Shooting & Country TV | Gary Chillingworth | How to take shots from different positions: standing

In this episode of Shooting & Country TV, our airgun guru and Airgunner magazine contributor, Gary Chillingworth, continues his series on how to take shots from different positions with a detailed tutorial on taking free-hand standing shots with your air rifle. Gary covers alignment, foot position, hand position, breathing, gravity, and a provides tricks and tips to make those targets fall over!
Whether you shoot FT, HFT or hunt with your air rifle, knowing how to take shots from different positions is essential for success. Here, Gary goes in deep on how to take kneeling shots with your air rifle, providing tips and tricks to make you as stable and comfortable as possible, and to improve your accuracy with an air rifle.
Gary is running this new airgunning vlog - At the Range with Gary Chillingworth - every other week on Shooting & Country TV, so make sure to subscribe to the channel and keep and eye out for his videos if you love air rifle shooting. It will be a mixture of air rifle reviews, air rifle shooting technique advice, and tips for Gary's specialist subject - HFT.
If you want Gary to answer a specific question or cover a particular area of airgun shooting, just leave a comment below or contact Gary via details in the video. Enjoy!
CHAPTERS
0:00 Start
0:24 Introduction
1:02 Part 1 - alignment
3:27 Part 2 - foot positioning
5:16 Part 3 - hand positioning
8:46 Part 4 - be realistic!
10:26 Part 5 - breathing and gravity
12:02 Part 6 - tips and tricks
14:38 Part 7 - gun fit
16:21 Part 8 - please fall over
22:16 Part 9 - Conclusion
25:21 End

[@milton9774]

I am from Slovakia and I love to watch your HFT videos. You have talent to explain things in easy, entertaining and understandable way.

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Ďakujem - Gary

[@yuvrajsinghthind5056]

I learned a lot more here than in my gun license course. Sir you are genius.🐮

[@oscargregory6153]

You're a natural teacher. Great advice thank you

[@darz3]

Yes to the scope video ,Gary, thanks

[@aliciafranks2377]

You are a legend Chilli, keep on with the videos they are so very helpful x

[@garychillingworth]

Cheers Alicia

[@scottsorby7966]

Thanks Gary, that was one of the best videos Ive ever watched that covered all the bases in plain terms and It reminded me of 2 of the things Ive been forgetting to do

[@garychillingworth]

Glad it helped Scott

[@stuglen3734]

Brilliant that Gary, will try the side on alignment tomorrow. Cheers m8

[@carlosde2625]

Thks for the explanation, i practice marcial arts so it help a lot with the position and aligment

[@tyrantwitness2482]

You said it ! practice, practise , practise ! Simply spend time at home holding the gun and train the muscles !

[@johndobbie528]

Nice to see good advice and demo for standing air rifle at longer distances than the ultra precision 10 metre. Nearly all other demos feature bench rest, there are many shooters doing 20 metre indoor shooting without a lot of guidance for inexperienced followers.

[@skalliwag2766]

Thanks Gary I have seen this video several times,

[@coldfield100]

Thinks for posting and sharing your knowledge. Everything helps.

[@redauwg911]

Gary you make the very best videos thank you

[@WallyHale21]

Very good! I find myself not aligning, so I end up wobbling horizontally as well as vertically! I thought it was just because I was completely rubbish (well I am .. ) but alignment makes perfect sense!

[@joncohen6548]

Another interesting and informative video, thank you Gary.

[@stinsonmiddleton1163]

Thanks for this instruction.

[@billjones5129]

Thank you Gary, really enjoyed the video. Keep them coming fella 👍

[@eskimojulie]

Brilliant video thank you

[@guysimmons9356]

I think you've got it Gary. Good tips. Good information

[@springerlover113]

thanks for those helpful tips sir 👬⚘

[@MrHITACHI75]

Great video Gary The standing shots are the most difficult I find aim slightly high at the kill works for me

[@Happy-Me.]

Great video Gary. Many thanks!

[@garychillingworth]

I do struggle with the staders as my TX is very heavy and front heavy. I hope this helps everyone.

[@HanoiHustler]

Wow !! Thanks again. I thought I sucked and I do but now I feel I can get better!😘🤑

[@jimstewart5008]

Great information I accidentally learn years ago to lower my rifle to the target. Very interesting Gary!

[@Pauly5150]

Thanks for that, really enjoyed it and feel a bit more inspired too.

