There are two distinct schools of thoughts on barricade shooting. Consider this barricades “cover” instead of “concealment” for the purpose of discussion.
1. Get right up on the barricade, use it to stabilize your weapon.
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| source DVIDS, note muzzle protruding past barrier |
2. Stay back from the barricade, use absolute minimum angles to get your field of fire and proper marksmanship to stabilize your weapon.
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| source DVIDS, note muzzle behind barrier, even though the shooter is much closer than he needs to be to use the barrier as cover |
The “JSOC JEDI” type warriors, Infantrymen, Cops, and competitors prefer, use, and teach method #1.
But just because CAG does it does not make it the correct answer. It just makes it “that’s how CAG does it.”
Method #2 is designed to keep a shooter away from where Achmed Goathumper put the pressure plate attached to the IED that he cemented into that barricade months ago. This does not make method #2 “correct” it just makes it a way to do business when people are turning barriers into bombs. I was taught this method by the AMU. I was impressed at how well it worked in minimizing the shooters signature over method #1 as a complete aside to the IED issue.
In the Infantry they like method #1 because when you are training with sandbags, having your muzzle over the barrier and beyond it means your muzzle blast won’t cut holes in the sandbags (go ahead and ask me how I know this). In the competition world method #1 is preferred because it helps stabilize the weapon. In SOCOM I don’t know what the justification is, but probably because it works really well in training and they must not be facing a huge IED threat. You have to know that you are getting your muzzle above the barrier before you pull the trigger if you are shooting over it.
Next time you are out training, even if you are using airsoft rifles, try both methods. Then next time you are at the range practicing actual shooting from a field position, just put a plywood barrier (or other barrier) and see if you can effectively use the barrier without being right up on it. Remember to use something that your bullet will pass through in case you screw up and get your sights, but not muzzle, over the barrier.
When shooting around the side of a barrier, from a small distance behind it, get set up in a good field shooting stance, and then see about “rolling” your body into line of sight to take the shot. This can be quicker to get your rifle back into the fight after reloading than coming off the barrier, reloading, and coming back on to the barrier as a stabilizer.
http://randomthoughtsandguns.blogspot.com/2013/05/barricade-shooting.html
Judging from the title alone, I thought this was a new sport I hadn’t heard about yet.
My bad.