50 meter rifle and air rifle

8/4/2019 50 Meter Rifle and Air Rifle

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Martin Senore

South Africa

Title:

View to shooting ISSF.

Discipline:

50 Meter rifle and Air rifle.

P.O. Box 242

Magaliesburg

1791

South Africa


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Developing the basic shooting skills for juniors:

PROGRAMME

Acceptance of responsibility and respect for firearms are but afew of the many positive benefits derived from sport shooting.

While promoting the safe and proficient use of firearms for sport andrecreational purposes. Such activities are also valuable in helping toachieve other aspects of life, leadership, citizenship and sensible living.

a. To promote firearms safety;

We are in the times were fire-arms are always the bad part in anysituation. So thats why we are at the for front in always promotingfire-arms safety.

b. To develop sport shooting skills;

Because in this sport we develop more then just the shooting skillsbut also develop the junior shooter for his upcoming life.

c. To stimulate and maintain an interest in sport shooting;

Air-rifle, small-bore rifle and full-bore rifle

The three (3) training components available in the sport shooting riflediscipline are:

a. Familiarization;b. Classification; andc. Competition.


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SPORT SHOOTING TECHNIQUES

GENERALThis section deals with all the sport shooting skills required for properfiring. They can be divided into five principles as follows:

a. Position;b. Holding;c. Breathing;d. Aiming; ande. Trigger Control.

These principles must all function in harmony. Improving one while notworking on another will not provide very good results in the long run.

Perfecting these principles takes time and concentration, shooters shouldremember PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT!

PROPER EYE USAGE

Selecting the Master Eye

Everyone has a master (or dominant) eye which is stronger than the otherone. This is the eye to be used when aiming. The master eye is the brainsprimary source for the visual image of what we see. The non-master eye isused primarily for depth perception or sense of direction. The master eye

must be determined before individuals begin firing. It should be noted thatthe master eye is not always on the same side of the body as the writinghand.

To determine the master eye, cadets should follow the steps listed below:

A: Select a small object (i.e., the corner of a wall) at least five (5)metres away;

B: Face the object and extend both arms in front of their body towardsthe object;

C: With both eyes open, form a small, tight opening around the object

with their thumbs and index fingers;D: Look at the object through the opening with both eyes open and

draw both hands back toward their face.Ensure that the object remains centred through the opening of theirthumbs and index fingers; and

E: They should now be looking through the opening at the object withone single eye the stronger of thetwo. This is their master eye. They should always use this eye foraiming when they fire.


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If the master eye is on the opposite side of the body than the writinghand, it is advisable that cadetschange shoulders and fire with their opposite hand anduse their master eye. This should not however be doneat the expense of the cadets comfort.

Firing with Both Eyes Open

Shooters should always fire with both eyes open. Eyes areconstantly working together. If one is closed, the other willhave to strain and the individuals vision will be affected. Ifshooters have difficulty focusing, the use of a blinder in front ofthe non-aiming eye will help prevent squinting and eye fatigue.Cutting a piece of plastic from a windshield washer fluid jug orany other similar type of container can easily make a blinder. Agood blinder should be translucent (plastic or paper) so thatimages are blocked even though light can penetrate it. Itshould be easily attachable to the rear sight or to the shootersglasses.

Avoiding Fixed Vision

If the shooters vision is fixed on one object, such as a target bulls-eye, formore than a few seconds, the image of the bull will be burned in their mindand a ghost image of the bull will be seen when glancing to the side. It isespecially important for cadets to avoid this fixed vision, because it resultsin a loss of visual perception and can greatly hinder their performance. Toavoid fixed vision, shooters need only to blink or slightly shift their visionevery four (4) or five (5) seconds.


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Prone positions techniques:

The positions explained here is for right handed shooters and theposition for the different body types will remain the same in

principal. We also have to remember that we can have any

number of different types of bodies.

PRONE POSITION

Several years of experience in developing and evaluatinginstructional curriculum for teaching rifle marksmanship to newjunior shooters has led us to a conclusion that the bestsequence for teaching the firing positions, for most shootingcoaches in most instructional situations, is to start with asupported position where basic shot technique can be mosteffectively practiced. The second position taught should bestanding, both because it is simple and because it is the mostcritical component of later success. The third position shouldbe prone. Prone should come after standing because it is morecomplicated and because proper sling use can be best be

taught after the new shooter is comfortable in handling andfiring the rifle. The fourth position should be kneeling, becauseit is the most complicated position and because prone positionexperience makes it easier to learn kneeling. Continualevaluation of the instructional curriculum we provide to severalorganizations has also led to some changes in the method thatwe recommend coaches use to teach prone.

