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Prone Air Rifle

Precision shooting from the lying position

What is Prone Air Rifle?

Prone air rifle involves shooting from a lying position at targets 15-25 yards away. It’s one of the most stable and accurate shooting positions, making it ideal for beginners to develop fundamental marksmanship skills before progressing to more challenging standing positions.

Prone air rifle shooting position

How It Works

The Basics

  • Distance: Typically 15, 20, or 25 yards/metres
  • Position: Lying prone (on stomach), rifle supported by sling and body
  • Caliber: 4.5mm (.177) or .22 air rifle pellets
  • Sights: Aperture (diopter) sights or telescopic sights
  • Target: Paper targets with 10-ring scoring system
  • Support: Shooting sling and mat allowed

The Prone Position

The prone position is the most stable of all shooting positions. The shooter lies flat, supporting the rifle with both elbows on the ground, using a sling for additional stability. This creates a solid, repeatable platform for accurate shooting.

Competition Formats

Prone air rifle competitions vary in length:

  • Short course: 20 or 30 shots
  • Standard course: 40 or 60 shots
  • Postal leagues: Shoot at your home range, submit scores for ranking
  • Open competitions: Travel to other clubs for head-to-head matches

NSRA Discipline

Prone air rifle is a popular NSRA (National Small-bore Rifle Association) discipline. The NSRA runs national postal leagues, county competitions, and the British Championships which include prone air rifle events.

Why Start with Prone?

Most Stable Position

Prone provides maximum stability, making it easier to achieve accurate groups as a beginner.

Learn Fundamentals

Focus on sight alignment, breathing, and trigger control without fighting wobble.

Build Confidence

Achieve good scores quickly, building confidence before trying standing positions.

Low Recoil

Air rifles have virtually no recoil, letting you see where each shot hits.

Indoor Shooting

Practice year-round in comfortable indoor range conditions.

Pathway to .22LR

Skills transfer directly to prone .22LR rifle, the UK's most popular discipline.

Skills Developed

Core Techniques

  • Position Building: Creating a consistent, comfortable prone position
  • Sight Alignment: Perfect alignment of front and rear sights
  • Natural Point of Aim: Body positioning so rifle naturally points at target
  • Breath Control: Timing shots during respiratory pause
  • Trigger Control: Smooth release without disturbing aim
  • Follow-Through: Maintaining position after the shot

Mental Discipline

  • Concentration: Maintaining focus through long courses of fire
  • Consistency: Repeating identical process for each shot
  • Patience: Taking time to perfect each shot
  • Self-Analysis: Identifying and correcting errors
  • Competition Mindset: Performing under match pressure

Equipment Guide

For Beginners

When starting, clubs provide all necessary equipment. Focus on learning technique before purchasing your own gear.

Essential Equipment (when ready)

  • Air Rifle: Match-grade air rifle (£300-£1,500+)
  • Pellets: Match pellets .177 or .22 (£8-£15 per tin)
  • Shooting Mat: Comfortable mat for prone position (£30-£100)
  • Sling: Leather or fabric sling for rifle support (£20-£60)
  • Shooting Jacket: Canvas jacket for stability (£80-£250)
  • Shooting Glove: Protects hand, improves grip (£15-£40)
  • Spotting Scope: See shot holes at distance (£100-£500)

Aperture Sights vs Scopes

Prone air rifle can be shot with either aperture (diopter) sights or telescopic sights:

  • Aperture sights: Traditional iron sights with precise adjustments
  • Telescopic sights: Magnified scopes for clearer target view

Many beginners find aperture sights better for learning fundamentals, though scopes can be easier on the eyes for extended shooting.

No Licence Needed

Air rifles under 12 ft/lbs (England & Wales) or 6 ft/lbs (Scotland) do not require a firearms certificate. Match air rifles are well below these limits. Must be 18+ to purchase, under-18s can shoot under supervision.

UK Competition Pathway

Club Level

Start with club nights and internal competitions. Practice regularly to build consistent scores. Many clubs run winter leagues specifically for prone disciplines.

Postal Leagues

NSRA postal leagues let you compete from your home club. Shoot targets, mail them in (or submit scores online), and receive national rankings. Excellent for building experience.

County & Regional

County championships and inter-club matches. Join county teams for team competitions. Regional opens provide experience shooting at different ranges.

National Championships

NSRA British Championships at Bisley include prone air rifle. Compete against the best in the UK and earn national classifications.

Training Tips

Building Your Prone Position

  1. Body alignment: Lie at 15-30 degrees to target line, not straight on
  2. Elbow placement: Elbows positioned for comfort and bone support
  3. Sling tension: Sling tight enough for support, not too tight to cut circulation
  4. Cheek weld: Consistent cheek contact on stock for sight alignment
  5. Natural point of aim: Close eyes, relax, open eyes - sights should be on target
  6. Breathing rhythm: Breathe normally, pause at natural respiratory pause to shoot

Coaching Makes a Difference

Even one session with a qualified coach can dramatically improve your prone position. Small adjustments to position make big differences in scores. Most clubs have NSRA-qualified coaches available.

Prone Air Rifle at Pinhoe TSC

Pinhoe TSC has dedicated facilities for prone shooting with ranges at 20 and 25 yards. Prone air rifle is excellent preparation for our popular .22LR prone shooting.

Multiple Distances

Practice at various distances to build skill progression

Club Equipment

Air rifles and equipment available for beginners

Expert Coaching

NSRA-qualified coaches for position building and technique

Progression Path

Prone air rifle is an excellent stepping stone to other disciplines:

Progress to .22LR

Once comfortable with prone air rifle, many shooters progress to .22LR prone rifle. The position and techniques are identical - just different ammunition and firearms certificate required.

Learn about .22LR Prone →

Try Standing Positions

With solid fundamentals from prone, challenge yourself with 10m air rifle standing or three-position rifle combining prone, standing, and kneeling.

Learn about 10m Air Rifle →

Ready to Try Prone Air Rifle?

Start your target shooting journey with prone air rifle. Our Give it a Go programme includes prone shooting instruction, perfect for developing solid fundamentals.

Give it a Go

4 weeks for £50

  • Prone shooting instruction
  • All equipment provided
  • Learn proper position building
  • Safe, supervised environment

Book your session →

Related Disciplines

Explore other shooting styles

Start with Prone Air Rifle

Build solid fundamentals with prone air rifle shooting at Pinhoe TSC.

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