Your eyeball. Assuming level ground and forget the rifle as there's all kinds of different shapes. Different ring heights too. I'm ordering a custom rear bag. Nothing super fancy, a Protector DR. but with a custom height. Cranking my head back hurts my old neck. If you lay flat on the floor face down and try to lift your head to look straight ahead. Ouch! Now push your chest up (pushup like) and the bend in your neck decreases. My current system is laughable. See pic. So how high is you eyeball above the ground?
How high? Prone f, ftr
- Thread starter mike a
- Start date
Ned Ludd
Silver $$ Contributor
A few years back, I purchased a Duplin bipod to try out. I ordered a tall height Edgewood rear bag to go with it. However, once I tried it out, I realized I had to be way, way, way up on my elbows in order to use the setup because the rear bag was much too high for me. This position would have been extremely uncomfortable to maintain through a typical F-Class string, so I ended up purchasing another one in "extra short" and it was perfect. My point is that your setup can be both too high, and too low. I would suggest using boards, books, or whatever you have available under the buttstock of the rifle to adjust the height to where you feel comfortable. Then measure the thickness and speak directly to the people at Protektor and get the correct height bag based on your measurements.
Is it legal to use a pillow to raise your chest off the ground so you’re not using your elbows?
i know of no rule prohibiting it and there are several folks who have been using a pillow under their chest for years. Will you be ribbed by sling shooters....yes that will definitely happen
ballisticdaddy
Silver $$ Contributor
I shoot both F-TR and F-Class and prefer to be as low as possible and have had custom bags made by both Protektor and Edgewood and they are both just over 2" tall.
XTR
F-TR obssessed shooting junkie
It is artificial support under rule 3.10 and 5.2i know of no rule prohibiting it and there are several folks who have been using a pillow under their chest for years. Will you be ribbed by sling shooters....yes that will definitely happen
3.10 Ground Cloths or Ground Pads— A competitor may use one or more ground cloths or ground pads so long as they are not constructed or used in a manner to provide artificial rest or support.
5.2 Artificial Support—Any supporting surface except the ground not specifically authorized for use in the Rules for the position prescribed. Dig-ging of elbow or heel holes at the firing points which form artificial support for the elbows, arms, or legs is prohibited. Use of artificial support, including back braces, is prohibited except as individually authorized by NRA for a physically handicapped shooter.
It is my understanding that several yrs ago (like in '11 or '12) at the FCNC the NRA official made that call and made all the open shooters give up their pillows.5.2 Artificial Support—Any supporting surface except the ground not specifically authorized for use in the Rules for the position prescribed. Dig-ging of elbow or heel holes at the firing points which form artificial support for the elbows, arms, or legs is prohibited. Use of artificial support, including back braces, is prohibited except as individually authorized by NRA for a physically handicapped shooter.
That said, if you don't finish in the top 10 or 20 nobody will likely say anything, but if you win, you can bet you'll get protested.
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CharlieNC
Gold $$ Contributor
Using your current technique of "spacers" first set the rear bags for comfort, adjust bipod to target, reassess comfort. Close eyes, rebuild position, which should be comfortable and feel natural/unstrained. Repeat remembering rear bag first, followed by bipod. Do not allow the view through the scope to drive your positioning, adjust the scope to your position. I suggest getting your bag made slightly low, and plan on having a spacer board or two to fine tune on the fly as your health and flexibility change over time. You can add a spacer, but you can not lower a bag. My lesson on this exercise.
Thanx Charlie, I'll do just that. You may of saved be from getting to tall a bag. I plan on having BETTER health and flexibility over time. Gonna live forever! Cheers Mike.
dcali
Bullet Maker
I use a short (2.5”) Edgewood and it’s fine. I see some open (not sure why it’s always open, but it seems to be) guys using what I would call very tall setups and it looks extremely uncomfortable to me. The neck bend isn’t as bad, but the back! Ouch.
How much beer and bbq you eat can make a big difference. Getting in shape will make life a lot easier.
You can also make a position more comfortable for you by laying at an angle to the rifle rather than straight back - the back ward bend in your neck becomes more of a rotation. I know everyone on snipers hide says you have to be straight back in line with the gun or you’ll never hit anything, but you don’t.
How much beer and bbq you eat can make a big difference. Getting in shape will make life a lot easier.
You can also make a position more comfortable for you by laying at an angle to the rifle rather than straight back - the back ward bend in your neck becomes more of a rotation. I know everyone on snipers hide says you have to be straight back in line with the gun or you’ll never hit anything, but you don’t.
I use a 'wedge' shaped pad under my chest to help elevate my upper body. It's about 2-3" and helps with that arcing of my back. For rear bag I just use an old fashioned squeeze bag to adjust rifle elevation. I read the rules and there was nothing I saw against it - as long as you're not adding pads/support for the rifle. I talking F T/R.
I consider myself in pretty good shape. I’m not obease. I work out 5 days a week, do a lot of stretching and visit a massage therapist once a month (no Robert Craft jokes
)Still, I get fatigued about half way through an F Class string and have to sit up and stretch.
The reason I asked about the pillow was I saw a guy use one at a match. It looked like a solution to my problem but obviously won’t use one now considering the rule against it.
In the meantime I’ll continue to practice different ways to interface with the rifle in search of a more comfortable position
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