• HideTV Updates Coming Monday

    HideTV will be down on Monday for updates. We'll let you all know as soon as it's back up and message @alexj-12 with any questions!

  • Win an RIX Storm S3 Thermal Imaging Scope!

    To enter, all you need to do is add an image of yourself at the range below! Subscribers get more entries, check out the plans below for a better chance of winning!

    Join the contest Subscribe

Proper rifle hold?

quikcolin

Sergeant of the Hide
Full Member
Minuteman
Dec 16, 2018
157
69
London, Ontario
Hey guys,

I’ve been shooting for a year now. I’ve always wondered if I’m holding the rifle correctly?

I flip flop between a firm grip, soft grip, holding the stock tight to my shoulder and loose. I always try to duplicate my holds for each group... but I’m realizing that I’m not sure what’s right?

I shoot off bipods and bags. I hold the bag with my left hand, squeeze the bag to lower my aim, loosen to raise my aim. I typically have a neutral hold on the grip (not too firm, not to soft) and a relaxed pressure with the butt of the stock in my shoulder.

What’s the correct way to hold a rifle? Light and easy? Firm? I know the key is to duplicate your hold for each shot, but what’s the best?

I’ve become obsessed with tight groups, I’ve had some great success, but some days I just feel like a fish out of water and I’m not sure how to properly hold the rifle for optimum results/groups.

Any advise is appreciated.
Thx!
 
That video is excellent and very helpful! I will be signing up for more. Thanks @quikcolin for asking the question and thanks @lash for sharing this link.

I think we’re all still learning - no matter how long you’ve been at it :). I’m only 1 year into shooting. I have outstanding .22LR groups with my T1x. Consistently. But when I get into .223 and 6.5CM, sometimes I’m getting tight groups, sometimes I’m not. I reload and day 1 I get amazing results with “Load A” and then I got back a few days later with the same load and it’s lack luster lol. Annoying!
 
I have one question about the video, it seems like the weight to hold would not work for a rifle that is under say 10lbs. If you hold a 7lb .300wm with only 7lbs of pressure this would not work out to well. There has to be a breaking point in which the lighter gun requires more hold. I'm sure through practice this can be found. I would like to see a video like this done with a typical rifle stock not a pistol grip, to see the proper hand position to achieve the proper firing finger position.
 
I have one question about the video, it seems like the weight to hold would not work for a rifle that is under say 10lbs. If you hold a 7lb .300wm with only 7lbs of pressure this would not work out to well. There has to be a breaking point in which the lighter gun requires more hold. I'm sure through practice this can be found. I would like to see a video like this done with a typical rifle stock not a pistol grip, to see the proper hand position to achieve the proper firing finger position.
I may be wrong, but I think the idea is simply to have a repeatable level of force. You are not going to be able to eliminate recoil, and the way to manage it is with good body position. Since the recoil is flowing through your whole body, as long as you are holding with the same tension every shot, you don’t need to hold more firmly for a harder recoiling rifle.
 
One thing I couldn't make out from the video is exactly how his trigger finger is contacting the trigger. Is it just the pad of the fingertip bone, or the pad over the second bone scrunching toward the joint?
 
Hey guys,

I’ve been shooting for a year now. I’ve always wondered if I’m holding the rifle correctly?

I flip flop between a firm grip, soft grip, holding the stock tight to my shoulder and loose. I always try to duplicate my holds for each group... but I’m realizing that I’m not sure what’s right?

I shoot off bipods and bags. I hold the bag with my left hand, squeeze the bag to lower my aim, loosen to raise my aim. I typically have a neutral hold on the grip (not too firm, not to soft) and a relaxed pressure with the butt of the stock in my shoulder.

What’s the correct way to hold a rifle? Light and easy? Firm? I know the key is to duplicate your hold for each shot, but what’s the best?

I’ve become obsessed with tight groups, I’ve had some great success, but some days I just feel like a fish out of water and I’m not sure how to properly hold the rifle for optimum results/groups.

Any advise is appreciated.
Thx!
Try every style you hear/see but, in the end it's what works for you. Nothing else matters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: quikcolin
Here is an old but great book on musketry called "Shoot to live" and explains the Johnson method and it looks like WW2 rifle training. A gold mine of info profuselly illustrated. You can get it on Amazon

You'll find everything on how to hold a rifle, grip, trigger, breathing, sighting, prone triangles, elbows......

I will venture to call it a classic !
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2488.JPG
    IMG_2488.JPG
    36.1 KB · Views: 78
  • Like
Reactions: phlegethon