rifle setup stupid question
- Thread starter johnrice
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There is no "standard proper way" because it's going to be different for every individual. You need to try different settings until you realize you found a way that feels most comfortable and natural for you.
Also, will you be shooting prone mostly, bench, off barricades, etc?
I found that I adjust my comb a bit differently when shooting prone and from the bench.
I found that I adjust my comb a bit differently when shooting prone and from the bench.
Without getting too deep in the weeds, try this to start.
- Set up your rifle and yourself in whatever position you consider most stable - for me, that's squared behind a solid bench (age&arthritis), for many, that would be prone. Mount the rifle, settle your reticle on something, repeat a few times.
- Now, while you're off the rifle, close your eyes and re-mount it. Don't spend time wiggling around to get "just right" - just mount and snug it in.
- Open your eyes. Are you properly aligned with the scope without changing anything?
> If yes, then good.
> If no, then adjust bits and repeat until "yes."
Honestly it takes some experience in my opinion.
I have years of success and failure to guide how I set up my rifles.
A good rule of thumb that I learned is your stock set up should allow a pretty comfortable position.
I have years of success and failure to guide how I set up my rifles.
A good rule of thumb that I learned is your stock set up should allow a pretty comfortable position.
For your Cheek Riser height get in your preferred shooting position and be sure you have a good solid cheek weld with your stock when you have an excellent sight picture through the scope. If you are lifting up off your stock/cheek Riser to get to your sight picture then raise up your riser. Like said above it is a bit of trial and error, but when you have it right you will get on your target fast and have a good solid cheek weld.
Good starting point for LOP is bend your arm at a 90 and grab the pistol grip with barrel straight up. Butt stock should be in the crook of the arm. Generally, I find if I do prone I need to lengthen that a bit. Again this is just a starting point.
For the cheek riser, get in the position you will shoot in the most. Get comfortable with your eyes CLOSED! Then open your eye to look through the scope. If you have to move your head, it's not correct. Adjust your cheek rest up or down till you no longer need to move your head.
For the cheek riser, get in the position you will shoot in the most. Get comfortable with your eyes CLOSED! Then open your eye to look through the scope. If you have to move your head, it's not correct. Adjust your cheek rest up or down till you no longer need to move your head.
Once you get it close, sling up in both classic and odd positions. Run the bolt several times in each position - often a smidge shorter lop is faster / more comfy. Go through the same motions on closing you eyes and making sure your centered. It really is trial and error / user preference.
I don't like to us the word comfortable, because sometimes a "comfortable" position is what we have learned and it is wrong. And, the rifle gets set up wrong in that position. Sometimes the "correct" position feels awkward at first, it did for me. Now, the right position is comfortable position is relaxed and correct. "Comfortable" was wrong for me.
Get in the correct position and then find where you are relaxed with no muscle tension. Relaxed is really what you are looking for because you want to be in a relaxed position to get in NPA faster. The more you can relax, the less you influence the rifle. Prone is the most relaxed position, because you can lay there and the ground supports you and the rifle...
So, for set up, you want to be in the correct position to manage recoil after you press the trigger. Being "comfortable" may be in the wrong position to manage recoil. Basically, its possible/likely your body doesn't know correct right now.
In short, bring the buttstock directly under your ear, on the collarbone, as close to the neck. Especially when your body is upright, bring the buttstock up so that you don't have to crane your neck down or forward. You don't want to crane or push your neck around.
Because you are shooting PRS, that is going to be your position for the majority of your shots. Set up your rifle buttstock in that position, is my suggestion.
Then, get prone, bring the rifle centered up to your neck. You will then see that compared to the upright position, your head is further forward.
Eye relief will be different for those two. Upright the scope will be slid further back. In prone the scope will be slid forward more. Pick a spot for your scope so that you have acceptable eye relief for both.
Go watch Phillip Velayo videos, Franks videos, and check out the Everyday Sniper podcasts and section in Sniper's Hide. They explain correct body position and rifle engagement.
