Most Important Unorthodox Shooting Positions

Rob Pincus demonstrates the three most important unorthodox shooting positions you should train for defensive use of a handgun. The first is specific to a handgun and the second two may also be used with a rifle.

Seated

After you learn how to shoot in a natural, neutral standing position, think about how much time you spend in other positions to decide what is reasonable to train and practice. A lot of people spend time seated. That means you need to think about sitting on the ground, behind your car, in your car, in a restaurant, or in a chair or on the sofa at home. How do you present and shoot your gun in these situations?

If you carry appendix, you may need to lean back in the chair to access the gun. If you carry on or behind the hip, you may need to lean to the side. When you extend out to shoot, make sure to get your body weight forward and your shoulders engaged. However, if you’re in the confined space of a vehicle interior, you may need to lean back or to the side to shoot.

Lying on the Ground

The next of the three most important unorthodox shooting positions is when you are knocked to the ground and need to engage from flat on your back. You’ll have to roll to access the gun if you carry on the hip. Extend the arms and drive the gun out, bringing your shoulders off the ground. When executing this on a range during handgun training and practice, be aware of the top of the berm, so you don’t fire over it.

Kneeling

The third of the unorthodox shooting positions is kneeling. Especially in a home defense situation or in the public space, you may be kneeling and leaning over or around cover or concealment to shoot. The gun is in alignment with your head, and your shoulders are in front of your hips in order to get good engagement.

Don’t train only for the most likely defensive situations — train for reasonably plausible situations as well.