Prone position questions

[rtabor]

Though I've been a member of this site for a couple of years, I obviously haven't done much posting. Mostly just very enjoyable reading. But now I have need of some good advice. At the range last weekend I had my first target session with my new bipod, installed on my 300 wby. I was shooting in prone position, with my left hand holding the rest under the butt of my rifle. This is what I have seen done on a few of teaching videos, I think. But on the fifth shot, my scope apparently got real mad and whacked me on the nose and above my eyebrow. So there I am, bleeding like a stuck pig, and praying my mistake went unnoticed to the others nearby. I have been shooting for nearly 30 years, and this has never happened before. Maybe I needed a little humility, which I surely got that day, but I would like to avoid doing it again.

So my question is: Where do you put your left hand? (Right-handed shooters) Do you hold the forend of the stock to keep it from moving too much during recoil? Or do you put it back with the rear support of the rifle? And if in the rear, how do you keep from getting whacked?

 

[Broz]

Though I've been a member of this site for a couple of years, I obviously haven't done much posting. Mostly just very enjoyable reading. But now I have need of some good advice. At the range last weekend I had my first target session with my new bipod, installed on my 300 wby. I was shooting in prone position, with my left hand holding the rest under the butt of my rifle. This is what I have seen done on a few of teaching videos, I think. But on the fifth shot, my scope apparently got real mad and whacked me on the nose and above my eyebrow. So there I am, bleeding like a stuck pig, and praying my mistake went unnoticed to the others nearby. I have been shooting for nearly 30 years, and this has never happened before. Maybe I needed a little humility, which I surely got that day, but I would like to avoid doing it again.

So my question is: Where do you put your left hand? (Right-handed shooters) Do you hold the forend of the stock to keep it from moving too much during recoil? Or do you put it back with the rear support of the rifle? And if in the rear, how do you keep from getting whacked?

Welcome to the club, That is know as "Weatherby Rash"

Seriously, your left hand was placed correctly. The problem was the placement of the recoil pad. It was not on your shoulder, it slid under into your armpit. I have been bitten many times over the years, is it always bad form on my part. Get straight behind the rifle, get the recoil pad on your shoulder, raise the bipod a little if needed but only what is needed to get the back up. Then right before the shot ease forward a bit to feel the stock placment and lightly pre-load the bipod a bit. Practice this form like you would with the form shooting a bow. It needs to be the same everytime for long range consistancy. Do this and it will never happen again.

Jeff gun)-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[youngbuck]

I agree with Broz. My non-trigger hand is on the rear bag. One thing to think about is mounting a scope. I mount my scope for LR rigs while prone. My other varmint rifles a get the eye relief usually sitting off of my tall bi-pod. You might want to see if there is room to move the scope forward. My head is usually for forwards on the rifle when prone, compared to standing ot sitting. I had a scope with little eye relief. When the rifle would recoil while prone, the flip up cap would flip down and hit my eye brow. I developed a flinch, because I though I was getting "scoped". I had to take off the flip up covers

 

[rtabor]

Thanks for the help. Both suggestions make a lot of sense.