Shooting Positions for Big Game
 

Think back over your past hunts, what shooting position have you used the most?


My guess is that it's a regional thing for how most people shoot due primarily to the type of land being hunted.


Most of my hunting has been still hunting for deer in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Most of my shots have been off hand.


I like to lean against a tree if I can but I really can't even think of any deer I shot while leaning on a tree. Lots of squirrel that way.


I've shot at least two while kneeling. I've shot several prone while doing crop damage permits ( Prone on the edge of a field waiting for deer to come out to feed.) and probably 25 or so off hand.


How do you like to shoot and how have most of your shots been taken?


-Jake

I always use some sort of rest, either a tree or the rail on a high seat or shooting tower, my left knee while sitting on or near my right leg or my favorite, sitting legs crossed using both knees. I do have a bi pod on my rifle, mostly for long range varmint shots.

I've only taken two off hand shots I can remember in the last thirty-forty years. One was on a trotting Deer at around forty yards and right through the ten ring, the other was a second shot at a Buck that stopped to blow and look back, at around 70 yards, after already being shot once. Again right through the ten ring (and surprisingly an inch from my first shot). I still wonder if that shot was skill or luck. My normal rifle is around ten pounds loaded, sling and bi pod, not much chance, at my age, of holding that sucker steady free hand (for long).

If I don't have a steady shot I usually pass, on game animals. I'm a little more flexible with varmints and will take shots I'd usually pass on for game animals.

I've got an odd thing going on here, I'm the lone American in a mostly totally German purview. I screw it up and it is a major event. The Germans are basically, at the core, some of the more racist people on the planet. They rarely pass up a chance to criticize if you are a foreigner. I try to give them as little ammunition as possible.:)

I'm a decent instinct shooter, Rabbits and Hare. And a decent wing shooter.

For rifle hunting I like taking a rest if possible, short of that leaning against a tree does a good job of steadying, that said, the last three deer I shot were offhand.

Horses for courses...

If I'm ambush hunting, sitting in a stand/blind/set waiting for game, then I'm usually sitting, using a monopod. If I'm spot & stalk or still hunting, usually I end up standing or kneeling, preferably leaning against a tree/fencepost, ALSO using a monopod. If I'm varminting, I'm either laying prone on the ground or in the truck bed, or on a shooting bench, using either a front rest, a ski-pod, or a bipod, and typically a rear squeeze bag. I've used shooting sticks (2 or 3), bipods, and tripods for field shooting off and on for a long time, but usually I come back to a monopod for the convenience and speed, AND because I can shoot well enough for my hunting range from a single leg. For longer range sets, where I'm intentionally placing my "kill zone" away from m shooting position, then I set up the same as when I'm varminting, prone or at a bench.

I shoot offhand regularly; I guess I want to think I could jump back into HighPower matches again some day, but I don't really have much intention of hunting game that way. Field supports are available, so I use them.

I strap a portable air cushion to my waist while still hunting (think they sold them in the Wal-Mart hunting section); this provides me not only with cushion if I decide to take a stand, but also the ability to sit stably when squatting: the cushion literally fills the area behind the knee in such a way that you feel like you're in a chair the moment you squat down.
I rest my elbows on my knees to stabilize my arms while aiming my rifle, and it does a good job---my accuracy problems last year never had to do with my aim, but with my trigger pull.

The advantage of "squat-shooting" is you can quickly assume the position even when you flush a deer, but still have better stability than shooting offhand.

Prone for me...

This is only true if you have sufficient dorsiflexion in your ankles to assume your squat with your heels on the ground. As soon as your heels lift and your weight breaks onto the balls of your feet, the squatting position becomes a boat rocking on the waves. For this reason, the kneeling position has remained to reign over the squatting position for game shooting.

More ground contact, and less muscle recruitment mean greater stability. The squatting position is poor on both points, even with the "catcher's wedge."

Very interesting question. For me this is often determined by the game animal. I like to shoot at moderate range from a sitting position, with my elbows on my knees.

Sometimes, however, the game doesn't cooperate. I may have to shoot at running game. One time I had a deer at close range and I had to mount my rifle to my left shoulder and shoot left handed, though I shoot right handed. That sounds radical and even irresponsible, but it was only 25 yards away, and I couldn't change position. I made the shot successfully.

I had an elk at about 150 yards this year. I passed on the shot. I think I should have popped up and shot off hand at the elk. I could probably have gotten off 3 shots. But I was uncertain of making a killing shot. My point is that you need to have many shooting competencies. By all means use the best rests the environment gives you.

