talking setup, I like to reference our cars. Look at the rifle the same way you look at your car. We first walk into the dealer, drive the vehicle of choice. Then we settle in with the representative to pick our features and get one in the right color. It’s almost the same when we look at a rifle. The main difference is, when the dealer finally hands us the keys, and we sit in it for the first time, we adjust things. Seats and mirrors, these two elements are our sights and stocks.
The author focuses on rifle setup, as it’s the adjustment for the shooter behind the rifle. The more adjustability in the stock, the more comfortable the shooter will be in the long run.
After a short amount of time, our driving becomes subconscious, just like shooting. We can cruise down the highway talking on the phone, adjusting the radio while talking to our passenger. Very little effort is spent focusing on the lines. However, if you look, we are making micro corrections with our hands on the steering wheel. To press the point even further, if we change one thing, move the seat for different driver, or adjust a mirror, immediately we notice it. Shooting a rifle needs to be like that. This level of familiarity.
Setting up the Cheek Weld
Before we set up the cheek weld, we have to mount the scope. The scope should be mounted in the rings ahead of time and can be attached to the rifle, but it should not be tightened in place just yet. In the section on sight picture, we will cover setting up the scope properly, but first let’s explain where we need to position it on the rail.
We will assume the rifle has some form of Picatinny rail on the action. These Picatinny rails will help you set the eye relief, which will determine how we set up the stock. When setting the scope in the rail, it is best not to put it in the last slot at the back. Give room, both in front and behind the rings, so you can move the scope either forward or backward. It should also be noted that you bring the system to you. Don’t try to wrap yourself around the rifle. Sure, we can get away with it in the short. But, over time, the mismanagement of the setup will show.
Choosing a stock with an adjustable cheek piece will further assist the shooter in setting up the rifle. This will, again, aid in comfort when it comes time to shoot. Additionally, it will help you get a consistent cheek weld from shot to shot.
We do this by addressing the rifle in the prone position. The shooter should be straight behind it, not at an angle to the stock, with spine in line with the bore. Rest the head naturally on the stock, obtaining a good solid cheek weld. Looking through the scope there should be instant edge-to-edge clarity. Shadowing will tell you which direction to move the scope or cheek piece on the stock. If you are looking through a donut with shadowing all around, move the scope forward or backward in the rail. If you have shadowing at the top or bottom of the sight picture move the cheek piece up or down and repeat the process until the picture is clear.
Straight Back Behind the Rifle
We have all seen images of service rifle shooters using a sling in the prone position shooting offset at an angle. They point the foot and raise their knee to establish a good prone position. This works great for a sling shooter. But for the tactical shooter using a bipod, especially with a heavy caliber, the proper position is straight back behind the rifle. Recoil will exploit any angle between the body and stock. So, while the little green Army man position might look good from a historical perspective, it’s not a position we should be using in modern times.
Manipulation of the trigger without disturbing the lay of the sights sounds easy, but some shooters can put a lot of movement into their shots because the rifle is not properly set up for them.
Demonstrating the different variations is important, as not every shooter is built the same. Set up the rifle to the individual, not some arbitrary idea of why, simply because someone else did it that way.
On the firing line, the author focuses on each shooter’s position throughout day one. He is building clones.
The reason a sling shooter gets off to the side of the rifle is to place the support arm directly under the stock, so the forearm is straight, and in line, underneath it.
Being straight behind the rifle is going to pay off down the road. It’s going to allow the recoil to move down your body and exit your legs equally. If you are properly squared up (your shoulders straight across, regardless of being in the standing or prone position) the rifle will recoil and return to target. The movement will be minimal, allowing the shooter to maintain sight picture throughout the firing process. When we ask shooters to demonstrate a supported standing position, they will always blade to the target; there are many things wrong with this position. When shooting from the standing position, practice being square and creating a tripod between your body and the support. You’ll see the benefits right away.
The position needs to be consistent and repeatable behind the optic. We are aligning our head and body behind the rifle. It needs to be automatic.
Use this straight behind the rifle method to set up the stock and cheek piece. This is also the way to set the eye relief on the scope. Get into position before mounting your scope. Get a good natural feel for the rifle in your shoulder pocket, making sure your bipod is correctly adjusted for your body. After your cheek weld is established, put the scope on the Pic rail and bring the sight picture to you. By mounting the scope this way, you get a good natural position with a comfortable sight picture. Remember, we don’t want to have to work for edge-to-edge clarity. We want that good sight picture when we address the rifle. This is the proper way to set up the scope and fit the rifle to the shooter.
Set up the rifle in the position you feel most likely to use most often. Put your shooting discipline into context when adjusting the rifle system. If your local range only lets you shoot off a bench, set up the rifle for the bench. If you are shooting multiple positions, set up the rifle so you can address each position with a minimum amount of compromise.
Breaking Down the Fundamentals of Marksmanship
OK, now we’re going from the analogy about our car to a discussion of golf. And trust me, I am not a golfer by any stretch of the imagination. In any sport we engage in, soccer to football, golf to shooting, they all have a specific set of fundamentals. We want to break down those fundamentals, wiping away the flourishes that have been added over time. We are looking at original intent here, with a twist. Most of the original intent was written with iron sights in mind, as well as being shot unsupported or with a sling. Today we have bipods and front rests, so we need to consider those tools in the context of our fundamentals.
Natural Point of Aim
Stepping up to the tee, we have to address the golf ball with our body and align the club. This adjustment of our body position to launch the ball at our desired target is similar to natural point of aim.
Natural point of aim is a very simple concept, but is often misunderstood. In order to establish a good firing position, we want our muscles to be relaxed. When the body mentally perceives recoil, it will subconsciously relax for a microsecond. This
