When I was on active duty in the Marine Corps, I was constantly told that "we didn't do it that way in 'The Old Corps'". Well, times change and so do shooting practices. When I went through recruit training, we were told to shoot prone with our legs in a "vee" position behind us with the heels of our boots flat on the ground. Later, when I was a team shooter, a different prone position was taught, with the left leg straight behind and in line with the body and the right leg flexed to the point that the right elbow could sometimes be braced against the right knee, a much more stable position.

What makes sense for the SMLE might not make sense for the Springfield or even the P14 Enfield, which my .505 was based on. The SMLE is cock on closing, and requires a certain amount of force to close the bolt, while the Springfield and my modified P14 are both cock on opening, so that virtually no effort is required to carry out the same action. What raw recruits are taught, soldiers who have only a minimum of training before going into combat, might make sense for them, but not for experienced shooters who put literally thousands of rounds down range per year.