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Griffin & Howe
Shooting Instruction
Part Three - Shooting Positions
Courtesy of Annabelle Amos, Director of Communications – Griffin & Howe
T
he 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
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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.
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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
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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.
Girls’ Guns & Rods® September - October 2015