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FT RIFLE back HFT RIFLE front
Field Target shooting or as it is
more commonly known FT is the
oldest outdoor target shooting air
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Originating in the UK it has
evolved over thirty some years
from a sport which was very much
like today’s Hunter Field Target
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is the younger brother of FT and
FT rear bag support
is actually more aligned to how
FT started out. This began in the
1980’s with four power scopes
64 Target Shooter
Tim Finley
sitting position is always used on
all FT shots other than the forced
kneeling and standing shots. It
is a very stable and comfortable
shooting position which allows
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forward knee while the shooter
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scope
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and even open sights, now 64*)!374(!')$%7'+#$('$ 4)*#3)5$
HFT has shooters using smaller the distance to the target. The
64*)!374(!')$ %7'+#%$ '8$ (#)$ basic position is the same for
times power or less. Nowadays most shooters, the forward hand
9:$ (!6#%$ 64*)!374(!')$ %7'+#%$ cups the forward knee, with the
are what are needed in FT to be !"#$ #%(!)*$ ')$ (&#$ 3 %($ 3)*# $ '8$
4;<#$ ('$ 4)*#3)5$ (&#$ 5!%(4)7#$ the forward hand as well as the
to the targets. FT began with
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which moved out to 55 yards
with the event of precharged
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scopes. HFT has a maximum
target range of 45 yards which
also mirrors the longest range
at quarry should be shot with a
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differences too, FT allows
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waterproof seat to sit upon and to
place under the back foot when Classic FT sitting position
taking the forced positional
in SFT
kneeling shots found in FT
courses. The now classic FT
top of the knee, this takes all
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peculiarities needed with
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shooters use a target glove on
their forward hand. The rear or
trigger arm then rests on the thigh
of the rear leg, I say rear leg as
the trunk of the shooter is not at
90 degrees to the target, but at 45
degrees. With the rear shoulder in
line with the forward knee, in a line
pointing directly at the
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shooters exclusively use the
more normal “on the knee”
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5!88# #)7#$ (&4($ (&#$ %+ !)*$ !"#%$ FT kneeling shot
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rested directly on the knee, but is
cradled be the forward hand,
this hand is normally equipped
with a padded target glove. FT
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;>(($ &''H$ +'%!(!')$ ('$ (4H#$ >+@&!<<$
' $ 5'2)@&!<<$ (4 *#(%,$ J#$ !($ 8 '6$
the sitting standing or kneeling
positions. A simple rule to
govern which way you move the
butt hook is, if the target is higher
than horizontal then lift the
relative position of the hook on
the butt. If the target is lower, then
drop the butt hook. The greater
the angle up or down to the
target the more you need to a
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Anschutz type multi positional
buttpads/hooks are extremely
Free standing elbow on
hip
FT sitting shot NOTE the bean bag
sitting and kneeling. My Steyr
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biased slightly towards
standing, but is still usable for
sitting and kneeling, although
not perfect. FT kneeling can be
as stable as the sitting position if
you take the time to master it. The
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be clear knee, the rule being if
you can drop your hand down
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based upon indoor target guns
have the ability to alter the butt
position. There are no real tricks
to FT shooting positions other
than being able to alter the butt
hook, although it surprises me
greatly that not all FT shooters
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Normal HFT prone peg shot
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suit the three shooting stances,
sitting, kneeling and standing. and it touches the knee, then
Pull length of stock (butt to the hand is not forward enough.
trigger), forend stock depth and The deep FT stock must not be
cheek piece height should all
be different for each shooting
position. However, wooden
stocks cannot be altered and to
move the forend and pull length
for each target even with a
modern 10m style aluminium
modular stock can take some
time. The only practical option
Foot on the peg prone
is to move the butt hook/pad
position up and down, it does
help to stabilise the shooting resting upon the forearm either.
position. The FT stock The back foot must be vertical
dimensions are then a and the bean bag can be placed
compromise between standing,
Target Shooter 65
under the shin/ankle of the rear
foot to transfer the weight of the
shooter to the ground. I also
alter the position of the butt hook
for kneeling, again moving it
even more if the targets are not
horizontal to the ground at the
lane marker. The most stable
standing position is to have the
front elbow resting upon the front
hip and the front hand drawn
HFT supported standing
shot
back to right in front of the trigger
guard. FT shooters do not use the
shotgun type lock arm stance for
standing shots, unless forced to
by extreme angled shots high in
trees.
With HFT there are two main s
HFT supported stander
66 Target Shooter
shooting techniques used in FT
that are completely banned. One
is the classic FT sitting position
either on the ground, on a bean
bag or on a turned foot when
kneeling and other is the use of
a supporting bean bag under the
rear foot/ankle when kneeling.
Allowed in HFT
Also you are not allowed to alter
any settings/positions of
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scope once you start shooting.
