What is your Sitting Position?

[PerpetualStudent]

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.

[Rick Hodges]

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.

[Larry Gibson]

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.

[blackthorn]

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!

[runfiverun]

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.

[country gent]

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.

[Boaz]

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 .

[popper]

Don't try the sitting position when shooting uphill. At least not with a 308MX.

[Smoke4320]

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

[Reddirt62]

On a chair with a bipod due to disabilities.

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[higgins]

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.

[MaryB]

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.

[Alstep]

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.

[gunarea]

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

[MT Gianni]

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.

[DerekP Houston]

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.

[waksupi]

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.

[2wheelDuke]

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/

[bob208]

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.

[abunaitoo]

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.

[.45Cole]

Sounds like rifle shooting. For pistols find a post and slouch against it and bring your knees up above your shoulders (really almost laying). Your butt on ground and shoulders on the post and hold the pistol with both hands kinda like a wedge in between your legs and open/close your knees to get your elevation. Keeping your hands against your legs keeps windage. Works pretty well.

[PerpetualStudent]

I appreciate the answers.

CountryGent, my 22 is supposed to get back on Friday. I'll try that position you describe when it arrives. The previous times I've tried it my NPOA is the ground like 5 feet in front of me to the left. To raise it I feel like I'm have to squeeze and raise my thighs or rest the butt of the rifle on top of my collar bone.

I'll fool with it, maybe I just need to take 2WheelDuke's advice and get to an appleseed.

[country gent]

Offhand the bottom tip or toe of the stock was in my shoulder most of it above. Sitting the butt was low in my shoulder. My forward hand was back close to the magazine on the M1A and ARs for proper elevation. I did use rosin on the glove for maintaining this position. Prone the butt was in the shoulder centered or there abouts. Again the offhand was adjusted for elevation.

The best thing to do is exeperiment with the positions making the small adjustments and testing. I did a lot of it on the living room floor dry firing and adjusting. In small bore the positions are a little looser 1) lack of recoil dosnt require the stability the recoiling rifles do, 2) you may be in the position for longer time periods requiring some small adjustments for comfort and such.

If allowed a handstop and rail in the forearm is better than the spray rosin and can be set where needed. On 30 cal rifle this also helped with recoil control.

Practice and dryfire in the living room basement and watch for the sights wanting to wander in a direction. One quick check is get in position on the "target" stay in position and close your eyes and relax, open eyes and see where sights are at, they should be alighned and in my case at 6 O'clock on the bull. If not adjust till they stay there. This becomes normall very quickly once learned and you will set up set down and feel "off" before you go any farther and adjust with out thinking LOL.

[popper]

Crossed ankles allows a forward shot, uncrossed needs a 45 deg. shot. Always elbows inside the knees so a bone support vs muscle support. Most useful if shooting over high grass where prone won't work - and nobody is shooting back. Pretty much worthless for anything but longer hunting shots - unless you are just 'gaming'. Unless your back is against something you won't be in that position long. Last resort position - I practiced some and used it for field target 'sport' shooting couple of times- it can be accurate. Scope dings are quite easy with this position.