Does anyone use an elbow support at the bench?

Do you use an elbow rest?

Coming from a PB hunting background, I was taught (right handed) to keep my left elbow vertical, below the forestock and my right elbow horizontal to form a pad of muscle to place the butt against as a recoil absorber. Airguns have no applicable recoil but I still shoot like that.

Again, out of habit/training, I shoot the way I normally stand - straight - without leaning over the rifle or canting my head. (Yeah, my scopes are mounted further back than most people's).

Seems that a lot of people use a low shooting bench and sprawl over the bench, hugging the rifle. Can't see that as being comfortable or consistent. Hey, whatever works eh!

I've setup my shooting bench high enough that I can sit straight up with the rifle on the rests and use an elbow support. I find that sitting up straight reduces body contact with the rifle to shoulder, cheek, off hand and trigger and minimizes the affect of breathing and heart beat on the sight picture.

I find that sitting up straight with left elbow on the bench and right elbow braced horizontally (per my off hand style of shooting) elevated on my support (log) I'm very steady and my position is repeatable.

I bench shoot alone so I'm just curious what others do.

Cheers!

20250901_113443.jpg
 
Do you use an elbow rest?

Coming from a PB hunting background, I was taught (right handed) to keep my left elbow vertical, below the forestock and my right elbow horizontal to form a pad of muscle to place the butt against as a recoil absorber. Airguns have no applicable recoil but I still shoot like that.

Again, out of habit/training, I shoot the way I normally stand - straight - without leaning over the rifle or canting my head. (Yeah, my scopes are mounted further back than most people's).

Seems that a lot of people use a low shooting bench and sprawl over the bench, hugging the rifle. Can't see that as being comfortable or consistent. Hey, whatever works eh!

I've setup my shooting bench high enough that I can sit straight up with the rifle on the rests and use an elbow support. I find that sitting up straight reduces body contact with the rifle to shoulder, cheek, off hand and trigger and minimizes the affect of breathing and heart beat on the sight picture.

I find that sitting up straight with left elbow on the bench and right elbow braced horizontally (per my off hand style of shooting) elevated on my support (log) I'm very steady and my position is repeatable.

I bench shoot alone so I'm just curious what others do.

Cheers!

View attachment 590492
ok i will give it a try
 
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Do you use an elbow rest?

Coming from a PB hunting background, I was taught (right handed) to keep my left elbow vertical, below the forestock and my right elbow horizontal to form a pad of muscle to place the butt against as a recoil absorber. Airguns have no applicable recoil but I still shoot like that.

Again, out of habit/training, I shoot the way I normally stand - straight - without leaning over the rifle or canting my head. (Yeah, my scopes are mounted further back than most people's).

Seems that a lot of people use a low shooting bench and sprawl over the bench, hugging the rifle. Can't see that as being comfortable or consistent. Hey, whatever works eh!

I've setup my shooting bench high enough that I can sit straight up with the rifle on the rests and use an elbow support. I find that sitting up straight reduces body contact with the rifle to shoulder, cheek, off hand and trigger and minimizes the affect of breathing and heart beat on the sight picture.

I find that sitting up straight with left elbow on the bench and right elbow braced horizontally (per my off hand style of shooting) elevated on my support (log) I'm very steady and my position is repeatable.

I bench shoot alone so I'm just curious what others do.

Cheers!

View attachment 590492
I would find your BR technique very fatigue-inducing quickly, but, whatever works.... Position shooting involves a lot of anatomical considerations that aren't applicable at the bench. But to your question, yes, I find that some elbow padding is very comfortable.
 
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I have some shooting bags I made years ago out of old jeans and filtered play sand. I was shooting powder burners at that point including my 30-06. I put most of a bag of play sand through my wife's flour sifter to get out all the small particles. I had to buy my wife a new sifter. The bags work well. I use the smaller one to support the elbow of my trigger hand, in my case the left. I do not keep it horizontal or vertical, it is in a comfortable position but touches the shooting bench if I am not using the bag. The bag is both softer and higher so it's more comfortable to me to shoot with the bag.

I also agree about a relatively tall bench and not getting over the gun and putting weight on it. I could not shoot a pb with significant recoil the way I shoot my air rifles, I hardly touch them. I had the trigger too light once and the gun went off on it's own after I had positioned it but before I pulled the trigger. It went right in the center of the target. The trigger got more sear engagement but I think that is how we should set up for the shot when shooting from the bench. The gun should be supported by the rests. My right hand is not on the gun at all, it is on the windage or height adjustment of the front rest.
 
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