The Zen of Precision Fire: Alternate Fire Positions
The prototypical precision shooter has their chest on the ground, legs directly behind them, and cheek smushed firmly onto the comb of their rifle, commonly known as the prone firing position. Shooting from the prone is chosen for a few reasons:
Greatest stability
Least fatiguing
The smallest number of external factors affect performance.
So, why do places like the United States Army Sniper Course (USASC) preach "get off your belly?"
BLUF: PRACTICALITY
(military jargon for bottom line up front)
A prone shot is not always viable. Often, a prone (un)supported shot must be curated. This process is slowed down based on surroundings such as ballistic loophole, visual loophole, evenness of the ground, and square footage of workspace. Alternate positions remove some of the stability and replace it for speed of emplacement, making them far more practical in most situations. So, what is an alternate fire position? Assuming the "prone supported" firing position is the standard, the alternate fire position would be any shot outside that definition. These positions are often categorized based on their relative height from the ground, called "Archetypes."
The titles:
Grounded Positions
Seated Positions
Kneeling Positions
Standing Positions
Ad nauseam examples of positions can be found in any one of the overabundant shooting and hunting manuals. It matters not which manual you pick up; every position mentioned is viable in its own right. What manuals specifically don't say is the amount of training and practice it will take to get into some of these positions. Notably, the higher off the ground from the prone, the position will degrade the center of gravity, creating an unstable position. The key elements needed to counter the unstable position are muscle relaxation, natural point of aim, recoil management, and firing the most stable shot possible. Of course, there are always more variables to consider when shooting from an alternate position, but these are the four that Army doctrine expands upon in greater detail.
Shooting in anything other than the prone gives a realistic dynamic to combat or competitive shooting. There will be times when we have the luxury of laying in the prone for a long-range shot. However, the majority of the time, it does not happen. Most military members know and understand what "Troops in contact" means. This is often reactionary shooting where seeking cover from bullets while finding any hard surface that will support you and the weapon is critical for survival. A low wall, a pile of rubble, a vehicle, or the side of a tree are all acceptable for survival in a firing position. The key is being able to adapt to any position that is presented.
While having the privilege of instructing at the USASC, we witnessed many students have difficulties regarding alternate firing positions. Seated and kneeling positions required extensive work for some individuals, especially those with the muscular build traditionally found in snipers. A physique like this often comes with a loss of flexibility and, in extreme circumstances, a loss of mobility. Aside from an inherent loss of having a muscular physique, some people are not flexible.
Flexibility (flex·i·bil·i·ty / fleksəˈbilədē): The quality of bending easily without breaking.
Mobility (mo·bil·i·ty / mōˈbilədē): The ability to move or be moved freely and easily.
In either case, flexibility is something that needs to be trained. Although the same family, these imbalances illustrate issues differently, especially for precision shooters. Armchair Sniper reached out to Sheila Schmid- the owner and creator of Tactical Yoga based out of Camas, Washington, for body position tips. This highly specialized path of the Hatha yoga focuses on preparing Military and Law enforcement professionals for shooting in these awkward positions. Sheila explains that most people are apprehensive when they hear yoga as it is usually associated with a Zen-like atmosphere. However, it's our experience that Sheila has found a way to bridge yoga poses and stretches with alternate shooting positions. Sheila didn't bombard us with foreign ideologies or mandatory poses. Instead, she just recommended four movements and one exercise which aim at increasing mobility in the posterior chain.
Cobra pose (Bhujangasana)
This pose will strengthen and stretch portions of the legs, buttocks, lower back, shoulders, and arms. Most notably, this will assist in all prone shots, especially if the weapon system is on a platform above the base of the spine.
Garland pose (Malansana)
Posing in this deep squat will strengthen the feet, ankle, and legs while increasing the flexibility of the hips and groin. In addition, prolonged practice with this pose will assist a shooter in acquiring and remaining stable in all firing positions.
Crescent pose (Anjaneyasana)
All exercise variations benefit the user by opening up the hip flexors and quadriceps. Many will see the benefit of better stability and balance while opening up the chest, shoulders, and torso.
Half lord of the fishes pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
This seated stretch will loosen half of the body, focusing on the hips, back, and neck. Its greatest strength is allowing the practitioner to hold some alternate positions for extended periods.
Sheila fell in love with recreational shooting several years ago. She found a correlation between the meditation of yoga and the zen felt when behind a rifle. Sheila also goes on to credit the flexibility and ability to influence her heart rate, parasympathetic nervous system, and mental acuity through breath control for much of her success. She achieved this control through what is known as Dirgha Pranayama- or the 3-part breath. Calming the mind and the heart will minimize inaccuracies due to human error. The military realized the efficacy and integrated the “box-breathing technique” within the Ready and Resilient program (R2). These techniques allow shooters to recover well enough to take very challenging shots within seconds. Tactical Yoga alone corrects two of the four elements necessary to counter these naturally unstable positions. Military doctrine outlines these elements as:
Muscle Relaxation- an attempt by the shooter to reduce stress or fatigue of significant muscle groups.
There is no muscle straining while lying prone. The higher off the ground our position is, the more muscles are needed to stabilize and control the shot. Reducing the strain on muscles will allow more time in a given alternate firing position. Muscle relaxation is further increased by ensuring the firing position maximizes the skeletal support structure.
Natural Point of Aim- is the insurance a shooter has the correct body alignment for the desired target.
The natural point of aim can only be checked after a firing position has been created. Step 1: the shooter will acquire the target and relax. Step 2: The shooter will then close their eyes, take a few breathes, and open their eyes. Where the weapon sights lay is the shooter's natural point of aim. If the shooter started with their sights on target and ended with sights that are not still on target, body position needs to be corrected.
Recoil Management-the ability to fire the weapon with minimal disturbance to the position, sight picture, and sight alignment.
Recoil is managed by applying appropriate body weight, ensuring adequate weapon placement, and having a stable shooting platform. Mastery of this skill will allow the shooter to make follow-up shots quickly.
Firing from the most stable position- a skill in assessing patent firing positions.
Stabilized Firing happens by having more contact with the ground. The shooter's ability to determine which position will allow maximum stability in a given situation will decrease engagement time and increase accuracy and precision.
Through these four elements, any muscle tension, movement, and breathing is transferred to the weapon with the effects seen through inaccurate fired shots. With practice, a shooter can establish a stable shooting platform on almost any surface. However, the shooter must understand the relationship when the body, weapon, barricade, and elevation off the ground are brought together.
The US Army is proud to say that we train how we fight. Simply arriving at the range and shooting in alternate positions is ineffective in preparing snipers and other shooters for combat. For military shooters, we do ourselves a disservice by not preparing for alternate fire positions. A dedicated approach to reap the benefits of all sources available needs to be thought out and incorporated into the training plan. FM 7-22 Holistic Health and Fitness suggest a dedicated time to recovery, flexibility, or mobility. The difference between Tactical Yoga and traditional yoga stretching is that Tactical Yoga is training how you will fight. A static hold while performing a 3-part breath escalates stretching to training. Notably, the area trained is the parasympathetic nervous system. This is training the brain to remain calm and focused while in a pose or alternate fire position. Additional benefits of Tactical Yoga are that it will help increase injury prevention and strengthen your core and balance. A single 45-minute session will not make you an expert or drastically improve your flexibility and mobility. This type of training takes continuous repetitions to maximize its benefits. Don't forget, it is the mind we are targeting as well as having a flexible body.
