Question for offhand match shooters

[1BadDart]

I've been practicing for this falls 25 yard offhand matches with my recently built .40 caliber Virginia rifle. The rifle is 9.5lbs and has a 42" straight 7/8" Rice barrel. The balance point is 27" forward from the butt plate, about 4-4 1/2" in front of my offhand. The rifle is a little more muzzle heavy than I'd like, I think.

Where do y'all like your rifle to balance in relation to your offhand? I'm guessing I need to experiment with adding weight to the butt stock to move the balance more rearward? I considered cutting 3" off the barrel during the build but there is some choke at the muzzle.

Thanks, Justin

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Justin:

I had never measured the balance point from the butt, but mine is about where yours is. Just in front of the rear sight and just behind the entry thimble. It "hangs" just enough in offhand to slow the wobbles, but not enough to be tiring to hold over the course of a match. Some shooters bring their forehand back to just in front of the trigger guard, which really makes it feel heavy. I can't hold that for long. Especially with earlier models (like the Early Virginia I shoot in matches), the flat butt does not allow the gun to lock into the shoulder like some of the later models with curved butts. I use a hand-forward position, just behind the balance point.

The key to off hand shooting is practice, Practice, PRACTICE!

ADK Bigfoot

 

[hanshi]

For a rifle meant to be fired at targets off-hand a fairly "nose heavy" straight barrel can't be beat.

 

[dave951]

I prefer a rifle that is a bit "nose heavy" but not extremely so. If you look at my avatar you can see where I balance a rifle. With a touch of nose heavy, it's easy to adjust aim a bit by a very slight shoulder move and not upset the shot. There's lots of Zen involved in offhand shooting but the basics are- know your dominant eye, know your "natural point of aim", and practice, experiment, practice. Some practice each week is better than lots of bad practice at once just before a match.

For matches where you are shooting at known distances, do not get hung up on the "6 oclock" hold. That is a hold over from pistol bullseye and isn't used to exclusion of all others by serious competition shooters. Know your trajectory so you can compensate without adjusting sights by simply changing your sight picture. Most offhand competition shooters I know prefer the "artillery" hold ie the gun is supported but not tightly gripped and they most often use a center hold for sight picture.

One other thing critical to offhand black powder shooting- "cheek weld" ie head down onto the stock. Get your head onto the stock, sights aligned and on target and maintain that through the entire recoil cycle. Lift your head as you shoot and you will miss, usually high.

 

[1BadDart]

Thanks guys. I've been practicing a couple times a week, 15-20 shots each session. I'm slowly improving, my hold is dead center as there are several different style targets shot over the course of the match. I'll probably remove the butt plate and bore a couple holes in the stock and add some weight just to see how it feels.

 

[Timber Wolf]

I don’t know anything about balance points, and I shoot so many different rifles and smoothbores that I could not get used to one anyway. That said, one of the reasons I decided over a year ago to get diligent about working out my upper body was to improve my off-hand shooting. The other reason was to get buff and attract chicks. My shooting has improved, the other well not so much. Maybe I could attract a woman who appreciates my shooting?

 

[bang]

I like 28-30" barrel 1" across the flats. Puts the balance a bit back.