Teach me to TR.

[Tower75]

Hi, all.

I've recently picked up a target rifle, a .303 BSA, why is this important? Well it's my first target rifle razz All of my other lovelies are classic military rifles, the BSA is a weird mix of Long Lee and TR which is quirky and cool.

I'm aware of shooting jackets and one-point slings that are comon in Target Rifle and I think I'd like to give it a go. May I ask:

1) What is the perpose of the jacket? Is it to just provide padding for when shooting prone, and does one need it to be fitted, or can you buy an off the shelve one?

2) Can any one recommend what to look for in a sling? I've no clue.

3) All of my other rifles are off the line military rifles, if I wanted to shoot these from a sling is there a way to do this, considering they don't have a swivel for a TR sling.
I do have one of those U.S. Style WW1 leather slings that I'm told can be used like a TR sling, has anyone tried this?

Kind regards.

[Dougan]

It's one of my favorite disciplines, but I still haven't mastered it in 30 years...but until the experts show up I'll attempt to answer your questions.

1. Yes it's mainly padding for your elbows, shoulder and the back of the arm that takes the pressure of the sling...but a stiff, well fitting one also helps to keep a solid and consistent position - Bespoke is always best, but an 'off the shelf' one from the NSRA for £100 would be a good starter.

2. Single point - I prefer the plastic ones as the leather ones can stretch; even while shooting.

3. When shooting 'precision' with my classics I use the issued sling - My Enfields and Mauser have swivels for a two point sling, which I use in much the same way as a single point one, i.e. the sling held round the back of the left arm and the left hand wrapped under and over the front of the sling...personally I find that I can't get the same 'fixed possision' in the same way as you can with a TR rifle, jacket and single point sling, but with it slightly looser than I would shooting TR it still gives reasonable support.

Any chance of a piccie of the rifle?

[Blu]

Single point - I prefer the plastic ones as the leather ones can stretch; even while shooting.

And he wonders why other shooters give him sidelong looks.

[Dougan]

Yes yes, we all wear our bondage gear to shoot TR ( )

And there's nothing wrong with wearing a thick leather jacket to lie in the baking sun at all...

Btw: looking at the picture again...it that what they call and arab-strap? razz

[20series]

The purpose of the jacket is to help supprt the rifle via the sling, theory being you jacket needs to be tight across the back so that when the sling is correctly set up the jacket and sling are supprting the weight and not the muscles in the arm.

To get the corrrect fit a good way to check is to put the jacket on and do up the buttons, bend your arms 90' upwards and then try and make your elblows touch ideally you need to be restricted from dpoing so by about 12-18 inches. which if you think about it is the position of your arms in a prone position,

HTH

Alan

[Tower75]

Many thanks, chaps. Appreciate the info.

Here's my rifle, from Simon Pemberton's website. Not my pics, but my rifle. He trusted the rifle enough to shoot next to me today so that must be good,

http://www.highwoodclassicarms.co.uk/Fi ... nglee1.htm

[20series]

Many thanks, chaps. Appreciate the info.

Here's my rifle, from Simon Pemberton's website. Not my pics, but my rifle. He trusted the rifle enough to shoot next to me today so that must be good,

http://www.highwoodclassicarms.co.uk/Fi ... nglee1.htm

TG

Enjoy your new toy mate it looks lovely

Alan

[Blu]

Btw: looking at the picture again...it that what they call and arab-strap? razz

Don't know Dougan, ask around next time you visit Bisley

[TattooedGun]

As above really, I've been shooting in a jacket off the peg for the last 5 years,and it's done me excellently. got into the County squad and have a smallbore average of about 96.5 or so, which is not too bad... for me to progress from here I need to start looking for something thats a better fit. but for getting into the discipline, I'd suggest an off the peg offering that fits as 20s suggests above and then progress at a later date.

I use a leather sling single point sling personally as that's what I've always associated with the type of shooting. With your rifle, I'd go leather too, but since theres no rail for a handstop, I dunno what to suggest... I'd try borrowing a single point sling with a 40mm hook and seeing if it's comfortable off the middle position mount point but you may find someone has more knowledge on this style TR rifle as mines somewhat more modern... :)

Good luck and enjoy! :)

[Gaz]

Lovely rifle - might still meet the modern TR definition, though you'd probably struggle a bit in issued ammo comps...

The jacket and sling are there to support the rifle. The single-point sling goes round the upper left arm (for a right hander) and is hooked onto the rifle. I suggest you probably want it attached at the middle band swivel and not the competition sling swivel on the front trigger guard screw, chiefly because in modern TR thinking you want your hand in between the sling and the rifle. YMMV, though. The theory goes that if the sling is correctly tightened you can support the rifle through your arm bones and the sling rather than making a muscular effort to hold it up.

As a cadet I used to shoot No.8s using a sling and sling extension - the extension was (I guess) a custom made thing with a hook at one end and a loop for a sling hook at the other so the sling itself didn't run out of adjustable length. For a TR sling you ideally want a light-coloured plastic one: light-coloured so you can mark your settings for different rifles etc on it (I bought a black one, which has narked me ever since) and plastic so it doesn't stretch and lower your position without you realising. Leather is probably fine if you're starting out at TR, though.

You can turn a 2-point Enfield service sling into a single point sling by forming a running loop at one end and passing the rest of the sling through it. Stick your arm through the resulting loop and Robert is your mother's brother. Better described with a picture, will see if I can take one this evening.

The jacket serves two purposes: to stop the sling falling down your arm (through a hook attached to the top of the arm) and to support the rest of your position through being a nice tight fit around your chest and shoulders. 20series has the acid test of whether the jacket's right or not. Most purpose-made TR jackets, even the older ones, will be fine provided you can pass that chest measurement thing and do up the top few buttons.