TargetTalk

Good day

My first post on this great forum.

My son recently started 3P air rifle shooting. I am struggling to find good, easy information for the layman, like myself, how to set up the rifle. Easy pointers to ratios or similar, for lenght of butt plate, distance to hand stop, lenght of belt, height of cheek piece etc. If anyone can help I would much appreciate it.

Regards

I would start with a copy of the book, "Rifle: Steps to Success," by Launi Meili. That's my preferred book for starting 3P shooters. Another resource is "Ways of the Rifle," but it's a lot of information to digest at first.

gjs wrote:Good day

My first post on this great forum.

My son recently started 3P air rifle shooting. I am struggling to find good, easy information for the layman, like myself, how to set up the rifle. Easy pointers to ratios or similar, for lenght of butt plate, distance to hand stop, lenght of belt, height of cheek piece etc. If anyone can help I would much appreciate it.

Regards

I don't know how easy it is for you - but I'd very strongly recommend getting help from a rifle coach.

Rob.

RobStubbs wrote:

gjs wrote:Good day

My first post on this great forum.

My son recently started 3P air rifle shooting. I am struggling to find good, easy information for the layman, like myself, how to set up the rifle. Easy pointers to ratios or similar, for lenght of butt plate, distance to hand stop, lenght of belt, height of cheek piece etc. If anyone can help I would much appreciate it.

Regards

I don't know how easy it is for you - but I'd very strongly recommend getting help from a rifle coach.

Rob.

I don't know how easy it is for you - but I'd very strongly recommend getting help from a rifle coach.
Spencer

Again another VERY STRONG reccomendation to find an experianced coach, and one preferably used to coaching kids. If you really cannot find a coach of any sort then I would say that Ways of the Rifle is the current pinical of ISSF style positional rifle shooting shooting. It is though VERY comprehensive. Also by the same coaching team is a book specifically for match air rifle shooting. Although mainly dealing with ISSF 10m AR in the standing position it also has chapters on 3P AR. This might suit better as it leaves out all the stuff about shooting outdoors at 50m.

Alan

Find a coach, or at the very least an experienced 3-Position shooter who doesn't mind being pestered.

You can find general (and less general pointers) on this forum, but you would need to translate these to your son's height, build, and rifle (not all adjust to fit in the same way/degree).

If he is shooting already with another rifle, you could carry across some of his existing settings, and then tweak the new rifle. Although if the old rifle doesn't fit that well, you lose some of the benefit of the new rifle.

However I'll give some rough pointers for Prone.

Start by placing the sling on his arm. Generally, this either needs to be very high (up by his armpit), or low (by the elbow) to avoid pinching the triceps muscle. If the jacket has a sling loop or hook, fit the sling onto this. Tighten the sling cuff a little, but leave enough space to fit three fingers between sling and arm. A cuff that's too tight acts as a tourniquet, and creates a big pulse beat. Turn the sling so the strap sticks out from the front of the bicep.

Basic Rifle Set-up
Remove the rearsight, lower the cheekpiece (if raised), wind in the butt or remove any spacers/wedges, and set the buttplate to the middle.

The Butt: Most adult men require little, or no, adjustment for butt length with a wood stocked rifle, aluminium stocks are normally shorter. But juniors (and some women) often find a standard-length butt too long. Keeping the butt as short as possible makes the rifle less muzzle heavy, and also easier to load. Tall shooters may need the butt made longer to accommodate long arms or a long neck; up to 1in extra is normally enough, unless the shooter is very tall.

Handstop Position: Position the handstop so the front of the grip is halfway between the stop and the buttplate. This is just the starting point; the final position could be up to 2in further or closer depending on the individual.

The Basic Position
Arrange the shooter into position. Avoid the old military position (45° body line, flat hips, legs wide spread) at all costs, this is less effective, and takes up too much space on the firing point. Very few shooters have a textbook position, but try to follow these basic points:
• Body at about 20° angle to the rifle; don’t worry about the precise angle, so long as the position is steady.
• Straight back and left leg; foot either turned inwards, or pointing straight back.
• Right leg spread, and bent at the knee as much/little as is comfortable.
• Left arm straight, elbow thrust as far forward as comfortable. Forearm 30°-40° from horizontal.

Some aspects, particularly the body line, and leg orientation vary greatly from person to person depending on height and build. For instance a short stocky person will normally need to spread and bend the right leg quite a lot to roll the torso for more breathing space; but a skinny lanky shooter may not need to bend the knee at all.

