So what stance do you use when shooting handguns?

[Rule3]

Here is an article. Read, don't just look at the pretty woman.

Top Five,

https://www.shootingillustrated.com/content/top-five-shooting-stances/

 

[CraigC]

Probably the Chapman. I shoot a lot of big bore revolvers and if you lock your elbows you're going to hurt yourself.

 

[BreechFace]

Probably the Chapman. I shoot a lot of big bore revolvers and if you lock your elbows you're going to hurt yourself.

So do you not lock your strong arm when utilizing the Chapman stance when shooting big bores? Just asking as the Chapman utilizes a locked strong arm. I don't lock my elbows when shooting large bore revolvers, let 'em buck.

I shoot with the Chapman stance and like the article states like to drop my cheek to my bicep.

 

[John Joseph]

Dueling stance. I need to keep one hand free for my saber

 

[crestoncowboy]

In hunting situations ive generally found you get into whatever position you can. Ive rested on sticks, limbs, rocks,, my foot.....I'm usually in wooded areas so you have to contort to whatever you need to.

Kind of like when I hunted with a rifle I always wanted a bipod. But in the wooded hilly Appalachian mountains 99 out of 100 times the bipod was useless in the field. Snow on the ground. Sticks in the way. Tall grass. Hill. Rocks. Etc etc.

In competition situations where I'm attempting to over ride recoil as best I can I shoot very differently. I also try to bring my competition guns up to my line of sight and not move my head around.

 

[Bazoo]

Chapman sort of stance. I shoot with a stance I modified from weaver I learned. It feels right to me. I also shoot bullseye style single handed.

And that girl wasn't very destracting. More like a man with long hair.

 

[.38 Special]

On guns with mild recoil, isosceles. As recoil increases, I tend to shift more toward Chapman. As CraigC notes, on anything much bigger than the .44 Magnum class, pure isosceles is hard on the shooter and tends to let the gun get away from you.

 

[DR505]

I have been through several LE academies...first was with a revolver and taught Weaver, but more recent was with auto and taught Isosceles to better present body armor and avoid the gaps in the side/arm holes. I find myself utilizing one or the other depending on the handgun. With revolvers I tend to Weaver/Chapman, with auto the Isosceles....guess you do fight like you train.

 

[Mike J]

I tend to use either Chapman or Isosceles depending on what I am doing. I am right handed & left eye dominant. These seem to work best for me.

 

[EMC45]

Neat writeup. I was gonna say a mix of Weaver and Isosceles before going over the article, but Chapman sums it up.

 

[Starter52]

I favor the "Hollywood" stance where I roll sideways on the ground while firing 87 shots from my govt issued Glock 19 and take out targets from beyond the horizon.

 

[JFrank]

My kid likes the “Gangsta” turn the piece sideways and throw lead while grabbing the junk.

I shoot off hand

 

[film495]

Chapman stance and what I find odd for myself is I'm far better if I lean forward and tall. I don't know if this is right or not, but my natural point of aim is better with more of my weight on the front foot than the back support foot. This translates to better accuracy at the range, but I'm not unaware this is a slower position to try to be mobile from than if I had a more crouched posture or weight evenly distributed on my feets.

 

[BigBlue 94]

Guess im sort of a Weavman... Leaning forward and both elbows bent, but also fairly relaxed and a bit of cheek drop.

Or a bullseye stance if im just having fun

I always try to tell inexperienced shooters to lean forward. Thats their biggest problem usually.

 

[shoobe01]

Mostly what we call Weaver today. NO weaver is shown in the article. Described, but they seem to have simply pasted the Chapman in the illustration. Anyway, Modern Weaver (Modified Weaver) is much more squared to the target, like this



One foot still back, dominant shoulder to the rear, both arms bent. I often over-extend because I don't practice enough, but never to lock. Easy to use when moving, to change azimuth, and to bring in closer to a retention position


Or keep up with sights on the target, just compress it in a bit more because you are in a narrow space such as indoors or in a vehicle.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

Modern weaver here.

 

[Zendude]

I suppose what the article calls a Chapman stance is what I use. I don’t care for the Isosceles stance because I prefer to have the gun barrel parallel to my shooting arm.

 

[trackskippy]

I use a mix of all of them, or at least those Ive learned so far in the past, and Ive shot enough with to be comfortable with. Unless all you do is stand in one place and shoot, you need to be flexible and adaptable and be able to morph through things, without having to think about it, as they present themselves.

What works well standing still in one instance, it worthless as you shoot while moving in another. Best to try and learn/explore them all, and then pick what works best for you from each to suit your needs. Its all a very Bruce Lee, Zen sort of thing.

 

[Zerodefect]

Retention, and isosceles.

BUT! Every one of those pics is dead wrong. You absolutely have to bend your knees. She's at least 4" too tall in all of the pics. And you can go way lower, drop a foot if you want.

How the heck can you move if your legs are locked up like a robot? The last thing you'll hear, as you bleed out, is your adversaries making fun of you. "Did you see that guy, all like DANGER WILL ROBINSON!"

You're ability to pan and rotate to targets, starts in your legs, not your torso. Go ahead and try it now. Swing back and forth, by only moving you legs straighter, and more bent. Then again with a little torso turning. Way better than just torso tanking.


https://www.doublealpha.biz/us/3gm-2-more-techniques-of-the-grand-masters-dvd




Your stance is really just your upper body. Legs can go anywhere, just keep them bent.

 

[doubleh]

Chapman I suppose. Since arthritis has kept me from straightening my arms for years I really don't have a choice. I never bothered to check to see if using bent elbows when shooting a hand gun had a name. It is just what I have to do.

 

[Zerodefect]

I'll bend my elbows, and bring them out and up, like a motorcross racer, to get my hands to pinch the top of grips. If I have the time and opportunity to do so.

Maybe a longer shot. Punching completely out, seems more natural, and is my default.

 

[UncleEd]

Modified Weaver, similar to Ayoob's
stance in posting #15, with both
elbows slightly bent downward.

But I never dress as tacticool as
he is in the picture. I'm more
tactirumpled.

 

[Bruce D Pease]

Modern weaver adjusted for arthritis

 

[CraigC]

So do you not lock your strong arm when utilizing the Chapman stance when shooting big bores?

Absolutely not. Gotta let the wrists, elbows and shoulders absorb recoil. When I see someone shoot a big bore with locked elbows, it literally hurts to watch.

 

[Riomouse911]

On a static range I use a conglomeration of the Weaver, Chapman and isosceles. Elbows bent a bit, wrists tight but not totally locked, two hands centered with a slight push-pull on the gun, right foot back a bit with knees bent a bit in a fighters stance, etc.

But nothing is set in stone, and no one stance or grip is totally universal, so one should shoot when you can in unconventional ways to see what works and what doesn’t. I may have to shoot left side, right side, underneath concealment, over cover, while running, crabbing sideways, walking heel-toe-heel-toe backwards, etc.

Stay safe.