Training and Shooting

Standing Rifle: Free, Standard and Sporting

Follow these guidelines for the Standing Position for Free and Standard Rifle: (based on the case of a right handed shooter.)

• Position refinement will play a large role in improving the beginning shooter's scores in prone and kneeling. However, in standing, improvements in scores will depend more upon concentration, trigger control, and mental discipline.
• Position of the Feet
  • In building a stable position, a shooter faces approximately 90 degrees to the right of the target.
  • The feet are about shoulder width apart.
  • The shooter should stand on the firmest surface possible and not on a shooting mat or springy surface.
  • The shooter should wear boots as they have firmer soles and will provide some ankle support.
  • The footwear must be within the specifications set out in UIT Regulations.
  • Equal distribution of weight is desirable but it is difficult if not impossible to maintain. Most shooters will have slightly more weight on one foot than the other.
  • The distance between the feet seems to vary with the height of the shooter. Taller persons have their feet less than shoulder width apart but it is a matter of stability and preference.
  • The feet should point straight ahead in relation to the body position and one or both feet may be pointed slightly outward.
  • The legs should be straight but the knees should not be locked to the rear. Locked knees will affect the circulation of the blood and cause discomfort and unsteadiness.
• Position of the Hips
  • The hips face at 90 degrees as does the body.
  • They are not thrust forward.
• Back bend and body twist.
  • Once the proper foundation is constructed, the centre of gravity of the rifle-body mass must be positioned to the advantage of the shooter. This is accomplished through the employment of the back bend and body twist.
  • The rifle is placed to the shoulder, muzzle elevated about 70 degrees; the shooter bends backwards at the waist, keeping the legs straight.
  • The torso is twisted from the small of the back, and the left arm is lowered until the elbow contacts the side of the body and the rifle is pointing at the target.
  • If the bend and twist is properly maintained, the weight of the rifle will feel as though it is resting on the chest.
  • As a result of the back bend and body twist the weight of the rifle and upper torso falls upon the bones of the lower spinal column. Hip and leg bones transmit this weight to the feet. Thus the weight of the rifle is almost completely supported by bone.
  • The only work required of body muscles is to keep the body in the standing posture, and to control swaying from the point of balance. This combination of back bend and body twist is the most important feature of the standing position.
  • Considerable discomfort is common when the position is used for the first few times. It can take up to a month of daily practice to strengthen the muscles to compensate for the fatigue, generated in the areas of strain.
• Achieving a balance
  • The shooter's back is bent to the right and rearward to gain bone support.
  • If the shooter were to stand straight, the weight of the rifle would pull the body to the left front.
  • Strain would be experienced in the back muscles as they try to keep the body from falling forward.
  • By bending back and to the right the weight of the body is shifted to the right rear foot.
  • At a certain position, the weight of the body on the right rear foot equals the weight of the rifle on the left front foot.
  • The body-rifle mass then reaches a state of balance, with the centre of gravity directly above a point between the feet.
• Position of the left arm
  • The left arm rests against the rib cage. It is held there by the friction of the coat sleeve against the body of the coat.
  • Supported by the ribs, the bones of the left forearm form a bracket that supports the rifle. The left elbow is not directly under the rifle, but somewhat to the left.
  • The left forearm that supports the rifle is not completely rigid. Like the body it can be placed in a point of balance (a neutral position).
  • If the muscles of the left hand function properly, it can be held at this point of balance without moving. Also, like the body, it can be held in balance with a very slight, almost relaxed, muscular tension. It is at this point of balance that the left forearm should be held.
  • The muscles of the left arm must not be used to steer the rifle into the 10-ring.
• The palm rest
  • The palm rest is used to bring the rifle stock up to the level of the face. Some shooters can accomplish this without the use of a palm rest. They simply support the rifle with the hand. Others use a small block of wood.
  • The important point is that the correct position of the body is assumed, and then the rifle is fitted to the body, not the body to the rifle.
  • The palm rest is positioned on the heel of the hand, and the left wrist is comfortable.
  • Note: The beginning shooter will find that correctly adjusting the palm rest and butt hook can be a bewildering task. Part of the difficulty is caused by not knowing the standing position specific to the individual. It has not been used enough to be able to sense minor changes in body posture. Consequently, the shooter will not know whether the same position has been adopted each time. As a result, it will sometimes appear that it is the rifle that is not adjusted. Only practice will solve this problem.
  • The palm rest is placed on the heel of the hand.
  • The thumb is usually placed alongside, on the left of the palm rest and not in the slot usually provided. It has been found that this will help to prevent the rifle from falling toward the left.
  • A palm rest should not be used without a butt hook.
• Position of the right arm
  • A butt hook is usually used to prevent the rifle from pivoting forward from the weight of the barrel.
  • The butt hook is placed comfortably under the right armpit.
  • It is lowered to a level that will bring the stock up to the shooter's face and the eye will look naturally through the sight.
  • The right arm may be slightly tensed or completely relaxed.
  • Some shooters may lift the arm slightly, whereas others let it drop naturally to the side.
  • The right hand should be comfortable and under no strain whatever.
  • It should produce a straight trigger pull that is directly in line with the bore of the barrel.
  • The trigger finger should not touch the stock in any way that might cause pressure to be applied to the stock when pressure is being applied to the trigger.
• Position of the head
  • The head should be in an upright position with the eyes looking straight forward from their sockets and through the sights.
  • If the head is tilted the organs of balance in the inner ears sense the tilt and signals are sent out to correct the imbalance. Consequently, the body experiences a slight involuntary sway.
  • If the head is turned so that the shooter is looking across the bridge of the nose or under the eyebrows, there is a tremendous strain on the eyes and vision is affected. Bad shots are caused by not seeing well.
  • In order to keep the head erect it may be necessary to cant the rifle, and if the rifle must be canted it is essential that the cant remains the same for each shot.
  • The head should rest on the cheek piece and not be held up by the neck muscles.
• Eye relief
  • When the position has been built and the shooter is in an aiming position the eye relief should be adjusted for the best depth of field.
  • In the standing position the eye relief distance will usually be greater than in the other positions.
• Area of aim
  • The standing position is not limited to one point of balance and area of aim.
  • The shooter can move the centre of gravity of the rifle-body mass by a small movement of the left elbow and the rifle. Then a slight shift in body posture will find a new point of balance. The rifle will now point in a slightly different direction than it did at the first point of balance.
  • Shifts in position must never be very great or the whole efficiency of the bone support structure could be lost.
  • The standing position does not have one single point of aim that is natural to the position. There is, instead, an area of aim.
  • The rifle must be positioned and the feet placed so that when the shooter assumes the position the target is within the area of natural aim.
  • If muscles are used to force the rifle onto the target when the target is outside the area of aim, then the principal advantages of the position are defeated.

