TargetTalk

I know its hard to give advice over the internet, via picture, but I am just looking to see what you can see about my position? i have a great hold and when shooting scope i am around 1590's but when i shoot Iron sights i am only at 1550's, thats a big differance. I know my wind calls still need work but Iron sights are my weakness and i want them to be my strength.

Any help appreciated, also i just switched to a two step front sight base and this has created a more upright head position, is this good, bad or just another personal choice feature?











Thanks In Advance.

If I might offer two observations:

firstly, your right elbow is nearly off the mat.

secondly, you might benefit from some shooting glasses.

If you're shooting well with a scope then the problem is likely down to sighting problems with iron sights, so foresight size, rearsight aperture, eye relief, head position and lens alignment all come to mind.

It's worth checking your iris with a magnifying glass to ensure that everything is clean and clear.

You also want to avoid "burning in" the sight picture into your retina by spending too long aiming - particularly on bright days.

The two step foresight base is a "good thing" as you will no longer need to wind your sights up (and also raise your cheekpiece) when going to 100 yds....

just my 2¢,
Ken.

One of the most important things with prone in my opinion is keeping your head on the stock. So if you are taking your head off the stock to look through your scope, your head will be in a different spot each time. Also the position has to be comfortable if not it will deteriorate even with in twenty shots. I also see in the pictures that you don't have a wind flag close to the firing line at lest for me that is a must

Hope this helps

I know when I was a junior I was not allowed a scope until my iron scores were in the 1580's. Maybe now a different way to train.

Hi Cameron, that sling could be much higher. You want the sling to be position above your triceps muscles. Either your jacket doesn't fit you that well, or the sling keeper is positioned too low. Other than getting a new jacket, it may be possible to have a shoe repair man sew the sling keeper higher.

As usual, I think KennyB's comments are spot on. If you're shooting 1590s with a scope -- is that conventional or metric? -- then you're obviously doing a lot of things fairly consistently.

As a shooter with absolutely horrible eyes, I can't say enough about the value of properly spec'd and set up shooting glasses. If you do a search on the site you'll find dozens of threads with all kinds of great info.

Jason

Obviously if you are shooting 1590 scores with a scope, your basic position is probably pretty good. Another guy made this observation as well.

I see three problems:
1) Your rear sight is too far away from your eye. Get that rear sight as close as possible without the recoil hitting your brow. Have someone adjust it while you are in position.
2) With the rear sight close to your eye, adjust your rear aperture to around .8 - 1.0. I shoot most of the time at .8 and for me this gives a very sharp front sight and bull. If your front sight is not razor sharp and the bull nearly so, you are not going to shoot good scores.
3) Get your spotting scope close to your eye. You want to keep contact with the stock when checking your shot. Use the eye piece of the scope as a blinder if you can. If the scope is close enough you should be able to look through it without much movement of your head.

What I cannot see is this...do you adjust your cheekpice upward or do you adjust it downward when in position? Try this, start with it too high and with your head firmly on the stock, adjust it downward until you are looking directly through the rear aperture.

I'm wondering about your metallic sight technique.
1) Is your NPA perfect for each shot.
2) Are you watching that recoil and calling your shots based on your recoil? The recoil tells you everything about your shot.

Hope this helps.

I just saw something else.

Try removing that blinder from your sight.

Why?

1) It is too large and obstructs your field of view. This is very important when watching wind flags.
2) It gets in the way when your scope is set up properly.

Instead, wear a hat or head band. Cut a cardboard blinder that is about 1/2" wide and position it under the head band or hat so that it covers just enough of your left eye to be effective.

Also, in my original reply I failed to mention that by moving the rear sight closer to your eye, you get a larger view through the tunnel. This larger field of view through the tunnel really pays off when there is a wind flag visible within the tunnel.

Hope this made sense.

Not to do with your sighting really but try getting your scope off the mat, where you have it it is forcing you to "scrunch" up in one corner. The scope will be a lot firmer on the hard under the mat, you have a good offset so will be able to set it up properly I think.

Lots of good advice here guys sounds like i have plenty of things im going to try. the key things i picked up on are:

1. Moving my scope closer to my face, and maybe removing/adjusting my blinder.

2. Wind flag closer to me.

3. Getting my sling higher.

4. Moving my rear sight closer to my face.

5. ive been putting this off for a wile but my cheek rest is adjusted with shims, i plan to have hardware installed after Camp Perry.

6. shooting glasses this will happen as i have more funding, but i have a nice sharpsight picture with what i have now. it works.

Martin Catley wrote:Not to do with your sighting really but try getting your scope off the mat, where you have it it is forcing you to "scrunch" up in one corner. The scope will be a lot firmer on the hard under the mat, you have a good offset so will be able to set it up properly I think.

AH, well i have a really big mat im not that scrunched, also i have plot marks on my mat for where my scope should be in relation to my elbow, this i think helps me set up my position faster.

Lots of input here for me thank you all very much, i will be working on these.

Cameron,

Cameron,

not position specific, but another vote that the spotting scope is much to far away from you. Ideally the eyepeice should be close enough, and positioned so you barely need to move your head to spot your shots. I suspect you have to lift your head off the cheekpiece. This could account for some of the disparity between your iron and 'scoped scores.

I'm also not sure you need that massive outrigger for your scope. This is what is moving your body onto the far edge of the mat.

Otherwise, it looks nice (certainly nicer than mine, but I blame that on being tall and gangly - it's my excuse and I'm sticking with it). However I think your sling might be a fraction too tight. Firstly your left wrist is slightly bent, so the stock is sitting half on your wrist, and half off. Secondly your right shoulder looks a fraction too far back.

Your jacket is pulling down at the left shoulder.

Tim

AH, well i have a really big mat im not that scrunched, also i have plot marks on my mat for where my scope should be in relation to my elbow, this i think helps me set up my position faster.

Lots of input here for me thank you all very much, i will be working on these.

The 'kit' comes to you, you do not conform to the kit position or your npa will always be forced and not natural.