Shooting Posture

[LauBen 9]

Hello All,

 

Well I have an odd question, me and a mate were having a discussion about how I shoot my 25ft groupings. Now currently I shoot un-supported, so both me and the gun are free standing, now my mate has said that I am doing it all wrong and I should be shooting from a supported position i.e. prone, bag, tripod or bipod.

 

Now my question to you all is, should I be shooting from a supported posture?

 

Ta for the advice.

[zini 1,939]

If you shoot from the supported position (off your hand though) or off a bipod if using a pcp your groups will undoubtedly improve mate so I think your friend is correct.

 

If your still shooting good tight groups though unsupported then good on you mate.

 

Either way your not doing it wrong, one way just helps though.

 

Si.

[pianoman 3,589]

That's a perfect answer from zini/Si

 

I guess you are currently using a PCP from a standing position?

 

All I can add is, Prone is the best position I know of for stable shooting accuracy. If however, you shoot with a recoiling spring rifle, only use a restive support of the forestock on your forehand. Give yourself some extra support by using a beany seat or a pack stuffed with a pillow to rest your arm against. Don't even think of using a bipod. But whatever posture you find suits you best, make sure you are as relaxed and as comfortable as possible shooting in it.

 

Pianoman

[LauBen 9]

Thanks guys,

 

Yes I am shooting a BSA Ulta Multishoot PCP, my grouping is ok, not great but ok. I will have to give shoot prone a go and see how it improves.

 

Many thanks,

 

Lauben

[Skot Ruthless Teale 1,701]

well mate off a bipod at that distance you should be puttting every pellet almost through the same hole with that rifle..

obviously you will wobble a hell of a lot more when standing , than laying prone or shooting from a bipod.

[ghillies 209]

so? can your mate give anything to support his thoughts? its bolloxs.

 

 

you can do one wholers at 50meters if your 'postures' on... let alone 25 feet! todays barrels will acomadate the 50 meter issue..just can you lol.

 

 

why take all shots 'postered' (prone)...if you cant hit it you cant hit it.

 

ffffffff ner ner you cant do that lol..yeh right.

[LauBen 9]

so? can your mate give anything to support his thoughts? its bolloxs.

 

 

you can do one wholers at 50meters if your 'postures' on... let alone 25 feet! todays barrels will acomadate the 50 meter issue..just can you lol.

 

 

why take all shots 'postered' (prone)...if you cant hit it you cant hit it.

 

ffffffff ner ner you cant do that lol..yeh right.

 

Nah, he was just talking about how he was shown. I have to agree that the biggest problem with my grouping is the shooter .

[The one 8,592]

I reckon you should be able to shoot from any position as long as your comfortable if not practice ,practice ,practice

[LauBen 9]

That was my view, I know that I can shoot a better grouping when prone or supported, but I figured if I can shoot a good group free standing then my supported grouping will be even better

[ghillies 209]

a lot of people say prone is best, ok it cuts out a few 'variables' but, if you only shoot prone you'll never find you body posture for shooting standing.

 

basically with springers each posision is a case of sussing your 'still', its a line up on the target, when you find it it doesnt matter what posision your in. pcps i find a lot easier in all the positions.

(if your off posture your sort of squew wffed as you look at the target, as you squeze the trigger you get awful grouping or miss all together. even prone has a posision, it just seems easier because your not holding the gun in the case of banch shooting with a bipod. if the posision was so fool proof every one who first handled a gun would get one hole groups from the off..but, as you may have notised not many do.)

 

if you can shoot stood you can adapt to the other semi or prone positions, its a matter of going through the beginers stuff untill you naturaly just stand still momentarily straight on target and dont miss...

 

the diference is, stood, you dont actualy stand there looking around through the scope for the target, you literally pick the gun up and put it straight onto target, prone, when your well versed is the same, you put the cross straight onto target with NO left righting up n downing looking all over the place to find the target, if eather involves this looking around your groups start to peble dash.

looking around to 'aquire' th target stood usualy meens your 'tyred' before you get there, put it straight on target and relax in stance just right, its a breif monent that hasnt had long enuough to ware you out a little, or just enought to start the wobble efect.

 

you could try not shooting for an exersise, just bringing the gun up 'on to target' then just relax on the target, when you start wobbling bring the gun down to let the 'presure' of your mustles.

 

to see what i'm on about (prone or standinging) try grippin the gun hard as yu like...really hold it tight, now move onto target lol! you'll see what i mean after a few shots.(over a day you'll eather be mega fit or suffering bad lol i suspect the later!).

 

put the gun down after that, give 10 minutes walk about, chat whatever and just chill a bit (to let your mustles oxygenated) then try a relaxed grip, see the target, lift to the target, if its not on dont move too it, just lift into a relaxed posision and 'hang there'..see how long till you start wobblin everywhere in comparison to the nasty hard ass grip.

 

after a while you'll start to lift on closer to the target (groupings improved) then bang on it...as you learn the ranges on your ret you'll naturaly start to lift right where it should be to compansate for the tragectry on your ret.. (fluently and with out thinking it every step of the way).

 

if you cant hold still stood up, you need mustle training or a lighter gun, sounds silly but its true, hense 'go prone' its a short cut that costs in the long run.

