Shooting from prone with a pistol is definitely a different feel than when you’re shooting from standing, and there’s a few things that you should consider before you try shooting prone.

The first is your gear. You might want to lift the brim of your hat. You might want to change out your glasses so the frame doesn’t interfere when you’re lining up your sights.

You also may have to check and see if your ear protection is going to be in the way, but after that, the best way to figure out if able to shoot from prone, or how to best shoot from prone, is to get down into prone first. 

Now, to make the most out of shooting prone you really should place the gun flat on the ground. This is the most stable position. 

I have an extended magazine to raise the gun up, but you can also use a standard mag as well. Getting into this position is the challenge. Especially if you have shoulder mobility issues, or a different body type, but ideally you want to get into an isosceles stance prone. 

Lying down, I am going to be able to see my dot on target. The gun is flat on the ground, and I am not compromising my grip at all. To make it a little easier, I can throw that extended mag in there and I’m right there. 

Now if you can’t get into this position, that’s where you experiment where you lean over onto your shoulder. Kick that leg up just a little bit and that allows you to get on target. But whichever works for you, you need to know what it looks like sighting on target from prone.

So now that we have established the proper prone position that you prefer, now we’re going to talk about how to get into prone fast, and there are basically two ways to do it. The “super man” and the “like a prayer”. 

The superman way involves a lot of upper body strength. You are going to clear the holster first, come down, go into a plank, lower and shoot. 

The other way is to drop to your knees first and this doesn’t require as much body strength, but it’s a little harder on your knees.

So you come down, you drop, you extend and catch, and come down. Regardless of the method you choose, remember you must clear the holster before you move into the prone position. 

Whether you’re learning to shoot prone for competition or for self-defense, practice getting down into position first and then add it to your regimen so you can perform under pressure. Until the next one be safe and have fun.