Help please, shots keep stringing to the left.

Hello, Kimio. Were you using a sling? If too tight, it could be pulling to left. I had a similiar problem with a 1930's era BSA 12/15 .22 prone rifle. I wasn't drawing my left leg up far enough & was having to fiight stock to get head in position..my groups were impacting to far left also. Once leg was drawn up further..everything seemed to fall into place & groups were centered..if I didn't pull e'm out! Best of luck.
 
I think you need to bench the rifle and zero it. When you have it zeroed then you can move to different positions, if your off target then you know it's not the rifle. Slugthrower posted great info on improving your technique.
 
@Ideal Tool: I was not using any sort of sling at the time

@Madcratebuilder: The rifle was apparently zeroed at the factory, and I'm consistently able to hit steel plates out to 200 and 300 yards, my shots seemed to string really badly while I was in the prone position, I must have been flustered because I was doing it again when I got back up and went to the bench. At any rate, it certainly is not the rifle as my friends who have fired the rifle can also hit the steel plates consistently at the same ranges when they use the rifle. I'm certainly the one doing something wrong. The gun is far more accurate than I.

@G.wilikers: No optics were used when I was firing, I'm trying to become proficient with the irons before I move onto using optics.
 
EDIT: I forgot to mention I'm shooting Wolf 55gr FMJ Military Classic ammunition. Not the most accurate ammunition out there, but I don't think it's so bad that it would give me groupings like this at 25 yards.
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Try something else. You'd be surprised.
 
I don't think this was already asked, but if I missed it, I apologize. You said normally you can hit steel targets at 200 to 300 yards.

Has anything changed on the rifle? Did you accidentally drop it or anything like that? If anything out of the normal happened since the last time you were hitting steel targets at 300 yards, that's definitely here I would start. Kind of a strange problem, though. At only 25 yards, your results seem more extreme than I would have thought. My second piece of advice would be shoot different ammo. 3rd piece of advice would be to take someone you know is a decent shot and see what they can do. Won't fix the problem, but it will at least give you more information to work with.

If I may offer a tip. Being a shooter that often has problems with consistency :) I feel I'm somewhat qualified to say this is a good idea.. I take my .22lr to the range with me just about everytime. If I can't get groups I'm used to or having any other problem, I pull out the .22 and shoot it. I know exactly what to expect from it and I've shot it enough that I rarely have problems with consistency. Normally within a couple shots with the .22 I'm already realizing what I was doing wrong. I guess with no recoil and thousands of trigger pulls, there's nothing to distract me while shooting.
 
Yeah, when I was having problems I had two friends with me who were consistently hitting the 200-300 yard steel plates, granted that was from the bench. I was able to replicate those shots while in a kneeling position and having the rifle supported on one of my knees. I've never fired prone before, so it's certainly something that I'm doing wrong, and not the fault of the rifle.
 
Where are you in az that there's steel at the range? Guessing not phx. Anyways I would try a different rifle to make sure it's you. At 25 yards any half decent rifle should be putting the bullets basically thru the same hole. Working the trigger bad simply can't make your groups that huge, it has to be an issue with u flinching and or moving during firing.
 
Wolf ammo can be pretty bad but it looks like you're shooting a consistent pattern. It's just not where you want to be hitting. If you're shooting from a different position you can be putting your head in a different location and that can definitely affect your POI relative to your POA.

A couple of things I noticed. My method for breathing is to take a breath let it out, breathe in again and let it about half out and hold it. There is something else I do. I concentrate on my heart beats. I will wait until I can feel about 6-8 beats so I know the rhythm of my heart at the time and I will try to fire between heart beats. It's a little tough to learn this but it makes a big difference in my accuracy. It just takes knowing how to feel when your heart is beating.

Probably the first thing I would do though is to have someone else shoot the rifle. If they're having the same problem then it's almost certainly a problem with the rifle. If not, then it's you. You eliminate the problems one by one until you find the one that makes a difference. That's how I work out what I'm doing wrong when I'm missing. Just make sure you get someone else to shoot the rifle that is a pretty good shooter too and that will be honest with you about what's happening with the rifle. Some people will be overly polite and will not blame your rifle for anything. I certainly don't know what your issue is. I've just learned a few tricks over the years about how to work through accuracy issues.
 
I was at the range today and I had a couple of guys with me who are new to their AR15 and bench shooting in general. Basically, I was helping them sight in at 50 yards and giving pointers on basic markmanship. Based on their grouping, I would recommend one adjustment at a time until they are shooting good groups in center mass. I had one guy zeroed in within 15 shots. Basic instructions of breathing, trigger pull and sight picture. The other guy had a little more difficulty. His first group was 2" high 2" left (adjust windage 8 clicks right and elevation 4 clicks down), then his next group was 2" high 2" right (adjust 4 clicks left and 4 clicks down), then his next group was 1" left side and vertical string. I recommended that he shoots after he exhales and hold his breath while pulling the trigger. Also made adjustment on windage 2 clicks right. The next group was 1" right and 2" low. What gives? So I asked him where is he aiming? His answer, well since I was missing left, I was aiming to the right of the target. :eek:

I was too busy looking through the spotting scope and calling his shots that I was not watching him and giving him the most basic instruction of aim at the bullseye. :o Lesson learned for me.

Oh the other guy was getting bored waiting so I had him shoot offhand. His group was about six inches low and left. Hard to hit the bullseye with a much less stable stance.

While the trigger manipulation may not pull you off to one side much, think of the pistol shooter at 15 yards. Variation in trigger pull could pull the shot 6 inches easily. For a rifle, trigger pull is magnified at greater a distance, so being off an inch at 50 yards could mean a total miss at of an 8X8 target at250 yards.

