Wrist angle while shooting prone

[Doyputasos]

I have an idea but wanted to verify here on the forum. My wrist angle as can be seen below is somewhat uncomfortable. I am a tall guy (6'5") and probably need to install a LOP kit on my buttstock. Is there some standard amount of angle that should be taking place or should the hand be parallel to the forearm?


This is a self shot pic so sorry if it should have been further out. It was the best I could nab.

 

[bh-ltr]

Take your finger and put it in a trigger pull 90 degree shape. Then measure from the inside of your elbow to the center of your finger.... Then measure from the butt stock to the trigger. Rule of thumb starting point is for those measurements to be fairly close to one another. Then once you start there adjust till you're comfortable and happy... For me I'm comfortable when those measurements are about dead nuts together.

~Brett

 

[timelinex]

It's hard to tell exactly what angle your wrist is at with the picture... But for what it's worth... I stopped shooting for a while and then went back to it... For a couple shooting sessions I just couldn't figure out what was causing my fliers. At first I just thought it was because I was rusty. Anyways, I finally figured out the error. Even though I was doing my best to do a straight trigger pull, I was holding my wrist straight. I realized I use to cock my wrist a little like yours, as if I was pulling the trigger back but just slightly up as well. I adjusted my position and accuracy went back to normal.

Moral of the story.... As long as it doesn't break the 'fundamentals' of accuracy and works, then just go with it. Each of us is built differently and bc of that there are no exact rules. You have to find the positions or equipment setup that works best for you.

 

[Doyputasos]

If I had to guess at the angle I'd say 60-75°. The angle is less exaggerated when I lay my thumb over the top of the grip instead of grasping the thumbhole grip.

 

[thrusty]

Does look like a pretty extreme angle...thumb-hole stock isn't helping it either. If you have your shoulders squared up as you should when shooting prone, I could see how this could be happening to you considering your height. Check your LOP like was mentioned in an above post....if you don't have adjustable LOP...well you might be outta luck for now.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

Does look like a pretty extreme angle...thumb-hole stock isn't helping it either. If you have your shoulders squared up as you should when shooting prone, I could see how this could be happening to you considering your height. Check your LOP like was mentioned in an above post....if you don't have adjustable LOP...well you might be outta luck for now.

Actually, Limbsavers add about 1" to LOP, and can be used to figure out if it helps or not. I used the above mentioned measuring method, but I find that I actually need about 1"-1.5" LOP longer than the measurement method indicates. I am a moderately big guy with a large frame--2X wide shoulders, 6'-0" tall. And, if it is uncomfortable, it will affect your shot. That is a given.

 

[Sterling Shooter]

OP,

It's what you want to achieve which is important. What you want to achieve is control over the rifle from a consistent grip. How you get there, given the limited number of adjustments you can make to your stock, will require some experimentation, rather than reliance on the notions from internet experts on the matter. The big picture is that all factors of a steady position be consistently applied to reduce the angular error produced from unpredictable recoil resistance.

 

[Graham]

First we need to know whether you are shooting using a bi-pod or sling, or holding the rifle freehand. If you don't use a bi-pod or a sling you will need to control the rifle by gripping the stock, meaning that you must use the shooting hand to hold the rifle in place and to move it around. In that case we need to talk about a clasping grip with the shooting hand. If you are pre-loading a bi-pod, or using sling tension to hold the rifle into the shoulder, then the shooting hand does not really control the rifle and almost all of its' function is to pull the trigger and run the bolt. This will leave you free to derive a hand position that works for the purpose of pulling the trigger straight back. Most people (incorrectly) grasp the rifle and then force their trigger finger into an acceptable (compromise) position. Instead, try building your hand position by first placing your finger in the proper position on the trigger, then seeing/feeling where your shooting hand must naturally lie on or beside the stock in order to comfortably maintain that trigger position.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

First we need to know whether you are shooting using a bi-pod or sling, or holding the rifle freehand. If you don't use a bi-pod or a sling you will need to control the rifle by gripping the stock, meaning that you must use the shooting hand to hold the rifle in place and to move it around. In that case we need to talk about a clasping grip with the shooting hand. If you are pre-loading a bi-pod, or using sling tension to hold the rifle into the shoulder, then the shooting hand does not really control the rifle and almost all of its' function is to pull the trigger and run the bolt. This will leave you free to derive a hand position that works for the purpose of pulling the trigger straight back. Most people (incorrectly) grasp the rifle and then force their trigger finger into an acceptable (compromise) position. Instead, try building your hand position by first placing your finger in the proper position on the trigger, then seeing/feeling where your shooting hand must naturally lie on or beside the stock in order to comfortably maintain that trigger position.

Thank you Graham for that refresher course. Always good to get back to the basics of the set up and build correctly.

 

[Doyputasos]

I had forgotten that I had a point of reference to use. My old Hogue rubber stock has spacers that I put in the butt. I measured my length of pull and it was almost 15 inches. The length of pull on my new stock is 13 3/4 inches.

I believe that I have a pretty good understanding and execution of proper trigger control. The thing that was bothering me the most was the uncomfortable angle as I gripped the stock. If I change my hand grip to where I rest my thumb over the top of the stock instead of through the thumbhole it does decrease the angle of my hand to my wrist But I really like the grip of my new stock, it's a Manners T5, and I would like to use it how it was intended.

Also, I am using a bipod and I am sitting very square to the rifle. I have finally gotten to the point where I am consistently getting little to no jump or movement of my reticle after the shot. Previously I would have a bounce where the reticle would be up and to the left and my groups suffered accordingly.