RECOIL REDUCTION AND SIGHTING-IN SYSTEM FOR A FIREARM
A recoil reduction system for sighting-in a firearm is disclosed. The system includes an attachment member configured and arranged to attach to a surface or object, such as a shooting bench, tree stand or a tree. A strap having a first end and a second end is included. The first end of the strap is connected to the attachment member. A sling is formed on the second end of the strap. The sling has a loop configured and arranged to receive the buttstock of a rifle. A stand having a rigid plate configured and arranged to support a bipod of a rifle may also be included.
This patent document claims priority to earlier filed U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/485,231, filed on May 12, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND1. Technical Field
The present patent document relates generally to firearms accessories and more specifically to an apparatus and method to reduce recoil while sighting-in a scope on a firearm.
2. Background of the Related Art
Sighting-in a telescopic sight (or “scope”) for a firearm is a process, some might call a ritual, for hunters to align and calibrate the scope so that the crosshairs of the scope converge with the barrel over predetermined distances for specific types of ammunition.
Referring to
The procedure for sighting-in a firearm is well known in the art and need not be recited in detail here. But the process of sighting in suffers from a couple of disadvantages. First is ensuring that the firearm is stable throughout the sighting-in process. Every time the rifle is fired recoil from the cartridge exploding will necessarily move the rifle, which can cause hunter's pain and cause them to flinch in anticipation of the recoil. If the hunter flinches it will introduce an error in the sighting in process. It is therefore desirable to minimize the movement of the firearm due to recoil during sighting-in. One prior art solution to this problem is the use of so-called sighting stand. U.S. Patent Publication 2008/0209790 shows an example of this type of apparatus for sighting-in a rifle. However, these sighting stands are heavy and expensive.
Therefore there is a need in the industry for an apparatus to reduce or absorb the movement from recoil of the firearm during sighting-in to eliminate or reduce the chance of hunter's flinching and, thereby, improve the overall accuracy of the calibration.
Second, because the hunter is firing multiple sets of rounds during the sighting in process, the hunter may suffer an injury induced by the recoil of the firearm if the hunter is not properly prepared to absorb the recoil, is fatigued, is firing a high-power cartridge, the hunter is small or frail of stature, such as a child, elderly person, is inexperienced, or a combination of the above conditions exist. The injury could be as minimal as bruising of the shoulder to a severe eye injury from being struck by the scope.
Therefore, there is a need in the industry for a method to reduce the risk of injury during sighting-in of a rifle.
SUMMARYThe system described herein solves the problems of the prior art by providing a recoil reduction strap that includes an attachment portion configured to attach to the shooting bench and a sling that goes about the buttstock of the firearm to absorb the recoil of the firearm when it is fired. The system may optionally further include a plate to provide a hard surface for a bipod to rest on. Because the strap absorbs the recoil from the firearm the firearm remains highly stable during the sighting-in process. Furthermore, the risk of injury as a result of recoil is significantly reduced or virtually eliminated. The system is also highly compact and light-weight making the system a significant improvement over prior art sighting stands.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
The recoil reduction and sighting-in system is shown generally at 100 in
Turning first to the strap 102, the strap 102 includes an attachment member 106 for attaching to the end of a shooting bench at a firing range. As shown in
The strap 102 is preferably formed from a tough and durable material, such as nylon webbing, but other materials may be used.
About midway down the strap 102 is a strap adjuster 108, which may be formed in a number of different structures as shown in
Referring now to
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At a firing range, the hunter secures the attachment member 106 of the sling 102 to the end of the shooting bench. The hunter may then optionally place the stand 104 over the strap 102 near the end of the shooting bench if the hunter is using a bipod 32. The hunter then places the buttstock 18 of the firearm in the sling 112 ensuring the strap 102 is underneath the stock 16 and that both legs 110 separate to either side of the stock 16 of the firearm 10. The hunter then tightens the loop 113 if necessary and if an adjustment portion 114 on the loop 113 is present. The hunter then makes any final adjustments to the strap adjuster 108 to make sure the length of the strap 102 is appropriate and comfortable. If the hunter is using a bipod 32 and the optional stand 104, the hunter must then level the firearm 10 using either the feet 120 on the plate 118 of the stand 104 or the adjustment mechanism provided on the bipod 32. The hunter is now prepared to sight-in the firearm 10 using the system 100. As can be appreciated, because the strap 102 is attached to the shooting bench and the buttstock 18 of the firearm 10, recoil from when the firearm 10 is fired is absorbed by the strap 102. The firearm 10 is kept stable for the sighting-in procedure and discomfort and risk of injury to the hunter due to recoil of the firearm 10 is virtually eliminated.
Although the system 100 was designed for sighting in a firearm 10 at a range at a shooting range, it should be noted that the system 100 may be used while hunting as well.
Therefore, it can be seen that the recoil reduction strap described above provides a unique solution to the problem of providing a system that reduces recoil in the firearm so that the firearm may be more accurately sighted-in. Also, because the system absorbs most of the recoil of the firearm, the risk of injury to the hunter is also minimized as well.
It would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the illustrated embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention. All such modifications and changes are intended to be within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A recoil reduction system, comprising:
- an attachment member;
- a strap having a first end and a second end, the first end of the strap connected to the attachment member; and
- a sling formed on the second end of the strap, the sling having a loop configured and arranged to receive the buttstock of a rifle.
2. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the attachment member is a hook.
3. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the attachment member is a claw.
4. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the attachment member is a clamp.
5. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, further comprising a strap adjuster about midway down the strap.
6. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the strap adjuster is a buckle.
7. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the strap adjuster is a stamped metal strap adjuster.
8. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the strap adjuster is a clasp.
9. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the strap separates into two legs that are attached to the sling.
10. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the sling includes a loop configured and arranged to go around the stock near the heel and toe of the buttstock of the rifle.
11. The recoil reduction system of claim 10, wherein the loop includes an adjustment portion.
12. The recoil reduction system of claim 11, wherein the adjustment portion is a hook and loop fastener.
13. The recoil reduction system of claim 11, wherein the adjustment portion is an elastic band.
14. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the sling further includes a buttstock strap attached to the loop configured and arranged to wrap around the rear of the buttstock.
15. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, further comprising a stand having a rigid plate configured and arranged to support a bipod of a rifle.
16. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the plate further includes four adjustable feet configured and arranged to level the stand.
17. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the feet are threaded into bores on the plate and secured by a lock nut to prevent the feet from loosening from the bores.
19. The recoil reduction system of claim 1, wherein the feet include pointed ends.
Type: Application
Filed: May 14, 2012
Publication Date: Nov 15, 2012
Inventor: Mark R. Cama (Johnston, RI)
Application Number: 13/470,416
International Classification: F41C 27/00 (20060101);