Hey guys,
I´m using to zero my rifles with a bipod or rested on the ranch bag etc..
So that there is no doubt, that the point of aim is the hit point of my bullets.

But then, changing my shooting position to prone free handed, all my hits are low, in the lower half of the disc, under my aiming point.

What am I doing wrong?

Nobody, really?

if your rifle rest point of aim matches your point of impact; then you switch to unsupported firing at the same distance, and your point of impact is directly below your point of aim, my best guess would be that you are anticipating the shot and dropping the muzzle of your weapon. another possibility is that you are shooting at the wrong point in your breathing, and are possibly exhaling during your trigger break.

Hey lap dance,
I don´t breath when I´m pulling the trigger, so your first answer might have some truth in it I guess.

I´m more the experienced pistol shooter, so I have some trouble to "read" my shooting with rifles.
Well, the .223 is not a hard kicking round, compared to the .30-06 which I´m shooting to, but I will look forward for that issue.
Is "flinching" the right term?

Thank you anyway, good advice.

I agree.

With a pistol, if you are anticipating the shot or flinching, the shot will go low. For a right hand shooter, sometimes slightly to the left but mostly low.

With a rifle, and assuming the change from bench rest to freehand isn't changing your point of impact (I.e. The rifle has a stiff stock and/or barrel is free floated) then I think you are either flinching or not holding steady/ following through on the shot. Instead, you might be moving off the gun or dropping it to "see" where you hit the target.

@crazyquick:
Good points to regard also, I will examine my rifle shooting in this directions too.

Thanx!

If you suspect it might be flinch but don't know how to diagnose yourself for sure, get some realistic-style brass case snap caps off the internet and mix them with live ammo. Load your magazines by feel while reading something on your computer or doing something that has you focused somewhere without looking at the rounds or the magazine. Alternately, ask a friend to load your magazine totally randomly. Or, load it up and leave it for a week or until you're pretty sure you've forgotten the order you loaded them in.

Go to the range, slowly go through the magazine. If you've developed a flinch, it'll become glaringly obvious when the random snap caps come up and you find yourself flinching alongside the "click."

Is your barrel free floated?

Yessir.

Check your follow through. What you might be doing is relaxing after the trigger pull, but before the bullet leaves the gun. This is typically exaggerated in the standing.

Easy way to check is to constantly lock your body in the shooting position and hold until your sights come back on target. Do not shoot and drop the rifle.