Bench Technique / Rifle Control

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  • Last Post 14 October 2025
Wm Cook posted this 17 August 2025

Other than heavy or unlimited CBA competition (who I assume all shoot free recoil, 3” forearm, 2oz trigger), all of us have to have our hands on our rifle to finalize our POA, to manage recoil, return to battery.

All of us have one finger near, kissing or hovering near the trigger. However some triggers break at 1lb and others at 7lbs.

Our trigger hand may or may not be touching the stock and the remaining hand may be on the forearm or it maybe squeezing the bag. The butt of the stock may be off our shoulders to catch the recoil or it may be in a death grip pinching the rifle between your shoulder and the front rest stop so hard the front rest is nearly tipping.

Could you describe how you manage your hands and how you control your rifle from trigger pull, through recoil and then back to your POA?

It would be helpful if you described the rifle you’re referencing in terms of whether it’s a skinny factory 7lb rig, a 11lb production class with the oval 3” forearm or a 10+ lb military rifle. Thanks, Bill C.

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pat i posted this 17 August 2025

Interesting topic and looking forward to replies since it's something I struggle with using my 8 1/2 pound Winchester 670.

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Bud Hyett posted this 17 August 2025

I often take a BSA Martini to the practice range to shoot first at 100 yards and test the shooter. The Martini is known accuracy and if I am shooting well, I know the testing will be good. If I'm not shooting well, I go home. No sense in wasting carefully prepared ammunition.

Triggers must be safe and crisp, I do not mind the weight as long as they are crisp and under two and one-half pounds. The essential is being crisp. The next essential is pulling straight back on the rigger. The CPA Stevens 44 1/2 set trigger is especially touch about this, the slightest side pressure will get you a 9. 

Shoulder pressure and cheek weld are unique to each rifle. You just need to experiment for refinement once you feel you have an accurate load. When shooting a two piece stock, experiment with the bags under your shoulder and holding the rifle firmly against your shoulder. This once in a while helps. Not often, but try it. 

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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Tom Acheson posted this 17 August 2025

I’m interested also.

Just read a book “Jack Hinson’s One Man War”, a true account of a Confederate Civil War sniper. His rifle weighed 14-pounds, had a full octagon 40” barrel, one piece maple stock, chambered in .50 caliber using a Minie Ball (sp?) and used 100-grains of black powder. It was a muzzle loader.

One detail that was repeated for all of his shots….breathing. Take a deep breath, relax, take another, hold your breath, do final sight (iron) alignment and squeeze.

Interesting that his set trigger was the front one. On both of my rifles it’s the rear one. He kept his trigger finger on the trigger guard to avoid an accidental discharge.

The breathing detail caught my attention.

Tom

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Glenn R. Latham posted this 17 August 2025

Bill, as Bud mentioned, each rifle is a law unto itself, but here's in general, what I've found.  My first centerfire was a light 222 Rem.  I held the pistol grip firmly and just used the left hand to manipulate the rear bag.  Did the same when I got a 30-06.  When I started shooting CBs in the '06, I experimented a bit and found accuracy was better with these light loads if I gripped the forend firmly just behind the front rest with my left hand, pulling the rifle into my shoulder.  The trigger hand still has a firm grip as well.  Of course you have to be consistent, but that goes with any method.

Glenn

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RicinYakima posted this 17 August 2025

I will weigh in here, but be warned all of my cast bullet match shooting has been with 1903 Springfields' "S" stocks and "C" stocks or 03A3's "fat boy" WW2 stocks. 

My hand placement is determined by the bag set up. The snug front rest is where you would hold the rifle if shooting off hand, behind the sling swivel. Far enough so the swivel doesn't touch the bag on recoil. The rear bag is a far back on the bench as I can get with the butt plate just off the end. The bag is in front of the swivel so as not to be hit on recoil. 

The left hand reaches around and fine tunes the rear bag's bunny ears that are not tightly filled, kind of soft. The right hand grips the stock so that all pressure is up and down, with zero side pressure. The hand pulls the butt into the pocket of the shoulder with about 3 to 4 pounds pressure. Thumb is under the cocking knob and I pull with the first pad of my finger. 

I know I am doing it right for me when the sights are in the same place on the target after recoil, for me high and left but still in the black. With my posture and body weight, recoil only moves the rifle about an inch to the rear. The right hand operates the bolt and presents a new cartridge on the follower. Pushing forward on the until the rear sling swivel touches the bag brings the rifle back to battery position. 

Cheek placement and pressure are another issue to discuss. 

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shootcast posted this 18 August 2025

I struggle with this all the time. Interesting to read what others have to say. I have watched U Tube videos and depending on who made the video determined the correct way to shoot. I feel each firearm can be different. I like shooting many guns and I have noticed you can’t shoot them all the same way. Even 3 inch wide forearms won’t necessarily track well enough to shoot free recoil. Thumb pressure and sometimes shoulder pressure. Anytime you grip/ hold everything has to be the same from shot to shot or POI will be different. I never considered myself a Benchrest shooter. I go brain dead and don’t follow what I just said. I have found what works one day doesn’t the next. Must be me. Most of the time if the firearm doesn’t recoil terrible I think I shoot best by the lightest hold possible. Basically just letting the firearm rest on the bags. Some of my best loads have very little recoil. I can shoot a recoiling rifle and I don’t think that I’m flinching but I seldom shoot small groups. 

