1. Rifle Marksmanship C Prone Position & Proper Sling Use INSTRUCTION:
Prone Position Model
Steps in Using the Sling
Steps in Building the Prone Position
Shot Technique in Prone
7C.1 The Prone Position and Proper Sling Use
Your marksmanship instruction should have already covered firing in the supported position as well as firing in the standing position. You are ready to begin with the prone position. Prone is the most stable position because it has the lowest center of gravity, has a large support base and uses a sling to help stabilize the rifle. This means that in order to build a good prone position, you must learn how to properly put on and adjust a sling. Using a sling may seem complicated at first, but if you follow the correct steps in putting it on and adjusting it, you will find that without exception, the sling makes prone position shooting much easier. Every shooter should use the sling in prone.
Revised: 4Aug13, CMP

2. The Prone Position of an Olympic Gold Medalist
Nicco Campriani, Italy
7C.2 Model Prone Positions
Model Position. The prone position used by the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in the 50 meter 3-position rifle event is shown here to provide a model to follow in learning the prone position.
Notice in particular these features of Campriani’s position:
The angle the body lies in relation to the rifle.
The use of a sling to stabilize the left arm that supports the rifle
The location of the left elbow (straight line extension from the left foot to the left hand).
The high rifle position that produces an erect head position.

3. Steps in Proper Use of the Sling
1. Hold sling with length adjustment down, arm loop buckle up
2. Insert arm in loop
Steps in Proper Use of the Sling
7C.3 How to Put the Sling On
The first thing that you must do when getting into the prone position is to put the sling on. The photos show the proper steps for doing that.
When using the Daisy sling that is issued with JROTC air rifles, hold the sling so that the arm loop buckle is up and the buckle for adjusting sling length is on the bottom of the sling. Lengthen the sling so that is it as long as possible.
Insert your left arm (right handed shooter) in the arm loop.
Place the arm loop as high as possible on your arm and tighten the arm loop so that it will stay in position on your arm.
Extend the sling, turn the sling swivel one-half turn to the right. Again, before getting into position, make sure the sling is extended to its longest possible length.
3. Place arm loop high on arm, tighten
4. Attach sling with 1/2 turn to right

4. PRONE
Step 1:
Orient the Body--Lay the mat at a degree angle to the line of fire, attach sling to rifle and lay on the mat
7C.4 Prone, Step 1, Orient the Body
Step 1--Orient the Body so It Lies at an Angle to the Target. The first step in getting into the prone position is to prepare the position foundation by orienting the body in relation to the target. To do this lay the shooting mat down at an angle of about degrees to the target. Then kneel on the mat, and with the sling already attached to your arm, attach the sling the the rifle. Remember to twist it one-half turn to the right before attaching the sling to the rifle fore-end. Next, lay down on the mat with your elbows extended.
Firing Line

5. PRONE
Step 2: Fix the location of the left elbow (elbow that supports the rifle)
Form an imaginary line from the left hand to the left foot
Place the elbow directly under that line
7C.5 Prone, Step 2, Locate the Elbow
Step 2--Place the Left Elbow under an Imaginary Line Going from the Left Hand to the Left Foot. After orienting the body in relation to the target, the next step in building a shooting position is to place the left elbow in the correct location in relation to the body. As you lie on the mat with your left arm extended out to the rifle fore-arm, try to visualize an imaginary line extending from your left hand through your left shoulder and side, down to your left food. The correct location for your left elbow is directly under this imaginary line.
If the elbow is located correctly, you can also think of an imaginary plane cutting though the bent left arm. If the elbow is located correctly, this imaginary plane will be vertical. If the elbow is located so that this plane tips either in or out, the position will be less stable.

6. PRONE
Step 3: Position the butt-plate UP in the shoulder so the head is erect
Step 4: Shift the left hand forward and backward until the sights are pointing at target level
Step 4--After finding correct left hand location, adjust hand stop back to hand
7C.6 Prone, Steps 3 and 4
The next steps involve adjusting the height of the rifle in relation to the shoulder, head and target.
Step 3--Locate the Butt-Plate Up in the Shoulder so the Head is Reasonably Erect. In the prone position, keeping the head up will enhance visual performance and allow the position to be more relaxed and less strained. In prone, the butt-plate can remain in solid contact with the shoulder, but keep it high enough to allow the head and eyes to look straight forward through the sights. With the butt of the rifle in a fixed position, you must next adjust the rifle height so that the sights are raised to the level of the targets.
Step 4--Adjust the Rifle Sights Up to Target Level by Shifting the Left Hand Forward or Rearward. The height of the rifle must be adjusted by moving the left hand on the fore-end, not by moving the butt-plate up and down. In this step, adjust the rifle height so that the sights are at target level. At this point, be concerned only with having your rifle sights at target level, not with whether the sights point at your particular target. When you find a left hand location on the fore-arm that raises the sights to target level, adjust the hand-stop on the fore-end so that it rests in the fork of the hand. Mark that location so that you can return the hand-stop to that position each time you fire that rifle.