I guess what I'm saying is if you go from a very stable to a less stable shooting position, your groups will expand and it will be much more difficult of a shot. Like going from bench to prone unsupported. Also any variation of trigger pull will also be magnified by a less stable position. It takes practice, practice and more practice. And aim for the bullseye :D
 
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Another thought is Natural Point of aim.

Make sure that you are not muscling the rifle to get it on target.

To check your NPOA, once in position and aiming at the target, close your eyes for a few seconds and then open them and see if you are still on target. If not, adjust your position until you are.
 
Might try another gun that you are more comfortable with from the same position. It helps me when shooting hand guns. If it is not going well I pick up my trusty S&W mod 29 and knock the center out of the target. That reinforces my confidence that I can do it. Then I go back to fixing the problem I am having with the other handguns.
 
Unfortunately my only other rifle is a Mosin Nagant M91/30, and I can only shoot a handful of times before I get the shakes (Trying not to shoot it too much for fear I may develop the dreaded flinches and such) Though I do have a .22 GSG 1911 that I might be able to use.
 
Maybe you are concentrating TOO much on the sights and not the target.
I find my most accurate shots are shot instinctively; as the sights hover in and around the bullseye or where you want the bullet to land!

Also follow thru is very important to get consistency!
 
Also follow thru is very important to get consistency!
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Agreed, although like with a golf swing I have often wondered why it matters so much. Seams like once the ball is hit or the trigger is pulled what happens next should not matter. But it obviously does.
 
When you are relaxed is the rifle pointing dead on the bullseye or are you having to muscle it back to the right? You need to shift your postion so the rifle is pointed at the bullseye while you are relaxed. try pivoting on your forward elbow from the prone till this happens.
 
When you are relaxed is the rifle pointing dead on the bullseye or are you having to muscle it back to the right?
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Excellent advice here too. And something else no one has mentioned (that I remember) is to keep a consistent amount of force of the rifle against your shoulder. Whether you use a lot of pull or a little pull you should try to do it exactly the same way (once you determine what amount of pressure is best). This can certainly cause stringing.

Barrel heat increasing can cause stringing too. You might want to wait a while between shots. Some people wait a very long time between shots.
 
Your target looks like it's sight picture problems. Check cheek weld, and sight placement... G5 looks like you're having issues with breathing. G6 looks like trigger squeeze.

Check out your front sight ensure it's not bent. You also have a number of flyers and pulled shots. Pulled shots come from excitement or anticipation. Slow down, keep a smooth trigger squeeze, and PAY ATTENTION TO TRIGGER RESET on a semiauto (guessing based on bullet hole size this is a 5.56 ar?) Follow through on your trigger squeeze, and let up until you hear a CLICK before firing your next shot.

At 25m, your shot group should be 1" it is doable with practice.
 
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4 clicks of your sights at 25 yards only moves the point of impact on your target 1/4". Take that adjustment and make a gross correction, ie. at least half a turn or better. hopefully you will move in the right direction and if you over shoot split the difference going the other way. Don't count clicks at 25 yards till you are shooting thumbnail size groups and a click makes the difference between an x and a 10.

If you move the sights the wrong way then double up in the opposite direction, being timid with the corrections at dead close ranges doesn't work.

You got the breathing down but you may be over thinking it. Glue your eyeballs to that front sight and pretend it is physically attached to your trigger. When you squeeze that trigger you are physically pulling that sight back through the center of the rear sight. You will be so busy keeping your sights centered you will forget the target thus ending any tendency to bull gaze or to shoot to your last hole. The shot will happen but you won't know when it will happen, that is a good thing. Your groups will show the result by being more consistent, a little bit smaller and fewer flyers.

Best I can do without seeing you shoot.
 
Ok, I went to the range last Monday, and this is what my results were.

I didn't write everything I did on the targets, so I'll type it out here.

The targets will be marked in this fashion, top left is L1, top right is R1, bottom left is L2, and bottom right is R2.

There was about a 3-5 MPH wind crossing from left to right of my target when I was at the range. All shots were made at 25 yards and all adjustments to windage are made from the rear aperture set at center.

Target 1:
L1: No adjustments for windage, prone unsupported, holding at the center of the target, using the supporting stances from the M1 Garand training videos (without the sling) as best as I can.

R1: prone unsupported no windage adjustments

Center: Seated and supported, holding at the center of the target, no adjustments for windage

L2: One Rotation to the right for windage, holding at center of target.

R2: One and 1/2 rotation to the right for windage, holding at center of the target. Tried applying trigger squeeze with only my index finger and allowed the other fingers to remain relaxed

DSC05090.jpg


Target 2

L1: Prone Supported, no adjustments for windage, holding at center of target

R1: Same as L1

Center: 1/2 rotation to the right for windage, prone unsupported

L2: one rotation to the right for windage, prone unsupported

R2: one and 1/2 rotation to the right for windage, unsupported

DSC05089.jpg


All shots for Targets 3 and 4 were held at 12 o'clock high at the tip of the diamonds

Target 3:

L1: Supported from the bench, 1/2 rotation to the right for windage.

R1: Supported from the bench, no windage adjustments, rear aperture brought back to center

Center: Prone unsupported, no adjustments for windage

L2: Prone unsupported No Adjustments made for windage

R2: Prone unsupported, 1/2 rotation to the right for windage

DSC05091.jpg


Target 4:

L1: Prone Supported, windage adjustment one full rotation to the right.

R1: Prone unsupported, one full rotation to the right

Center: Prone Supported, windage adjustment one and 1/2 rotation to the right.

L2: Prone unsupported, no adjustments to windage

DSC05092.jpg
 
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