Earlier methods used a three step method:

1) get into position without the rifle,

2) get into with the rifle, but without the sling and3) assume the position with the rifle and sling. In numeroustrials with new shooters, better prone positions weredeveloped when we had new shooters attach the slingto the rifle and put it on before getting into position. Theteaching method then goes through a series of keypoints that must be followed in order.


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Lets go through the Steps in Building the Prone Positiontosee how they fit together and to understand what each stepseeks to establish. Note that all descriptions are for a right-handed shootersimply reverse left and right for a left-handedshooter.

Step 1:

Place the shooting mat at a 25-30 degree angle to the line of fire .

Prone should be fired on a shooting mat so the initialplacement of the mat can help set up the proper body anglewhen it lies in position. If you place the mat at a 25-30 degreeangle, even a first-time shooter will start by lying on the mat

with the body at this angle to the line of fire. Most good pronepositions will end up with the body lying at about this angle.

Step 2:

Kneel on the mat with the rifle and put the sling on .

Start by making sure the sling swivel is moved forward so that it will notinfluence the left hand location. Also make sure that the sling length is aslong as possible. This will assure that the sling is long and loose whenthe shooter first gets into position. Form the arm loop, turn it one half turn

to the left, place the loop high on the arm and tighten the arm loop, but notthe sling. Extend the left arm and rotate it over the sling so that the lefthand grasps the fore-end and the sling passes over the back of the hand.Be sure to keep the sling long and loose at this stagetrying to adjustsling length before getting into position is one of the worst mistakes thatcan be made.

Step 3:

Lie down on the mat with the left ELBOW under the left sideline.

After lying down with the proper body angle, there are threekeys to building the position correctly. The first position key isthe left elbow. To determine where it should be placed, havethe shooter imagine a straight line extending from the left footto the left hand. The correct location for the left elbow is directlyunder this line. As a coach you can stand over or behind theshooter and easily see whether the elbow is under thissideline. Placing the elbow directly under the left sideline willkeep an imaginary plane cutting through the bent arm and sling


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vertical so that it is best positioned to support the weight of therifle and upper body.

Step 4:

Position the BUTT UP in the shoulder so the head is up .

The second position key is the location of the butt-plate in the shoulderbecause the placement of the butt plate determines the head position. Thecode phrase to remember here is butt uphead up. If the butt-plate is upin the shoulder, the head will also be up so that the shooter can lookcomfortably forward through the sights. If the butt-plate is placed too low,the head must be lowered so that the eye must look up instead of forwardand aiming is strained. Once the butt-platehead position relationship is

established, the butt should not be shifted up or down in the shoulder toget the sights to point at the target. Do that by going to Step 5. Andremember that at this step, the sling swivel must still be forward and thesling must remain loose.

Step 5:

Adjust the LEFT HAND location on the stock to bring the sights tothe level of the targets.

At this stage in building the position, the shooter must be

concerned only with raising or lowering the rifle and rifle sightsto bring the sights to the level of the targets. Do not try to forcethe sights to align on a particular target. This verticaladjustment must be made by shifting the left hand forward tolower the sights or rearward to raise the sights. Here is where acoach on assistant can help. With the left hand located so thatthe sight point at target level, the coach should move the slingswivel back to the fork of the hand and tighten it to mark theproper hand location.

Step 6:

Tighten the sling until it supports the rifle.

Only after the basic prone body position that is determined bythe body angle, left elbow location, butt-plate-head relationshipand left hand location on the fore-end is established, should thesling be tightened. After these checkpoints or position keys areestablished, then tighten the sling until it takes over the work ofsupporting the rifle.


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Step 7:

Rotate the position on the left elbow so the sights point at yourtarget.