Get in the correct position and then find where you are relaxed with no muscle tension. Relaxed is really what you are looking for because you want to be in a relaxed position to get in NPA faster. The more you can relax, the less you influence the rifle. Prone is the most relaxed position, because you can lay there and the ground supports you and the rifle...
So, for set up, you want to be in the correct position to manage recoil after you press the trigger. Being "comfortable" may be in the wrong position to manage recoil. Basically, its possible/likely your body doesn't know correct right now.
In short, bring the buttstock directly under your ear, on the collarbone, as close to the neck. Especially when your body is upright, bring the buttstock up so that you don't have to crane your neck down or forward. You don't want to crane or push your neck around.
Because you are shooting PRS, that is going to be your position for the majority of your shots. Set up your rifle buttstock in that position, is my suggestion.
Then, get prone, bring the rifle centered up to your neck. You will then see that compared to the upright position, your head is further forward.
Eye relief will be different for those two. Upright the scope will be slid further back. In prone the scope will be slid forward more. Pick a spot for your scope so that you have acceptable eye relief for both.
Go watch Phillip Velayo videos, Franks videos, and check out the Everyday Sniper podcasts and section in Sniper's Hide. They explain correct body position and rifle engagement.
D
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I used to use a "solid" cheek weld. This is what we used to refer to as a "hard hold" with everything all tight. This is the way I was always taught.
In the past year or so, I have realized that I have been using excessive cheek pressure my whole life. If you watch the Phil Velayo videos, or any of the Mark&Sam After Work videos, you will see that their cheek weld is just an index point, it is just a touch on the stock. This allows the rifle to recoil straight back, without influence from cheek pressure inducing vertical spread into the equation.
In the past year or so, I have realized that I have been using excessive cheek pressure my whole life. If you watch the Phil Velayo videos, or any of the Mark&Sam After Work videos, you will see that their cheek weld is just an index point, it is just a touch on the stock. This allows the rifle to recoil straight back, without influence from cheek pressure inducing vertical spread into the equation.
Exactly my problem and how I fixed it, lol. I learned all wrong, and it's the same crap with bipod loading....
I had the same issues with both.
I kinda agree with on the comfy part but I feel there’s two sides of it, one bad and one good.
Learn proper positioning then find comfy.
im on all those, was hoping the phil and caylens circle of componets would be out by now
I think starting with LOP and getting your body aligned to allow proper 90 degree trigger pull is the first step. Then build out to where to mount the scope to maximize eye box. Then as mentioned above getting the proper cheek weld. Look at Phil V videos on getting the rifle in tight on your collar bone do you aren't laying your head over.
I chased these setup items as i was learning, and realized bad lop and trigger hand dictated the other setup items.
I chased these setup items as i was learning, and realized bad lop and trigger hand dictated the other setup items.
so this is what i did, i roughly set lop with the 90 deg finger to crook at elbow method.
got into prone closed my eyes , relaxed my body, open my eyes. scope to high so i raised cheek piece so scope was right hieght. next did the same with eyes and body and moved scope for and aft to have no scope shadow at max mag.
John,
The 90° trigger finger is often greatly influenced by the palm swell or pistol grips relation to the trigger shoe. That said, you can only do so much if you have something non-adjustable in that hand area or that does not fit your hand.
Stepping back to LOP, lots of good advice, and I am not suggesting what I am going to suggest should override any of the above. Since you are interested in matches, both PRS style and Feild matches where a tripod is used; shorter LOPs helps, and here is why.
With our rifles off the bench or ground and less stable, we try to reduce the wobble by a combination of less shooter influence and a balance of recoil management. To accomplish this, we load less, use less cheek pressure, and it becomes even more critical that we try to keep our feet, hips, and shoulders as square and perpendicular to the recoil path as possible so that we can see our impacts and misses. Here is the rub; part of the process is for us to use our support hand far more forward of where we would when on the bench or prone, placing it on top of the scope, front handguard, or on the tripod. This drives our support shoulder forward and twists us if the LOP is too long for this style of shooting.
Jim
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