BETTER SHOOTING 1,2,3
Article by Joe Doggett, excerpted from Field & Stream Magazine August 1999
Most over the counter scoped rifles will group tighter than the average deer hunter can hold. The performance is there but compromised by rough edges. Here are three easy steps to make a factory rifle more user-friendly.
Set the Trigger
Reduce the trigger pull to 4 pounds. Rifles typically are shipped with excessively heavy triggers testing 6 or 8 pounds (the results of lawsuits against manufacturers). The heavy trigger that won't break against bunched nerves encourages yanking and flinching, two excellent ways to miss a broad-side buck. Any competent gunsmith can lighten an adjustable factory trigger. But don't go too light. Four pounds is a practical compromise for a deer rifle.
Tame the Recoil
Add a recoil absorbing butt pad-- not just any pad, but one of the decelerator-type pads made of flak jacket material. Few shooters admit to flinching, but all are affected to some degree by kick, especially during the concentration of bench - range firing. The popularity of larger calibers and belted magnums only enforces this reluctance. More than one 200 pound good old boy has quailed at the thought of firing another goup, and the memory of a punishing range session can carry to the field. Installing a flak-jacket butt pad is a fine way to tame a hard kicking gun. The spongy, solid pad appear similar to a rubber butt pad, but the material displaces the recoil. The pop becomes more of a push, much more tolerable to the skittish shoulder.
Pick the Best Ammo
Use premium ammunition. All major ammunition companies offer high grade rifle cartridges and custom bullets that are more accurate than standard fodder. The difference in cost is not that great, but the difference in performance can be significant. This is especially true at ranges beyond 200 yards - and that long poke down a right-of-way or across a feeding field is where that scoped rig with the tuned trigger can shine. Premium factory ammunition is available for all standard whitetail calibers. There's no excuse for not upgrading. The serious hunter should try several brands and bullet weights to determine the best combination for his rifle.
Experts Agree
These three steps can tighten groups by at least 25 or 30 percent for most shooters. The right combination might upgrade performance by more than 50 percent and that, literally, is a lot of bang for the buck.