Ouch, that stings.
I left there walking a few inches taller that day.
3
The Fundamentals
of Marksmanship
Setting up the rifle is the first step in building a solid foundation. When we buy a new car, we adjust the seats and mirrors prior to driving. The rifle needs to be addressed the same way.
Detailed fundamentals are the building blocks of all great shooting. There are plenty of good-bad shooters, as I like to call them, out there. Shooters who have learned to adapt their bad habits into successful shots. Most people focus on results, but the results don’t always tell the entire tale.
Properly executed, the fundamentals make the difference between a hit and a miss when it comes to long range precision shooting. There is no voodoo when it comes to engaging targets at long distances. But it does require that you know and focus on the fundamentals of marksmanship down to the millisecond. All shooting is a game of milliseconds and how you control the time between each one matters. Our journey begins here.
Build the trigger mentally from the trigger back, and not the grip forward. The placement of the firing hand needs to support the firing task.
It’s important before we begin covering the fundamentals of marksmanship, we take a few minutes to discuss setting up your rifle. This can be the difference between success or fatigue. The closer the rifle is tailored to your body type, the more comfortable you will be behind it. The rifle doesn’t care if you are comfortable, it will do the same thing every time based on your actions behind it. In fact, we demonstrate this every class with a tripod. Setting the rifle up on a tripod, pointed at a target downrange, just manipulating the trigger will get us a hit every time. So, if the rifle will do it on command, why can’t everyone?
It’s a mindset thing. We execute these tasks subconsciously.
Setting up the Rifle to the Shooter
Many shooters are limited by the equipment they can afford. The closer to a bare-bones rifle you get, the fewer adjustments you will find. This is OK. Many a good shooter can do very well with a budget system. But understanding the ways to properly fit the rifle to your body will help you progress in your journey. There is nothing wrong with adding a bit of padding and duct tape to your stock to help with the fit. Looking at the images of Marines and soldiers in combat, you see a lot of tape helping them fit the rifle. They don’t have a choice; they are given an issued system and are forced to make it work. Adding a stock pad and using tape are all acceptable methods of fitting the stock to the shooter. Modified is a good thing. Don’t shy away from it.
The Proper Length of Pull
Everybody hears a different answer on the proper length of pull, and for different disciplines there might be more than one acceptable answer, however we are covering tactical shooting. If you are strictly a prone shooter, the length of pull can be a bit longer. This is not uncommon. Positional shooters want the measurement to be a bit shorter. So, where we measure from is the real question.
Length of pull is used to place the trigger finger in the correct position.
Measure length of pull from the inside of the arm, at the crook of the elbow, with the finger mating to the trigger shoe.
Different styles of shooting create different positions behind the rifle. Alternate positions require a shorter length of pull versus strictly shooting prone.
In the past, the mantra was to place the buttstock of the rifle in the crook of the elbow. Then, with our ninja knife hand extended, we measure to the tip of the trigger finger. Today, I recommend a slightly different approach.
Use this same method, but adjust the trigger to a 90-degree angle and measure to the trigger shoe of the rifle. This confirms you can properly manipulate the trigger without disturbing the lay of the sights.
Picking a Stock for Long Range Shooting
Stocks are a personal choice. Some are expensive, others are less expensive, compromising features for weight and simplicity. Whichever stock you choose, try it to get one that will adjust to the individual shooter.
When 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.