Rifle Shooting Positions: The Squatting Position

In our previous post, we studied the sitting position. In this post, we will study a related position called the squatting position. This position is also referred to as the "rice paddy squat" or the "rice paddy prone" position, perhaps because it came in handy during the Vietnam war.

Click on image to enlarge. Image is in the public domain.

The shooter places both feet flat on the ground and is bent slightly foward, so as not to lose their balance. It is important to note that elbows should not meet with the knees here (because bone-to-bone contact makes the position unstable). Instead the knees should support the muscles of the upper forearms for a stabler position. This position is somewhat more stable than the standing position, but is not as stable as some of the other positions we've studied so far. This is because there are only two contact points with the ground (the two feet) and the knees support the upper arms.

This position is NOT part of the basic US Army marksmanship course, but is used by some soldiers all the same, as well as by hunters. The advantage is that this position can be very rapidly got into and out of, from a standing position and allows one to quickly duck behind bushes, shrubs etc. Therefore, it allows the person to quickly drop out of sight and not alert the target of his/her presence. It is also useful in places where it is not possible to assume a prone or a kneeling position easily, for instance in a rice paddy field or a swamp.

Rifle Shooting Positions: The Sitting Position

In our last post, we looked at the prone position. In this post, we will look at the sitting position.

Click on images to enlarge.

This position is a fairly stable one and has a couple of variants. As you may notice, in the first three images, the shooters are sitting with their legs open and in the third picture, the shooter has his legs crossed.

While this is not as stable as the prone position, this method has a couple of advantages over it. Unlike the prone position, this position is faster to get into from a walking position. It also has the advantage that it allows the user to see over low brush and tall grass, which is sometimes a problem from the prone position.

Rifle Shooting Positions: The Prone Position

In our last post in this series, we looked at the kneeling position. In this post, we will look at another commonly used position: the prone position.

Public domain images. Click on images to enlarge.

In the two pictures above, we see two men in different prone positions. In the first one, the man is positioned in line with the axis of his rifle barrel and in the other one, we see the man lying almost perpendicular to the line of his rifle barrel. The feet may also be placed close together or splayed apart.

Regardless of which position is used, this is the best position for maximum steadiness. However, if the person is walking with a rifle, then getting into this position takes longer than the standing position or kneeling position. It is one of the standard positions that is taught by all militaries of the world.

It is not advisable to use this position when handling a large-bore rifle, or one that has huge recoil, because the user risks snapping their collar-bone, due to the fact that the butt of the rifle sits higher on the shoulder than when in the standing or kneeling position. It is also not useful, if the ground in front of the shooter slopes steeply up or down, or if ground cover (bushes, shrubs, grass etc.) blocks the target. However, it is the best position for maximum accuracy and also allows the user to use any bit of available cover.

Rifle Shooting Positions: The Kneeling Stance

In our last post about shooting stances, we looked at the Offhand stance (a.k.a the standing position). In this post, we will look at another shooting stance, the kneeling position.

Image taken from W.W. Greener's The Gun and its Development, 1910. Image is now in public domain

Click on image to enlarge.

The kneeling position is a more stable stance than the standing position, and is used for target shooting as well as hunting and military purposes. It is the best position for firing heavier rifles, such as those intended for big game like elephants, rhinos, cape buffalo etc. It is also easy to use this position on any kind of terrain. This position also allows the rifleman to adjust his aim relatively easily, should the target move.

In this position, there are three points of contact with the ground: the left foot, the right knee and the right toes (Assuming a right-handed shooter, of course. For a left handed shooter, substitute "left" for "right" and vice versa). Note how the rifleman positions his left elbow-joint just ahead of his left knee, so that the muscle of the left upper arm is in contact with the knee. The left elbow joint should NOT rest on the left knee because the bone to bone contact causes more wobbles. The left forearm is held close to vertical. The right leg is placed at right angles to where the rifle is pointing. The rifle is held across the chest, which helps to steady it more.

It takes a little while to get used to shooting from this position. Beginning shooters might find this position somewhat more uncomfortable, particularly because of the way the right foot is folded. This position can be quickly got in and out of and it also allows the shooter to use concealment behind low walls, rocks etc.

Apologies for hiatus and tardy updates

Sorry about the hiatus and tardy updates folks. I spent most of August, September and October house hunting, talking to my realtor and loan agent, getting my paperwork done etc. and finally moved in November and spent most of that month packing, moving and then unpacking all my worldly possessions. After that, I fell very ill and was in the hospital under close observation for a few weeks. Will be more regular with my posts, I promise! Hope you guys had a great 2011 and here's looking forward to a great 2012. Thank you to all my readers, without whom, this blog would not exist.

Rifle Shooting Positions: The Offhand Stance

Well, it has been a while since the last post on this blog, so let's continue where we left off: shooting positions. In this post, we will look into various rifle shooting positions.

The most common shooting positions used in rifles are: off-hand, kneeling and prone position. The sitting position is used to a lesser degree and the back position is not used as much these days. We will discuss all of them in this and subsequent posts.

It must be noted in our discussions, that we take the perspective of a right-handed shooter. For left handers, one may substitute "left" for "right" and vice-versa.

The first position we will study is the off-hand position, otherwise known as the standing position:

Image taken from W.W. Greener's The Gun and its Development, 1910. Image is now in public domain. 

Click on image to enlarge

This is a commonly used position, often used for shorter ranges and in the field. It is also taught by the US military. Notice that the feet are positioned about a shoulder width apart. The left foot is forward and pointing roughly in the direction of the target and the right foot is placed back and is almost at a right angle to the target. The legs are positioned to give the shooter a firm stance. The rifle is positioned across the chest of the shooter and the left hand is located comfortably gripping the fore-grip. Notice that the left elbow is right below the rifle, not angled to one side.

It might be worthwhile to note that in the above image, we notice that the left arm is somewhat extended out. This is called the "arm-out" off-hand position and is more suitable for shooting at moving targets, because it allows the user to rotate the upper body easier to track a target.

For a more static target, some users prefer to position the left arm much closer to the body (i.e. the arm-back offhand stance)

Notice that in the above image, the left hand is positioned close to the rifle action and the left elbow is very close to the body. While the arm-back position allows for more steadiness, it doesn't allow the user to readjust as easily as the arm-out position, if the target moves. Hence, this stance is more commonly used against static targets.

In the next post, we will look at the kneeling position.

September 11th 2011 - Never Forget!

September 11th - Never Forget.