fat man in prone ??

[noname]

I have been a bench shooter all my life..69 now and would like to try prone..But due to a big belly
I have a hard time getting into a comfortable position..It's hell on my neck..Would appreciate
any ideas on how to over come this...Also are there any good bipods with better height adjusts
..or more adjustment....Thanks...Rizo

[cowtownup]

We take a shovel and dig out a hole for our belly to fit in... LOL..

What I found is that the neck muscles will quickly develop and the sore neck will be a non issue if you shoot regularly from prone position. I also think that the lower you can get your rifle to the ground and still be able to get behind it comfortably the better. On a string with slow slow pit service, I still notice my neck getting a bit sore by the end, but I'm never looking down, I'm either in my spotting scope watching conditions or looking through my scope waiting for the target to come back up.

[noname]

tried digging a hole but got yelled at..Guess bringing in an excavator was a bad idea..

[jime444]

it's a biotch.......I know, have a bad neck (hs football) and always have had back problems..........even as a yonker........I'm only 57 and it's been a struggle for years.........
my solutions in order are:
1. try shifting position, that is your body in more perpendicular to target.firing line. you can then turn your neck and body, using your belly as a kickstand(kindof), not as stable, but at least you aren't in agony. tell me how I know.
2. advil
3. try another benchrest sport; .22, cast bullet, schuetzen, etc. this is the direction I am heading, leaving the fclass and hipower for younger fellas.......
good luck.
Jim

[clm2112]

Suggestion for prone shooting position... try doing what the service rifle shooters do: Lay on your side and hike your knee way up on the mat. So if you are right handed, your left side (elbow, ribcage, hip, and ankle) are in a line on the mat. Then your right knee, ankle, and instep is on the mat as well. That lets your gut have plenty of room.

Like so (pardon my chunky backside):


Small bore shooters tend to lay flat on their stomachs. Something I found to be really uncomfortable.

If you neck is hurting, it is telling you that the length of pull & comb height on your rifle isn't right. You should be able to rest your cheek on the rifle's comb and relax your neck muscles. If you have to strain, then you haven't set the stock up to fit you right yet.

[Blackthorn]

When I was dealing with a colostomy bag last year I had a body pillow made that was about 10” in diameter and 20” long filled with memory foam. This allowed me to lay prone but propped up relieving pressure off of my stomach. I made a box for the rear bag that gave me the extra height I needed. Worked pretty well..

[noname]

When I was dealing with a colostomy bag last year I had a body pillow made that was about 10” in diameter and 20” long filled with memory foam. This allowed me to lay prone but propped up relieving pressure off of my stomach. I made a box for the rear bag that gave me the extra height I needed. Worked pretty well..

thanks for the advice...willing to try anything at this point..

[LoneWolf]

When you say prone shooting are just shooting prone at the range for your enjoyment? F-Class? Tactical/Practical matches? or long range Belly matches steel or varmint etc?

I would recommend the AccuTac bipods as they tend to be a bit taller. I'm also a huge fan of the Tiptop Rifle Bipods at they come in 7-10.5" or a 9-13". If you have to go to a taller bipod then pick one with a wider footprint to maintain stability. The Atlas 5H although expensive has a very wide footprint which helps. Also having a larger rear bag helps to level out the rifle. I like a squeeze bag large enough to minimize the amount of effort need to get on target.

Let me also ask what format is your rifle set up in? Stock, Chassis, etc? I find Chassis systems with a very short bag rider to be prohibitive to my consistency. I really like the McMillan A5 style footprint. I'm 6'5'' and run a 15" Length of Pull so the long portion on the bottom of the stock provide and solid surface to ride the rear bag.

As far as getting comfortable with prone or any position for that matter there is one way that works every time. Practice getting into the position and spend time in it! Your body will become more flexible and relax into the position the more time you spend in it!

[noname]

When you say prone shooting are just shooting prone at the range for your enjoyment? F-Class? Tactical/Practical matches? or long range Belly matches steel or varmint etc?

I would recommend the AccuTac bipods as they tend to be a bit taller. I'm also a huge fan of the Tiptop Rifle Bipods at they come in 7-10.5" or a 9-13". If you have to go to a taller bipod then pick one with a wider footprint to maintain stability. The Atlas 5H although expensive has a very wide footprint which helps. Also having a larger rear bag helps to level out the rifle. I like a squeeze bag large enough to minimize the amount of effort need to get on target.

Let me also ask what format is your rifle set up in? Stock, Chassis, etc? I find Chassis systems with a very short bag rider to be prohibitive to my consistency. I really like the McMillan A5 style footprint. I'm 6'5'' and run a 15" Length of Pull so the long portion on the bottom of the stock provide and solid surface to ride the rear bag.

As far as getting comfortable with prone or any position for that matter there is one way that works every time. Practice getting into the position and spend time in it! Your body will become more flexible and relax into the position the more time you spend in it!

thanks for the interesting read..i got a tip top bipod..bell Carlson stock...223 cal..been working with it in the living room...I think I am getting it pretty well..plan to go to
the range to try it....