Scope problem when shooting prone.

kam582

kam582

New member
I started hand loading about 6 months ago for my Savage Model 10 in .223. After reading all of the sticky notes on the reloading section here at PM, and reading two manuals and a couple of other books, I finally got a good load worked up. Thanks PM. I got my rifle shooting really well, and decided to try some Prairie Dogs. My brother has access to several towns so he grabbed his 22-250 and off we went. We had a great time, and almost anything within 300 yards was mine. Not perfect, but the gun and loads shot very well. My problem was seeing through the scope while shooting prone.

I had never shot that gun prone before with a short bi-pod. I could see through the scope OK normally, and when I throw the gun up with my eyes closed and then open them, the scope seemed fine. Prone though gave me a lot of problems. The scope keep blacking out, and it seemed I could not get my head low enough. The scope is mounted quite low on the gun, the scope almost touches the barrel, so it is as low as it goes. My brother, who has shot long range for years, thinks I should mount it higher and then use a check piece adjuster. I am stumped. I am thinking about trying a set of Burris Zee rings in a medium height, but hate to shell out money that might not fix the problem.

Any ideas? Oh, the scope is a Nikon 4x14. Not their best model, but not the cheapest one either.

Thanks.
 
You might try shooting prone without the bipod. In the right shooting position, the rifle is very steady and seem's to me that your fore arms are a better judge of the proper hight of the rifle than a bipod.
 
I do a big majority of my coyote calling prone using a Harris bi-pod. My problem between prone/w Harris versus not prone has been not so much scope height related, but eye relief (forward/rearward positioning of scope). Since the majority is prone for me, I put the scope where it is best for me in that position. It's still very usable setting or standing though. Just not *ideal*.

But like I said, my problem is not height related so my babble may not mean squat to ya. I should be fishing somewhere, but I'm here so you'll have to put up with me or put me on ignore.
smile.gif
 
If you can't get your head low enough, raise the gun up. Harris bipod with leg notches and an Accushot monopod works for me. Adjustable cheek pieces and buttpads are also nice for shooting prone......
 
Prone brings your face further forward to the scope than any other position. So, you may have an eye relief problem (eye too close to the scope) as well as a scope height problem.
 
I put a higher Harris on my varmint rig. Normally I am on the backside of a rise and it works great for sitting or kneeling. If I go prone, I use my range bag and sometimes add a small sandbag to get the right height.
 
All good Advise. When i shoot prone i put a slip on limbsaver pad on to get me right where i need to be. I don't need it for the recoil(sold my 300wsm) but it gives me the eye relief i need without messing with my set up.
 
Not knowing how you are laying while shooting prone, I'll toss this in.
Do not lay with your body inline with target. If shooting right handed lay with body 10 or 15 degrees to the left of line to target and the right if shooting left handed, or what ever is most comfortable.


DAB
 
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