With the body in position and with the sling supporting the rifleand upper body, the sights should be pointing at target level,but they most will not be pointing at the correct target. Theproper way to move the sights to the correct target is to shift orrotate the entire body-rifle position on the left elbow. The wrongway to do this is to try to muscle or force the sights to point atthe target. Learning to shift the entire body-rifle position overthe pivot point provided by the left elbow is really the first stepin learning how to adjust the natural point of aim (NPA), which

will later become a critical success factor in prone. Make thisshift by using the feet and legs to lift the body and move it tothe right or left (opposite the direction the sights must move onthe targets) until the sights point naturally at your target. Thisteaching method is distinguished by how few details are taughtwhen initially getting a new shooter into position. Indeed, manycoaches must resist the impulse to teach details like foot andleg position or precise elbow placement. Other critical detailslike getting the shoulders and spine to form an imaginary Tare automatically achieved if the new shooter simply lies downwith the sling long and loose so that the body holds the rifle in

its most natural position. The critical thing to remember here isto save the details for latershoot in this basic position longenough to become comfortable with itthen attend to thedetails. Once the basic prone position is established byfollowing these seven steps in building the position, the newshooter must complete many dry fire and live fire repetitions inthe position. This is necessary before a new shooter can beginto feel comfortable in it. As this experience base expands,however, the new shooter can start to pay attention to criticalsuccess factors like relaxing the left arm as it supports the rifle,relaxing the upper body, sensing and centring the NPA and

achieving a near-perfect sight picture for each shot. When thistime comes, the new shooters will already have a soundfoundation upon which to perfect the prone position.


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STEPS IN BUILDING THE PRONE POSITION

1. Place the shooting mat at a 25-30 degree angle to the line offire.

2. Put the SLING on long and loose.3. Lie down on the mat with the left ELBOW under the left

sideline.4. Position the BUTT UP in the shoulder so the head is up.5. Adjust the LEFT HAND location on the stock to bring the

sights to target level.6. Tighten the SLING until it supports the rifle.7. ROTATE the position on the left elbow so the sights point at

your target.


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Standing positions techniques:

STANDING POSITION

To teach too much or to teach in the wrong order will slow newshooters development and leave them in need of remedialinstruction later. In the standing position, the shooter holds andaims the rifle while standing erect over a small support surfaceestablished by the two feet.

For a new shooter to have a relatively steady (steady for a new shooter)position it must exhibit three features:

1) the feet must be positioned to turn the body 90 to 100 degreesaway from the target,

2) the body must be configured in such a way that theposition provides a straight, solid column of supportfor the rifle and upper body from the left foot up to therifle and

3) the rifle-body weight stabilized by that column ofsupport must be relaxed and balanced over the feet.The keys to getting the support column straight aremaking sure the left elbow and left hip are both directlyunder the rifle. The shooter must inwardly controlbalancing the body-rifle system over the supportsurface, but the good news is that even first timeshooters can quickly learn to sense when their positionsare balanced.

Lets go through the Steps in Building a New StandingPositionto see how these steps fit together and tounderstand what each step seeks to establish. Note thatall descriptions are for a right-handed shootersimplyreverse left and right for a left-handed shooter. Afterreviewing these steps with new shooters in a briefinstructional session, the coach or instructor should leadthe process of building new standing positions bytalking new shooters through these six steps, one stepat a time, in order. Go slowly enough with this processthat any failure to perform one of these steps correctly can becorrected before going to the next step.


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Step 1:

Orient the Body.

Step to the firing line with the rifle and orient the body byturning it 90 degrees away from the target. Do this by turningboth feet so that the body faces 90 degrees away from thetarget and the left side points towards the target. If donecorrectly, imaginary lines drawn through the hips and feet willpoint directly at the target. At this point, how far apart the feetare placed is not important. Within reason, how close or farapart the feet are spread does not affect stability, but turningthe body so that the left hip and left foot end up directly underthe rifle does affect stability.

Step 2:

Shoulder the rifle.

To start to build the position, the rifle must be placed in positionon the shoulder. Do this by grasping the rifle with the left hand

just ahead of the trigger guard. Keep the left wrist straight whiledoing this. Seat the butt-plate in the right shoulder and drop theleft arm down on the side or hip.

Step 3:

Position the Left Elbow.

With the rifle at the shoulder, shift the left elbow position so thatit is directly under the rifle. In most cases, that will requiremoving the elbow forward. Be sure to also keep the left hipover the feet and directly under the rifle while doing this.

Step 4:

Position the Butt and Head.

The correct position for the butt-plate is determined by thecorrect position for the head, not vice versa. In the correctposition, the head remains nearly erect so that aiming is easyand comfortable. Determine where to locate the butt-plate inthe shoulder by slightly lowering the head down to the cheek-piece to look through the sights. If this movement is small andthe head remains reasonably erect while looking through thesights, the butt location is good. If the head must drop a lot to


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look through the sights, correct this by raising the butt-plate inthe shoulder.

