I first discovered the value of a hand stop at the Osage Beach Boot camp last October. As my M1A kicked me, my support hand would slide down the forend, turning my groups into a low string. The Guy made me a hand stop out of some shell casings and electrical tape and I've never looked back. I would suggest a good hand stop to anyone unless they have long enough arms or a short enough forend / handguard to index off the sling swivel.
Are any of you using a hand stop right now? Where did you get yours had how have you attached it to your rifle?
BD,
Handstops fairly common in 3 or 4 pos NRA, 50 ft. matches firing at the A17 or A36 target, typically with single-shot, bolt Anschutz (or thereabouts) rifles. Some time back, while coaching my HS Varsity team (disestablished by Bd of Ed in 2000) I worked up a 10-22 by adding a rail for a hand stop under the stock, an adjustable butthook, and Anschutz sights (cost more than the rifle...). The rails are about $18 from either Champions Choice or Creedmore Sports - CC also has an assortment of handstops...nice thing about them is that they typically allow you to quick-disconnect the sling from the rifle...if you REALLY want to show off, bend some aluminum stock into a tripod, punch a hole, then pick a suitable carriage bolt and grind down till it fits in rail in front of the hand stop - may drive the instructors crazy, but will keep your rifle off the deck... Took off the Anschutz sights and replaced them with a decent Weaver scope, and got the RM patch...hit the easy button...
Excelsior,
mad Mark
Lots of things you can do to tweak a rifle and make it EASIER to shoot well. Problem is that it becomes an equipment race real fast when you start doing that., you know the old issue rack grade rifle, milsurp ammo thing.
Try installing a front sling swivel where you want the hand stop to be, I do this on stocks that I cut down for small folks. Works real well without making it look like you are trying to turn tacticool.
"Try installing a front sling swivel where you want the hand stop to be, I do this on stocks that I cut down for small folks."
That little trick really helped my wife....O.L.