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using the parallax, no
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elevation changes, no eye bell
changes on the scope and
no butt pad or stock depths & !"6-7",0-,"8997":.00;3./
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the sitting shooting position the
prone shot is the norm in HFT Sat on turned foot
with some lanes having posts or not allowed in FT or
pegs driven into the ground to act
HFT
as both lane markers which must
be touched by the shooter or
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marker instead of a peg/post. This 2004. Pegs soon took over on
every lane, but in the 2008
must be touched but provides no
support to the shot. An season up to 5 “non peg” shots
important rule in HFT is that the are on each 30 shot course.
trigger must not be forward of or This type of shot relies upon the
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To start with the peg shot, a lot rather than hanging on to a solid
of shooters use a target shooting peg. Its this shooting position which
glove on their supporting hand, I feel the use of a target glove is
as is done in FT. If the peg is essential, as is good trigger
%&' ($#)'>*&$(&#$!)5#=$3)*# $74)$ control and breathing technique.
be placed on top of the peg and Now for a good prone position
the thumb held upright to form trick, some course designers
4$7&4))#<$('$ #%($(&#$ !"#$8' #)5$ place pegs that do not have a
!),$ 0&#$ '(&# $ (& ##$ 3)*# %$ 2 4+$ clear sight on the target. These
around gripping the peg. The force the clever shooter to move
!"#$ 8' $ 4$ !*&($ &4)5#5$ %&''(# $ off the peg to clear obstructions
is down the left hand side of the >+$' $5'2)$(&#$3 !)*$<!)#,$0&#%#$
peg. The variations on this are “off the peg” shots have the
down to the length of the peg, its HFT shooter adopting a unique
diameter and if you need to shoot shooting position where the foot
down one side or the other of the or knee touches the lane marker
peg to get a clear shot moving to 4)5$ (&#$ !"#$ !8$ %>++' (#5$ ;A$ (&#$
the other side of the peg means gloved hand on the ground. Look
you have to grip the peg with the for other competitors using this
(&>6;$ 4)5$ #%($ (&#$ !"#$ ')$ (&#$ position as a clue as to the
!)5#=$3)*# ,$0&#$)#2<A$!)( '5>7#5$ best way of taking on a target. I
"4($ <4)#$ 64 H# $ !%$ %'6#(&!)*$ P$ have even used this position left
liked about HFT when I shot it in handed (I am normally right
handed) the ambidextrous stock

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keeps you dry and mud free
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allows me to do this. Practice
these odd stances before you
get to a national UKAHFT shoot.
There are two supported and one
unsupported standing/kneeling
shots on a 30 shot course. These
supported shots have a tree or
a post as the means of support.
The key to using a support is if
the target placement and lane
marker allows the shooter to get
into a tripod stance. Both feet
should be spread apart
parallel to the targets faceplate
with the third leg of the tripod
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target glove on the tree/post.
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target glove is essential,
making for a good hold as well as
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bit. If you stand in the normal
unsupported standing position
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of the pellet the lighthouse
Supporting hand in FT and HFT
effect happens. That is where the
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right, across the target, making
an aimed shot almost
impossible. Kneeling in HFT does
not allow any form of
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foot/ankle. The rear foot
cannot be turned and sat upon,
but some shooters can place the
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without turning the foot, which is
allowed in the rules. For those
not supple enough to do this the
bean bag can only be used
under the knee to keep it clean or
protected from stones/tree roots.
Again the supporting hand must
be clear of the knee as in FT, in
the UKAHFT shoot rules it goes
to describe that if the forward
HFT disc shot
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and it touches the knee then
the hand is not forward enough,
targets will be marked as misses
and you could be thrown off a
course for repeatedly breaking
this rule. Often trees are placed
near on are the lane markers for
kneeling shots and it is good to
take advantage of these stable
platforms as long as it does not
comprise your shooting position
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of using or indeed not using any
support. Often a clearer
unrestricted view of the target
can be taken off the tempting
support, the use of such
supports often induces sideways
movement into the aim, and the
lighthouse effect can happen
in kneeling shots too if you are
not careful. Angled shots high in
trees in HFT happen in all three
shooting positions. With prone
you need to move as far up the
peg as you can, if there is a peg.
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')$(&#$3)*# (!+%$' $#I#)$45'+($4$
shotgun style lock are position,
where the lead arms elbow is
not touching the body as normal.
Kneeling has the forward hand
moving back towards the trigger
making it a very lighthouse shot,
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6>7&E$D>%($(!6#$(&#$( !**# $<#($'88$
with the crosshairs of the reticle
passing the point you want to aim
4(,$ 0&#%#$ 4 #$ D>%($ 4$ 8#2$ '8$ (&#$
64D' $ ( !7H%$ '8$ (&#$ ( 45#$ 2&#)$ !($
comes to HFT, the shooter needs
much more of a technical thought
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shooting position than in FT. The
body too needs to be more supple
for some of the contorted shooting
positions HFT competitors get
into. I shoot both disciplines
4)5$ #)D'A$ ;'(&$ !66#)%#<AE$ /0$
has helped my HFT shooting
of that there is no doubt. The
unsupported standing and
kneeling position in FT is a bread
and butter shot, however for
many HFT shooters they strike
fear into their hearts even before
they get to the lane. My advice is
to practice the shots you fear and
the fear will disappear, or do as I
do and shoot both sports!
Target Shooter 67