Step 5:

Relax and Balance the Position.

Before going to the final step of selecting the correct hand-wrist position tosupport the rifle, it is necessaryto relax the left shoulder and arm down onto the side or hip. Itis also necessary to stand so that the weight of the body-riflesystem is balanced over both feet. This may require leaning orbending the body slightly to the right and rear tocounterbalance the weight of the rifle, but most new shooters

do this automatically.

Step 6:

Select a Left Hand-Wrist Position.

With the rifle in position on the shoulder, the left shoulder andarm relaxed onto the side or hip and the weight of the body-riflesystem balanced over the feet, look through the sights. Do theypoint at the target or do they point above or below the target?At this point, it is critical not to force the rifle up or down to get

the sights pointing at the target. The correct way to do this is toselect a left hand-wrist position that fills the support gapbetween the left hip and the rifle fore-end. A good mid-rangestarting position is to keep the wrist straight and either set therifle on top of a closed fist or support the rifle between thethumb and the first knuckle. Either of these options will workwell for most shooters. However, shooters with proportionatelylonger arms and shorter torsos will have rifle sights pointinghigh with either of these hand positions. By breaking the wristand resting the rifle in the fl at of the hand or by keeping thewrist straight and dropping the rifle down into the fork of the

hand they should beable to comfortably bring the sights down to the target.Conversely, shooters with proportionately shorter arms andlonger torsos need a wrist-hand position that adds more lengthto the support column. They can achieve this by resting the riflebetween the spit fingers and thumb, up on the second knucklesor, highest of all, on the thumb and fingertips. The chartillustrates all of these left hand-wrist options in order of height.Adjusting the position by shifting the rifle up or down to placethe sights at the level of the target while the position is relaxed


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and balanced is as much of the concept of natural point of aimas a coach or instructor should introduce to new shooters.Simply have them select a hand position that raises the sightsto the level of the target, keep their feet turned 90 to 100degrees away from the target and shoot by bringing the sightsonto the target. Later, after many hundreds of dry and live firerepetitions, fine adjustments in rifle height and slight horizontalshifts that remain within the 90-100 degree turn standard canbe introduced, but not now! As soon as a new standing positionis developed that applies these steps correctly, it is important toteach new shooters to check their positions before each shot.Once their feet are in place, they must learn not to move theirfeet until they finish a firing exercise.When placing the rifle in position for each shot, every shooter

should make these checks before starting to fire the shot:

1. That the butt-plate location in the shoulder is the same for everyshot.

2. That the left elbow is under the rifle.3. That the left shoulder and arm are relaxed down onto the side or

hip.4. That the body-rifle weight is balanced over the feet.

Once the basic standing position is established, the shooter mustcomplete many dry fire and live fire repetitions in the position to become

comfortable with it. As this experience base expands, the stability of theposition will become better and better and the scores higher and higher,that is, as long as the position adequately incorporates the features thatbest ensure standing position stability:

1) the feet are turned so that the body faces 90 to 100 degrees awayfrom the target,

2) the body is configured so that there is a straight column of supportfrom the feet straight up through the left hip and elbow to the rifleand

3) the rifle-body weight supported by that column is relaxed and

balanced over the feet.


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STEPS IN BUILDING A NEW STANDING POSITION

1. Orient the Bodystand on the firing line and turn the body 90degrees away from the target.

2. Shoulder the Riflewhile keeping the wrist straight,grasp the fore-end just ahead trigger guardplace thebutt plate in the shoulder and drop the left arm downonto the side or hip.

3. Position the Left Elbowplace the left elbow on the side or hip sothat it is directly under the rifle.

4. Position the Butt and Headlower the head to thecheek-piece to look through the sights. Adjust thelocation of the butt-plate in the shoulder so that the head

is reasonably erect while aiming.5. Relax and Balance the Positionafter placing the rifle

in position, relax the left shoulder and arm down andbalance the position so that the weight of the body andrifle is equally distributed over the feet.

6. Select the Correct Left Hand-Wrist Positionwith therifle in position, look through the sights to see if theypoint at the target or above or below the target. Select aleft hand position that raises the sights to the level of thetarget while completing the column of support betweenthe hip and rifle.


