Gregory Gauvin
New member
I know how to balance a rifle. I'm a competitive shooter. However, my father had asked me to clean his Winchester Model 290. He asked me to check what he had stuffed into the stock beneath the buttplate as a kid. He though had may have hidden extra bullets in there. Turns out, it was just packed with cotton.
Anyhow, I asked him if he wanted me to balance the rifle and he said yes. Handling the Model 290, to me, clearly is muzzle heavy. I'm accustomed to balancing AR-15s at the delta ring, or bolt actions at the front action screw. I understand it is all a matter of personal preference....but here's my delima...
The model 290 is a .22 semi auto rifle in essentially, a stock configuration of that of a shotgun. I figured I'd balance the rifle 4-5" forward of the trigger, just where the receiver meets and front handgaurd. The rifle is scoped...so, I had been adding pennies in a roll at a time to get it balanced right there with the added weight of the buttplate. Picking up the rifle quickly, point-ability seemed to improve, however, the forward handgaurd is infront of the balance point and I find that if held one handed at the handguard, rifle tips back.
Where would you balance such a rifle? Would you balance the rifle so when held at the handgaurd, rifle does not dip in either direction, i.e., move the center of balance more forward? The rifle, being tubular fed, will naturally have a slight front dip when fully loaded.
Anyhow, I asked him if he wanted me to balance the rifle and he said yes. Handling the Model 290, to me, clearly is muzzle heavy. I'm accustomed to balancing AR-15s at the delta ring, or bolt actions at the front action screw. I understand it is all a matter of personal preference....but here's my delima...
The model 290 is a .22 semi auto rifle in essentially, a stock configuration of that of a shotgun. I figured I'd balance the rifle 4-5" forward of the trigger, just where the receiver meets and front handgaurd. The rifle is scoped...so, I had been adding pennies in a roll at a time to get it balanced right there with the added weight of the buttplate. Picking up the rifle quickly, point-ability seemed to improve, however, the forward handgaurd is infront of the balance point and I find that if held one handed at the handguard, rifle tips back.
Where would you balance such a rifle? Would you balance the rifle so when held at the handgaurd, rifle does not dip in either direction, i.e., move the center of balance more forward? The rifle, being tubular fed, will naturally have a slight front dip when fully loaded.