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Thread: What is your Sitting Position?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
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    What is your Sitting Position?

    In my off time I read books. I've read several books on marksmanship, hunting, and shooting. I competed in 3 position smallbore in college, so prone, kneeling, and standing I know pretty well. But older books especially really praise the sitting position. Most lack diagrams but there seems to have been a real shift in what sitting looks like. Sitting indian style and bending forward to rest your elbows inside your knees, sitting with legs spread heels dug into the ground, crossed ankles with knees 6-8 in off the ground. The latest Military training manual had one leg raised and the other laid along the ground.

    So when you shoot sitting, what does it look like? Links to pics, vids, and websites welcome.
    "There are no solutions there are only tradeoffs" ~ Thomas Sowell

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Legs spread, heels dug into the ground mostly for me. I use all but the Indian style (not flexible enough for that) at one time or another for hunting. Sometimes with a pair of home made cross sticks. The terrain tells me what to use. Sitting or some variation is the single most useful shooting position for the hunting that I do.

  3. #3
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    The older 3 sitting positions are the proper positions. They also still are very good positions to use when prone is not an option. Which one you use depends on your body and the circumstances.

    The newer one in the manual is actually a variation of the old kneeling position. It is based on wearing pounds of body armor with all sorts of tacticool stuff attached to the front. With all that on it is almost impossible to get into a real sitting position and is impossible to rise quickly to move.
    Larry Gibson

    “Deficient observation is merely a form of ignorance and responsible for the many morbid notions and foolish ideas prevailing.”
    ― Nikola Tesla

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    I KNOW that firing a 300 Weatherby, from a twisted position, to my left, at a big buck that is standing behind me, while sitting on a rock is NOT the way to do it!! I have the scar, over my Left (I am right handed) eye to prove it!
    R.D.M.

  5. #5
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    I prefer the one where I wedge my right elbow into the steering wheel spokes and use my left hand to adjust the vertical hold with the window switch.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    My sitting position for NRA High power was indian style with ankles crossed and elbows in front of the knees, arms actually rested on front of knees just above the elbows. In the prep stage I moved around to where I had natural point of aim and adjusted elevation with front hand sling position. This was a very solid sitting and held up well to the recoil of the M1A/M14 firing 10 rouds in 60 secs with the reload.
    I also found in this position opening the belt and pants ( I undid the belt, unfastened the pants and unzipped about 1/2 way letting suspenders protect dignity) relieved a pinch point that would show heartbeat into the string. A solid sitting position that held up to recoil and movement was really important when Garands, M1As, and Bolt actions were being used as the movement and recoil would move you around a lot . A solid sitting position you fire the rifles recoil raises the front sight to the top of the 10 ring maybe a little into the 9 ring and then you drop back to the 6 o'clock hold almost naturally with no muscles needed for sight alighnment.

  7. #7
    In Remembrance / Boolit Grand Master Boaz's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by runfiverun View Post
    I prefer the one where I wedge my right elbow into the steering wheel spokes and use my left hand to adjust the vertical hold with the window switch.
    This is the answer I have been searching for . Thanks ! I wrote it down .
    No turning back , No turning back !

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master popper's Avatar
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    Don't try the sitting position when shooting uphill. At least not with a 308MX.
    Whatever!

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by runfiverun View Post
    I prefer the one where I wedge my right elbow into the steering wheel spokes and use my left hand to adjust the vertical hold with the window switch.
    and creeping forward to adjust horizontal
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  10. #10
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    On a chair with a bipod due to disabilities.

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  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    About 50 years ago when I shot competitive high power rifle with M1 and M14 (not M1A). My sitting position was as described above by country gent. I don't remember if my elbows were inside or outside my knees, but I do remember that when you got a good position the rocking motion he described would put the sights back on target with very little correction.

    The last time I tried to shoot sitting about 15 years ago in a CMP qualification match, it was a disaster. I couldn't lean over my belly far enough to shoot cross legged, and hadn't practiced enough to have a good raised-knees position. Nothing like the old days when I could shoot sitting rapid fire almost as good as prone rapid fire.