If I sat, kneeled, or tried prone in 95% of the places I hunt I'd never be able to see beyond my front sight.


As I guessed, it largely seems to be a regional difference depending on the type of land being hunted.


I'm going to Wyoming next year to hunt and I bought a shooting stick to take, Have been practicing off that a few times this year and it'll help allot I think.
-Jake

True.
I always have my heels on the ground, and the cushion adds stability by keeping the behind from slipping off the ankles. I am somewhat surprised at how many people marvel at being able to squat with ones feet flat on the ground.

Most of the game I have taken in PA have been either from the standing/offhand or sitting position. I have even taken a few using the opposite shoulder while sitting. On the other end of the spectrum almost all of the game I've taken out in the western states were from a prone position. So it is as you said. It depends on the terrain and the situation.
The most important thing to do is practice from all positions. I'd love to have all my shots taken from the prone or sitting positions but it just doesn't happen. Kneeling is good too but not on moving game. Then about the only position is offhand. And if you don't practice it you shouldn't take the shot. The animal deserves proper bullet placement.

bronco echoed it - I'll 3rd or 4th it, whatever we're on.

I'd like to elaborate some:


Know your ability and limitations! You get this from practice.

Over the years, I've done specific practice alone or with some buddies at the range. I've entered internet postal shoots, Fun range events, Real competitions, even tried some trick shots at the range (sometimes 1st lucky - don't try it 2nd time). All this helped me both learn about my rifles, their triggers and improved my shooting ability.

Practice sounds too much like work. But, Getting involved with target shooting opportunities as they come up is FUN, too.

always prone with bipod or over backpack

Like somebody else said, it depends on the terrain, style of hunting, etc. I like to still hunt. For this year, there were no cattle on the ranch and the grass was tall. Anything but standing didn't clear the grass so I used standing with a bipod I carried. Sometimes I was near a tree but most of the time I wasn't.

Off hand or leaning against a tree.

my first elk was shot while I was standing and leaning the rifle over a large tree branch, the most of the rest were shot from a sitting position or prone with the rifle over a back pack rest, and one shot offhand as it ran by at under 30 feet.
I can,t remember many shot at over 200 yards most were closer, one reason why I think the need for super flat trajectory is very over stressed
and probably why I see very good success with the guys using 358 win, 35 whelen and 450 marlin rifles

Prone when possible. Tree grip second. sticks if you can "stand" to carry em around.

prone is often tough in almost any terrain.

REM7600

PS one of your best offhand shooting tools is a dry stick thrown upstream in a river or creek with a safe back ground - this oughta pea some people off but if it does, I don't mind.

I try to make most shots at game, while sitting using a sling, with a 13"/27" harris bi-pod
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I constantly practice shooting both sitting and standing, for many, shots are taken, sitting using a sling, no bi-pod, but several were taken ,standing shooting offhand while using a sling.
I can generally hit most shots more than 70%-80% in a coke can size target,shooting offhand, with a sling out to about 100 yards,( hitting a 3.5"-4" circle)but cut that group size in 1/2 sitting with a sling, and a bit better still with a sling and bi-pod.
most of the game I've shot has been dropped at under 250 yards and mostly in thicker timber or narrow canyons, where ranges are generally not excessive

Its about impossible for me to remember all the shots that I've taken at game in over 50 years of hunting, but ifthe vegetation and terrain allows it, my first choice is a prone position, and, if possible, prone off a solid rest.


Next would be sitting, and again with a rest, and with a sling. I often carry 3 legged trigger sticks with me.


On African hunts I've learned to shoot standing, off sticks and I like the 3 leg sticks the best.


I have shot some animals offhand, but they were relatively close shots in thick brush where there wasn't time to get in any other position.

According to me, there is no “best” hunting shooting position for all 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. I use Standing Shooting Position many times. It allows me to see over all but the tallest grass, brush and gives the best field of view. Unfortunately, the standing position is also the least stable shooting position. However, this is not really a problem when shooting at very close range (<50 yards). I personally do not like to take a shot past 50 yards using an unsupported standing position.

rifle shooting is always different because of so many stands i jump to and fro .. but bowhunting , i have discovered i am better off to remain seated as i used to stand as soon as a deer came into sight , now behind , i know , you have to stand .. but i could safely say my last 30 out of 40 or so have been sitting .. sometimes being motionless w/ a deer in eyeview is harder if standing

standing off a tree, or prone.

but sometimes you just have to make do and get the job done!