Finding NPA in prone?

[Joesmurf]

So I’ve always wondered what to do when this happens..

You set the rifle down on the ground with the bipod, set up behind it and see that the reticle is too far to the right of the target. Do you move the front of the rifle to reset where the bipod is? Or do you shift your body to adjust the position on the rear of the rifle? Or something else? Would the answer change with spike bipod feet vs rubber? TIA!

 

[vh20]

Either will work as long as you don’t put a twisting, asymmetric load on your bipod legs. This could happen if you shift the butt of the rifle left or right without allowing the feet to shift as well and equalize the loading on them. Spiked feet would make this even more likely. If a big shift is required, I always lift the front of the rifle and set it down in straight alignment with the target. If it’s a small shift I just make it at the rear.

 

[stanley_white]

In an unlimited time context, move the front of the rifle to reset where the bipod is.

-Stan

 

[DFOOSKING]

While standing...set the rifle down with legs deployed and point the rifle to the target. Eyeball down the length of it with intent. This will also help speed things up later when acquiring the target on glass.

Then get ready to get down behind it starting feet and shoulders square (perpendicular) to the gun. Rifle butt in line with inside of your dominate side thigh. Feet should be shoulder width apart.

Then just drop to your knees then hands then down to your belly. Acquire the rifle into your shoulder pocket.

Done right....it should be gun pointed to the target...and body pointing to the gun.

You can check NPOA much more by getting setup on target. Close both your eyes....take like 5 breathing cycles. Open them. Still on target? Yes...good. Way off? Your clearly not setup right and muscling the gun onto target.

You can have a buddy close your objective lense cover and it would do the same as closing your eyes.

Make sure not just your body but your gun and support gear are properly set. Leg height and rear bags keeping everything comfortably on target and your head position comfortable.

After a while of setting up right....setting up wrong should *feel* wrong. If something is straining...that is muscle tension and soon fatigue. You cannot maintain that over long periods of shooting.

 

[Precision Underground]

Don’t think of NPA as being derived from the rifle. A lot of ppl think they set their NPA when they first set the rifle on target. They set the rifle up and then try to address it without moving it off target. That can work but IMO that’s not a true NPA. A true NPA happens when your body and the rifle are aligned and the rifle is connected TO YOUR BODY(not just to the ground) with an INLINE force only.

Yes you want to set the rifle on target first, but this is just a visual guide for where to line up your body. Once you hit the ground you should be in control of the butt of rifle and your aim should be set by pulling straight into the shoulder(not by pressing down into the ground or pulling left or right). The stock should be connected to your shoulder and the rifle should point in line with your body. You can always shift your body(the butt of the rifle) to change you aim. If the rifle is way out of position or there’s not room to shift your body you may need to move the bipod. But if you set up as described above you should be able to just make small shifts with your body.