Back to the Basics

Marshall Bowen

Fun·da·men·tal

• Serving as, or being an essential part of, a foundation or basis; basic; underlying: fundamental principles; the fundamental structure.

• When it comes to marksmanship this is VERY important.

• It won’t matter if you are shooting a target 5 meters away or a target 1,000 meters away.

• You MUST remember and apply the basic fundamentals of marksmanship.

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD SHOOTING POSITION (RIFLES) Pt. I

BONE SUPPORT

• The weight of the weapon should be supported by bone instead of muscle when possible for the shooter.

• An important fact to keep in mind is that muscle fatigues whereas bone does not.

• This also applies to your cheek-weld.

• Always make sure your cheek bone and the buttstock of the rifle are making as much contact as possible.

• Doing this will limit the amount of movement when you fire.

• If you're doing it correctly it should be slightly uncomfortable.

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD SHOOTING POSITION (RIFLES) Pt. II

MUSCULAR RELAXATION

• This tactic will help you hold a steady point of aim and greatly increase your accuracy.

• If you are not utilizing good bone support, you will not have muscular relaxation.

• When your muscles are tense it will cause excessive movement in your rifle and your aim.

ELEMENTS OF A GOOD SHOOTING POSITION (RIFLES) Pt. III

NATURAL POINT OF AIM

• This is where the rifle naturally rests in relation to your target.

• When you are in your shooting position and aimed in on your target, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and relax as much as possible.

• Upon opening your eyes, your point of aim should be where it was before you closed your eyes.

• Since the rifle becomes an extension of your body it might be necessary for you to adjust the position of the rifle until you achieve your natural point of aim.

• Once you achieve this you have to make sure you hold your position in relation to the target in order to maintain your natural point of aim.

Next Time You’re at the Range

The next time you go to practice at your local range, try and make a checklist of everything you do as you get into your shooting position. For example:

1. Drop down on both knees

2. Lower the rest of your body to place the buttstock into the pocket of your shoulder

3. Pull rifle into shoulder with non-shooting hand and maintain sufficient pressure

4. Place firing hand into preferred position

5. Find proper cheek-weld and eye relief

Marshall Bowen

• That list is just an example of a checklist you might use.

• Feel free to create your own based on what is comfortable, effective, and efficient.

• The best long range shooters did not get to where they are today by skipping the fundamentals of marksmanship.

• The only way to improve your shooting skills is to get out on the range and push your skills to the limit.

• Never push the fundamentals aside.