  12. #12
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    5 gallon camo bucket with my back against a tree, shooting sticks adjusted to the right height... sit and wait for deer. Small game using a 22 whatever fallen tree or stump is handy. I am also disabled and getting on the ground equals lots of pain getting back up so I avoid it.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by country gent View Post
    My sitting position for NRA High power was indian style with ankles crossed and elbows in front of the knees, arms actually rested on front of knees just above the elbows. In the prep stage I moved around to where I had natural point of aim and adjusted elevation with front hand sling position. This was a very solid sitting and held up well to the recoil of the M1A/M14 firing 10 rouds in 60 secs with the reload.
    I also found in this position opening the belt and pants ( I undid the belt, unfastened the pants and unzipped about 1/2 way letting suspenders protect dignity) relieved a pinch point that would show heartbeat into the string. A solid sitting position that held up to recoil and movement was really important when Garands, M1As, and Bolt actions were being used as the movement and recoil would move you around a lot . A solid sitting position you fire the rifles recoil raises the front sight to the top of the 10 ring maybe a little into the 9 ring and then you drop back to the 6 o'clock hold almost naturally with no muscles needed for sight alighnment.

    Exactly what I did back in my highpower days. Get the books by David Tubb, many time Highpower Champion. He describes all the positions in great detail with excellent illustrations.

  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy gunarea's Avatar
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    Hey PerpetualStudent
    If you aren't a hungry Marine or cop, ninety nine and forty four one hundredth percent of shooting is play and practice. You wanna know how to shoot sitting? Put International Lawnsteel Shooting in the search engine and go to post eighteen. The video will show how to do it while having fun and not cramping up. The Lollipops being engaged in the video are fifty two yards out and they are seven and a half inches in diameter. Those guys are all using open "Iron" sights. The most senior player on that particular squad is eighty four at the recording. The Turkey engaged in the video was seventy one yards out and was toppled with a head shot. Toppling a turkey with a 38 requires a head hit. Taking on a ram with a 38 demands accuracy to one minute of angle to be successful. From the seated position shown, I have witnessed contestants taking obscured targets by passing a bullet through the hole in the ram horn. Do yourself a favor and watch the video.
    Roy
    Shoot often, Shoot well.

  15. #15
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    I rarely shoot while sitting unless in a tree stand with a rest. The only other option would be with back to a tree. If it is open I would shoot prone, with our brush it is generally braced against a tree standing. If the opportunity presents I have shot kneeling.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  16. #16
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    All my shooting is done on a bench with sandbags for the time being. All the rest of the time I sit crosslegged even at the office. Got a few weird looks the first week but it's just how I'm comfortable sitting. I sit on the ground a lot as well though so maybe it's just habit.
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  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by runfiverun View Post
    I prefer the one where I wedge my right elbow into the steering wheel spokes and use my left hand to adjust the vertical hold with the window switch.
    That's related to how hunting season is closed on the rez. They go around and collect all the window cranks from the pickups.
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  18. #18
    Boolit Master


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    This has been pretty well answered by country gent. I couldn't accomplish the cross legged sitting position when I first tried it, I just wasn't limber enough. Now I can pull it off.

    The best way to dial in your seated position is to go to an Appleseed shoot. You'll even get to learn about the birth of this great nation while you're there.

    https://appleseedinfo.org/schedulemap/
    ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    after breaking my leg the first time. I went to a kneeling setting. a sand bad is strapped to right ankle would kneel and set back on the bag. was very stable.

    but after breaking the leg again both setting and kneeling are out now.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master
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    With my belly, one stiff leg, and stiff back. I don't shoot sitting if I can help it.
    When I do, I lay my right leg bent on the ground, in between my butt and the left leg.
    Left foot is flat on the ground.
    Butt on the ground.
    I use the left knee as a rest for the left forearm.
    Can't really hold it to long before I need to take a breath.
    I guess the body is telling me I need to lose the belly.

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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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