Prone shooting in the field

I am trying to help my young fella improve his prone shooting in the field. Practising off a bench is one thing, but as you know completely different to in the field. So we are going to practise some hunting situations in the field and shoot some clays from varying distances and see what works but appreciate any tips / techniques - do you use a front pack or something else ? what about rear bag ? what's the best hold for your front hand ? what works guys and what would you teach a young fella.

Cheers

Try awkward positions. Both my daughters have shot their first deer in the last year. My youngest (13yrs) had to shoot over a rock while kneeling behind it, my oldest (15yrs) had to shoot sitting behind my upright pack resting overtop of it. Both had practiced prone off a bipod. I had also made up a tripod from tomato stakes for them to use from a sitting position. My youngest used that to shoot her first goat.
Also used balloons as well, slightly bigger, more confidence target.

Consistency works, I rest the fore on my pack front hand is only used to steady, I don't put any pressure on the fore at all it just rests. I use this technique for all shooting techniques, whether shooting off a rest, sitting leaning with my elbows supported on my knees or prone.
I found if I put pressure on the fore either pulling towards etc I found I got inconsistent results.

Balloons - great idea !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stug

Also used balloons as well, slightly bigger, more confidence target.

---

Cheap nasty fizzy drink cans from the Warehouse make great fun reactive targets for the kids too.

Shoot off a pack and a bipod, and see what works best for you.

Also leaning up against a tree, on top of a fence post or wire (electric wire tried, found ...unsatisfactory, not recommended) or across a rock.

If you're taking a quadbike or ute, across the carrier, bonnet or tray .

I read something recently that shooting using a pack as a rest always gives better results than using a bipod - I don't know how true that is though!

I was always told if using something hard as a rest (tree, fencepost etc) to always put your hand or something soft between the rifle and the hard surface.

Let him learn and increase his max safe range prone unsupported, that will give him confidence and a sense of real skill achievement.

Whatever support happens to be at hand then is just a bonus extra.

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...at+Forend.html


this will see you right,it did for me.

One technique I recommend to new shooters is to teach them to look for the impact of the bullet through the scope BEFORE lifting their head. Some tell me that it wont matter as the bullet will have left the gun before they can react, but I tell the try and it almost always provides pretty good improvement. Part of this is the body always getting ready for what is next. If it knows it will be looking for the shot, then the muscles will be anticipating staying where they are. If the person is subconsciously anticipating lifting the bolt and looking up from the scope the muscles will prepare for this and will not be in the best state for the shot.

Dont believe me? Try it. Rather than reloading as soon as you fire, look for the shot / impact in the scope at the range and see what happens.

Thats a great article - thank you. I have only skip read but some great info.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

https://www.ballisticstudies.com/Kno...at+Forend.html


this will see you right,it did for me.

---

That's what I'm thinking also, I guess prone unsupported is a lot like off-hand, it requires nothing else but you and the rifle and will always work.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cordite

Let him learn and increase his max safe range prone unsupported, that will give him confidence and a sense of real skill achievement.

Whatever support happens to be at hand then is just a bonus extra.

---

Before bipods came into vogue, I used to carry two short and sharpened thin bamboo sticks. They were approx 300mm long with a couple of the wide ‘Post Office’ rubber bands half way up. Spread the bottom and push sharp end into ground and use the ‘X’ part as a rifle rest. After shooting, the bands sproinged the sticks back together. Light, cheap, effective.

My boy is 10, I have him Practice using the rifle sling to support his left hand/arm to tighten everything up. Works well for him. Other then that backpack as a rest or using what ever is available like a tree etc.

To add to the above, lots of practice with a .22, if you can afford the ammo.

Hi, I posted a rough outline of shooting technique for the 4 basic positions and use of rests for hunting on this page:
https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....86/index2.html

I'd recommend that whatever training you take him through that you try and replicate your hunting conditions as closely as possible. I personally dont train with a rear bag as I never carry one hunting. Prefer to practise with either my hat or jacket. Allows most people to get pretty stable when combined with a bipod even when the heart rate is up.

I use my rear hand solely to manipulate the rear support. I.e squeeze the hat or jacket to either lower or raise my point of aim

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pete_D

That's what I'm thinking also, I guess prone unsupported is a lot like off-hand, it requires nothing else but you and the rifle and will always work.

---

@Pete_D I’d say when you have a chance go back and have a really good read of this article!
Especially about the hand sandwich which is where most get caught out...been there got the bloody t shirt.

I use the seated across knees position more than prone. With practice very fast and a bit more height to shoot over vegetation.

One thing to remember is if you are resting on a fence or tree anything for that matter make sure the barrel isn't touching anything. If it is the harmonics in the barrel will be affected and your shots will fly different. I remember my mate once using the spocks on his motorbike as a rest on his 200 yard range on his orchard, he lay down to shoot but the barrel was on the spocks not the forearm and he shot a group a bit like a shotgun pattern. After a bit of head scratching we figured it out and the next group was back to normal. Having something soft to rest on is always a plus imo.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mooseman

One thing to remember is if you are resting on a fence or tree anything for that matter make sure the barrel isn't touching anything. If it is the harmonics in the barrel will be affected and your shots will fly different. I remember my mate once using the spocks on his motorbike as a rest on his 200 yard range on his orchard, he lay down to shoot but the barrel was on the spocks not the forearm and he shot a group a bit like a shotgun pattern. After a bit of head scratching we figured it out and the next group was back to normal. Having something soft to rest on is always a plus imo.

---

Even the stock sideways against a tree will cause vibration and change of impact - so when resting stock forend against side of a tree have your hand in between.

Ryan Cleckner's videos were helpful & informative for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lz...F2AEF0EC711484

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

Ryan Cleckner's videos were helpful & informative for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-lzvjGPgKE&index=11&list=PLACF2AEF0EC711484

---

Good Vid, I learnt some really useful points regarding slings.
Again though, proper use of a tree as a rest wasn't fully covered. In my opinion the best way to use a tree is as follows: A right handed shooter shoots on the right side of the tree - this gives visual cover by breaking your body outline and allows a really solid rest. Ok so for RH shooter - With left forearm at 45 degrees to the barrel and a death grip on the fore end, both elbows up, push the back of the wrist hard into the tree trunk with right leg back and straight, push like Richie McCaw locking a scrum. This gives a solid positive hold and imo is vastly better than the finger tip tree truck tickling position off the left side of the tree.