[@garychillingworth]

Really happy to hear that Paul 😊

[@newtownnaughtyboy8742]

good video again Gary

[@jdjones4825]

Nice one, I ve recently found my old springer and I remember "people" being good shots with them..I looked around at todays gear and it is expensive....I ve even customised my stock and was thinking about adding weight to the end of my barrel....thanks

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Good stuff - Chilly

[@joaquinnanagas75]

Good day. Thank you for a very educational standing shot video. More so on the "realistic" expectations casual plinkers like me should accept - that you hit some ( hopefully more times) and miss some ( hopefully less times). A lot of PCP videos show such accurate shooters that I feel inadequate not being able to shoot as well as they do. 👍🏼

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Cheers Joaquin - I try to be honest with the vids and the truth is, sometimes I suck :-)

[@jdaustin8618]

Alignment, alignment, alignment and PRACTICE! Thanks Gary.

[@saxualviking]

Well, I've just found you Gary, and I'm catching up on all your videos with great relish. The reason being, I'm just thinking about coming back to FT, or as it's called now HFT! I say that because I was pulled in to FT way back in the 80's. I was a civilian Firearms licencing Officer for Cambridgeshire Police at the time, after 20yrs in The Army. And was often tasked to check competition ranges etc. I was persuaded to try FT, and was lent a Theoben Sirocco, to start. well, I absolutely loved it, unfortunately, I was a commited Archer, and coach, so that took precedence at the time, although I still turned up a few times with the Theoben! Fast forward a year, and I joined Surrey Police as a Constable, and life IN THE JOB took over a bit, and Archery was my main sport, with little time for much else.Fast forward again, after 20yrs as a Copper, I retired with my Wife to the Sunny Isle of Cyprus. Archery became more of a chore as age took its toll on my health. Fast forward again to the present day, and my Son purchased me an airgun experience here in Cyprus, and I'm hooked again! I want to go back to, what I've since discovered from your wonderful Vids, is now HFT. The problem is, there are no clubs here in my neck of the woods, I believe there is one in Paphos, on the other side of the Island but that's a fair old trek to do couple times a week! As luck would have it, Steve, the guy that ran the try day, has been looking to set up an HFT club within the Larnaca Olympic shooting ground where he works. Steve is an expat but is really a Shotgun guy, and FiTA coach for the sport. As we had a good conversation on the day, I dabbled for bit with shotgun here, After hearing that I used to partake in FT, he has asked me to help set up a club within the ground, I told him I was not familiar anymore with the FT scene, and boy! Was I right! Hence me finding your vids. Anyway, if you haven't lost the will to live yet, reading this diatribe, can I ask if there is anywhere I can get some sort guide to starting up a FHT club? Rules etc? I would like to see if I can get this done before I'm much older! Thanks in advance, and I'm getting back to watching your great vids, as I've always been told, your never too old to learn, and boy are you teaching me something. Keep up the good work !

[@martincook3459]

Helpful video, cheers.

[@ezetobebad]

Very informative & thanks for sharing pork pie

[@pip669]

Good stuff .thanks .

[@rog5150]

Hi Gary, very practical advice as ever. If you missed anything I feel it is body shape. It seems to me if you have 'fuller' figure using your elbow in the body is straight forward. If you're straight from Belson you end up forcing the stance which brings the shakes faster imo.

[@olivermakinson4800]

Great explanation!

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Glad it was helpful! Chillly

[@senojekim579]

Hi Gary, I have been target shooting and hunting with air rifles, center fire and rim fire for 65 years. I find that too higher power on the scope exaggerates movement of the cross hairs making the shooter hold for too long. I find also, that I'm a better shooter when holding both eyes open. I am enjoying your video's thanks.

[@petercurrie2406]

Thanks Gary great video. I love standing and LSR in particular. I use my HFT500 which in truth is a little heavy/long. I actually place my elbow on my waist/hip bone (Ilium is the correct name I think) which makes me even more 'bone locked'. Give it a try it might help.

[@jimmynich4791]

I've always shot like how you're teaching here, I did a lot of martial arts and boxing in my younger years, I wonder if that's why I have that posture naturally. I shoot with my left hand open, with the forestock resting on the length of my entire hand and my hand pointed straight out infront of me, I've just found that works for me, I'm nothing special though.