 

the more you do it, the more it becames a natural reflex, as it becomes a natural movent it gets easier because you know the knack, after that..50 yards aint so far.(takes less efert, so less wobble and you could theoreticly just stand there for ages holding bang on target no wobble..and in reality it is posable)

 

if ever you hunt you'll soon find standing posisions most valuble.

 

edit...do too much bad shooting it worsens your learning curve,(teach's your brain and cordinasion to do it rong), as you get tyred it gets harder, if your stiffened up and tense it becomes vital that your posture is bang on taget from the off, that way all the engery used to 'moving' on target isnt needed, and of course your natural tendasy to 'move' isnt there.. it all helps lol.

move n stop stop n move, gripping it getting uppady? forget it....one smooth movent and poise, postured and it hardly touch's the stamina or stregnth, so you can do it better longer, or more to the point it all meets in a second or two for that 'perfection' not 10 seconds find the target, another 5 putting the hair then rushing at the trigger cuz you'll wobble of target..thats where the pulling through comes in, passing left to right and snapping a shot of in antisipasion of htting 'just as you pass by'..takes ages, wares you out more and ruins your mind set and buggers up your 'posture'.

Edited November 2, 2012 by ghillies

[ghillies 209]

hmmm summed up..tisnt about your posision as such, it is about your posture however.

 

you find your posture by putting the time in, after that..whatever position your in improves.

 

as its time in, being shown the easy way or rong way costs you time basicaly, in the years of.

 

paying a good coach is money well spent, even if it is a luxury.

[LauBen 9]

a lot of people say prone is best, ok it cuts out a few 'variables' but, if you only shoot prone you'll never find you body posture for shooting standing.

 

basically with springers each posision is a case of sussing your 'still', its a line up on the target, when you find it it doesnt matter what posision your in. pcps i find a lot easier in all the positions.

(if your off posture your sort of squew wffed as you look at the target, as you squeze the trigger you get awful grouping or miss all together. even prone has a posision, it just seems easier because your not holding the gun in the case of banch shooting with a bipod. if the posision was so fool proof every one who first handled a gun would get one hole groups from the off..but, as you may have notised not many do.)

 

if you can shoot stood you can adapt to the other semi or prone positions, its a matter of going through the beginers stuff untill you naturaly just stand still momentarily straight on target and dont miss...

 

the diference is, stood, you dont actualy stand there looking around through the scope for the target, you literally pick the gun up and put it straight onto target, prone, when your well versed is the same, you put the cross straight onto target with NO left righting up n downing looking all over the place to find the target, if eather involves this looking around your groups start to peble dash.

looking around to 'aquire' th target stood usualy meens your 'tyred' before you get there, put it straight on target and relax in stance just right, its a breif monent that hasnt had long enuough to ware you out a little, or just enought to start the wobble efect.

 

you could try not shooting for an exersise, just bringing the gun up 'on to target' then just relax on the target, when you start wobbling bring the gun down to let the 'presure' of your mustles.

 

to see what i'm on about (prone or standinging) try grippin the gun hard as yu like...really hold it tight, now move onto target lol! you'll see what i mean after a few shots.(over a day you'll eather be mega fit or suffering bad lol i suspect the later!).

 

put the gun down after that, give 10 minutes walk about, chat whatever and just chill a bit (to let your mustles oxygenated) then try a relaxed grip, see the target, lift to the target, if its not on dont move too it, just lift into a relaxed posision and 'hang there'..see how long till you start wobblin everywhere in comparison to the nasty hard ass grip.

 

after a while you'll start to lift on closer to the target (groupings improved) then bang on it...as you learn the ranges on your ret you'll naturaly start to lift right where it should be to compansate for the tragectry on your ret.. (fluently and with out thinking it every step of the way).

 

if you cant hold still stood up, you need mustle training or a lighter gun, sounds silly but its true, hense 'go prone' its a short cut that costs in the long run.

 

the more you do it, the more it becames a natural reflex, as it becomes a natural movent it gets easier because you know the knack, after that..50 yards aint so far.(takes less efert, so less wobble and you could theoreticly just stand there for ages holding bang on target no wobble..and in reality it is posable)

 

if ever you hunt you'll soon find standing posisions most valuble.

 

edit...do too much bad shooting it worsens your learning curve,(teach's your brain and cordinasion to do it rong), as you get tyred it gets harder, if your stiffened up and tense it becomes vital that your posture is bang on taget from the off, that way all the engery used to 'moving' on target isnt needed, and of course your natural tendasy to 'move' isnt there.. it all helps lol.

move n stop stop n move, gripping it getting uppady? forget it....one smooth movent and poise, postured and it hardly touch's the stamina or stregnth, so you can do it better longer, or more to the point it all meets in a second or two for that 'perfection' not 10 seconds find the target, another 5 putting the hair then rushing at the trigger cuz you'll wobble of target..thats where the pulling through comes in, passing left to right and snapping a shot of in antisipasion of htting 'just as you pass by'..takes ages, wares you out more and ruins your mind set and buggers up your 'posture'.

 

ghillies, many thanks for all this brilliant advice I will be giving this an a try and hopping to improve both my group's and my posture.

 

Many thanks mate

[ghillies 209]

no problem ..