Elements of a Good Shooting Position:
a) BONE SUPPORT
1. The weight of the weapon should be supported by bone rather
than muscle because muscle fatigues whereas bones do not.
2. The shooter must establish a strong foundation for his rifle by
utilizing bone support. This will enable the shooter to relax as
much as possible while minimizing the movement of 
the weapon due to muscle tension.
b) MUSCULAR RELAXATION
1. Muscular relaxation helps the shooter hold steady and increase
the accuracy of his aim. Muscular relaxation allows the shooter to
use maximum bone support which creates a 
minimum arc of movement and consistency in resistance to recoil.
2. There is no way the shooter can have muscular relaxation
without bone support. During the shooting process, the muscles
of the body should be relaxed as much as possible. 
Muscles that are tense will cause excessive movement of the rifle,
thereby disturbing the aim. When proper bone support and
muscular relaxation are not applied, the rifle will 
never settle into an aiming point, thereby making it impossible for
the shooter to apply trigger control to deliver a well-aimed shot.
3. Only through PRACTICE and achieving a natural point of aim
will the shooter be able to apply proper muscular relaxation.
c) NATURAL POINT OF AIM

1. The point at which the rifle naturally rests in relation to the
target when the shooter is completely relaxed. 
2. Once the shooter is in position and aimed in on target, the
method for checking NPA is for the shooter to close his eyes, take
a couple of breaths, and relax as much as possible. 
Upon opening his eyes, the scopes crosshairs should be
positioned at the shooters desired aiming point.
3. Since the rifle now becomes an extension of the shooters body,
it is necessary to adjust the position until the rifle rest naturally at
the preferred aiming point on the target.
4. Once the natural point of aim has been determined, the shooter
must hold his position in relation to the target to maintain his
natural point of aim. In all shooting positions the NPA 
can be checked and readjusted periodically.
FACTORS COMMON TO ALL SHOOTING POSITIONS
These factors are common to supported and unsupported
shooting positions. They involve building a SOLID foundation from
which the rifle can be fired. Once the shooter is satisfied with the
stability of a position, it should not change except for minor
variations to accommodate different typed of supports.
a) PLACEMENT OF THE NON-FIRING HAND AND ELBOW.
The exact placement of the non-shooting hand and elbow will
depend on the height of the support used. For a very low prone
position, the non-shooting hand will grasp the rear sling swivel
(rear bag) in a fist or it might lie flat on the deck. The elbow rest
comfortably without strain.

b) RIFLE BUTT IN THE POCKET OF THE SHOULDER.
The shooter places the rifle butt firmly into the pocket of his
shoulder. The proper placement of the butt helps steady the rifle,
prevents CANTING, prevents the rifle butt from slipping in the
shoulder during recoil, and lessens the effect of the recoil.
c) GRIP OF THE SHOOTING HAND.
The shooting hand grips the stock firmly, but not rigidly. A firm
handshake hold. The thumb extends over the small of the stock to
enable the shooter to get a good grip. A proper grip permits the
trigger to be pressed straight back to the rear without disturbing
the aiming process.
d) REAR ELBOW.
The placement of the rear elbow gives balance to the shooters
position. Correctly positioned, the elbow helps form the shoulder
pocket. The exact location of the elbow varies with each position.
e) STOCK WELD.
The stock weld is the point of firm contact between the shooter’s
cheek and the stock. The firm contact between the head and the
rifle enables the head and rifle to recoil as one unit, facilitating
rapid recovery between rounds. The stock weld also enables the
eye to be positioned the same distance behind the eyepiece (eye
relief) of the scope each time the rifle is fired. This guarantees the
same field of view with each sight picture, further assisting in
accurate aiming. 
SUPPORTED POSITION FUNDAMENTALS.
a) Avoid touching any part of the support to the barrel. This will

interrupt the barrels natural vibrations, and can throw the round
off.
b) Cushion the rifle on the support. This will keep the weapon
from sliding around and steady the position. 
c) Do not allow the side of the rifle to rest against the support. The
rifle will recoil away from the support and can throw the round off.
SCOPE SIGHTING TECHNIQUES
a) Scope shadow.
During aiming, the shooter must ensure that there are no
shadows in his field of view. He should see a clear black circle
inside the scope. If the eye is to close, too far away, or off to 
one side or the other, the shadows will appear. This will throw off
shots fired. If a crescent shaped shadow is present, the eye is off
center in relation to the scope. The shadow will 
have the effect of pushing the shot fired in the direction opposite
of the shadow. The shooter must adjust his position until the
shadow disappears.
b) Eye Relief.
Eye relief is defined as the distance the shooters eye must be
positioned from the eyepiece lens for the scope to function
properly. If proper eye relief is not maintained, recoil may 
cause the shooter to receive a blow to the head (scope bite,
magnum eyebrow, etc.). Eye relief must be consistent for every
shot.
c) Sight Picture.
1. Sight picture is the correct placement of the crosshairs on the

