This Is My Rifle...

By Jamie Innes
March 10th, 2006

"...There are many like it, but this one is mine. My rifle is my best friend, it is my life. I must master it, as I must master my life. Without me, my rifle is useless. Without my rifle I am useless... [MORE]"

As I clean my paintball guns, paint them, apply camo tape, modify them, replace parts... in fact, as I handle them on the field and shoot at my opponents with it, I occasionally find myself remembering passages from the Marine rifle creed. Marines learn this, because unlike some other military, EVERY Marine... is a rifleman. The purpose is for each marine to form on bond with thier rifle, in the same way you would with a loved one, or loved piece of equipment. Whether you realise it or not, the same paralell exists between you and your paintball gun.

This article contains hints and tips on shooting. UnlIke the typical blog which addresses 'the standard way' to shoot your gun, this article gives you a few examples of ways to carry, sling, and shoot your gun... based on the type of situation you are in. Bushball... scenarios... are realms bigger than standard rec games, or short speedball games. So becoming more intimately aquianted with your gun is a good thing. You're playing soldier, so you might aswell hold you gun like one too.

PAINTBALL SHOOTING FUNDAMENTALS

You should all, already be familiar with the basics of how to shoot your gun. Paintballs are not bullets, they go where they want to go, in fact, musket guns by comparison are more accurate. Shooting your gun involves utilising the iron sights, looking down your barrel, or using a sight such as a red dot. Remember too that with most guns, you can aim down the inside AND outside of the barrel... this is partially influenced by which gun you shoot, and what type of feedneck/feed system your gun uses.

TANK VS STOCK

Shooting a tank-on-gun setup is different from shooting a gun with a stock. The difference is kind've similar to the way people gripe about the difference between a bottomline and a drop forward. Shooting with a stock means...

You crane your neck down slightly (uncomfortable to many people) to aim down the barrel
You need a stock with mask clearance, and/or a mask with a soft chin
You may need to use a raised sight rail with red dot
Your hopper doesn't stick up as high (see below)

Remember too, when shooting with a stock, keep your elbow tucked in. Paintball guns have almost no recoil, so you do not need the stability of shot that's needed when shooting a real rifle. On the other hand, shooting with a tank-on-gun means...

Your hopper sits slightly higher, since generally speaking, the barrel and body of the gun is us very high, right in front of the eyes
No soft chin mask needed
Easier to aim, no craning your neck
Gun is heavier (Tanks are heavier than stocks)
Not as comfortable as a stock (Based on personal preference. IMHO stocks are more comfy)

LOW READY POSITION

High Ready

In the low ready position, your stock is tucked into your right shoulder (or sits very close to it, against your chest). Both hands are on thier respected grips, and the muzzle is pointed towards the ground and slightly to the left. This is an ideal method of carry for most patrolling, since you are not expending anaerobic energy to hold the gun up;- ready to shoot, however it only takes a second to raise the gun to that position.

HIGH READY POSITION

The high ready position is the same as the standard shooting position. Both hands are on thier grips, the gun is raised up in front of the eyes, stock stucked into the shoulder. You utilise this position when you're firing, about to fire, or are moving from point A to point B and are EXPECTING TO SHOOT. This usually means you're advancing on somebody you're about to shoot at, or are moving into a potentially occupied area where a waiting opponent could be.

1 HANDED UNDERARM POSITION

The underarm position is where you hold your gun horizontally with only your right hand. Your right hand is either taking the entire weight of the gun, OR your gun is being braced by tucking the stock underneath your arm, inside your armpit. The muzzle is pointed in either the direction you are moving, or the direction you expect enemy contact to come from. This position weilds virtually no accuracy, and should be used very sparingly, in situations where you are passing through dense bush and NEED a free hand to clear away branches, bush etc. Should you become fired upon while holding your gun in this position, your intention should be to let off a few rounds in the direction of the contact (suppressing fire), giving yourself a few seconds to get behind cover.

HIP POSITION

In the hip position, both hands are on the grips, the gun is horizontal, and heightwise is at hip level or lower. Sometimes due to the height of the gun, it is comfortable for the front hand to hold the gun horzontally (Most paintball guns have a vertical foregrip). The muzzle is pointed in the direction you are moving, or the direction you expect enemy contact to come from. Like the underarm position, there is almost no accuracy, so it should be used sparingly. The idea behind the hip position, is to keep your gun operational while you are ducking underneath somthing, such as a low branch.... or otherwise are being forced to walk 'low' If you become fired upon, let off a few rounds in the direction of the contact (suppressing fire), giving yourself a few seconds to get behind cover.

CARRYING WITH ONE HAND

Once in a blue moon, you will be in a situation where you need to get from A-B quickly, but at the same time will not need to shoot. This could be because friendlies are giving you supressing fire, or you are performing a running flanking manouver, or are simply getting off/on the field after being hit... and getting back into the game as soon as possible. Whichever the case may be, find out where the center of gravity is on your gun. Chances are it is half way between the front and rear grips. However sometimes... with a tank-on-gun marker, the trigger grip IS the center of gravity. This actually makes the gun wildly out of balance, but people setup thier guns like this nevertheless.

When running whilst carrying your gun, always remember that it's an extention of your body, try not to bang it into things... and remember that as you run, having a weight in one hand affects your balance.

SLING TECHNIQUES

Over the neck. This is ideal for combination with most shooting positions. The idea is to have your sling around your neck, which allows you to take weight off and go 'hands free'... putting the eight around your neck. It also easily allows you to switch hands, and shoot lefty.
Over the neck and under 1 arm. Similar to over the neck, this allows you to go hands-free in a more comfortable manner (weight of gun is not totally on the neck), however it's basically impossible to switch hands when your sling is like this. HINT: Make sure your sling is loose enough to not interfere with your shooting.
No sling. Remove the sling from your body and wrap it around the gun, or let it dangle loose.
Integrated. Affix your integrated sling to your marker, 1 or 2 point style. See the Slings article for more info.

GENERAL WRAP UP

Practice off handed shooting. Most people will never be as accurate with both hands, but if you at least become adept... then by shooting lefty, you're not unnecessarily exposing a large portion of your body.
Your gun is your tool, and your sling is your tool's best friend. The two go together like peas and carrots. Get a sling, and get to know it, how it is adjusted, and how it feels. Then develop regular usage.
Your gun is your rifle, it is your life. You must master it, as you must master your life. Without you, your rifle is useless. Without your rifle, you are useless....

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