The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-03-18
HOLDING THE RIFLE CORRECTLY
Captain Richard Three Times Winner Of the Leech Cup
Offers Some Valuable Advice to Rifle
Shooters.
BY CAPTAIN w. III. RICHARD.
tone Of the best rife shots In WORLDLY

or you want to learn something
about the proper method OF rifle
shooting. read this article.--Editor.
Methods of instruction as to the
proper way to hold rifle in learn
ing to shoot are as varied and num-
erous as the number OF instructors
engaged in the work
BY the term learning TO shoot" Is
meant any stage in ones shooting
career, inasmuch as nobody ever gets
beyond the stage OF being able to
goes along. In this article, personal
observations are set down in the
hopes that in some of them, at least,
helpful points may be brought out
that will add some xeSt to the pleas
ures of the search for Improvement
The army regulations FOR the in
struction OF the soldier carry the idea
that well and highly developed
muscles are quite necessary In
straight shooting and to this end the
Push and Pulr' exercises are tncor-
porated and rigidiy lived up to by
many army instructors In fact, past
observations in many Instances the
push and pull instruction has seemed
to have been the important part of
the preliminary work, sometimes II is
feared, because the instructor has
been rather uncertain as to the next
step and merely followed along the
lines of least resistance.
Personally. the writer has made a
pretty close study OF the makeup and
methods used by those OF the better
class OF rifiemen. both In military and
scheutxen shooting, also of the man
who has what some call the natural
gift for shooting and has come to
The rnnplYvCinu IN - nv.A h.sy~
muscular development has nothing
whatever to do with straight shoots
ing of any kind In fact. the small
boys composition upon the subject
OF SAT-. comes pretty clroe to an
swering the question OF muscular de-
velopment in the holding OF the rife.
Johnny wrote that: salt Is that
which spoiis potatoes II you don't put
any on"
RUsCLES ARE FINE-BUT?
Muscles are fine things to have for
rine shooting-if you don't use EN-.
II IL my observation that every ex-
pert IN the use OF fire arms either con-
sciously or unconsciously practices
muscular relaxation. and that any
man who does not 10 4 at subject for
buck fever at all times.
without going into discussion OF
physiology, there Ia a close connec-
ton between the two nervous temper
ament and tense muscular action
Buckfever," to use the vulgar term,
is nothing whatever but q might
! mare in the day time. and the only
| safe remedp for this tensenew OF
both mind and body il muscular re-
| Taxation. The body In q peaceful sleep
Is relaxed and there is no tension.
The rifleman who 10 nanipuIates his
weal on using only such tension as ID
absolutely necessary is the chap who
is sailing the potatoes.
We have all heard much OF the fel-
low who has mo nerves,"--the
| "Icicle," etc. There Isn't any such
animal. There is no man 30 consti-
| tuted that he does not feel the strata
Of close competition and worse yet
the fear OF failure at a critical time.
Some men are more susceptible to
and show more outward appearance
OF the mental and physical struggle
for composure but you may be sure
It n there
| Make I close STUDY OF your pet
''icicle" about the time the greatest
strain u on him. that OF waiting for
his turn to come. and you will note
invariably studied nonchalance
When he sits down he sprawls. when
he stands he hangs loosely with his
weight on balance. his moves are
J; only such ~ to directly carry out his
/, wish and ~ few as possible. Your
1cicle" may not know It directly but
ne - nghttng MUSCLE tension. He
! realizes either ccnsciously or other
S.sasea tisat tfftscic tenSiUfY ~ surS
lforerunner Of buck feyer'-tired and
never do.
/, No one can tell you exactiy how
you, individually, must hold your
fias. Suggestions may ana probably