Need Some help Shooting semi autos

5

5RWill

New member
I can hold good groups on my bolt guns with no problem but i must be doing something wrong with my SPR build. It will group the Southwest run N gun. At times it has produced around 1/2 moa. But it seems that i'm so damn inconsistent when shooting it. So i'm wondering if it's parallax or cheekweld. Optic is a Leupy MK4 2.5-8x36mm with ARMS 22# high rings. Stock is a magpul CTR. I'm currently getting money to get a IWS lower so i can have a better trigger and stock for it. But it's driving me nuts. Yesterday my father and I shot. He had 4 shots all touching about a half inch from the bullseye. I shoot and am not that far off, both my two shots were almost one ragged hole. Then today shooting at center bullseye shots are 2 inches high 3 inches to the right. I'm not flinching, I'm using the pad of my finger, following through all the recoil. It has to be a cheek weld coupled with parallax right? Or maybe i'm just moving that much and i don't realize it.

I guess it's worth to note a while back i chambered a reload, to see if it would actually chamber, and it got stuck. Took some force to get it out, but i didn't think i damaged anything.
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From your description and the target, my first guess would be the high rings which are preventing you from getting a good cheek weld and maintaining it consistently. Just my guess fwiw.
 
Well the high rings are necessary for a AR without proper mounts or the PRI mounting rail. I've had med and low rings. The low rings wont even clear. The medium's barely did to the point i had to dig my face into the stock to see. This upper will finally get it's own lower with a sopmod stock which should give more consistent cheek weld.
 
This is just a guess.

A. You need to pull the stock into your shoulder. It would appear you are floating the stock. Needs to be held tight untill after the shot (recoil).

B. You need to slow down on your shots, make it as if each shot is the only bullet you have. (one shot one kill)

C. You need to control your breathing. OK to breath naturally while sighting in the target, then exhale slowly and hold your breath till after the shot.

D. Keep your ellbo on the shooting bench or tucked into your side to give extra support and stability.

E. Keep your cheek on the same spot of your rifle butt each time.

F. Fill up the whole area of your scope, be at the right distance so you are seeing the whole target in your scope.

This should help a little, just pratice, pratice, pratice.

Jim
 
Really hard to diagnose without watching you shoot...but, generally speaking when I have had issues with paralax, I have had distinct and separate POI's. I don't see that in your grouping. What I do see is a combo of trigger control and breathing issues.

If you had dry-fired some, I bet you would have seen your POA finish up and to the right.

I won't go thru all the fundamentals, since you obviously know how to drive a rifle...but maybe your Dad could watch you and see if he picks up on anything.

My guesses to check...your trigger finger may not be at 90 to the trigger and you may have it too far towards the first knuckle...you may be releasing the trigger before recoil has stopped. This is one of the most common issue on semi's. Also, it would seem to me that you may not be breaking the trigger at the bottom of your breathing cycle.
 
Thats the thing, i'm trying to shoot between respiratory pause, like i do with my bolt rifle. Not shooting fast at all. I'm taking my time just like i would my bolt rifle. I could be letting the stock float a little. Cheek remains down after each shot, actually watching my shots hit paper. Fundamentals wise i'm doing the same as i would with a bolt rifle. Just seems to be something i'm missing.

Trigger pull is inconsistent but i can't help that till i get the lower with the trigger i want. This trigger is just a standard mil spec trigger and it's consequently hard to use as opposed to a 1lb trigger i'm used to on my bolt rifle. I keep the trigger pulled to the rear until all 3 sets of recoil are over then release just forward enough to reset. I've been trying to keep it at a perfect 90 degree angle with the pad of my finger, as i read that it's even more important for semi autos.

Could be that i'm not in the right spot as far as breathing goes. It just baffles me when i can produce pretty good groups with my bolt rifle.
The rifle will group as i have some decent groups.

It's also worth to note and i should've mentioned this early, my mistake those shots above are between my dad and I. I moved from bipod to sandbag and immediately first shot was dead center two inches high, the others were around the same position in the center. As opposed to the bipod where they were 2 inches high and to the right.
 
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As I was walking to to the kitchen...I said to myself...I should have asked him about his trigger. Ha! I would say that is part of the problem, but you can overcome it. You will need to have perfect trigger form (perfect 90, mid pad). You will need to work this out via dry-firing as well.

Also, you don't drive your semi exactly the same as your bolt. Your follow thru is much more critical on your semi. Try to really over-emphasize keeping your trigger finger to the rear until all recoil is finished. Then and only then allow yourself to reset the trigger.

Are you you shooting off a bench or prone. If prone, are you directly behind the rifle, or offset?
 
Shot of the bench today (groups above) yesterday was prone which was much better. I'm also using the first edition of harris bipods the ones with only two settings of height. Well the second is too tall for me without a high rear rest, but the 6" setting is a little low. Now that i think about it it's turning into a accumulation of things that are unfinished and wrong with my AR setup lol.
 
I can hold good groups on my bolt guns with no problem
Click to expand...

What caliber is the bolt gun? Longer barrel? Heavier rifle? Wood stock? With or with out a cheek rise? We know it doesn't have a pistol grip so your hold on the stock and trigger will be different.

Jim
 
Bolt gun is my .308 (7005R) in a McM A5 with no adjustable cheek weld or LOP. Definitely a whole different situation.
 
You haven't said anything about the ammo...
But did mention that you "chambered a reload, and it stuck".

Are you shooting handloads, or factory ammo?

Inconsistency, if it's not the shooter, or the stick, is usually related to the ammo. How much work have you done, either with load development for handloads, or trying many types of factory ammo?

Some rifles will shoot damn near anything and do it well, others a picky as hell and will only hit a sweet spot with a certain bullet weight and load.

In my experience, "shotgun" groups means you just haven't found what it likes yet...

I assume you are FL sizing for your reloads?
 
Sorry about that, using Southwest ammunition Run N Gun 77gr SMK loaded in LC pulled brass (never been fired)

http://www.southwestammunition.com/product_p/55677smk-rng.htm

I hope it's me rather than the ammo. As i have 200rds of this ammo. I'm still convinced it's me at times this rifle has produced 1/2 moa or right near 1/2 moa groups. More than once, so i assume it's me. Might need to just calm down and treat it with a little more patience it's definitely been frustrating.
 
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