Horizontal stringing - maybe it's the trigger?

[quorum]

so I've been doing some head scratching trying to figure out why I seem to be so inaccurate with my red rifles (SKS, VZ58). The commonality between the two is the ammo I use: MFS.

After reading other people's experience with MFS, which seems to be consistently good, I realized there is another commonality: the sloppy trigger. I compare my performance between my red rifles and all my other rifles, and I do not get bad accuracy except with my red rifles, and my red rifles are the only ones with the long trigger pull.

I did some googling on "horizontal stringing", and it seems that a bad trigger can indeed contribute to it. I am crossing my fingers that this may be the issue. I think the only way to confirm this is to mount the rifle to a lead sled or something and then test it? I don't know whether I want to spend $150 just to test a theory.

Any other suggestions?

 

[mmattockx]

How were you supporting the rifles when testing them? A good front rest and rear bag should let you eliminate the vast majority of operator error to see what the gun is capable of, without springing for a lead sled. Make sure you rest the handguard/forearm on the front rest, not the barrel.


Mark

 

[sunray]

The same result out of two rifles is not the rifles or the ammo. It's the operator. Mind you, poor bedding can cause it too, but it's highly unlikely to be that with two rifles.
Don't look for great accuracy out of as SKS either. They weren't made for accuracy. Neither was a VZ58.

 

[Mumbles Marble Mouth]

Horizontal stringing can be from a trigger but its usually because you have to much or not enough finger on the trigger. Take your rifle, #### it with empty chamber or snap-cap, and then proceed to squeeze the trigger with your finger hooking the trigger. You will notice the rifle pulls to the left if your a right handed shooter. If you do the same thing but with only the tip of your finger squeezing the trigger then it pulls to the right. The longer the trigger pull, the much more evident this movement becomes. Something you could try is put a flag out down range in front of you. Sounds silly but you can see the direction of the wind with the flag and then only make a shot when the wind is blowing in the direction of the target.

A sign of a rifle that needs to be bedded is one that has a lot of flyers. Say every 5 shots you make, you get a flyer from the rest of the group and no mater how hard you try you always get it.

 

[Beermaker]

I had issues with the disconnector being worn out causing the trigger bar to drag along the underside of the sear channels.
Once I istalled the new bar you take up the first part of the pull to engage the sear then a short push against the sear.
Polish up the sear travel and put on some moly and see what happens.

 

[quorum]

How were you supporting the rifles when testing them? A good front rest and rear bag should let you eliminate the vast majority of operator error to see what the gun is capable of, without springing for a lead sled. Make sure you rest the handguard/forearm on the front rest, not the barrel.


Mark

I'm holding the handguard with my hand, resting my hand on the bag, and then shouldering it. I do this with all my rifles, because it imitates conditions on the field.

 

[points]

I'm holding the handguard with my hand, resting my hand on the bag, and then shouldering it. I do this with all my rifles, because it imitates conditions on the field.

When you are initially setting up a rifle, you want to eliminate operator error by using sand bags or lead sled. That way you will know how the rifle shoots and can adjust accordingly. Once it is set up and zeroed, you can work on the operator..

 

[quorum]

Well how do you do it using sand bags since it's not adjustable?

 

[mmattockx]

I'm holding the handguard with my hand, resting my hand on the bag, and then shouldering it. I do this with all my rifles, because it imitates conditions on the field.

Rest the forearm directly on the front bag and use a rear bag under the stock if possible, your hand if a rear bag isn't available. You aren't trying to simulate field conditions for this, you want the absolute most steady position possible. If you watch some benchrest shooters on youtube you will see that they try to minimize their contact with the rifle to avoid moving it as the shot is released and to allow it to recoil as consistently as possible. You want to do the same and minimize your influence on the rifle to see what it can do separate from any operator induced errors.


Mark