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Griffin & Howe Shooting Instruction Part Three - Shooting Positions Courtesy of Annabelle Amos, Director of Communications Griffin & Howe The Griffin & Howe Rifle Marksmanship School set out to educate and improve the basic target shooting and real world hunting skills for men, women and youth, augmenting the existing Griffin & Howe Shotgun Shooting School, that has been teaching and honing shot gunning skills since 1935. The school is currently staffed by Head Instructor Eli Stuhlmacher, who was former Lead Instructor of the US Navy SEAL Sniper School, and who is well-versed in multiple types of pistol and rifle disciplines, combat, match, muzzle-loader, double-rifle and various hunting styles. The Rifle Marksmanship School operates on a scenic 500-yard range and includes Oakwood Control electronic targets for sighting in, realistic animal size targets, both African and North American driven game simulation, in addition to metal reactive targets. Realistic animal size gives realistic perspective of the animal and position of vitals to achieve accurate clean shot in the field. African & North American driven game simulation allows for practicing prior to a Spanish Monteria, European Wild Boar drive, charging Cape Buffalo or Elephant. Metal reactive targets are excellent for practicing rapid fire and follow-up shots obviating the need for paper changes as a target hit may be heard and seen. In last issue, we discussed mounting your scope and sighting in. This issue we will focus on the various shooting positions. Shooting Positions Shooting positions in order of being the most accurate are: #1 PRONE. #2 SITTING. #3 KNEELING. #4 STANDING. Shooting positions in order of being the easiest to assume are: #1 STANDING. #2 KNEELING. #3 SITTING. #4 PRONE. Most shooters do the vast majority of their shooting from a bench rest, which is not the best practice for taking shots under typical hunting conditions. No one has ever taken a shot at a deer, or any other big game species for that matter, from a bench rest. For this reason, it is important that shooters learn to shoot from positions they are more likely to use when hunting. All of the positions may be used both with and without additional external support, such as shooting sticks or a sling. There are several variations of each position that you may use in www.girlsgunsandrods.com 45
accordance with your equipment, flexibility, and the exact situation that you may find yourself in. Standing Position which can come from a variety of sources as in shooting sticks, a tree, and so on. Of these, a tree is a favorite choice because you do not have to carry it with you and there is almost always one within easy reach when walking through the woods. When using a tree, or similar object, for support, simply take your nondominant hand and form a V with your thumb and index finger. Cradle the stock of your rifle in the V and use your thumb to grip the tree and your fingers to grip the side of stock, pulling the rifle snugly against the tree. Depending on the side of the tree you are shooting from, you may reverse this configuration and use your fingers to grip the tree and your thumb to grip the stock. Either will work, all depending on the situation and what works best for you. In any case, make sure that nothing touches the barrel of the rifle, as this will negatively affect your accuracy. Kneeling Position The standing shooting position is the fastest shooting position to assume, which typically gives the shooter the best field of view, allowing him or her to see over all but the tallest grass and brush. Unfortunately, the standing position is also the least stable shooting position. However, this is not really a problem when shooting at very close range (50 yards). The standing position is most commonly used by hunters in thick woods, who need to make a rapid shot (or follow up shot), at relatively close range. While the maximum range a hunter should shoot at using this position varies, do not to take a shot past 50-100 yards using an unsupported standing position. You will only need take a handful of completely unsupported standing shots while hunting. However, every single one of them should be at an animal that is encountered at very close range (25-50 yards) in very thick cover. In these situations, your ability to take a rapid shot will be more important than assuming a more stable shooting position. When possible, use a supported shooting position, The kneeling shooting position is the second fastest shooting position to assume, and when done correctly, provides a fairly stable shooting position. Only one elbow is supported when using the kneeling position, which is not ideal. The kneeling position also gives the shooter the ability to see over brush, grass, and other things obscuring the target, though not as much as when standing. At the same time, the kneeling position also presents a smaller, more difficult to spot profile. The kneeling position is a very good position to use when the hunter does not have much time to take a shot, or needs to shoot over brush or grass obscuring the target, thus making the prone or sitting positions