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Common New Shooter Mistakes in Standing

Coaches of new shooters must be especially alert to detect and correctthese common mistakes:

1. Incorrect body turntoo little or too much body turnmakes it impossible to have a straight column of supportunder the rifle and upper body and difficult to balancethe position.

2. Left elbow not under rifleincorrect elbow positioning misalignsthe column of support.

3. Left hip not under rifleincorrect hip positionmisaligns the support column and makes attaining good

balance more difficult.4. Butt too low in shoulderwhen the head is tipped

down too far to see through the sights comfortably, thebutt must be raised in the shoulder and a higher lefthand-wrist position must be selected.

5. Left arm not relaxed down onto side or hipthismeans the rifle is being supported with muscles insteadof bonesrelax the am down onto the side or hip and, ifnecessary, select a higher hand position.


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Kneeling positions techniques:

KNEELING POSITION

The kneeling position is the most complicated of the three shootingpositions that are typically taught to juniors. Kneeling usually follows pronesince prone offers a better setting for mastering the use of the sling.Nevertheless, the proper method of initially adjusting a sling is the same inkneeling as in prone. Kneeling also requires the effective use of a secondposition support, the kneeling roll.

The prerequisites for developing a stable kneeling position capable of

steady improvement are:

1) Sit with as much body weight as possible relaxed and balanced over theheel and kneeling roll;2) align and balance the shoulders and hips over the heel sothat tension in the torso is minimized and3) configure and balance the left leg, left arm and sling abovethe left foot to provide stability in supporting the rifle while notcompromising prerequisites 1) and 2). All this soundscomplicated and it is, but if new shooters follow the Steps inBuilding a New Kneeling Position they will start with a kneeling

position that conforms to these requirements.

Step 1:

Build The Position Foundation.

Just as we did for prone and standing, lets go through theSteps in Building a New Kneeling Positionto seehow these steps fit together and what each step seeks toestablish. All descriptions are for right-handedshooterssimply reverse left and right for left-handed

shooters. First, review these steps with new shooters in abrief instructional session, then build their new kneelingpositions by talking them through these steps, one at atime, in order. Go slowly so that any difficulty in performing astep properly can be corrected before going to thenext step.

In building any position, the first step is to establish thefoundation. In standing, that was done by locating thefeet so that the body is turned 90 degrees from the target. Theposition is then built upon this foundation by


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placing the left elbow and butt-plate in position. In prone, thefoundation is the floor or shooting mat and the position is builtby locating the left elbow and butt-plate. In kneeling, thepositions foundation starts with a kneeling roll, but there areseveral additional steps to building the complete kneelingposition foundation.

Step 2:

Position the Kneeling Roll.

The kneeling roll is the base point for the kneeling position.Start with a roll that is three-fourths filled so that a shallow Vcan be formed in the centre. Turn the roll 40 to 60 degrees

away from the line of fire. It is also recommended that ashooting mat not be used in kneeling; there is no real need forpadding under the knee or feet; a mat only makes the supportsurface a little less solid.

Step 3:

Kneel over the Roll.

Start with the right toe behind the kneeling roll. Kneel with theright ankle resting on the V in the kneeling roll. Extend the toe

to the rear and keep the heel vertical. The key to this step iskeeping the foot vertical. If the foot is turned even slightly to theside, it will gradually turn further while shooting due to theweight of the body pressing down on it.

Step 4:

Sit on Heel.

Try to sit with the heel placed in the centre of the buttocks. Rest as muchbody weight as possible on the heel. Indeed, the key to this step is to sit

with the weight back on the heel.


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Step 5:

Locate the Left Leg.

The left leg provides the support base for the weight of the rifleand left arm. The correct location for the leg is to place the footso that the lower leg is vertical. It is OK to shift the left foot andlower leg slightly forward, especially for a shooter with longerlegs and a short torso. It is not OK to shift the left foot back sothat the lower leg is angled to the rear.

Step 6:

Add the Sling and Rifle.

With the position foundation established, you are ready to put the sling onand attach it to the rifle. Place the sling high on the arm, just as in prone.Likewise, leave the sling long and loose, with the sling swivel movedforward. With the sling on the arm and attached to the rifle, you are readyto build the upper part of the position.

Step 7:

Shoulder the Rifle and Locate the Left Elbow.

