Benchrest non shooting hand position question.

[Road_Clam]

So i'm a fairly new precision benchrest shooter before I develop a poor technique with my non shooting hand I would like your inputs on exactly how I use my hand. What i've been doing is using a simple Champion rear bag with a piece of 3/4" plywood as a spacer. I then lay my thumb on the bag and grip the ear of the bag. I then rest my buttstock on my thumb. I can manipulate the elevation by gently squeezing my grip. I realize this is not the typical method used. It seems to be very comfortable, stable, and repeteable for me. Do you think my method will hinder my accuracy advancement ? Thanks !

 

[artbosco]

If you're going to shoot "B"enchrest try Free Recoil, a method a majority of short-range BR shooters employ: Only the tip of the index finger touches the rifle [the rifle's trigger]. A very very very consistent technique: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkTsUKoaDlU The opposite hand is used to turn front rest knobs or move the joystick.

 

[82boy]

Your method may work for now, and may work with your present rifle, but I imagine your thumb placement will cause you problems down the road. 1st piece of advise I would give you is ditch the champions choice bag. Get a quality bag made by protektor. You don't have to put big money into a bag, many top end Benchrest shooters use a cheap #13 bag, (Long ear with leather ears.) and then put it on top of a skip Otto spacer. I shoot this combo, and I can say it is the most stable thing I have ran across. This combo works well with free recoil, and can be squeezed for alignment. Many top end Benchrest shooters are bag squeezers and they grab the outside of the ears with there thumb and forefingers, and squeeze the ears of the bag, to manipulate it to the target for fast target alignment. They can squeeze one side or the other to do windage, and both constantly for elevation.
Try different methods and see what works best for you.