Choosing a good stance for accurate pistol shooting
There’s no two ways about it: choosing a good stance for accurate pistol shooting makes all the difference. So, polish up with these helpful tips from Marksman’s Nest chief ranger Geoffrey Coetzee.
The correct shooting stance is the cornerstone of accurate pistol shooting. At the range, we’ll demonstrate how not to wobble in your stance and discuss the various stances in depth. Geoffrey said, “Depending what comes more naturally to you, you can make up your own mind about which stance to adopt. It also depends on whether you want to compete in shooting sports later, or if you have eye dominance issues. And in many cases, your instructor will assess your shooting prowess in the various stances and give you a recommendation.”
The Isosceles stance
In the Isosceles stance, the arms and chest make an isosceles triangle. The shooter faces the target squarely, feet at shoulder-width (or slightly wider) with toes pointed at the target. Arms are extended with the gun in the middle of the chest. There’s a slight lean forward and some bending of the knees. Usually, the shooter is more at an angle to the target.
Weaver Shooting Stance
Non-dominant leg is forward of the dominant leg with a slight forward lean (‘nose over toes’). Toes are pointed forward and the firing-side arm is extended while the supporting arm is bent. Importantly, the shooter employs a ‘push-pull’ grip by pushing with the firing arm and pulling back with the supporting arm.
The pros of this stance is that there’s better recoil management with the push-pull method; a smaller profile to target; and more stability since the feet are now staggered.
Geoffrey explained, “This is a more natural stance if you need to balance yourself. However, the cons are: it’s harder to rotate to your non-dominant side, it’s also harder for cross-dominant shooters (eg right-hand dominant and left eye dominant) since the two don’t match up.”
Modified Weaver Stance
Although it’s very similar to the Weaver Stance, your shooting arm is now fully locked out with the support arm bent downwards. This stance is also known as the Chapman Stance and is primarily geared towards right handed but left-eye dominant shooters.
He summarised, “The advantages are that the consistency of your arm ‘stock’ and ‘cheek-weld’ are always the same, instead of hovering in the air – as is the case with the Isosceles or Weaver stances. You also have better recoil management since the firing arm is fully extended. And finally, it’s better for crossed-eye dominant shooters seeing that with the cheek-weld, the opposite eye is more in line with the firearm.”
Visit Marksman’s Nest in Malmesbury to get to grips with the various stances. Because choosing a good stance for accurate pistol shooting makes all the difference.
