I've been tasked with coaching members of my reserve unit in BRM. One of the Soldiers is very, very small and has trouble with the LOP on the A2's we're issued. This isn't a problem I've dealt with before, at least not to this degree and I'm hoping I can get some advice or learn some techniques to pass on. Sadly changing out the buttstock is not a viable option.
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LOP too long
- Thread starter AlaskaRed
- Start date
I coached on the ranges at Parris Island for two years and came across this from time to time, especially when 4th Bn (females) came across the line. There's not many options available to you, but there are a few without changing out equipment.
Position: When shooting prone, you have to put them into the cocked leg position. Having both legs straight just won't work. Tweak what you can as far as the rifle in the pocket of the shoulder, but make sure they don't start putting it over onto the shoulder/bicep area. Kneeling, sitting and standing is basically the same. The shooter isn't able to square off with the target as much, but instead can go to an angle to slightly offset the longer LOP.
Eye relief: If adjusting the position absolutely isn't cutting it, go to the 0-2 sight. Their head will be further back reducing how much they will be hampered on gaining proper sight alignment, but they're REALLY going to have to watch this. Take that 2"-6" of eye relief and hit at the long end of the spectrum. It sounds stupid and looks weird, but if it works then it's not weird or stupid. I remember one shooter that had to do this and got away with it at the 200yd line, but the 300 and 500 were ass kickers until I started playing some shenanigans with a Belgium sight and tweaking sight settings. I'll put it this way, sight alignment was not half way up and centered....
Of course, the best bet is to get that shooter an M4A1 ASAP!
Position: When shooting prone, you have to put them into the cocked leg position. Having both legs straight just won't work. Tweak what you can as far as the rifle in the pocket of the shoulder, but make sure they don't start putting it over onto the shoulder/bicep area. Kneeling, sitting and standing is basically the same. The shooter isn't able to square off with the target as much, but instead can go to an angle to slightly offset the longer LOP.
Eye relief: If adjusting the position absolutely isn't cutting it, go to the 0-2 sight. Their head will be further back reducing how much they will be hampered on gaining proper sight alignment, but they're REALLY going to have to watch this. Take that 2"-6" of eye relief and hit at the long end of the spectrum. It sounds stupid and looks weird, but if it works then it's not weird or stupid. I remember one shooter that had to do this and got away with it at the 200yd line, but the 300 and 500 were ass kickers until I started playing some shenanigans with a Belgium sight and tweaking sight settings. I'll put it this way, sight alignment was not half way up and centered....
Of course, the best bet is to get that shooter an M4A1 ASAP!
For prone, I've never had too small a shooter when the shooter has shot clean, that's to say, wearing just a tee shirt. For standing, shooting clean, I suggest to small shooters that they get the butt stock over the shoulder.
That's pretty much it. In service rifle you're limited on modifications so you adjust the position to the rifle. I ran into this quite a bit coaching for the NG. You get all types and shapes. Being in charge of the Marksmanship Unit also made me OIC of SARTS (Small Arms Readiness Training Section) or qualification of the whole state, be sides the Guard we got the Reserves, Navy, and Militia. All shapes and sizes.
I had a couple ladies who were quite small, one with short arms to boot. They kept saying they wanted shorter stocks. Ok I made some short M14 stocks, Be careful what you ask for, those short stocks beat the crap out of them. Remember this was M14s, not ARs, Recoil is a bit different.
After getting wacked pretty good they slid their faces back on the stock. Didn't get hit, and shot better. I say if they can do that with the short stock why can't they do it with the standard M14 stocks. Went back to the regular M14s and no problems.
The one mentioned (with the short arms) had a good cross legged setting position, didn't work when she started pulling the trigger. I moved her to the open legged position and she ended up being the best lady setting rapid shooter I've seen, cleaned a lot of 200 yard rapid fire targets.
She was quite small as I said, and petite, doubt she weighed 95 lbs. She had to put bullets in her pocket to make weight for the guards height/weight standards. But when I took her to Hawaii or 29 Palms I won a lot of bets against marines betting on her rapid fire scores against big tough marines.
Anyway, its not about the size of the rifle, or the shooter, Service rifles aren't shotguns, they can't be modified. So you modify the position.
Hard to say what to do on the internet, you need to watch the shooter a bit before you can make adjustments. Need to find a coach who knows how to work with such problems. As Gary Anderson says, "there is no hopeless shooters".
As to the OP, you name indicates you live in Alaska, (though not stated). If that's the case, hit up the Alaska Rifle Club and get a hold of a Ron Flashhacker, tell him I sent you, have him work with you're shooter, He'll line you up.
Thanks for all the help, I'm going to check with the soldier and see if she has time to spend some time at the range before I get any commitments from other people. I may send Mr. Flashbacker a message regardless as I'm in the process of starting a Marksmanship Club at the University here in Anchorage.
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