Position and Rifle: Once the position looks OK introduce the sling. It’s better to start with a long sling, and shorten it until the rifle is steady, than to start with a short sling and make it longer, because it’s easy to make the position too tight. For beginners slightly loose is better than too tight; sling tension can be increased to an optimal level gradually as he becomes more accustomed to his position. Depending on how close the sling holes are, you may have to move the handstop as well to get an acceptable tension.

Don’t be afraid to move the handstop, and readjust the sling, if the position looks cramped or strained. The body often settles once the sling is added, so fine tuning is common. Move the handstop nearer the trigger and shorten the sling if the shooter has to stretch too much to reach it, and, and move it forwards/lengthen the sling if the arm looks cramped. Also if the body is very wide, move the handstop back/shorten the sling, and move it forward/lengthen the sling if the body is too straight.

When the sling tension is more or less right, the rifle should feel balanced (i.e. not front heavy) and steady, even when the arms are relaxed. You can test stability by rocking the rifle, which should stay in place despite moderate pressure.

Hand and Handstop: It is important that the left hand is positioned correctly, both to make the rifle steady, and to avoid discomfort. The rifle should sit on the heel of the hand (carpal bones), so the weight is on the arm bones, not on the hand itself. The hand will be tilted back a little, but there should be no sideways bend in the wrist. The hand is butted firmly against the handstop, so it can’t move forwards (which drops the position); the contact point will fall somewhere between the thumb web and knuckle depending on the size and shape of the handstop.

Almost every new shooter complains that their hand left aches. Most get used to the pressure within a few weeks, but some may need a break mid-detail. Correct hand position/sling tension and a good glove should limit aching to long matches. However sharp stabbing pain is not normal, and means that something is wrong.

Basic Rifle Adjustment
When the handstop and sling are roughly set (so the rifle is supported) any minor adjustments can be made to the rifle to fit it to an individual shooter.

The butt: Tweak butt length if needed so the right hand reaches the butt comfortably, without any stretching or cramping. Ideally the wrist should be straight, but not all grips allow this. The shooter’s cheek should sit near the front of the cheekpiece, or as close as neck length allows. The handstop should then be moved by the same distance, so the sling setting does not need to be altered. If only the butt is altered, the sling must be re-adjusted; the position/rifle will become higher (butt in) or lower (butt out).

Trigger position: Most modern match rifles have a moveable trigger blade. Once the butt is set, move the trigger so the pad of the index finger rests naturally on the blade, when the finger is crooked at the first joint. This ensures a clean straight movement, with no sideways pressure. Alter their grip as needed, so the index finger does not touch the stock.

Butt Plate height: Generally the plate needs to be raised up to meet the shoulder. Ideally the shoulder should make full contact with the plate, and bear on the centre. Some older rifles have limited vertical adjustment, and only the top of the plate will touch the shoulder. These rifles are more likely to twist during firing/loading (even with a butt hook). The exact height of the butt depends on the height of the shooter’s right shoulder in relation to the sight line; the higher the shoulder, the higher the butt. Very rarely a shooter will need the plate lowered from neutral.

The rearsight: Mount the rearsight onto the rifle, placing it as far forward as possible. Then slide it back until the aperture is 1.5-2in from the shooters eye. It’s important to establish the position without the rearsight, in order to get a natural head placement. If the rearsight is already on the rifle a novice shooter will try to place their head up against the rearsight, even when this is uncomfortable or difficult. The eye-relief may need some fine tuning, but this can be left until after live firing.

The Cheekpiece: Once the rearsight is in place, turn to the cheekpiece. Ideally the cheekpiece should centre the eye behind the rearsight. In practise it is often too low, so the shooter has to hold up their head. Relaxation is important, so raise the cheekpiece to support the head. If the cheekpiece is not adjustable, the surface can be raised, with paper or card and tape (not foam, as this can compress). This is best done after a reliable zero has been established.

If the cheekpiece is too thin, move it sideways or add material to the side (card and masking tape are fine). If the cheekpiece is too thick (more common), it should be moved sideways (or shaved/scalloped if not adjustable) to allow the eye behind the aperture. When permanently re-shaping the cheekpiece, a square edge is usually a better fit than a broad curve. An alternative for when the cheekpiece is too thick, is to cant the rifle; this means to hold it at an angle so the sights are rotated inwards nearer the eye.

Thanks a lot for all the replies. It is truly appreciated.