unsuitable, but the target is too far away to take an ethical shot while standing. To assume a kneeling position, place your dominant side knee on the ground at an approximately 90 degree angle from your non-dominant knee. If possible, turn your dominant side foot so that as much of it as possible contacts the ground, then sit on your foot. This will provide a more stable position than sitting on your heel. However, not everyone is flexible enough to do this, in which case, do what works best for you. Rest your support side arm on the front of your nondominant knee using the flat, meaty part of your arm just above your elbow. Do not rest the point of your elbow on your kneecap, as this will provide a very unstable platform. The kneeling shooting position may also be used in conjunction with other forms of support such as shooting sticks or a sling to make it more stable. When ample time and resources are available, it is always a good idea to use additional measures to assist you in making your position more stable. Sitting Position There are several variants of the sitting position, but probably the most common is cross-legged. The shooter is sitting up high enough to see over the grass to his target, his elbows are properly braced against his legs, and his stock is tucked tightly into his shoulder. To assume a sitting shooting position, sit down cross legged and pull both legs as close to the body as you can. The idea is to get as close to the ground as possible. Push your knees down as far as you can, lean forward, and rest the flat, meaty portion of both of your arms just above your elbows in front of your knees. Just like when shooting from the kneeling position, do not rest the point of your elbow on top of your knee. The more you practice this position, the more comfortable it will become. When used properly, the sitting position can be nearly as stable as the prone position and experienced shooters can shoot accurately at long range using this position. Additionally, like the kneeling position, the sitting shooting position may also be used in conjunction with a sling, shooting sticks, a bi-pod, or some other form of support to make it even more stable. The sitting position takes a little more time to achieve than the kneeling position, but is very stable. Though the hunter s line of sight is usually slightly lower when compared to the kneeling position, it is still typically high enough to see over most objects obscuring the target. This is usually the best shooting position to assume when the shooter has ample time to prepare for the shot, but the circumstances are not suitable for using the prone shooting position. The big advantage that sitting has over kneeling is that both elbows are supported instead of just one when kneeling. www.girlsgunsandrods.com 47
Prone Position The prone position is the slowest position to achieve, but it is the most stable. Since the shooter is so close to the ground when prone, this makes it easier to hide from game without being spotted. However, this also makes it difficult for the hunter to see the target if there is any grass or brush in the way. Because of these disadvantages, the prone position is only the best choice when there is plenty of time to prepare for the shot and when there are no objects in the way to obscure the target. To get into the prone shooting position, assume the push-up position behind your rifle. Then, lower your body to the ground straight behind your rifle with your non-dominant hand supporting the forend of the rifle, as close as possible to being directly below it. Next, spread your legs and point your toes outward with your ankles flat on the ground. Try to get as much of your body as possible in contact with the ground and then pull the butt of the rifle firmly into the pocket of your shoulder with your dominant hand. Though it is possible to shoot from the prone position in both a supported and unsupported manner, if you have enough time to get into a good prone shooting position, then you likely have enough time to use some form of support. Doing so will dramatically increase your stability and make shooting at long distance much easier. Support can encompass a wide range of objects such as a backpack, a log, or a bi-pod. When using a soft form of support, such as a backpack, place the forend of the rifle directly on it. When shooting across something harder, like a log or a rock, it may help to place some form of padding between the rifle and the object, such as a rolled up jacket. Do not allow for anything to directly touch the barrel, as this will adversely affect your accuracy. Additionally, it is always a good idea to use some form of support beneath the rear of the rifle s stock if possible. You can purchase a purpose built mono-pod or shooting bag for this purpose, or you can just use an old sock filled with sand or beads. Using your support hand, place the bag beneath the rear sling swivel and increase or decrease pressure on it to depress or elevate your muzzle. Using a rear bag makes the prone shooting position even more stable and a good shooter is capable of excellent accuracy when using one. Keep in mind that there is no best hunting/ shooting position for all situations. Each position has strengths and weaknesses and it is up to the hunter to choose the position that allows him or her to take the most accurate and ethical shot. For this reason, it is important that you are familiar with several different positions and have practiced them during the offseason. This will enable you to determine exactly which positions work best for you so you can assume the most appropriate shooting position quickly and make a good shot when it counts. It happens to every shooter, whether competitive, tactical or hunter. You hit a slump and start missing targets you know you should have hit. Perhaps you are relatively new to shooting and are still developing your skills but have hit a plateau. Or maybe you are attempting to broaden your skill base with ambitions of being the next competition winner. The good news is that there is always hope for improvement. The bad news is that there really aren't any shortcuts. It takes ammo-lots of ammo-sent downrange, under discipline, to make a superior marksman. 48 Girls Guns & Rods September - October 2015