Roll over prone
This is a constant argument between instructors and their less than best shooters who hate shooting long distance, prone or otherwise, and don't see the point. Here is the company line and in this case I think it is a good one.
Being able to shoot well from the prone position incorporates all of the most basic marksmanship skills necessary to move you more effectively into aggressive tactical shooting. It makes you hyper sensitive to slight differences in sight alignment, trigger and breath control. If you can’t shoot very accurately with your body and firearm in the most stable position possible then it's probable that you won’t shoot to your potential without all that support.
Try these suggestions to make your prone shooting more comfortable and accurate.
1. Put your hat on backwards or take it off and make sure your eyewear is large enough. You don’t want to have to try to sight around hat brims and glasses frames.
2. When you begin to prone out, go down on your strong side knee first with your back straight - before you draw. Once you are on one knee remove the weapon from the holster,and point it down range. Use your weak side hand to support your upper body as you go fully into prone. (If you don't come out of the holster until you are fully prone, you will likely be pointing your weapon to the rear of the range when you do draw.)
3. Once you are prone, with your strong side arm, weapon in hand, extended toward the target; role your body slightly to your strong side so that the outside of your strong shoulder and the length of your arm, fist, and possibly the butt of your weapon are on the ground. (I find supporting the weapon with my weak hand pinkie between the ground and butt while cupping my strong hand and pistol works for me.) Your strong side ear should be resting along your strong side bicep or shoulder.
4. Blade you body and legs to the 7 or 8-o'clock (4 or 5 o’clock lefty) - with the target being at the 12 o’clock position - and bend your weak side knee a bit for comfort and to keep your body from tending to roll back on to your stomach. (I find putting the sole of my left (weak) foot against my right knee works for me.)
5. If you are tilting your head way back to acquire your sights you are cutting off circulation at the neck and straining the muscles making maintaining you position very uncomfortable and unstable. Adjust your arms/body to alleviate this; this position should be very comfortable and natural (kind of like a Sunday afternoon nap on the couch). Sight down the length of your strong side arm with your dominant eye. If you are cross- dominant you can easily adjust.
6. When you are done shooting, remember not to re-holster until your body is upright. If its difficult to get up with one hand, leave your pistol on the ground and use both hands to get to your knees before you holster. Once holstered, you can use all four limbs to get yourself standing again.
This covers a lot of space when describing the technique in writing it but it’s a quick and natural position to attain and maintain and about as stable a position as you shoot a pistol from.
"Zak" described this as the "roleover prone" position which sums it up nicely, try it, it works; even for those of us who traded our sleeping bags for a quilted top mattress some time ago.
Hiltonfarmer, I didn’t overlook the fact that you were firing prone from only 20 yards but try this even at 20 yards, you should see a difference in comfort and accuracy At 50 yards with a little concentration you will really see how this all comes in to play.
Best regards and happy shooting.
