Getting into a good firing position
There are plenty of times that I have wondered why certain people even bothered to spend so much money on firearms when they were afraid to get them dirty or wet. There is nothing wrong with being a bench rest shooter because that in itself is a skill of it’s own. Some people don’t realize how much talent it takes to make a bullet, and the hard thing to do is make multiple bullets hit the same impact point. I have moved away from bench rest shooting because I’ve found my accurate loads for most of the 45acp, .308, .303 and 30/06 loads I shoot. If you really want to become proficient, you really have think about getting off the bench. Using a rifle sling is important, but it’s not the only option.
Serious tactical shooting skills will require you to get off a bench rest, but learn how to make your own in the field. I have a few good shooting mats that work as rifle cases and they can unzip and fold out to be shooting mats. I suggest getting a good backpack that can act as a shooting rest and if you learn to get yourself into good physical condition and be able to move your body, you should be able to stay in the position and shoot accurately. The US Peace keeper shooting mat is 72″ long and 36″ wide and will give you something to lay on other than mud and dirt.
Not everyone needs to think about long deployments in Afghanistan when getting their shooting gear together, but knowing where your guns and gear are can prevent you from making silly mistakes. I’ve heard plenty of stories that sound funny at first, but I know it wasn’t funny when it occurred. The stories are about people getting a day off from the family and driving an hour or more to a gun range and finding out they didn’t pack any rifle magazines, forgot the ammo, forgot to put a gun in a bag ect.