The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-01-08


good positions for each range. for
faulty ones are easier to learn than to
unlearn-
At 200 yards the off-hand or standing
position is generally required. both in
military and match rife shooting. 1t
is the most difficult one in which to
hold steady. and requires the most
practice % become expert in, so far as
good holding alone is concerned.
By the off-hand position is meant
standing, with neither the gun nor the
body resting upon or against any ar
tificial support. But it Is not required
that the shooter snail adopt the snOt-
gun position, with the leIJ hand Iuuy
or partially extended. Inc physique oI
some men makes TINS the easiest posi-
ton for them, put otheis can 90 better
work with the lerL arm close 10 OF
against the body. and 1t is permissible
and entirely within the rules Tor Jnem
TO shoot in that way il they prefer it.
A little observation when large
number of expert rifiemen are compel
ing in some important match VIII snow
numerous notifications Of the Off-hand
position. What is easy and natural
Tor one might be strained and difficult
for another. who in his own position is
that some of these positions are more
graceful than others. Good scores,
however, are not made by dainty pos
ing. but by steady holding. Therefore.
having by careful triad of all positions
found that in which you can hold the
rife steadiest, even though it is lit
tie less graceful than some others,
don't let anyone induce you to change
il.
he tar rr- 50 ION
rife is particularly valuable III acquir-
ing skill in the off-hand position. One
who has become even a fair shot with
the latter weapon can generally do sur
pTisingly good work with the military
rifle a 200 yards. The reason is that
the Schuetzen rifleman has trained
himself to hold for the center of the
bullseye. while the military shooter
does not care whether il is the center
or the margin, so long as he hits the
bull
There has been a tendency of late
years to belittle the Importance of the
off-hand position. chiefly because it is
not well adapted to long range work.
and perhaps in some cases because of
the amount of practice il necessitates.
It has certain prominent advantages,
however which, from a military stand
point, demand that it receive due at
tention and practice. It is the quickest
position TO assume. and perhaps. used
more than any other in the battles of
former times It can be used with com
fort upon occasions where the only
other alternative would be to sit, kneeI
o. lie down in dirty water or mud; and
there are occasions. such as firing from
long grass or very uneven field
where 1t is the only position from
which an enemy could be seen to shoot
at. While it Is only practiced at 200
yards. it is capable of better work than
Is generally supposed at much longer
distances: for instance, I have seen
three bullseyes made in five shots at
100 yards, and a score of as out of so at
500 yards, shooting in this position at
the regulation targets
Shooting at 900 yards may be regard
ed as distinctly military, for this dis
lance is not used in any other branch
of the sport. The nearest approach TO
IT is the 300-metre' distance in vogue
among a few of the German and Swiss
shooting societies in Europe. but so
far as 1 can learn IL is not a popular
range and is gradually giving way to
those in more general use But the 300
yards range is important to the militia
~ rifieman, for il is here that part of
his qualification as marksman is
earned.
At 800 yards the sitting and kneeling
positions are prescribed in the National
Rifle association rules, although some
states permit the use of the prone DO
sitiOn at this distance in class prac-
tiCe- The sitting position. but the stout
rifieman generally has difficulty when
he attempts it, is much steadier than
the kneeling position, once it is ac-
CURED. but the kneeling position is
more easily and quickly taken. and for
that reason should be practiced For
the kneeling position the right knee
should be about at right angles TO the
line Of fire, and a boot with a strong.
thick sole enables the rifieman to adopt
what is really a partly sitting position.
using his right shoe for seat Keep
the left foot we'll forward so that the
left leg and forearm form a nearly YER
teal column. which is most suita bic
for steady support.
The sitting position depends so much
on ones physique that more can be
learned by studying illustrations or the
positions adopted by skillful marks
men and practicing by swapping the
empty rifle in various notifications
that feel comfortable to the rideman.
than by any description. I can give r
myself am not Of stout build. but I
never yet have been able to get into a
sitting position in which I could work
satisfactory to me: and yet some rifle
men take 10 II as naturally as "A duck
matches in our annual competitions i'm
which shooting is done at 300 yards. but
II should nevertheless be practiced. for
lack of familiarity with the necessary
positions is liable to result i'm a most
lnorufying score at a critical time as
the bullseye is smaller in proportion to
the range than at any other distance
the rifeman is called upon to shoot
The prone position is perhaps the
most popular and useful Of all-Cer-
tainly so for military rifles. It is per-
united at all ranges Of 500 yards and
over, and the majority of military
riiieInen use IL even at the longest
ranges. Therefore. il will we'll repay
Inc novice TO devote considerable time
and attention to attaining a good prone
position The body should not lie i'm a
direct line with the target but the legs
should be thrown to the left and
stretched icomfortably apart: most ex-
perienced shots lie at an angle Of a bout
- degrees with the line of fire. Also
Keep Your rifle and all parts of your
body as close to the ground as possible
Hold the rifle firmly with the left hand
which should be as far forward as
comfortable. with the sling strap loop
shpped twO-thirds of the way toward
the shoulder from the elbow On the
kfag. the sling should be fastened for