Basic
Rifle
Standing Kneeling Prone Rifle
Used in: Defensive
Source: Common rifle marksmanship standard
15–50 yd
Distance
6
Rounds
3
Reps
18
Total Rounds
Most rifle shooters live and die in one position. They’re solid prone, fine standing in a comfortable doorway, and a complete mess from kneeling. The problem is that real shooting — a match stage, a hunt, a defensive scenario — doesn’t let you pick. This drill walks you through all three foundational positions across three distances in a single session, and the score sheet quietly tells you exactly where to spend your next month of practice.
Set up three IPSC targets at 15, 25, and 50 yards (15, 25, 50 m). Short range? Use 10, 15, and 25 yards. From the ready position, fire 2 rounds standing into each of the three targets, then drop to kneeling and repeat the sequence, then drop to prone and finish the sequence. That’s 18 rounds total: 6 from each position, 6 to each target. No par time on the first pass — build each position deliberately, treat the position itself as the drill, and let the gun fire only when the sights stop wobbling.
Score A and C zone hits and write down which position cost you the most points. Compare the score sheet session to session — the column that doesn’t improve is the one that needs dedicated work. Once the no-timer version feels honest, add benchmarks: under 5 seconds for 2 shots from standing, under 6 from kneeling, under 8 from prone. Then start chaining the positions in sequence — standing into kneeling into prone without resetting between — so you’re training the transitions, not just the static holds.
Range Setup
Setup
3x IPSC targets at 15 yd, 25 yd, and 50 yd (15, 25, 50 m). Short range alternative: 10, 15, 25 yd. Start each sequence in the ready position. No timer needed for the baseline version.
Scoring
Score A and C zone hits per target.
Log hits by position (standing, kneeling, prone) so you can see which posture is the weak link.
Compare the score sheet session to session — the column that doesn't improve is your homework.
Scoring: USPSA target zones: A = 5, C = 3, D = 1, Miss = −10.
Tips
Kneeling: drop the strong-side knee to the ground and rest the support-side elbow on the forward knee. Three points of contact — boot, knee, elbow — give you a stable platform. In ITS and most match contexts you kneel behind a barricade, so build the habit from day one.
Progression
Add a timer benchmark: 2 shots in under 5 seconds standing, under 6 seconds kneeling, under 8 seconds prone.
Chain the positions in sequence — standing to kneeling to prone — without resetting between.
Move the targets back as the score holds: 25 / 50 / 100 yd is the next benchmark layout.