To build the upper part of the kneeling position, the rifle mustbe placed in the shoulder and the left arm dropped to its naturallocation on the left leg or knee. The key to this step is placingthe left elbow in the correct location on the left knee or leg. Todo that, place the butt-plate in the shoulder, continue to sit withyour weight back on your heel and drop the left elbow onto theleft leg. Do not reach forward with the left elbow; let it drop ontothe leg without leaning forward with the body. For someshooters, the elbow will fall on the left knee; for other shooters,the elbow will fall somewhere behind the knee. For only a rarefew, will the elbow fall ahead of the knee. Be sure the sling

remains loose when locating the left elbow position.

Step 8:

Position the Butt and Head.

Just as in standing and prone, the correct position for the butt-plate in the shoulder is determined by the correct position forthe head. The head must be reasonably erect in all positions.Locate the butt-plate high enough in the shoulder that the head


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and eyes can look forward comfortably and without strainingwhile aiming. Try to keep the butt-plate close to the neck whileaiming in kneeling.

Step 9:

Adjust the Rifle Height.

After the butt plate is fixed in the shoulder so that aiming iscomfortable, the height of the rifle must be adjusted so that thesights are aligned at the level of the targets. Do this the sameway it was done in prone, by shifting the left hand forward orrearward to raise or lower the rifle until the sights point at targetlevel. Do not worry about where your target is, only that the

sights are at target level.

Step 10:

Adjust Sling Swivel and Tighten Sling.

With the sights at target level, the sling swivel should be movedback to the hand and tightened in place. Then the sling mustbe tightened so that it fully supports the weight of the rifle.

Step 11:

Rotate the Position to the Target.

The final step in building the kneeling position is to rotate theposition over the right heel and kneeling roll until the sightspoint at your target. The pivot point for rotating the kneelingposition is the right heel and kneeling roll. Rotate by shifting theleft foot and right knee right or left as necessary to bring thesights onto the correct target. After the new position is built, it isimportant to have new shooters do both dry and live firing inthe position to become comfortable with the new position.

Teach them to prepare to fire shots in kneeling by checking:

1. That the butt-plate location in the shoulder is the same for everyshot.

2. That weight of the body is relaxed down onto the right heel andkneeling roll.

3. That the left arm and shoulder are totally relaxed with the slingsupporting all of the rifle weight.

4. That the weight of the body-rifle system is balanced overthe right heel and left heel; there should be little or no


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weight on the right knee. Consistency, relaxation andbalance are the keys to getting good kneeling scoresafter a sound position structure is established.Consistency means placing the butt-plate and elbow inthe same location for each shot. Relaxation meansrelaxing the body weight down onto the heel andkneeling roll and letting the sling totally support theweight of the rifle. Balance means balancing the weightof the relaxed body-rifle system over the two heels. Aftermany practice sessions where good position structureand sound technique are maintained, most shooters willreach a point where they need to fine tune their positionbecause kneeling is, after all, a position where thecomplex interrelationship of several parts of the body,

rifle, sling and kneeling roll must be worked out. Thatcannot begin without a good foundation, however.

STEPS IN BUILDING A NEW KNEELING POSITION

Build the Position Foundation

1. Locate the Kneeling Rollplace the kneeling roll onthe firing point and turn it approximately 40-60 degreesfrom the target.

2. Kneel over the Rollkneel by placing the right ankle over the

kneeling rollkeep the right heel vertical.3. Sit on Right Heelplace heel in centre of buttockssit with weight

back on the heel.4. Locate the Left Legplace the left foot under the rifle so that the

lower leg is vertical.5. Add the Sling and Rifleprepare for the next steps by putting on

the sling, adjusting it long and loose and attaching it to the rifle.6. Shoulder the Rifle and Locate the Left Elbowwith the sling

loose on the arm, place the butt-plate in the shoulderwith theweight back on the heel, drop the left elbow onto the knee or leg.

7. Position the Butt-Plate and Headlocate the butt-

plate high enough in the shoulder to establish a goodhead position.

8. Adjust the Rifle Heightmove the left hand forward or rearwardto raise the rifle sights to target level.

9. Adjust Sling Swivel and Tighten Slingwith the handposition established, move the sling swivel back to thehand and tighten the sling until it takes over the work ofsupporting the rifle.


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10. Rotate the Position to the Targetrotate the entireposition by pivoting on the kneeling roll so that the sightspoint naturally at the correct target.