target for the desired impact. For a correct sight picture, the point
of intersection of the crosshairs is placed in the 
center of the target mass resulting in a quartered target.
2. THE SHOOTERS ATTENTION SHOULD BE ON THIS
INTERSECTION OF THE CROSSHAIRS AND NOT THE
TARGET. The shooter should focus on the crosshairs without
straining his eyes. 
Intense concentration will eventually cause the image to blur. If
the shooters is having trouble focusing on or seeing the
crosshairs, his scope may need to be refocused.
TRIGGER CONTROL
The ability to move the trigger straight to the rear allowing the
hammer to fall without disturbing the sights. The shooter should
fire the shot exactly when the rifle settles to his aiming point, but it
should be a subconscious effort not to disturb the crosshairs. This
way, if the shooter can move the trigger without thinking about it
(subconsciously), he can 
concentrate on the crosshairs and getting his round on target.
2 TYPES OF TRIGGER CONTROL
a) Uninterrupted. 
This is the preferred method. Once pressure is applied, firing of
the shot is completed. The shooter is committed to an unchanging
rate of pressure, no speeding up, slowing down or 
stopping.
b) Interrupted.
This method of control is used in when the rifle will not settle into

position, forcing the shooter to fire the shot when the target
comes into his aiming point. Also called "timing you 
shot". The shooter takes up initial pressure and begins normal
trigger control. He then holds his position until he focuses on his
crosshairs. He then moves the trigger until the shot 
breaks. The shooter should not force his rifle by steering it into his
aiming point. He should let the rifle move naturally toward and
away from the target. If the rifle is moving 
towards the target, the shooter continuously applies trigger
pressure. If the rifle is moving away from the target, the shooter
holds his position until the rifle starts drifting back 
toward his aiming point. He then applies pressure to the trigger. If
the shot breaks as the crosshairs are moving towards his aiming
point, the shot will normally be inside his call.
FINGER PLACEMENT ON THE TRIGGER.
Finger placement on the trigger is correct when it allows the
trigger to be pressed straight to the rear without disturbing the
crosshairs. This will vary greatly from shooter to shooter and
depends a great deal on the size of the shooters hand and his
grip.
Errors in Trigger Control
a) Flinching. The shooters reaction to the anticipation of recoil of
the exploding round.
b) Bucking. An attempt by the shooter to take up the recoil just
before the rifle fires, by tensing up his shoulder muscles and
moving his shoulder forward.
c. Jerking. An attempt by the shooter to make the rifle fire at a
certain time by rapidly applying pressure on the trigger and
disturbing the alignment of the rifle.

FOLLOW-THROUGH
The continuous application of the fundamentals of marksmanship
after the shot has been fired. The shooter should not shift his
position, move his head, or let the muzzle of the rifle drop until a
few seconds after the rifle has been fired. Follow-through ensures
that there is no undo movement of the rifle until after the shot has
been fired. This will also enable the shooter to observe the strive
of the round in relation to his aiming point, enabling him, if
necessary, to adjust his aiming point and fire a second round.
BREATH CONTROL
a) Natural Respiratory Pause.
The point where the shooter is completely relaxed in his
respiratory cycle. The point where the shooter takes a breath and
exhales. This is a shooters NRP. Normally last just seconds
during normal breathing but can be extended more for some
shooters. This is the point at which you want to fire your shot. This
pause should last as long as the shooter feels comfortable with it.
It depends on the physical condition and the lung capacity of the
individual. Obviously, holding your breath longer that what is
comfortable will cause a lack of oxygen that can deteriorate vision
and affect the shooters ability to focus on the sights.
Techniques for Natural Respiratory Pause.
a) Normal Breathing
The shooter breathes normally, and as he approaches taking the
shot, he pauses, gets his point of aim, applies trigger pressure,
and takes his shot. It is easier to obtain a good sight picture when
breathing stops because the movement in the shooter’s chest,

abdomen, and shoulder stops. This entire shot process takes
place during the shooters Natural Respiratory Pause.
b) Decreased Breathing.
As the shooter approaches his shot, he applies his initial trigger
pressure and decreases his breathing. He starts getting his
aiming point as his breathing decreases to a pause. He ca
achieve his proper aiming point during shallow breathing because
he is not moving as much. He then pauses, obtains a good sight
picture, and applies continual pressure to the trigger until the shot
breaks.
c) Cardiopulmonary Pause.
As the heart beat is transmitted through the body, it causes a
corresponding movement to his rifle. This is particularly apparent
in an unsupported shooting position and affects shooting at long
ranges. The heart beat is noticeable by the vertical movement of
the crosshairs in the scope. To shoot effectively, the shooter
should strive to fire the rifle so the trigger breaks at the lull of the
heart beat for each shot.