Follow these guidelines for the Standing Position for Sporting Rifle, Standard Rifle, and Air Rifle: (based on the case of a right handed shooter.)

• Important differences between these Rifles and the Free Rifle in relation to the Standing position are the absence of a palm rest and hook butt-plate, their lighter weight, and non-adjustable stocks.
• There is actually very little variation from the position with a Free Rifle to that used for the Sporting Rifle, Air Rifle or Standard Rifle.
• The lighter weight of these rifles will move the rifle-body mass slightly forward and allow a more erect position than the Free Rifle.
• The body bend and twist are still essential to a good hold.
• A shooting glove should be worn.
• The rifle is supported on the top of a closed or folded fist to give maximum bone support.
• In exceptional instances it may be necessary to support the rifle on the tips of the thumb and fingers of the left hand to obtain sufficient height.
• Maximum height is gained by placing the thumb under the trigger guard and the fingers under the fore-end; however this will result in weaker support for the rifle.
• The lighter rifle will sway more than the Free Rifle with its heavy barrel that dampens movement. To compensate for this movement the beginning shooter may have to use a large front aperture to keep the target within the ring during aiming.

Reference: Todd, A.R. (Technical Director). National Coaching Certification Program: Rifle Shooting, Level 1 Technical Coaching Manual. Gloucester, Canada: Shooting Federation of Canada, 1984. This manual and many others can be obtained very inexpensively from the Shooting Federation of Canada. For contact information, please visit the Shooting Organizations section.