Muzzle jump with small caliber rifle

[The Fat Coyote]

Hey Roksliders,
I have a question. I have a 243, no muzzle brake, ruger American. I have come to realize that I have been confusing recoil with muzzle jump for the last few years when I try to explain why I'm having trouble shooting. I am pretty sure this is due to my form, shooting seated at a bench, and pulling the butt stock into my shoulder pocket hard when shooting. My father recently told me it could be because of my scope rings. I had a my scope installed with medium/tall-ish spuhr rings. I recently switched them out with some seekins precision low rings, and im wondering if this will help with the muzzle jump. Just wondering what to expect. I also plan to try to get the buttpad on my collar bone (and not my shoulder pocket) next time i go out to shoot. It might be a rather noobish question, but does this seem like im on the right track here? or should i just buy a rifle with a muzzle brake.

 

[KyleR1985]

A have a 6 dasher with 16” barrel. 7lb gun.

The muzzle “jump” as you describe it, is pretty sporty.

DD wolf hunter suppressor screwed on, it goes away completely. The combination of the weight at end of barrel, and the suppressor reducing whatever is happening, is night and day.

You can do whatever you want to the way you hold the or rest the rifle.

A muzzle device will probably do more to correct for it.

 

[The Fat Coyote]

I would love a suppressor, but I live in California - so I'm not allowed to

 

[TaperPin]

The muzzle brakes with adjustable top ports seem to be the ticket as Kyle said.

Short of that you can always hold onto the forend so the rifle barrel isn’t just doing whatever it wants. It pops up less, but also returns quicker with your help. Just the weight of your hand and forearm holding on makes a big difference. Free recoiling anything seems like more trouble than it’s worth.

 

[hereinaz]

It is not the rings. But, you could change things a bit because of the way you address the rifle with your shoulder and cheek.

Muzzle flip/jump is the combination of buttstock being lower than the bore and recoil management technique. Up^^^^^ is the easiest direction the energy can squirt out in reaction to the recoil and your interface.

You direct energy that is squirting out as muzzle jump like you direct the angle a ball bounces on a pool table. If your shoulder is hard like a brick wall, the rifle recoil will find somewhere to go, and our bodies direct most of it up.

Because the stock is below the bore, the rifle is like a lever and the muzzle must go up because it is levering off the ground.

If you focus on controlling the recoil to go straight back and let your body absorb it like a big sack of meat, you will get less flip.

Test it by putting a hand on top of the scope and being a relaxed bag of meat. It will flip much less. You still need to use your hand to control the rifle firmly into the bag of meat.

 

[hereinaz]

A good recoil pad helps absorb the recoil energy, I would start with that.

 

[SDHNTR]

Stock design is the biggest culprit.

 

[The Fat Coyote]

Stock design is the biggest culprit.

I've heard! vertical adjustment of butt pad is key- or having a flat bottom on the stock like the infamous rokstock

 

[The Fat Coyote]

It is not the rings. But, you could change things a bit because of the way you address the rifle with your shoulder and cheek.

Muzzle flip/jump is the combination of buttstock being lower than the bore and recoil management technique. Up^^^^^ is the easiest direction the energy can squirt out in reaction to the recoil and your interface.

You direct energy that is squirting out as muzzle jump like you direct the angle a ball bounces on a pool table. If your shoulder is hard like a brick wall, the rifle recoil will find somewhere to go, and our bodies direct most of it up.

Because the stock is below the bore, the rifle is like a lever and the muzzle must go up because it is levering off the ground.

If you focus on controlling the recoil to go straight back and let your body absorb it like a big sack of meat, you will get less flip.

Test it by putting a hand on top of the scope and being a relaxed bag of meat. It will flip much less. You still need to use your hand to control the rifle firmly into the bag of meat.

Could an adjustable buttstock help if i can get pad more behind the bore?

 

[hereinaz]

Could an adjustable buttstock help if i can get pad more behind the bore?

Yes, there are adjustable butt pads out there. If you see many chassis butt stocks, the pad is adjustable to line up with the bore.

 

[The Fat Coyote]

Yes, there are adjustable butt pads out there. If you see many chassis butt stocks, the pad is adjustable to line up with the bore.

Totally,
I got a universal- vertically adjustable plate for butt pads (i think for shotguns) and ground it to fit on my rifle! I'm planning to install it tomorrow, it'll probably look funky but who cares.

 

[hereinaz]

Totally,
I got a universal- vertically adjustable plate for butt pads (i think for shotguns) and ground it to fit on my rifle! I'm planning to install it tomorrow, it'll probably look funky but who cares.

I did the same on a 7 rem mag that I used for long range target shooting. The one I got was for shotguns.

 

[The Fat Coyote]

I did the same on a 7 rem mag that I used for long range target shooting. The one I got was for shotguns.

did it make a difference? did it help with muzzle jump?

 

[hereinaz]

did it make a difference? did it help with muzzle jump?

Yes, it does. Helps direct the recoil impulse more into my body, letting the impulse get absorbed by as much of my body as possible.

 

[BLJ]

Totally,
I got a universal- vertically adjustable plate for butt pads (i think for shotguns) and ground it to fit on my rifle! I'm planning to install it tomorrow, it'll probably look funky but who cares.

Which one did you get?

 

[Wprinkle]

First get off the bench... but does the "muzzle jump" go up and right, up and left or strait up?

 

[The Fat Coyote]

Which one did you get?

SPS Braun Thru The Pad Adjuster - Black

SPS Braun Thru The Pad Adjuster with Posi lock® Thru the pad adjustable butt plate assembly is made from 5052 H32 alum. A uniquely designed 2 part plate system offering unlimited adjusting capabilities by utilizing a single point locking cam made from 1/8" x 1" x 1 3/8" steel finished in black...

stockpositioning.com

Had to do a little modifying but it'll give me about an inch higher when its all said and done, ill post a picture of it as soon as i get it installed

 

[The Fat Coyote]

First get off the bench... but does the "muzzle jump" go up and right, up and left or strait up?

muzzle jump for me is usually straight up, i lose the target, and then my scope will settle either to the left or right of the target. My buddy told me to also try reducing the magnification of the scope.

All of the shooting ranges near me are bench only. Its crazy, I might get to practice prone out in the mountains, but I dont know when I will get to do that.

 

[Lowedown]

Muzzles have been jumping since the first rifle and for many applications it doesn't really matter. However if you want to spot your own shots then you will need consistent technique combined with modern technology. Since you can't have a Suppressor take a look at a muzzle brake! You will want a side port brake. There are lots of great options. Salmon River Solutions makes great Ti lightweight brakes. As TaperPin pointed out you can really dial things in with the top port adjustable options like MDT makes.

One other thing: If you start hunting with a muzzle brake you will want Ear Protection that is quick and easy. My favorite so far is the Walkers Pro-Tek Ear Plug Band that sits around my neck while I hunt.

 

[The Fat Coyote]

Muzzles have been jumping since the first rifle and for many applications it doesn't really matter. However if you want to spot your own shots then you will need consistent technique combined with modern technology. Since you can't have a Suppressor take a look at a muzzle brake! You will want a side port brake. There are lots of great options. Salmon River Solutions makes great Ti lightweight brakes. As TaperPin pointed out you can really dial things in with the top port adjustable options like MDT makes.

One other thing: If you start hunting with a muzzle brake you will want Ear Protection that is quick and easy. My favorite so far is the Walkers Pro-Tek Ear Plug Band that sits around my neck while I hunt.

Thank you for the tips! My barrel isnt threaded for a muzzle brake, so I am going to have to rely on good form and geometry to make this one work