The Bench Rest Shooting Positions

By Larry Quandahl,
Manager, NRA Youth Programs

Welcome to InSights' latest shooting tutorial series! Ready to get started?

Over the next year you will learn about the five basic rifle shooting positions: bench rest, prone, standing, sitting and kneeling. You will use what you have learned about the shooting fundamentals and elements of shooting position over the last two years of reading your InSights magazine, and you will be introduced to the eight steps of learning a shooting position. The steps are: 1) study the position, 2) practice the position without the rifle, 3) practice the position with the rifle, 4) align the position with the target, 5) dry fire, 6) live fire, 7) zero the rifle and 8) continue to shoot and confirm the zero.

We will start with the bench rest positions, of which there are two basic positions. The first position is the "support hand under the forearm position," which is more of a hunting position in which the support hand helps control recoil for a faster second shot. ("Support hand under the forearm" is also used in the other four positions.) The second position is placing the "support hand under rear of stock" near the toe of the butt of the rifle. The support hand aids in controlling elevation.

The non-shooting hand under the gun's forearm is an element of all the positions.

1. Study the position: When studying the bench rest position, consistency is the first element in developing your shooting position. Remember consistency is your part of the rifle, ammunition and shooter combination that makes those super-small groups.

We will start with the feet and systematically move through the position. There will be a short explanation of why these points are important.

• Feet flat on the ground with the legs relaxed:

- If your feet are flat on the ground and in the same position, it will help the position stay consistent in maintaining your natural point of aim and constant response to recoil.

• Shooting shoulder/torso:

- The shooting shoulder should be directly behind the front support.

- The torso should lean slightly forward, which will help position the head on the stock, so you are looking through the middle of your shooting glass and not through your eyebrow.

-The slight torso lean will also reduce pressure on the shoulder from a heavy-recoiling gun by allowing the back to flex rearward.

• Butt of the rifle in the shoulder close to neck:

- This will keep the head level, improving balance and reducing movement in your sight picture.

• Elbows on the table to support the rifle:

- Provides A-frame support for the recoil-reducing movement, which improves sight picture.

- The muscle tension in the shooting arm must be constant to produce small groups.

- The non-shooting arm is relaxed and should be constant to produce small groups. When shooting a heavy-recoiling rifle, you may tighten up the non-shooting arm to help control recoil for a faster second shot.

- The two-elbow support position is a stepping stone to the prone position. You only need to add the sling and move to the ground to assume the prone position.

• Non-shooting hand under the forearm:

- Hand cradles the forearm. Your forearm and hand are relaxed, applying pressure to the forearm of the rifle as with the prone, kneeling and sitting positions with sling.

- You may also grip the forearm to control recoil to stay on target and allow faster follow-up shots.

• Trigger hand:

- Grips the stock positioning the trigger finger, so the trigger comes straight to the rear, maintaining perfect sight alignment.

- The muscle tension in the hand must be constant to produce small groups.

• Face firmly against the stock with eye looking straight down the sights:

- The face is placed on the stock to center the eye, so you can see straight through the rear sight to the front sight, establishing perfect sight alignment.

- Your cheek should be placed exactly the same way with the same exact pressure each time on the comb of the stock to produce consistently small groups.

• Non-shooting hand under the rear of the stock: (Controlling elevation with rear of the stock)

- Hand controls a bag under the stock near the toe of the recoil pad.

- Hand can be placed on the shoulder with stock resting on the forearm.

The non-shooting hand is placed under the rear of the stock, so the hand can control elevation.

2. Practice the position without the rifle: By assuming the position without the rifle, you don't have to worry about the muzzle direction, allowing you to focus on your body in position. Assume the position several times; it will pay dividends to you in developing a good position.

3. Practice the position with the rifle:

- The rifle should have been on the bench pointed in a safe direction, so you can just pick it up to add into your position.

- Total focus should be on developing the correct rifle body position. Review the notes from "study the position," and make it a part of your shot process. If the position is not correct, you must correct it before moving to the next step!

4. Align the position with the target: This is where you take your natural point of aim (NPA), which is where the rifle/body combination is pointed naturally, and move to the center of your target. To check your NPA, close your eyes and breathe several times. Execute breath control (stop breath) and hold control (hold still, consistent muscle pressure), open your eyes looking through the sight, then check sight picture. If your sight picture is out to the left or right, you adjust your NPA around the front support. For elevation, you raise or lower the height of the front support. (To learn more about NPA, refer to your December 2010 issue of InSights!)

5. Dry fire: This is where you check your trigger control.
When you pull the trigger, the only thing that should happen is the rifle going "click." If there is movement, you might be pulling the trigger too fast or too hard, so you need to just slow your trigger pull. A second possibility is your finger is not moving the trigger straight to the rear.
To correct this, move your finger contact point on the trigger until you find that sweet spot.

6. Live fire: Fire five shots at the target.

7. Zero the rifle: Adjust the sight to move the group to the center of the target. The rule for adjusting the rear sight is to move the sight in the direction you need to move the group towards the center of the target.

8. Continue to shoot and confirm the zero: To keep from chasing a zero, you need to be consistent in how you mount the rifle into your body and the pressure in your muscles to maintain zero.

The Shooting Fundamentals and Elements of Shooting Position work together to help you learn to shoot those small groups quicker. If you want to review past articles on Shooting Fundamentals and Elements of Shooting Position, go to www.nrainsights.org/archives.php. Remember to always follow the NRA's three Safe Gun Handling Rules...and may your widest shot be a 10!