[fisherkip]

I have been shooting for years and always slightly bent my elbows when shooting. Now a nephew has taken up shooting and someone at the range he belongs to told him to keep his arms straight. This makes no sense to me as the bent elbows absorb recoil rather than taking that shot clear up into your shoulders. Of course he would rather listen to a stranger at the range than his uncle who has been shooting for 50 years.

So who is right?

[Bob Wright]

My elbows are slightly bent when I fire.

I never listened to the range "experts" just concentrated on the basics, sight picture and trigger squeeze. Everything else just sort of fell into place.

Bob Wright

[HOSSFLY]

I say YOU are correct
Course i've also only been shootin about 50yrs

[nitestalker]

In step two of Basic Handgun Trng. this is known as the Isosceles postiton. This departs from the one handed or Bulls Eye shooting postition. Begining shooters can develope a 2 hand hold sight alignment trigger control etc. This allows a new shooter to move on to the old Weaver Stance or what ever two handed Combat hold they may choose.

[danf_fl]

As one gets wiser, they develop the grip and elbow bend (if any) that they finds works for them.

I teach that dominant arm is straight, non-dominant is bent slightly, the barrel is in line with the dominant forearm, feet at a 45° angle to the target, and the recoil is absorbed by the shooter's body.

After that, I introduce the shooter to other positions.

A trained shooter develops their style and can adapt to any other position as needed.

[pioneer461]

Originally Posted by danf_fl

As one gets wiser, they develop the grip and elbow bend (if any) that they finds works for them......A trained shooter develops their style and can adapt to any other position as needed.

Amen. Isosceles and Weaver are the basic "approved" stances for target shooting. When everything is working correctly, the weather is clear, all of your gear is clean and working 100%, on a range and no one is shooting back at you, that may be important.

Using those two basic stances as a starting point, I likewise encourage shooters to develop their own, but to also remain flexible for those times when having been knocked on your ass, in the mud, at night, with a 350 pound drugged out biker coming at you, you are unable to take a "proper" stance. I would hate to see someone hesitate to shoot because they couldn't get into the "proper" shooting stance. Encourage shooters to practice from non-conventional positions, two handed, one handed, and support hand only.

Sort of like high school driver ed, drilling into young skulls-full-of-mush, the "10 & 2" steering wheel grip. Anyone who has been taught EVOC driving quickly learns that the "10 & 2" is a basic starting point, and not a very good one at that.

[nitestalker]

That is why the early shooting postitions are called basic. We have been Trng, police and civilian shooters for over 17 years. Those students that progress in the basics move on to the advanced reflex shooting programs.

[Coyotenator]

Originally Posted by danf_fl

As one gets wiser, they develop the grip and elbow bend (if any) that they finds works for them.

I teach that dominant arm is straight, non-dominant is bent slightly, the barrel is in line with the dominant forearm, feet at a 45° angle to the target, and the recoil is absorbed by the shooter's body.

After that, I introduce the shooter to other positions.

A trained shooter develops their style and can adapt to any other position as needed.

I also use the locked dominant stance.One of the advantages over the weaver or locked elbow stance is that it exposes less of your center mass to your attacker.I also find that I am much steadier than when both feet are square to the target, I don't have to lean as much into the recoil to maintain balance.

[robocop10mm]

I started shooting Weaver a long time ago. I have tried hard to switch back to the Isoscoles for a number of reasons:

Isoscoles does make you a "bigger" target, BUT I would rather take a bullet through ONE lung than a bullet through both lungs/heart/aorta. A single involved organ is much more survivable than a lateral/multiple organ hit.

Body armor. Isoscoles squares my body armor to the adversary and leaves less exposed area.

Switching postions is not as easy as one might think. I guess I need to match my round count with Weaver and add an equal amount of Isoscoles to "retrain" myself.

[Coyotenator]

I don't wear body armor, and my upper body is not at that extreme of an angle, but enough to narrow my profile , maybe 20 degrees to the target.
I know what you mean about changing your stance, it feels like it is set in stone when you try another shooting position and it takes a while to feel natural again.