Offhand advice

[IronsightsRifleman]

I'm getting back into rifle marksmanship after several years away from the sport, and it's giving me the opportunity to approach it from new perspectives. I've always preferred the offhand, or standing, position and I've recently gained new appreciation for basics like sight picture, stock weld, and front sight focus. One thing I've discovered on my own is that a good athletic posture - the boxers' stance - balancing on the balls of the feet with the knees slightly bent, helps to absorb much of the heart beat vibration compared to a traditional posture where the body is firmly planted on the ground.
Do you have any techniques to recommend that have especially improved your offhand shooting?

[galun]

I'm getting back into rifle marksmanship after several years away from the sport, and it's giving me the opportunity to approach it from new perspectives. I've always preferred the offhand, or standing, position and I've recently gained new appreciation for basics like sight picture, stock weld, and front sight focus. One thing I've discovered on my own is that a good athletic posture - the boxers' stance - balancing on the balls of the feet with the knees slightly bent, helps to absorb much of the heart beat vibration compared to a traditional posture where the body is firmly planted on the ground.
Do you have any techniques to recommend that have especially improved your offhand shooting?

Not an expert by any means, got started in silhouette and fell in love with it. I use the advice linked here, about half way down.

https://www.sunnyvalegunclub.com/activities/silhouette

I try to thrust my hip out toward the target, push my support arm elbow firmly against my chest, weight down so the it pushes to my hips, forearm straight up to support the rifle. When I do it I do kinda get a weird bend with back arched and weight in back leg. Then I try to get into a slow rhythmic sweep over the target and time to break my shot. Have been experimenting with legs - slightly bent, locked, weight distribution, etc. still trying to figure this out!

[jarhead714]

Have the sling on so tight around your arm that it cuts off your circulation/pulse.

[five.five-six]

good marksmanship starts at your feet

but yea, learn to use your sling to lock it up

[smoothy8500]

The "classic" target stance gives the best support since you use bone structure from the elbow against the chest, hips and legs locked. I will use a variation of my High Power stance if shooting Practical Rifle or run-and-gun type matches. The "boxer's stance" requires muscles to do all the support thus inducing wobble, pulse, and fatigue to impact your accuracy.

CMP website has some good tips for standing:

http://www.odcmp.org/1007/default.asp?page=USAMU_STANDING

Caliber also influences standing technique. 308 requires more shoulder engagement/higher arm than a 223. Here the bullet has already left the barrel and I'm maintaining follow-through.

[Jeepergeo]

For hunting, I prefer off hand with a tripod rest for support. In a pinch, a monopod or bipod rest will help too.

[IVC]

The "classic" target stance gives the best support since you use bone structure from the elbow against the chest, hips and legs locked. I will use a variation of my High Power stance if shooting Practical Rifle or run-and-gun type matches. The "boxer's stance" requires muscles to do all the support thus inducing wobble, pulse, and fatigue to impact your accuracy.

Which brings us to the most important point... What discipline are you looking to shoot?

There are optimal stances and techniques that are different between different sports. Accuracy competition is quite different from action competition. You should be familiar with different techniques and when to use which one.

[9mmepiphany]

One thing I've discovered on my own is that a good athletic posture - the boxers' stance - balancing on the balls of the feet with the knees slightly bent, helps to absorb much of the heart beat vibration compared to a traditional posture where the body is firmly planted on the ground.

The vibration of your heartbeat has nothing to do with your connection to the ground. The heartbeat would continue to vibrate throughout your body even if you were suspended in the air because the bibration is the blood pulsing through your arteries

Do you have any techniques to recommend that have especially improved your offhand shooting?

Yoga to regulate your breathing and heart rate

[MeatyMac]

Yoga to regulate your breathing and heart rate

[IronsightsRifleman]

The "classic" target stance gives the best support since you use bone structure from the elbow against the chest, hips and legs locked. I will use a variation of my High Power stance if shooting Practical Rifle or run-and-gun type matches. The "boxer's stance" requires muscles to do all the support thus inducing wobble, pulse, and fatigue to impact your accuracy.

CMP website has some good tips for standing:

http://www.odcmp.org/1007/default.asp?page=USAMU_STANDING

Caliber also influences standing technique. 308 requires more shoulder engagement/higher arm than a 223. Here the bullet has already left the barrel and I'm maintaining follow-through.

It's interesting the differences in technique. The old WW2 training films for firing the M1 Garand specifically deride the elbow-on-chest stance, in favor of supporting the rifle primarily by the trigger arm. It also teaches that the prone position should have the body angled to the firing direction instead of the more contemporary inline approach. I'm not advising one technique over another, just pointing out the conflicting advice from 'authoritative' sources.

Based on these films, I had written of the the elbow on chest strance. But based on your recommendation, I'm going to give it a try, and the CMP link you posted. Thanks!

I used to do a fair amount of boxing and I can say that, done properly, there is very little fatigue. Regarding wobble, I was concerned that might be an issue. But I have not find it so. At least so far. Maybe as my technique improves I'll find it's not as stable as other alternatives.

Basing stance on caliber is something I hadn't considered. I suppose it makes sense that the various aspects of any technique all have their pros and cons, and heavier rifles with more recoil may demand different approaches than lighter firearms with less recoil.

[IronsightsRifleman]

I'll give these a try. Thanks.

[smoothy8500]

I used to do a fair amount of boxing and I can say that, done properly, there is very little fatigue. Regarding wobble, I was concerned that might be an issue. But I have not find it so.

Regardless of whichever offhand stance you use, dry-fire practice with a keen concentration on front sight alignment and "calling your shots" (noting where the front sight was in relation to the target when the hammer released) is key to success.

Good luck with it!