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Problem with Stage in match

GNCC407

Private
Minuteman
Feb 12, 2019
89
13
Strasburg, OH
I am having a problem with one of the stages at our range. Basically were prone on a slight downhill with the targets higher that I can get my muzzle up to with my Atlas maxed at 9 inches. Am I doing something wrong with my body position to not be able to get on target? I'm learning as I go being a new guy I noticed alot of others struggled in the same stage of the match.
 
Most were struggling with the stage. Im thinking a backpack may be the ticket. The ones who didn't struggle seemed to have bipods that extended further that mine did. Me being the new guy didn't want to ask the guys any questions.
 
Most were struggling with the stage. Im thinking a backpack may be the ticket. The ones who didn't struggle seemed to have bipods that extended further that mine did. Me being the new guy didn't want to ask the guys any questions.


1) in my experience - you should never feel that way. everyone is usually very helpful, esp to new shooters.

2) if you noticed taller bipods were working - there is nothing wrong with asking to borrow one if it fit on your rifle. 9/10 people will gladly lend it to you.

or you just have to get creative.
 
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Most were struggling with the stage. Im thinking a backpack may be the ticket. The ones who didn't struggle seemed to have bipods that extended further that mine did. Me being the new guy didn't want to ask the guys any questions.

Don't hesitate to ask any questions, especially at a match. 99% of the people shooting would be more than happy to help you out if you ask them. Shit, most probably would have let you borrow a bipod.

Back on topic, if you're shooting down hill and you are struggling to get on target, it may be worth putting a pack or something under your bipod to get it up higher. It could also be that your rear bag is too high. I've had to not use a rear bag and instead use my left hand as a bag to get the butt low enough to find targets.
 
Ive only been shooting matches for about 6 months, but I have never seen a shooter deny a request to borrow an item. Heck, I borrowed a bipod for an entire match last month. That said, if you have the ability, moving the bipod rearward on the rifle will allow you to angle the muzzle further up- at the cost of some stability. In my opinion, a backpack is a field expedient support that is vastly inferior to a purpose built bipod. A Caldwell 9-13" (13-23"?) bipod and a QD adapter should run less than $100 together. Drop that in your range bag for the rare occasion you need it.
 
Atlas makes leg extensions. You can also pop off the stock feet and stick a 1/2" wood dowel in there. Sand a bit of a taper on the end so it fits. Make legs as long as you want for a couple bucks. Don't ever hesitate to ask for help at a match, like others said.
 
I am having a problem with one of the stages at our range. Basically were prone on a slight downhill with the targets higher that I can get my muzzle up to with my Atlas maxed at 9 inches. Am I doing something wrong with my body position to not be able to get on target? I'm learning as I go being a new guy I noticed alot of others struggled in the same stage of the match.

I'll echo the suggestion above for making your own bipod leg extensions out of 1/2 wooden dowel. Cheap, easy, effective.
 
If you already have an Atlas, there are 3" (Atlas) 6" and 18" (PASS) extensions out there. The 3" Atlas aluminum and 6" PASS carbon fiber legs are both $50-60 a pair, and the PASS 18" legs are around $100 last I looked. I carry all 3 at matches, and they definitely come in handy from time to time.
 
To touch on a point not addressed yet, in my experience sometimes the difference of being able to make an uphill shot work or not can be as subtle as a little difference in the terrain. I was shooting down at Alabama Precision last year, and they had some prairie dogs ran up a hillside. You had a rather broad shooting area to choose from, and for the shooters that didn’t read the ground ahead of time, they had to re situate themselves for the highest ones.

This can be as subtle as looking for divots and lumps in the ground. Find a lump for your bipod, and a divot for your buttstock, and sometimes that’s the extra gain that’s needed. If you’re not paying attention and end up with your bipod in a divot, and your buttstock on a lump, then you’re fighting extra hard from the get go.
 
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Im also new to shooting and find that watching the more experienced shooters go first is very helpful. Ask any question u like, this sport is full of ppl willing to help! Take a class like K&M offers, these classes are headed up by top ranked pro's, and will shortcut the learning curve. My experience, every place you shoot always seems to have "that stage"! The one that's unique to that facility and you have to shoot it a couple times to figure it out. My favorite part of traveling is finding that stage and challenging myself to think outside the box.
 
I carry both 6-9" and 9-13" bipods. The short one gets far and away the most use but when I need the tall one, I need the tall one.

Here's a hint. If in doubt on a stage, go taller rather than shorter. If the bipod is too tall, you can lift the buttstock, even if you have to come off the rear support. But if you're too short, there's a good chance you won't be able to push the buttstock and/or your head down far enough to get on target.

Please don't hesitate to ask questions of people on your squad. As pretty much everyone has said, you'll find a lot of willingness to help, especially the newbies.

I've shot about a dozen PRS-style matches since I got started in long-range rifle in early 2017. You learn something new every time, especially in the first few. Enjoy the journey. I've had a great time and made some friends. Good luck.