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Forced Kneeling

Kneeling as defined by AAFTA rules seems to me a very un-natural shooting position.
Thus the Challenge !!!
The Forced Lanes are there for a reason .. that being to separate who truly has the full skill set from those that don't :rolleyes:
Go to most GP or State matches there will be some who CLEAN their sitting shots leaving only the forced shots to decide who's the more skilled.
 
You might increase the challenge by requiring the shooter to stand on one leg, too? That would really separate those with acrobatic ability from the pedestrians. I agree, match winners are often the ones who get the best standing and kneeling scores. I'm pretty bad at both positions, but standing requires no contortion.
 
Lots of complainers about kneelers and offhand in field target but it's not unrealistic to need to take shots from those positions when hunting.

In both of the prairie dog sessions with friends in the past few weeks, we've needed to take standing and kneeling shots.

I personally like that a non-standard shooting position is used at high level ft matches. It requires the winner to be a more well-rounded shooter.
 
Every person is a little different when it comes to shooting sports.
I used to work with 4-H kids and getting a 5-year-old to get into an NRA approved position just isn't going to happen.
On the other end of the age spectrum, older bodies don't fold as well into certain shapes. I do think, barring a physical injury, most shooters can learn to adapt to a form of kneeling, and a steady-ish offhand position.

In most field target bucket and sticks lanes, shooters are sure to set up with their natural point of aim.
This goes double when only using your anatomy to support the rifle. Focusing on taking little steps at a time towards position shooting and ensuring all other marksmanship guidelines are checked, my thoughts and personal experience is that the forced position lane can improve ones overall ability. Flexibility can be improved.
It also shows that field target is a great hunting simulation.
I shoot field target because I hunt- the two events complement each other, helps me to improve.
 
I'm getting too old for that kneeling torture , and I have the tremors so offhand no good either .Guess it's time to let all this young blood coming up to have at it ?
edit : If there was a shooting out your truck door position that would be more in line with my style hunting these days .
 
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I like the kneeling position. It's more stable for me than the standing as there's more points of contact with the ground. I practice kneeling and offhand in my basement all winter (live in MA).

I'm not saying this in any mean way, just matter of fact: Kneeling and Standing are part of FT. If one can't do them due to declining or limited ability, then one needs to skip those lanes and take a zero, or find a different shooting discipline. Other sports don't change because people grow out of them. Can you imagine baseball with others running the bases because the person at bat can't run?

Chas
 
I'm one of those people with a body that doesn't kneel well, even when I was young it was this way. That means I have to shoot the kneeling lanes in the offhand or I'm going to zero the lane unless I get lucky. The thing that bothers me most is the MD's make the kneeling lane KZ's more difficult for those that are steadier in kneeling position but then connecting on those targets becomes twice as difficult for me than the offhand lanes which usually have larger KZ's.

But hey I could go on and on about things I see in FT I don't like or agree with..... Such is life.