Laying on your side shotgun shooting

[Ladyvalea]

Guys, we had a stage with a super low wall and had to shoot upwards towards a plate rack -- it was my first time shooting shotgun in that position! Which way would you hold your shotgun ? With the port facing the ground ? Or like my photo ? It was uncomfortable for me as my support hand was getting tired [emoji15]

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[TonytheTiger]

I've done it both ways, there's probably no way to achieve comfort in such positions but practice will get you in and out of it quicker. Make sure if the port is down that your far enough away from the ground that the shells don't jump back in the gun and stovepipe. That used to happen to me all the time with my old 1100, but never with my 1301. Never looked into the reasons for this though.

[caz41]

It depends how low the port is. You will be able to get lower going strong shoulder down. If you need to leave said shooting position and continue on in the stage I feel that it is easier to get up from the sting side shoulder down position. This can vary on your level of flexibility and/or size or shape.

Basically whatever works best for you is right

[TonytheTiger]

Also if the wall height makes it at all possible, try to avoid lying down altogether, I usually make myself into a tripod with my knees and support arm elbow stuck into the ground. I can get really low in this position and get into/out of it a lot quicker. I could also manage a weak hand load in a terrible emergency situation. One thing with this position that's maybe not as crucial for close shotgun work is your cheekweld can be hard to find, it can really throw you off doing this with a optic equipped rifle.

Edited December 2, 2014 by TonytheTiger

[Therealkoop]

In that situation I go down as if Im going to an unsupported rifle kneeling position (right knee down, left knee up), I then flop my whole body over and put my right elbow in the dirt and shoot as "normal".

[Ladyvalea]

Thanks guys for the advice

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[CJW]

Having done several stages that require shooting either through a low wall port or, say, underneath a cable spool, I agree with ’koop. Kneel or crouch, lean over onto your shooting elbow, and shoot sideways. Frequently I can use my left foot (I shoot righty) to brace against the left side of whatever barrier is forcing the position, which helps with stability. As an added benefit, this technique carries over to the occasional narrow slat opening where you are forced to shoot sideways (because there is not enough vertical clearance for the tube/barrel while still seeing your bead).

[buckonz]

This topic is well covered in the Magpul Dynamics 'Art Of The Shotgun' DVD (Chris Costa & Travis Haley). Although these training videos are very "tactical" oriented, I've also got some great tips for competition from them as well.