went ahead and did the same since he did. I shot like crap. So then I moved to a prone position which is how I usually shoot and while I didn't shoot my best, there was a vast difference (I think mentally I was off that day, especially after seeing my groups from my shooting at the bench...I lost confidence). And like was said...why shoot from a bench if you are never going to be doing that when hunting. Contest shooting I suppose that would be a different story.


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## Csquared (Sep 5, 2006)

Guys, you shoot from a bench for the same reason as any other test....to eliminate variables. You're testing loads and/or your rifle...not shooting ability. Everything else is just practice.

For guys like huntin1 who's shooting skills probably exceed the rest of us by a wide margin there probably isn't a big difference between prone and shooting from a bench. But for the rest of us mortals......we need a bench! :beer:

But to the original post, back when they used to make door handles a different color then the rest of the car I told my kids that was so you knew what part of the car they were supposed to touch 

They put wood and plastic on rifles for the same reason :wink:


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