7. PRONE
Step 5: Tighten the sling until it fully supports the weight of the rifle
Step 6: Using the left elbow as a pivot point, rotate the entire position until the sights point at your target
7C.7 Prone, Steps 5 and 6
Step 5--Tighten the Sling. With the left and and hand stop in the location on the fore-end that keeps your sights at target level, you can now tighten the sling. Tighten the sling in stages until it is tight enough to support the weight of the rifle and your upper body without any assistance from your arm muscles. All of the weight of the rifle and upper body should rest on the sling. By keeping the sling loose until this point, you were able to develop a prone position where your shoulders were in their natural position.
Step 6--Rotate Your Position Until the Sights Point at Your Target. If you built your position correctly, you should have a solid position where the sling does the work of holding up the rifle, with the rifle sights aligned at target level and pointing at somebody’s target, not necessarily your own. Your position should already be exhibiting a quality that we call “natural point of aim” or NPA. This is the point where the position points naturally when everything is relaxed. All you have to do now is rotate the entire position over your elbow until it points naturally at your target. Do this by using your feet to slightly lift your entire body and move it to the right or left while rotating over your left elbow. The left elbow is the pivot point for aligning your position on your target. When your rifle’s sights point naturally at your target, you are ready to start shooting in the prone position.

8. Shot Technique in Prone
Approach from same direction for each shot, exhale & stop breathing, take up trigger slack
Relax left arm, center the front sight movements over the bulls-eye
7C.8 Shot Technique in Prone
Since the movements of your front sight are smaller in prone, the shot technique is also simpler. If you built your position correctly and are using the sling to support the rifle and upper body properly, you should be able to hold the bull’s-eye within the front sight ring. Proper shot technique here is the same as in standing except that your hold movements will be much smaller. Center your front sight movements over the bull’s-eye as perfectly as you can and smoothly press or squeeze the trigger. Center the movement--squeeze the trigger.
Squeeze the trigger while the front sight movements are centered

9. Loading Pneumatic Rifles in Prone
Take arm out of sling
Grasp charging handle with left hand--grasp pistol grip with right hand
Pull rifle to rear with right hand while extending charging lever forward with left hand to fully open charging lever
Steps 1-2-3
Steps 4-5-6
7C.9 Loading Pneumatic Air Rifles in Prone
If you shoot with a pneumatic air rifle like the Daisy M853, one additional detail to attend to before starting live firing in prone is to learn how to properly charge the air chamber while remaining in position. The slides above show the preferred method for doing this.
To charge the air chamber using this method, it is necessary to take the left arm out of the sling and use it to grasp the charging lever handle. The two hands must then extend away from each other to open the charging level to its fully open position. Pause there for a second to allow a full charge of air to enter the air cylinder and then use the two hands to close the charging handle. Once closed, replace the left hand around the sling and onto the fore-end, load the pellet, close the action and fire.
This method of charging the M853 requires some upper body strength and not every Cadet will be able to use this method when they first start air rifle firing in the prone position.
4. After pausing, push rifle forward with right hand--push charging handle to rear with left hand
5. Wrap arm back around sling and return left hand to its position on the fore-end
6. Load pellet and fire

10. Alternate Loading Method
Take arm out of sling
Turn rifle over and support rifle with left hand--use right leg to hold butt of rifle down
Grasp charging handle with right hand--lift handle to fully open charging handle
Steps 4-5-6
Steps 1-2-3
7C.10 An Alternate Loading Method
If the method of charging air in a pneumatic air rifle explained in the previous slide is too difficult, an alternate method of charging air in the rifle is shown here.
To use this method, you must also take the left hand out of the sling. The rifle must then be rolled over so that the charging handle is facing up. Support the rifle with the left hand by grasping the barrel and fore-end. In this method the right leg may be placed over the toe of the rifle butt to help control the rifle. The right hand then lifts the charging handle to its fully open position where, after a pause, it closes the charging handle. When turning over the rifle to charge air, it is important to support it so that the rear sight does not rest on the floor or shooting mat. Failure to do this can damage the sight.
Close charging handle with right hand--use left hand to hold rifle up so sights are not damaged
Rotate rifle up and return left hand to its position in the sling
Load pellet and fire

11. Prone Position:
The final step in establishing a good position is to practice live and dry firing in the new position
Stability comes from relaxing your arms and letting the sling support your position
7C.11 Firing Exercises in Prone
As soon as you have worked out a prone position where the sling fully supports your rifle and upper body and with the sights naturally aligned on your target, you are ready to start firing in prone. Be sure to precede each live fire series with dry firing or aiming exercises. It is not necessary to charge air for dry firing so this allows you to get many extra repetitions of correct shot technique in prone.
Getting the highest possible scores comes from doing a good job of stabilizing the rifle so that the hold movements seen in the front sight are small. In your first prone firing, pay attention to relaxing your left arm and upper body as much as possible while you let the sling support your position.

12. Range Firing Exercises
Prone Position, with blank target
Dry firing or aiming exercise
Live fire, 5-shot groups
Standing Position, with bull’s-eye target
Live fire, 10-shot series
7C.12 Range Firing Exercises in Prone
When you begin to practice the prone position, you should go through a series of practice exercises that begin with dry firing or aiming exercises followed by live firing on a blank target. After shooting a few 5-shot groups on blank targets, switch to a bulls-eye target. Each time you prepare to fire on a bulls-eye target, always begin with several dry fire or aiming exercise repetitions. Then continue with 5-shot and 10-shot live fire exercises.
A key step in learning the prone position is performing enough repetition in the position, with a properly adjusted sling, so that you become comfortable with the position. As this occurs, you will be able to start focusing on relaxing the left arm so that the sling, not the arm muscles, support the rifle.