should be in use when you find yourself in any other
position. An excellent way to practice this without
sending hundreds of poorly placed projectiles down
range is to simply get into position and dry fire your rifle.
As you’re doing this, pay special attention to your trigger
engagement and follow through to make sure the cross
hairs of your scope remain in the same positon on the
target both before and after you execute your shot.
Once you have dry fired a sufficient number of rounds
from each position and feel comfortable with your
If you can answer any of the above questions you’re
already on the right track to becoming a better
marksman in the field. The next step is to do your best
to mimic the positions you’ll most likely find yourself
shooting from. It will become pretty evident that you are
nowhere near as accurate as you were on the bench,
however rather than becoming discouraged with this
information put it to use and design your practice
around getting better in each of the positons.
An important thing to remember while practicing is that
the same basic fundamentals you use on the bench
such as trigger control, shot sequence, and breathing
shot placement, it is time to send rounds down range.
Make sure to take your time and concentrate on the
quality of the shots versus the number of shots you
take. Just like in the field, your goal should be to place
one well-practiced shot on target where it counts.
However, it is important to note that you also need to
practice for what happens if your first shot doesn’t
find its mark, or if you need a follow-up shot for one
reason or another.
So remember, although the bench has its uses stepping
away from it allows you to incorporate realistic practice
in your shooting. In turn you will find yourself more
comfortable and more successful in the field this season!