[Gonzilla]

Turn up the mag on your scope and you should obtain a consistent aiming point. Amazing how groups shrink when mag increases.

Yet, Shooting fundamentals never change and a 22 is the best & most economical teaching aide I know of. To assist in the "transfer" get a 22 as close to your high power setup as possible. (ie scoped bolt action)

Besides, 22s give you something to "do" while the barrel cools down and 7mm Heats up fast. While the barrel is cooling, excellent time to BS w other shooters who will usually give you more advice than you can handle. Incorporate what "works" for you and data dump the rest.

Take notes - range conditions, ammo wt 140-160 gr., brand, shooting position, type of rest used and where you put it etc. Consistency is the key. Film yourself shooting will be helpful in spotting bad habits before they become ingrained & correct them.

When everything else fails, shime it and see what happens.

[B4Sunrise]

Originally Posted by c3shooter

Sunrise, the 7mm Mag, in a bolt action, from a benchrest, is going to have a LOT of recoil. Frankly, you may be dreading that firing pin dropping, and flinching.

Have someone coach you- load your rifle with an empty mixed in with live amm at random spacing. If you flinch it will be apparent when the empty CLICKS and you jerk.

A good recoil pad will help. Also try something that does not cause PAIN when it goes bang. I shoot a moderate amount of heavy rifles- but use a Lead Sled when zeroing a scope from the bench.

It's true the 7mm RM does have a lot of recoil, I'm thinking I'll get a Marlin bolt action 22 for practice. And I also agree that my shooting form is at fault for the bad rounds. I did watch the holland video and picked up some tips and knowledge I hadn't heard before. Two items I will do from watching - pick up a Harris bipod, #2 think about allowing the rifle to come straight back during recoil. I have also really been getting in push-ups, and lifting in order to put a little more padding on my shoulder.
Interestingly I find almost without fail I tend to shoot better with the 7mm RM as the day goes on. Usually my last groups of the day are my best, by then I have calmed myself not to think about the recoil and I am focusing on fundamentals.

[B4Sunrise]

I have attached a picture of my last target, my rifle is sighted 1" high at 100 yds. I'll post my next target after I pick up the Harris bipad and a bag to put under the butt of the rifle stock.

[krisko09]

Originally Posted by purehavoc

practice practice practice is what I say . However you might try different ammo also , different weights and different manufacturers all shoot differently
I shoot sub 1" @ 100yd groups with my savage .223 with cheapo remington UMCs.
Set up a video camera while your shooting and make sure your not flinching , or pulling the trigger instead of squeezing . 7mm has alot of kick and some tend to tense up on the squeeze . Control your breathing . I dont squeeze the trigger until Im calm and my heart rate is low , I try to shoot at the end of my exhale and in between heartbeats but I dont always accomplish that , its tough to do that without alot of practice, and I try to practice it with a snap cap in dry firing on the bipod in my garage on my shooting table . I dont know if you can see it or not with a 14X but at 24X you can see your heart beat making the scope move .
Buy a couple snap caps and practice alot

I love my savage 223

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[B4Sunrise]

I am thinking of getting either a .22, .223 or .243 to practice because as you mentioned the 7mm RM does have a lot of recoil. I was thinking of the .22 simply because the ammo is cheap, but I have been thinking perhaps a .223 or .243 or even a 7mm-08, since they do have mid-range recoil. I loved shooting the M-16 when I was in the Army, I suppose it's a good choice because as I have seen the ammo is also crazy cheap.

[krisko09]

Originally Posted by B4Sunrise

I am thinking of getting either a .22, .223 or .243 to practice because as you mentioned the 7mm RM does have a lot of recoil. I was thinking of the .22 simply because the ammo is cheap, but I have been thinking perhaps a .223 or .243 or even a 7mm-08, since they do have mid-range recoil. I loved shooting the M-16 when I was in the Army, I suppose it's a good choice because as I have seen the ammo is also crazy cheap.

You're m16 fired 5.56NATO/.223.. if you enjoyed it so much I'd get a .223. And depending on how much money you're willing to throw at it I'd suggest doing an AR build. You should check out the stickies about it. AgentTikki is the guy to ask about it.

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[B4Sunrise]

Originally Posted by krisko09

You're m16 fired 5.56NATO/.223.. if you enjoyed it so much I'd get a .223. And depending on how much money you're willing to throw at it I'd suggest doing an AR build. You should check out the stickies about it. AgentTikki is the guy to ask about it.

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True enough the M16 is a 5.56mm/.223 however a .223 isn't even legal for shooting deer in my home state much less being anywhere close to adequate for an Elk gun, which is why I bought the 7mm RM.


As mentioned I picked up a harris bipod and can see it's use allows a much more consistent to hold on target than using a sand bag. If can manage I'll get to the range this weekend and let you know how it goes.

[B4Sunrise]

I finally got back out to the range, the responses to my original post had a lot of great feedback, I took the advice of getting a Harris bi-pod, and watched the videos of the finer points of marksmanship. The bi-pod proved it's worth beyond a doubt, I had quite a few touching and overlapping holes, with three shots side-by-side holes just distinguishable as three vs. two. Of fourteen shoots taken using double-tap 160 gr nosler partitions, 2 groups were sub-1/2 moa and 9 were within two 1 inch blocks, an inch high slight off center to the left. Where as I only got groups of two touching shots from the Hornady ammo. To be fair the Hornady rounds were shot after the twenty rounds of double tap, so perhaps I was getting sore, though I believe the added whallop dolled out by the SuperPerformance rounds makes them a little harder to control. I noticed the first few Hornday rounds going astray and made an effort to hold the rifle a little tighter and focused on the trigger squeeze and brought them back under control.
As mentioned I used two manufacturers' ammo - Hornady super performance 162 gr and double tap 160 gr Nosler. Clearly the double-tap rounds pattern better, while the Hornady sheet was also pretty good, with two sub moa groups, however there were more "strays" with the Hornday. I also have used the Hornady regular ammo and prefer it to the SuperPerformance stuff.

[trip286]

*applause*
Great job Sunrise!

[kusterleXD]

Congrats! I'm looking forward to getting some range time in with the ne2 150 gr Horandy SSTs I picked up. Now to get a few batches loaded with them so I can find out what amount of powder my rifle likes best.