Firing Positions Good morning, I am ____________,and for the next 20 minutes I will be giving you a period of instruction on the Principles of firing positions.

Sight Alignment Trigger Control The purpose of any good shooting position is to support the two basic principles of marksmanship Sight Alignment Trigger Control People are different sizes and shapes so its impossible to have a picture perfect position. As long as the position meets the requirements, can consistently and quickly be acquired, and works for the individual shooter by supporting the two principles, then it’s a good position.

Three elements of a Steady position: Support (Artificial & Bone) Muscular Relaxation Natural Point of Aim There are three elements to a steady position. These three things must happen and cannot be broken in order for the position to work for the shooter.

What is the most stable platform? Support What is the most stable platform? The Ground Transfer the stability of the ground into your position through the use of artificial and bone support Bone support is simply using the skeletal structure of the shooter to support the weight of the rifle. Optimally we want the weight of the rifle over the positions’ center of gravity.

Muscular Relaxation If you have good support, your muscles will be relaxed Less muscle tension means less movement Comfort equals relaxed Without some sort of muscle tension we wouldn’t be able to hold the rifle in position. Optimally we want to eliminate any undue muscle tension while still being able to control the rifle. A simple way to look at is, as you use your muscles they become fatigued, with fatigue comes instability

Natural Point of Aim Where your position is naturally pointing Your position must be adjusted so that your natural point of aim (NPA) is aligned with the target Natural point of aim is where your position is naturally pointing. When you assume a firing position if you were to look through your sights with no undue tension on your rifle, the same as if you were going to shoot, you would notice that the rifle is pointed somewhere, not necessarily at your target but it is pointed somewhere. This is the natural point of aim of that position. The goal now is to adjust that position so that the natural point of aim is aligned with the target. This will enable you to engage the target without having to muscle the rifle over, causing undue muscular tension. How do we adjust our position? We want to adjust our position by moving the center of that particular position. In the prone we adjust at our belt buckle. We move the entire position.

5 Factors of a Solid Position Non-Firing Hand Rifle Butt Firing Hand Stock Weld Elbows These elements can be found in every position. There are optimal placements for each, but they can be modified in order for the position to work.

Hasty Sling 1 5 4 2 3

Loop Sling

Putting the sling on Turn sling 1/4 turn to left (for RH shooter) Put arm through loop - high as possible (above tricep) Tighten sling Bring hand around outside of sling and place under handguard

Prone Natural Point of Aim (NPA) FIRING HAND NON FIRING HAND Handguards rest in the “V” formed between forefinger Wrist remains straight Weight of rifle rests on heel of hand Fingers curled naturally around handguards Only enough grip pressure to maintain control of rifle STOCKWELD This is where your face contacts the stock Head should be vertical and upright Consistent from shot to shot Purpose is to achieve proper achieve eye-sight alignment Look for excess skin forming a roll FIRING HAND Placed high on the pistol grip Firm handshake grip Trigger finger should be placed naturally on the trigger Proper placement of the firing hand on the pistol grip allows the trigger finger to be moved straight to the rear without disturbing sight alignment. RIFLE BUTT Place the rifle butt firmly into the pocket formed in the shoulder. Bring the rifle up to your head, not your head down to the rifle. The higher the position, the higher the butt is in the shoulder. ELBOWS The non-firing elbow should still be positioned as close to directly underneath the rifle as possible to create bone support The firing elbow should be allowed to rest where it naturally falls after the rest of the position is acquired Natural Point of Aim (NPA)

Prone Leg Positions Spread Leg Bent Knee

Kneeling Natural Point of Aim (NPA) STOCKWELD This is where your face contacts the stock Head should be vertical and upright Consistent from shot to shot Purpose is to achieve proper eye-sight alignment Look for excess skin forming a roll FIRING HAND Placed high on the pistol grip Firm handshake grip Trigger finger should be placed naturally on the trigger Proper placement of the firing hand on the pistol grip allows the trigger finger to be moved straight to the rear without disturbing sight alignment. RIFLE BUTT Place the rifle butt firmly into the pocket formed in the shoulder. Bring the rifle up to your head, not your head down to the rifle. The higher the position, the higher the butt is in the shoulder. FEET Forward foot approx. 45 degrees to target and directly under knee Rear foot: toe on ground or whole foot flat on ground ELBOWS The non-firing elbow should still be positioned as close to directly underneath the rifle as possible to create bone support Place the elbow either forward of or behind the kneecap, but not on top The firing elbow should hang as naturally as possible NON FIRING HAND Handguards rest in the “V” formed between forefinger Wrist remains straight Weight of rifle rests on heel of hand Fingers curled naturally around handguards Only enough grip pressure to maintain control of rifle Left arm and left upper leg form a generally straight line This allows the weight of the rifle to push straight to the base of the position Natural Point of Aim (NPA)

Non-Firing Hand Rifle Butt Firing Hand Stock Weld Elbows

Sitting Natural Point of Aim (NPA) NON FIRING HAND Handguards rest in the “V” formed between forefinger Wrist remains straight Weight of rifle rests on heel of hand Fingers curled naturally around handguards Only enough grip pressure to maintain control of rifle RIFLE BUTT Place the rifle butt firmly into the pocket formed in the shoulder. Bring the rifle up to your head, not your head down to the rifle. The higher the position, the higher the butt is in the shoulder. FIRING HAND Placed high on the pistol grip Firm handshake grip Trigger finger should be placed naturally on the trigger Proper placement of the firing hand on the pistol grip allows the trigger finger to be moved straight to the rear without disturbing sight alignment. FEET Cross your feet left over right. This is for right handed shooters, left handed shooters reverse the feet The feet can be pulled close together for more elevation or pushed farther apart for less elevation ELBOWS The elbows should be placed either on the meaty portion in the bend of the leg, or in front of the kneecap Be careful not to place the points of the elbows on top of the knees STOCKWELD This is where your face contacts the stock Head should be vertical and upright Consistent from shot to shot Purpose is to achieve proper eye-sight alignment Look for excess skin forming a roll Natural Point of Aim (NPA)

Standing Natural Point of Aim (NPA) RIFLE BUTT Placement dependent on body type and equipment worn Bring the rifle up to your head, not your head down to the rifle. The higher the position, the higher the butt is in the shoulder. STOCKWELD This is where your face contacts the stock Head should be vertical and upright Consistent from shot to shot Purpose is to achieve proper eye-sight alignment Look for excess skin forming a roll NON-FIRING HAND AND ARM Handguard rests on heel of hand between thumb and forefinger Non-firing arm as vertical as possible underneath the rifle Elbow close to the body to incorporate as much bone support as possible FIRING HAND Placed high on the pistol grip Firm handshake grip Trigger finger should be placed naturally on the trigger Proper placement of the firing hand on the pistol grip allows the trigger finger to be moved straight to the rear without disturbing sight alignment. FEET Approximately shoulder width apart Equal weight distribution Oriented perpendicular to target Natural Point of Aim (NPA)

Non-Firing Hand Rifle Butt Firing Hand Stock Weld Elbows

Sight Alignment Trigger Control The purpose of any good shooting position is to support the two basic principles of marksmanship Sight Alignment Trigger Control People are different sizes and shapes so its impossible to have a picture perfect position. As long as the position meets the requirements, can consistently and quickly be acquired, and works for the individual shooter by supporting the two principles, then it’s a good position.

Questions on Positions?