dsc 1

tony rentokil

Well-Known Member
I am having trouble getting in a solid shooting position[sitting] ready for the dsc test.
Any one have any ideas/advise or pics, all advise gratefully received,Tod.
 
Thats a good video.

Depending on what aids you are using - twin sticks at the front work well and the 'old fashioned' military two piece sling properly used in this position seems almost like witchcraft - most of any wobble tends to be from your righthand side ( reverse if a southpaw).

In such case it is getting a point of contact for your right elbow that pays dividends. Even a relatively light contact makes a difference.

If you struggle to get that right elbow to your right knee without tensing up, then likely you need to change the angle at which you face the target - usually scrutching round to a sharper angle solves it.

Good luck.
 
If its possible turn the magnification on your scope down as a wobble looks far worse at a higher mag. Get your elbows tucked into your knees, get your breathing right and the first time the crosshairs cover the bull fire. The longer you take the worse it will get. Dont snatch it but slowly come down on to the bull, pause and fire. Failling that get half cut on 5 Gins and you'll be steady as!!!

GT
 
There are several vids on YouTube about shooting positions. Type in ballistic tips and they are field sports channel clips.

A few mistakes i see all the time are people trying to sit up too high. Get right down, lean forward and jam elbows into knees for bone support if youre not using sticks. If going off sticks, again, get right down but for a right hander get you right elbow onto your right knee, that stops pivoting round the sticks and makes you much steadier. Do what you like with the left, just whatever helps. Then, most important, make sure you're body is neutral. Everything in the middle of it's range of movement so there is no stress. Finally before you shoot, acquire the target. Shut your eyes and relax. Open eyes and if you're not still pointing at the target move round so you are. Takes ages to write but seconds to do if you practice. Also if you're going off sticks, don't for crying out loud shoot off the side of a pair of sticks, only from the V at the top. There is no strength in a stick in tension, only in compression. Try it. You will bounce all over!

P.s. If you have lower back problems like me, forget it and do it from kneeling!!
 
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these two blokes have got it about spot on, this is pretty much the same position I used on my DSC1 shooting test the other week, edit to add if not using sticks I would be a bit more relaxed in the knees with my right elbow on my right knee and my left elbow about half way between my groin and my left knee, plus if you have a bipod on your rifle have it open when shooting off the sticks as this means you can clamp your left hand around the bipod and sticks making the rest rock solid!
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If shooting off sticks then for some reason I can almost always shoot better kneeling than sitting, I just can't get sitting to work for me. I shot my DSC1 kneeling off sticks. When kneeling with sticks bring the "wrong" knee up to support the elbow of the arm that pulls the trigger - I'm left handed so while I would normally bring my right knee up to rest the elbow that supports the rifle on when I have sticks I let them support the rifle and I bring the left knee up, sitting on my right heel, and rest the elbow of the arm that pulls the trigger on this knee. I also pretty much slouch over the rifle and nearly drape myself over it and on a good day I can shoot nearly as well kneeling as I can prone.

So, maybe if you can't make sitting work for you then kneeling with the sticks is worth a try?
 
P.s. If you have lower back problems like me, forget it and do it from kneeling!!
I am prone to lower back problems and for the DSC1 I used a roe sack stuffed with waterproofs to sit on. Try practising in a low sitting position facing the target with your feet crossed at the ankles, left elbow rested slightly forward on the left knee and right elbow rested slightly to the back of the right knee (if righthanded), start by doing this without any other support. For DSC1 you are allowed to support the front end of the rifle with either cross sticks or an extended bipod. Once you have practised sitting unsupported the addition of the support should give you stability approaching that of the prone position. One of the most important things to do is to practice as often as possible, I did 10 minutes a day dry firing to eliminate as much unnecessary movement as possible. Good luck with your test. atb Tim
 
Hi Tim,

Don't get to worked up about it i'm sure if you explain about your back you will be fine.

I've shot lot's of deer and to date none in a sitting position , just take your time on the test and kneel if you are more comfy at that and remember you cannot fail, just take your test from where you feel ok.

It's not a given you have to do the 3 position's as long as you can hit the target were you feel right.

good luck and best wishes.

Mark.
 
I shot my first red stag whilst kneeling, well before i took my DSC1, i had to shoot through a hole in a gorse hedge approx 80 yards, so it is a shooting position that is well worth getting to grips with.
Cheers
Richard
 
Just a small suggestion .............................. elbow tips on knees make for unstable as it's a bit like having two ball bearings on top of one another. Try putting your elbow in front of the knee cap so the back of the elbow is in contact with the knee. They don't have to go far down the knee cap just enough so they are not sliding about on top.

Takes a bit of getting used to and is far better for down hill shots as the slope makes better angles for the tired stiff ole body to get into, well I find it so, again not my idea but one cleaned from an old shooting/hunting book.
 
doesnt matter what it looks like or which method you use if it is comfortable, feels natural and above all works

I dont like the crossed legs method. feels a bit unstable and doesnt give me options for quick elevation change.
by putting you leg (or legs) out in front of you you create a tripod (arse and two feet!)
you can lean into whichever knee or knees is up and it works for me.
if you need to change elevation to follow a moving target simply slide foot forward or back.
if you need to move round to follow a quartering target you can move your feet and swivel your arse without changing rifle hold. tricky to do that from a crossed legs position.

fieldtargettop600.jpg


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I took my shooting test using an extending Harris bipod - might be worth considering if you are still experiencing problems.
 
Hi Tod

My advise would be the same as Grouse Track, keep the mag turned down on your scope and just don't take too long taking the shot. Its just over 6'' so there is a little room for error. I did my DSC L1 last month at Donnington and had never shot from a sitting position before. I know its hard but just try and forget you are being tested and enjoy.

Wayne
 
Its a big target to miss mate and im sure you will be fine, i was really nervous on the shooting test infact all the exam but still managed to shoot decent from all positions.
I didnt dwell on it and was quite suprised how good i'd shot given the nerves. DF
 
I ended up kneeling with the sticks as couldn't get steady sitting either, as said before try a few different positions and whatever feels best go with that. Don't take too long at it and I'm sure you'll be fine as its a big enough target at that range.
 
I did my DSC1 fairly recently; my tips would be:
- make sure that your rifle is zeroed for 100yds so you're not getting distracted trying to compensate for a 'zeroed an inch high @ 100yds' or similar
- rattle off some standing shots off sticks with a .22 or .17hmr (same technique, cheaper ammo!), or even an air rifle
- don't take too long over taking the shot when sitting/standing; you'll end up trying to throttle the rifle into staying still but with the result of having the thing wobbling all over the place
- but conversely, don't feel pressured into racing through your shots like it's some kind of time-trial/rapid-fire contest. Go at a comfortable pace for you getting 'into' the shot, and then squuze the trigger when the crosshairs land in the right place.

I bet you'll surprise yourself - don't stress it beforehand.

Good luck, and let us know how it goes!

ATB,

Merlin
 
Well,it all went really well,mock test ok,real thing yesterday.3 in the circle,rest in the deer siloete.No need for a retry,can I thank you all, for all your kind words and advise it really helped.
Now I am waiting for the full results in the post,Regards Tod.
 
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