With a antelope hunt coming up in my near future, I’ve been scouring the internet in search of some information on how to improve my shooting positions. The tall grass of the plains can leave us in some awkward positions, somewhere between kneeling and standing. I blew more shots than I care to admit last year and I made a promise to myself and my ego to remedy that this upcoming season. I found a terrific article on http://thebiggamehuntingblog.com that quickly summed up what I needed to know. I contacted the author, John McAdams, and he was more than gracious to share his article with us. John has some solid information that we could all learn from so feel free to jump over to his site at http://thebiggamehuntingblog.com and give it a peruse.

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Unfortunately, many hunters do the vast majority of their shooting from a bench rest, which is not the best practice for taking shots under typical hunting conditions. Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve never 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 hunters learn to shoot from positions they are more likely to use when hunting. This article describes my choices for the best hunting shooting positions and the advantages and disadvantages for each one.

There are four primary positions that most hunters and shooters use that I’ll discuss in this article. From least stable to most stable these positions are: standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone. All of these positions may be used both with and without additional external support, such as shooting sticks or a sling.

The descriptions of each position in this article are those that I’ve found are best suited for hunting and will not necessarily be the best choices for shooting in a competition. Additionally, the exact details of each position listed here are the ones that work best for me, which may not be the best for you. Luckily, there are several variations of each position that you may use in accordance with your equipment, flexibility, and the exact situation that you may find yourself in. Finally, keep in mind that I am left handed, so all of the photographs of me demonstrating these positions will need to be reversed for a right handed shooter.

STANDING SHOOTING POSITION

The standing shooting position is the fastest shooting position to assume. The standing position also typically gives the hunter 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 ( During all of my years of hunting, I’ve only taken a handful of completely unsupported standing shots while hunting. However, every single one of them was at an animal that I encountered at very close range (5-20 yards) in very thick cover. In these situations, my ability to take a rapid shot was more important than assuming a more stable shooting position.

When possible, I use a supported shooting position. Support can come from a variety of sources: shooting sticks (which make great gifts for hunters by the way), a tree, etc. Of these, a tree is my favorite choice because I don’t have to carry it with me and there is almost always one within easy reach when walking through the woods.

Support can encompass a wide range of objects such as a backpack, a log, or a bi-pod. Of these, your backpack is an especially good choice. Think about it: you’re probably carrying some sort of pack with you on most hunts that contains stuff like some food, water, extra ammo, some basic gun cleaning supplies, a jacket, etc. Just slip if off your back and use it as a rest for your rifle. Depending on how tall the backpack is, you could potentially use it as a rest in the prone as well as the sitting and kneeling positions.

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 or even something like your gun cleaning mat. Do not let anything directly touch the barrel, as this will adversely affect your accuracy.

Be careful not to let anything touch the rifle barrel.

KNEELING SHOOTING POSITION

The kneeling shooting position is the second fastest shooting position to assume, and when done correctly, provides a fairly stable shooting position. Unfortunately, only one elbow is supported when using the kneeling position, which is obviously not ideal. The kneeling position also gives the hunter 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 doesn’t 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 you can, 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, so do what works best for you.

Rest your support side arm on the front of your non-dominant 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. Though not demonstrated here, 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 SHOOTING POSITION

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 hunter 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.

There are several variants of the sitting position, but here I’ll discuss probably the most common: cross legged. 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 sitting position is usually uncomfortable the first few times you try it. However, the more you practice, 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 provides support for both elbows.

PRONE SHOOTING POSITION

The prone position is the slowest position to achieve, but it is the most stable. Since the hunter 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. Not everyone will be able to do this, but the idea is to get as much of your body as possible in contact with the ground. 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 let anything directly touch the barrel, as this will adversely affect your accuracy.

Note how high the grass is compared to my line of sight.

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.

Note the black and green sock beneath the butt of the rifle.

Keep in mind that, while various shooting positions are favored in different parts of the world (like shooting from the prone on a red stag hunting trip in New Zealand or standing from shooting sticks when pursuing cape buffalo on an Africa hunting safari) there is no single “best” shooting position for all hunting 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.