Skeleton Alignment vs Muscle Strain: How to Hold Your Rifle
Holding a precision air rifle weighing about 5 kilograms for a 75-minute match is tiring. If you use your arm and back muscles to lift the rifle, they will start shaking within a few minutes.
The secret is to rest the weight of the rifle on your skeleton instead of your muscles. This is called Bone Support.
Here are 3 simple checks to try:
1. Rest Your Elbow on Your Hip Do not hold the rifle out in front of you. Push your left hip out (if you are right-handed) to create a shelf. Rest your left elbow firmly on your hip or against your ribs. This creates a solid bone pillar from the ground up to your rifle.
2. Stand Naturally (Natural Point of Aim) Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. To find your natural stance: * Close your eyes, raise your rifle, take a breath, and get comfortable. * Open your eyes. If your gun points to the left of the center target, do not twist your body. Instead, pick up your feet and rotate your entire stance slightly to the right.
3. Relax Your Neck Rest your cheek lightly on the rifle comb. Look straight through the sights without straining your neck. If you have to bend your head, raise the rifle's cheekpiece to meet your eye level.
By using your bones for support, you can stay steady and shoot longer without getting tired!