Women & firearms training. some questions for the ladies.

re: NRA High-Power standing position

For my purposes (and my kids'), using this could lead to bad habits that may result in injury..... it really irks me to see this taught in Hunter Ed. classes.
 
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Jimbob, that stance looks awkward as all gets out, I'm still learning how to shoot, but may I ask what exactly are they achieving by holding the rifle that way?

It looks like it would dislocate your shoulder if done wrong just looking at it.
 
interesting video.

I have always leaned back some when focusing on slow shots, often rocking back with the recoil onto one leg, then let my weight plant it back like a statue rocking back and forth.

If I'm doing double taps or fast semi auto shots then I lean into it. I haven't instructed anyone in a very long time, and I know I wasn't instructed like this but adapted it and have been for a decade now so might be difficult to break. I think I needed a refresher on the standing though.
 
That's not so much leaning back and throwing a hip forward as an elbow rest.
I do this while shooting from a standing position in biathlon. It does help with accuracy, especially when your diaphragm is flopping like a fish out of water. Biathlon, however is a 22lr being fired from an 8 lb rifle.
When hunting with my 30-06, I absolutely have to lean in.
I could imagine that if someone started off shooting 22lr or .223 ARs in a competition scenario might try to shoot a full-size cartridge from that position once. But I assume that it would be a self-correcting mistake, sort of like the mistake of bringing your eye too close to your rifle scope. You'll only do it once.

Very helpful topic. Although I will probably be present when my wife starts shooting, I'm definitely going to be on the Kraigwy plan if my wife decides to get real training and step out of the picture. I have worked with her on several non-gun related interests we share and I've found that I can be the world's worst teacher for her.
 
Jimbob, that stance looks awkward as all gets out, I'm still learning how to shoot, but may I ask what exactly are they achieving by holding the rifle that way?

It looks like it would dislocate your shoulder if done wrong just looking at it.
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Those are AR-15s -- 223 Remington.
You could hold it against your nose (cough, cough) with little damage.
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In the same video, there's a guy with an M1a (almost certainly .308WIN) with a similar stance...... not as extreme..... but that's a 11 pound semi-auto.

....but Erno's right: with the equipment they use, it is more stable, especially for long periods of time, such as the long strings of fire used in their game.

That said ......

IMHO, this is a classic case of a game designed to teach and/or test a set of skills getting so wrapped up in the game aspect of it that in many respects it no longer has much bearing on the real world skills it was designed to teach and test in the first place: In what real world situation could someone possibly put on a special shooting jacket and mitten so they could hit a target while standing up? If you have time for the jacket and mitten, then you'd certainly have time to get into a more stable firing position than unsupported standing! Even safari length shooting sticks are less of a PITA than the jacket and mitten ......
 
Wow this is timely... I was just talking about this with my shooting buddy, and we were recalling a shooting session early last fall.

We had been shooting a lot of 22 at various ranges. And yes, when I shoot a 22 from a standing position, I look a lot like the stances pictured above... highly bladed, left arm directly under the rifle, left palm close in, under the center of gravity.

So at the end of the session, my buddy suggest we pattern our shotguns to prepare for turkey season... I had not done that in years, so I agreed. Without thinking, I put that lightweight shotgun to my shoulder in a highly bladed stance, left straight down, gun held in a very relaxed manner. It was just force of habit, muscle memory... Ouch. It actually was worse than "ouch".

The point is, there are a lot of things that can be taken from competitive target shooting and applied to hunting, but there are some things that don't translate well. Stances like those pictured in the previous posts are an example... Any shooting technique that requires a specialized shooting jacket is another.

Jim

edit: Jimbob and I posted at the same time... and no surprise, we are saying the same thing.
 
So at the end of the session, my buddy suggest we pattern our shotguns to prepare for turkey season... I had not done that in years, so I agreed. Without thinking, I put that lightweight shotgun to my shoulder in a highly bladed stance, left straight down, gun held in a very relaxed manner. It was just force of habit, muscle memory... Ouch. It actually was worse than "ouch".
Click to expand...

Had that been a scoped rifle, there would have been blood, likely as not....
 
One of the young women shooters at our range, had recently won a college scholarship for her rifle shooting skills.

You might be better off shooting with a shooting jacket, pants and a mitten in a non-tactical shooting position; but it is not required for casual shooting per se --- But wearing such clothing in very hot weather may not be a good thing for a shooter, in relation to catching heatstroke.

I like to practice in all kinds of shooting position's --- sometimes with a heavy rifle for an extended period of time --- and the non-tactical standing position is one of them.
 
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