Common New Shooter Mistakes in Kneeling

Coaches should be alert to detect and correct these common mistakes:

1. Kneeling roll too big (or too small)If the kneeling roll is too bigor too full, the body will be too high.

2. Right foot turnedif the foot is not vertical, it will gradually turnfurther under the weight of the body; a vertical foot is stable andcannot turn further.

3. Pulling lower left leg backthis shifts weight forward off of theheel and reduces stability.

4. Sitting up straightsitting up straight increases tension in thebody; instead, let the shoulders and upper body relax down.

5. Unbalanced positionleaning to the right usually by placingweight on the right knee requires lots of muscle tension to keep thebody in position; instead, balance the entire weight of the body-riflee system over the right and left heels.


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Training plan for the preparation period of rifleshooting:

This is my personal approach how I train and prepare for target shooting

competitions.

The first thing I get before I start shooting is the most up to date rule book I

can get your hands on!

Lets start at the beginning. Every year I start with a checklist to make sure

all my equipment is up to the standard that will not give me any negative

influences during training or competitions.

ISSF shooting,

Checklist

Rifle Yes No Clothing Yes No Accessories Yes No

Action Jacket Glasses

Barrel Trousers

Ear

Protection

Stock

Under

Garments Tools

Sights Boots

Hook Sling Ammunition Yes No

Hand

stop Cap Training

Palm

rest Sweat band Competition


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Now that I am happy with my check list, I have to look at myself, what do I

mean?

Well I have to start looking at how my shooting attire fits and that means

making sure my weight remains constant so that it will fit right all the time.

Training:

Like most of the shooters I have helped in various shooting disciplines,

they see training as just trying to shoot the best scores they can time after

time.

Well that is not all wrong, but this type of training will only make the roadto the top longer and also more frustrating.

Let me begin to say this, if you train by shooting just for score you will start

training bad habits and this will lead you to do the same under competition

situations.

So this is what I have found over the past 20 years of training and

competition shooting.

After taking my break at the end of every year I start with the check list.

Then I will start training by just shooting on one target neither score nor

grouping. I mean just mount the rifle get it on target and shoot.

So now what am I doing you ask!

I am getting muscle memory or getting shooting fit. During this time I

concentrate on just getting the same feel for every shot.

At this stage I will be making the most and biggest adjustments to my

shooting equipment. I will normally train like this for 2 weeks but it depends

on how out of shape I was before I started.

This training is the most important part of my shooting training dew to the

fact that this is the time when I will build the most muscle memory.

So every time I train, I remember the inner and outer feeling so that I can

reproduce the same feelings.

When I can reproduce the same feelings I take my training to the next

level. Now I start shooting for groups and they could be anywhere on the

target. My aim is to shoot the smallest groups as possible.


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I will keep shooting groups until I can reproduce small groups at constant

intervals. In these training sessions I will do finer adjustments on my

equipment and myself.

During this time I will start training in the gym to build power, I also start

running or cycling to build endurance for the muscles and brain.


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Training plan for the competition period in rifle

shooting:

Now after about 3 to 5 weeks I start shooting for score, and I make it easy

putting realistic scores on the board that I can achieve. In these training

sessions I make sure of all that I have trained during the previous training

sessions.

By making the scores reachable I will find I am achieving my goals, and

that is the main aim of shooting. When I start shooting for score and

making my goals this is the time that I will start getting my mental side for

my shooting on track.

The more I train and improving on my scores the easier I find shooting

good scores in competition.

Its only in the last 6 years that I have used this training and preparation

method that I have really started shooting international level scores.

By using this training methods I can select my championships which I want

to attend and properly prepare for them. This means mentally and

physically.

I follow the same three step training method as before but the intervals arejust shorter. And if possible I will train the last two score training sessions

with the same ammunition that I will be using in the competition.

This next section I will explain how I prepare mentally for the

championships I attend.

Firstly when I get my yearly shooting program I will make the decision

what competitions I want and will attend. By being selective, I firstly give

myself more time to correctly prepare for the competitions I will attend.

Secondly, remember to try and shoot top score the hole year round youhave to be like the professionals, by training seven hours a day six day a

week.

I give myself at least three weeks to prepare before a championship.

This sharpens up on all my senses and gets me in the right frame of mind.


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During this time I will intensify my gym training and running or cycling. I

also will start to make sure that I eat the right foods to help me with the

work load.

50 meter rifle and air rifle

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