Highpower Offhand - Safety Question

[fractal7]

So I have shot several matches and have been getting more and more into highpower, but I have a question for any veterans out there. It seems the generally accepted way of shouldering the rifle during offhand appears to be to point it up at about 45-60 degrees to get it set into your shoulder and then bring the rifle down into position.

While it does seem that this can make for a repeatable shouldering of the weapon, does anyone have concern over pointing the muzzle of a loaded rifle at such an extreme angle over the impact berm? It seems to be an accepted method of firing but, to me, seems to violate the basic rules of not pointing a loaded weapon in a direction you don't know where the bullet will land.

 

[NRA-Highmaster]

You make a good point. Some places you could get by with an AD with the muzzle elevated (Camp Perry for one), but most places it can/would be a disaster. I shoot at a lot of different ranges and this has been the #1 threat to their existance at one point in time or other. I personally don`t elevate the muzzle much if any in my O/H routine. One range I shoot at has you lock the safety on, chamber a round with the muzzle down or at least horizontal, mount the rifle, then remove the safety when you are level. Not infallible, but a good idea I think.

 

[Soupy44]

I shoot little high power, but do use this technique in smallbore and air rifle on a very regular basis. I also teach juniors 10 and sometimes younger this method for mounting the rifle for a good position. I know service rifle have a minimum trigger weight of 3.5lbs. My smallbore and air triggers are both less than 2oz. In 20 years and hundreds of thousands of rounds of smallbore and air training and competition, the worst place I have accidently touched off a shot still hit within 3in of the center of the bull.

I understand accidents happen and steps can be taken to prevent them. But in this case, if you cannot be trusted or trust yourself to keep your finger off the trigger during those 5 seconds, get off the range and don't come back.

Afterall, the gas and brakes in a car are only a few inches apart. When's the last time you even thought about the possibility of messing that up.

My definition of an accidental discharge is anything that doesn't hit the ten ring.

 

[W.E.G.]

I hold the Camp Perry international record for shot fired closest to Canada.

Yeah, keep your booger-hook off the bang-switch.

UAV's follow me around now.
(But you should see 'em swerve when I put a gun in my shoulder.)

 

[wanderinwalker]

At all of our local ranges, the rule is muzzle DOWN when chambering a round, but it is okay to elevate the muzzle once loaded when shouldering the rifle. Keep your finger off the trigger and you're good to go.

I know service rifle have a minimum trigger weight of 3.5lbs.

This is the second time I've read this in the past week. When was the rule changed? Last I knew it was 4.5 pounds and my Service AR trigger doesn't lift a check weight with much room to spare.

 

[W.E.G.]

Its 4.5 pounds for Service Rifle trigger.

Anybody who tells you different is wrong.

 

[Jon Coppenbarger]

I point my downward in front of my position. then do the normal mounting like mentioned. BUT NEVER ever take up the first stage untill my front site has started to setting in the black before the shot.

 

[taliv]

I let one go earlier than I wanted in a local match a few years ago
I was taking up the first stage as I was settling in. Fortunately I hit the top of the paper and was in the backstop but I don't do that anymore

 

[m33p0n3]

That was my standard practice back when I shot 4 position smallbore and air rifle. It also lead to my only AD thus far. I had my support hand very close to the trigger guard, causing the loose flap on the top of my glove to tap the trigger. It being a target gun, the trigger went off and put a pellet into the ceiling of the basement in which I was shooting.

 

[Hangingrock]

At a local match a competitor next to me with an AR15 series rifle was loading with muzzle down. He’d place the muzzle of the rifle directly on the seat portion of his shooting stool. Loading one into the chamber and letting the bolt go home. The rifle discharged. It made a mess of items in the main pouch of the shooting stool.