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MarkinEllensburg posted this 18 August 2025

With my heavy rifle I have found firm grip on the wrist, firm cheek pressure, firm draw into shoulder and left hand manipulating the rear bag.

With my Hunter rifle, a carbine, I have done the same as above and shot some exceptional groups, for a hunter rifle, and a few good score targets. In the quest for consistency I have stated to firmly hold the forend with the left hand. This is a new change for me and so far it has not hurt. Last Saturday in Spokane shot a 5 shot group aggregate of 1.382 inspite of severe leading.

Bench technique is one area where all else being equal testing is rather difficult. However figuring out what does not work sometimes is not as hard. I think this is a great subject for discussion, there is always something to learn. 

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longhunter posted this 19 August 2025

Thanks,

Nice post everyone,

Jon

Jon Welda CW5 USA Ret.

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beemer posted this 19 August 2025

I guess we all have problems with this. Mil-surps and lever guns are what I shoot most, the forearms are not really stable on a bag. I usually hold the forearm firmly behind the rest to steady them as well as firmly into my shoulder.  If the firearm is being used to hunt I rest the forearm in my hand. Slow lock time, long barrel time with cast loads and less than ideal triggers don't help a bit. To top it off some rifles seem to have a mind of their own. Being consistent is the hard part. I think the most inconsistent part of the mix is the loose screw behind the butt plate.

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Boschloper posted this 21 August 2025

I shoot mostly 2 piece stocks, 94, 336, 760, #1, and a milsurp (03A3), like beemer.  My standard hold is a firm grip at the wrist, firm cheek pressure, firm draw into the shoulder, and left hand manipulating the rear bag, like MarkinEllensburg.

I have experimented with the position of the forearm on the front rest with no conclusion.

I guess I need to try my left hand on the forearm.

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trapdoor4570 posted this 21 August 2025

About 20 years ago I made one simple change that shrunk my groups by about a quarter.  When the sight looked perfect I would think to myself “FIRE”.  I tried an experiment that I have added to all my shooting.  When the sight looks absolutely perfect I think to myself  ”SQUEEZE”.  Sounds funny but it works for me.  I think I pay as much attention to my trigger finger as I do to stock fit, except for a couple of my rifles that are laws unto themselves.

 

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Tom Acheson posted this 21 August 2025

One technique that is interesting is “free rifle”. The only part of the rifle that the shooter touched during the shot is the trigger. During recoil, the rifles travels backwards into the shoulder. I started running our CBA matches @ my club in 1999. In all those years, 3 matches a summer, only one shooter ever shot that way. He passed awhile back, but did quite well in our matches.

Tom

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rjmelehan posted this 12 October 2025

Tom,

Thanks for your post.... I too utilize the Free Recoil approach in  some of my rifles. 

I developed a Eye problem after shooting my 45-70 doing some target work. After just 5-10 rounds the concussive effects blurred my vision for about 10 hours,,, I went to the Eye doc who could not find any retina issues.
Being a pilot for a living I decided to get the 'Bang' away from my head for obvious reasons. 
Since then I have developed a Free Recoil front stock and plate for my Bald Eagle rest for each of my rifles.
The fore stock plate rides on a flat plate on the rifle rest that has rails on each side that limits the rotational torque and side to side movement.  This enables me to keep my cheek off the stock when firing and it enables the return to battery to be consistent from shot to shot. MY Savage 110 FP is a bull barrel affair in 223. The synthetic stock has been filled with lead shot in every void to get the weight of the rifle up to 18 lbs. The Canjar trigger is adjustable down to two ounce's. No part of me is touching the rifle when fired. This has turned a very affordable stock rifle into a 'poor man's ' bench gun'  With properly developed loads this rifle will shoot in the two's .  RJ

 

 

One technique that is interesting is “free rifle”. The only part of the rifle that the shooter touched during the shot is the trigger. During recoil, the rifles travels backwards into the shoulder. I started running our CBA matches @ my club in 1999. In all those years, 3 matches a summer, only one shooter ever shot that way. He passed awhile back, but did quite well in our matches. Tom

 

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Wm Cook posted this 13 October 2025

“ No part of me is touching the rifle when fired”.

3” forearm attachments are pretty common and the three inch Edgewood or Protector bags work good.

Are you running a with a joy stick or are you bag squeezing?

Any chance you could add some detail about your:

………“ and plate for my Bald Eagle rest ”

Thanks, Bill C.

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Premod70 posted this 14 October 2025

The one thing usually not mentioned when bench shooting is how you place your upper body against the table top. I've found as I age my abilities to return to the same slouch are near impossible and the seat height becomes a needed height adjustment from time to time. When I can totally relax and find center I shoot well but now it's a struggle to find and my scores reflect the need to adjust.

Dale Flinchum

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