An ex-marine in a gunstore yesterday corrected me then gave me some pointers on how to hold the rifle I was checking out (elbows in, fore end grip relaxed and close-in, only bottom corner of buttstock where your shoulder meets your peck, correct stock well, etc.).

Is there some kind of chart or schematic floating around the web that shows/explains proper holds and stances?  I want to break any bad habits and forge better ones.

Go to a serious hipower match.  (Go to Perry if you possibly can.) Identify the shooters ranked MA and HM.  Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open...watch them as closely as you'd watch your neighbor's wife undress.

If anyone gives you free advice, nod, smile and look at their scores.  Then decide whether to take it.

Thought about it a bit and should add:

If there ARE no shooters ranked MA or HM, it's not a serious match.

Now, before I get flamed out of the forum by people squawking "OH?  If you're not MA or HM he can't learn anything from you?"  Here's the logic:

It's possible to make it to SS and even EX and still be doing stuff wrong...but not if you hold MA or HM.  The SS may or may not be telling you the right thing, but how's a newbie going to know which is which?  If it's a MA shooter talking, you can be reasonably sure it's good advice.

If you can't get to a match, buy David Tubb's book, read the section on position.  Then read it again.

Oh, and to the guy who's going to say, "So if I don't shoot shoulder to shoulder competition, I shouldn't talk?"  Well, you probably shouldn't.
If you think you're that good, show up and prove it.  Every match it seems there are a few like that.  My wife beats them severely and they never come back.

Also try this site:

www.jarheadtop.com

Jim Owens is a retired Marine who used to coach the Marine team.  He offers courses on a wide range of match related shooting topics (coaching, reading the wind, sling and shooting positions).  Also available from his site are books covering those topics.  While these books may seem match specific, there's still a wealth of material that will improve shooting in general.

If all you want to do is shoot balloons, it doesn't really matter how you hold the rifle, does it?  [:D]