[@lindsayheyes925]

There might be another way to steady your aim if you're using the shotgun style featured in the video. I'll try to describe it😊: In a rough aim, grip the rifle with your elbows stuck out to the sides a little, then contrarotate them (right elbow clockwise, left elbow widdershins). It should feel like you're just dropping your elbows until they fall into a position of natural equilibrium. This trick puts opposing torques on the rifle, which "locks" it steady. It exploits the natural bracing of your wrists, the limited range of movement of the hinge-joints of your elbows, and the strength of the rotator-cuffs around the ball-and-socket joints. You have to practice getting into the aim quickly: Both eyes open Into the aim Check through the scope Repeat until it's muscle-memory. Practice dry. You get the feel of the movement after 10 or 20 iterations - then try it live: Stance Up Lock Look Adjust Fire. I'm not suggesting that you should be instinctive shooting, it's just another way of getting the rough aim quickly and stabilising it so you don't tire in the refinement. I've never tried it with an air rifle, so it might not actually work...

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Ill give it a try - Gary

[@drmichaelatkins]

Great review. Heavy unbalanced rifles are hard work!

[@HanoiHustler]

This is how I shot pool and for the same reason martial arts.👌

[@joncohen6548]

I’d be interested in your take on high and low targets.

[@garychillingworth]

We have a video planned for Elevated and declining targets.

[@markletts2584]

Thanks for the video Gary it’s been very helpful, how about a video that shows how you sort and prepare your pellets for competitions.

[@garychillingworth]

That's coming soon Mark.

[@markletts2584]

@@garychillingworth tried your advice today at Norfolk air rifle club HFT course and it works, thank you.

[@garychillingworth]

@@markletts2584 Brilliant news 😀

[@ravenshield7823]

Lol you'll watch your own video for sucess. Great info.

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Thanks for the view - Gary

[@michealisaac3245]

No mention of slowing heart rate, and stopping breathing to shoot between both?

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Because it's a fallacy, you can't shoot between heartbeats.

[@newtownnaughtyboy8742]

Can you do stripping an AA 500 to clean please.

[@garychillingworth]

I have a HFT 500, I'll check to see if it's the same action.

[@simonrodgers7165]

So if I have interpreted this correctly Gary, you do not hold your breath part way through an exhalation, and then take the shot; you prefer to squeeze the trigger during an exhalation, as the point of aim is passing downwards through the kill zone?

[@garychillingworth]

That's correct Simon. You can hold your breath and lock your diaphragm, but, that does not really help.

[@simonrodgers7165]

Thanks for the (speedy) reply Gary. Very interesting. As a "born again" fifty something airgunner, this is the first time I have heard that method, of not holding your breath for the shot. Is it commonly used in the HFT world (and broader airgun world for that matter)?

[@garychillingworth]

@@simonrodgers7165 You are correct that over the years alot of people have tried it and 10m shooters use it to great effect. The problem is, alot of hft shooters are not athletic and holding a heavy gun and holding a breath for 20 to 30 seconds is not easy. They way I describe is every bit as effective and has none of the draw backs. You will see the holding the breath technique in the supported shot video coming soon.

[@StuartA24]

Can I just add my thoughts, It's a pause in the breathing cycle not holding your breath for 20-30 secs as described. It forms a sequence of events from building up your position to target acquisition using natural alignment etc. At this stage you then control your breathing, the reasoning for firing on the out breath is its the place your body is the most still. Like I said it's a short pause of a few seconds after you have taken up the first pressure of the trigger. This ensures the crosshairs have the least amount of movement they can possibly have as you aren't firing as your lungs are moving. As a recap it's not holding your breath its introducing a short pause in the shot release breathing cycle. Hope that helps.

[@garychillingworth]

@@StuartA24 Superb explanation 👌 thank you.

[@aravec]

Good instructional video. Why the single glove please?

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Hi, the glove is there for stability and is only needed on the one hand, also, if I had one of the other it would affect the trigger finger. Gary

[@aravec]

@@ShootingCountryTV thank you for responding.

[@joncohen6548]

I like to rest the rifle on the palm of a flat open hand with my fingers facing forward.

[@glynnewton5293]

i believe it's called the artillery hold mate

[@joehenry447]

Hi , could you provide me with a link to buy the stock add on's on your break barrel springier air rifles in this video . Thank You

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Hi, are you talking about the Bear Tooth cheek riser cover? they are available through Amazon. Gary

[@joehenry447]

No the angled piece under the front of the stock .@@ShootingCountryTV

[@lizchatfield692]

I had a talk the range and they said they don't hate you its in your head .

[@phillipsharpe6459]

Fat chance of me doing that, im 67 years old with three compresst discs, couldn't hold it still if my life depended on it ,😂🤣👍

[@ShootingCountryTV]

Have you seen the video we just made on stick shooting? I feel your pain, i had a L5-S1 disectomy a few years back - Gary