FT scopes - why so high?

[FPoole]

A scopes ranging ability is also less precise out at 45-55 yards, so it helps to have a flatter pellet path at those ranges, in case you range it a little off. It also means that there will be a far greater difference in the clicks at very close ranges, but a big FT scope can range to a few inches at the shorter ranges.

[NeilMac]

^^^ Wot Rob sed...agin ^^^

In summary: It has naff all to do with trajectory, it is all about the muscles in you neck, shoulders and back.

[thumbhole]

^^^ Wot Rob sed...agin ^^^

In summary: It has naff all to do with trajectory, it is all about the muscles in you neck, shoulders and back.

Why do shooters not opt to shoot prone then as in HFT, or are they only allowed to sit, kneel or stand?

[Rich]

In my case it's because getting up twenty times in a 40-shot comp from a seated position is hard enough, and getting up from a prone position would be exhausting.

I think most FT shooters will tell you - maybe counter-intuitively - that they find the seated position to be the more stable.

There's also the consideration that there should be less risk of shooting the grass.

[Shootfish]

Many thanks for the wealth of information guys; it all makes a lot of sense and I can retire 'well learnt' on this matter. And Russ, the chart was particularly helpful.

[Sportsmatch]

Yes you can go prone in FT but it's off the elbows with no support for the rifle on a peg or the butt on the ground

[bozzer]

Prone and FT ...

So off the elbows and nothing supported forward of the elbows and butt off the ground in the shoulder.

That position can be very solid, as seen in 50m prone shooting, with the use of a sling, but in FT the targets are not all the same height from the shooter. So a well set sling would not accommodate all targets from the prone position.

... then there's the obstacles in the way to the target ... grass, fallen logs etc.

I still reckon if someone really put the time in then they could shoot prone with a sling and do really well despite the changes in angles.

It's probably as much to do with ( as mentioned above ) how comfortable sitting is, on a big padded bag, for the average age FT shooter.

Equation ... ( Average FT shooter age / Fitness level ) x Prone = Ouch ... Me back!

[SuffolkRifle]

In my case it's because getting up twenty times in a 40-shot comp from a seated position is hard enough, and getting up from a prone position would be exhausting.

I think most FT shooters will tell you - maybe counter-intuitively - that they find the seated position to be the more stable.

There's also the consideration that there should be less risk of shooting the grass.

On a FT course the target should be clear from 21cm above the ground at the gate (taken from the BFTA Main Shoot Rules 2019), which, from a prone position should be visible, but how many course setters check that?
Prone is the most stable position for shooting, far less movement than seated - but given the average age of FT'ers others have probably made the valid excuses

[RobF]

On a FT course the target should be clear from 21cm above the ground at the gate (taken from the BFTA Main Shoot Rules 2019), which, from a prone position should be visible, but how many course setters check that?
Prone is the most stable position for shooting, far less movement than seated - but given the average age of FT'ers others have probably made the valid excuses

As a region that shoots both hft and ft and sees both camps swap and dabble, when hft shooters try prone to ft rules they soon find that being unable to rest the gun or the hand on the ground or against a peg is no where near as stable as a good ft sitting position, which granted is difficult for the new shooter to pull off but is more stable.

But we could always strap a scatt or sideview on if that’s doubtful and compare for interest.

[SuffolkRifle]

As a region that shoots both hft and ft and sees both camps swap and dabble, when hft shooters try prone to ft rules they soon find that being unable to rest the gun or the hand on the ground or against a peg is no where near as stable as a good ft sitting position, which granted is difficult for the new shooter to pull off but is more stable.

But we could always strap a scatt or sideview on if that’s doubtful and compare for interest.

As an ex-rimmie dioptre 25 yard shooter and now shooting FT seated, if the shooter has a 'correct' prone position, then it's almost as stable as bench resting - there's too much blood flow with seated which is compensated for by pads - either on the knee or the arm. At a guess, the majority of airgun shooters tend not to have done competition shooting in other sports and not had the prone position taught them - looking at HFT shooters in the past, they are often not in the 'right' position (arms/hands/angle of body to rifle) and they rely on the peg to give them stability.