Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Supine


Recommended Posts

What are everyone's thoughts on going supine instead of prone?

I've played around with it a few times and it feels like its a more stable position for me...unsure why that is.

The few downfalls I can see are getting in and out of the position and reloading without sweeping yourself.

Seems like getting into the position could be very fast since all you really have to do is sit back then lie down.

Anyone ever try it in a match?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Commonly called Creedmore in rifle shooting, it is easier to get down and more difficult to get back up. Unless you can do a kipup,(sp), yu are again in danger of sweeping yourself with the pistol as you get to the upright position.

Personally, I think it is 6 of one or half dozen of another...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lynn

As the previous post explains, it is practiced so rarely, getting into position, either prone or supine is not a practiced act; taking more time than normal to achieve a steady position. Supine probably less than prone, thus taking more time getting into and out of. Supine requires you to almost lay on your back and steady the weapon against the side of your leg/knee. Getting up requires you to get from that to your knees/hands and then get up. Whatever is saved in steadiness when shooting supine is usually lost in getting back to your feet if required, or finding a really steady supine position if not required to get back up. Thus, IMO, it is a wash, or 6 of one and half dozen or another...just a figure of speech..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doing it you also risk 2 things ... scaring the heck out of the RO and possibly shooting yourself in the foot/leg.

I have only ever seen done in an IPSC match once.

Leo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, unless you're shooting to the side or back over your head

I bet you didn't do it shooting an open or modified gun...otherwise you'd have been uncontrollably rolling on the floor, or even maybe lifting in the air :blink: , not to mention the cloud of dust and debris you'd have raised...

:P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nah, it was with a single stack 1911 in .45. Many times it's been an impromptu version of rollover prone that just "happened" in order to get a better look at targets under very low cover/shooting ports. The time I fired over my head while on my back was at the culmination of a Mel Gibson-style roll I did from one low shooting port to another and when I reached the second port, I just happened to be on my back instead of my belly. I still got my hits!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Way to go Rhino, it is pretty hard to do and keep those hits...

The story gets better ... and I'm going to cause some more drift here to bear with me ...

It was 103F and very humid when I left that house at about 08:30 that morning. I should have stayed home. By the time the match was underway, it was really hot and I was having trouble.

The reason I chose to roll instead of get up was that I was too exhausted to do anything else! After I fired the last shot, I actually lost consciousness for a couple of seconds, but I was pointed downrange and my finger was outside of the trigger guard. How's that for proper safety programming?

The people in my squad (bless their hearts) had to help me up and I finished one more stage with bags of ice rapidly melting inside of my shirt.

Nowadays I stay home when it gets too hot! ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At our local match last mont we shot 40 yard standards. The third string is shot prone or supine. Everyone went prone. We were warned that the RO's needed notice if someone was going to use the supine position and that RO's would be watching closely and would send anyone who swept themselves packing for the day. One half of the contestents got a "zero" on the stage, so the MD brought it back again this month. The third string also required a reload, supine could open the shooter up for added opportunity to sweep themselves while reloading. Supine just seems to have too many risks and not much gained.

Just my .02 ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I take the responses to mean that no one has actually tried it in a match???

I used to do it weekly in sihlouette matches. Does that count? :P:P

It is a damn stable position once you learn how to do it. I could hit clay targets all day at 200 yards with my sihlouette gun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jake- You are corret sir. I tried it at home with an emty gun and it just didn't feel natural. Every once in a while the chicken sh*t in me comes out, and I tend to stick with what I know will work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've seen Ted Bonnet do it in matches back when he was Standard world champion, so there might be something to it, but I was always concerned that the muzzle and knees were in too close proximity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

as Leo (L9x25) commented, it will scare the hell out of an RO if not forewarned... it happened to me at a local Tampa Bay match back in 86? prior to the World Shoot held in Orlando...due to the embargo by the US, the South African team could not compete as a team, only as individuals...so a lot of them ( and some from Rhodesian/Zimbabwe) were hosted by a couple of local Florida shooters, who introduced them to the local area clubs...the idea of supine was to provide prone quality support while still remaining in a 4 x 4 shooting box.....I think it might have been Von Sorgenfrei, at the buzzer just dropped to his butt and started shooting between his legs...don't see as it ever needs to be tested, way too high of a disaster factor to use it...

we did have to shoot a shotgun thru a port on the ground while confined to a 4x4 shooting box for one of Kyle's matches, but that was more of a head, shoulder, knee tripod a shoot the gun upside down thing.... regards

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last years limited nationals, 3 people went supine to shoot under a table. However, the table was high enough that you didn't have to go prone, you could just squat or crouch to shoot under it. So those that went supine were really, um, not limber!

Oh, and just between me and Jake - ignore these wimps that are worried about shooting themselves. It's a perfectly acceptable position to shoot from. They just aren't used to seeing it. As an example, starting seated exposes more of your body to the muzzle than shooting supine does.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I have a couple thoughts on this.

First it's not as quick as you think, check it with a timer.

Second it's not as stable as prone. but thats not really an issue here. I do n't worry about shooting myself. i lay knees out feet turned to the side... pretty safe. what my worry is that being a good shooters some newbie will try it and shoot himself.

also remember the RO may freak and from up there the angle is off and it's hard to tell where the gun is being pointed.

Steve

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...