How to Utilize Objects That Will Stop a Bullet

When facing an armed assailant, getting behind cover is a high priority. While it’s true that cover is a relative term, anything you put between you and the bad guy is better than nothing. But before you can use cover, you need to recognize it. Once you’re behind cover, there are a few techniques that will help maximize the protection it provides.

Since we don’t tend to think clearly under duress, identifying, moving to and using cover probably won’t just come to you when a deadly threat suddenly emerges. That’s why it’s important to understand what constitutes cover and how to maximize its benefits before your life depends on it.

First, let’s define what cover is. Cover is any object capable of stopping a bullet. Of course, an object that would stop a bullet from a .22 rimfire might not stop a .223 centerfire bullet, what would stop a .223 bullet might not stop a .308 bullet, and so on. Still, dense objects like concrete walls or pillars, a vehicle’s engine block or tires, or even a large tree trunk will likely protect you from incoming rounds. Interior walls, car doors, and the like may not.

As you work through your day, start being aware of objects in the vicinity that could be used as cover. Consider not only whether an object would contain a bullet but also how you may have to position yourself behind the object for maximum protection.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

Understand that how you use cover can change depending on the angle from which you are attacked. For instance, if an assailant is in an elevated position, being as close to cover as possible will better protect you than being several feet behind it. The same goes for an assailant attempting to flank you.

But hugging cover isn’t always the answer. When you’re too close to cover, your field of view is limited. Being too close to cover also makes you more susceptible to being struck by rounds that skip off the object you are behind, since they will tend to travel relatively parallel to the object.

If you’re a few feet back from cover, skipped rounds are more likely to glide harmlessly past. This holds true whether you’re working around cover, as in the case of the corner of a building, or over cover, like the hood of a vehicle. Being back from cover also gives you more room to maneuver, which is particularly beneficial if you’re sharing that cover with others, who may also be trying to shoot the bad guy.

When you’re armed, you’ll want to keep as much of your body behind cover as possible to return fire. This requires you to be proficient in firing from a variety of shooting positions such as squatting, kneeling and lying down. Each position has its pros and cons.

Positional Considerations

Squatting enables you to keep more of your body behind a horizontally oriented object like the hood of a car. Here you need to remember that being behind the engine block is cover; if you’re not behind the engine block, you may not be protected.

When possible, shooting around cover is better than shooting over it. Popping up above cover is more predictable, and since the distance between your eyes and the top of your head is greater than the distance from one eye to the side of your head, you are less exposed shooting around cover than over it.

Of the various shooting positions, squatting is the most like standing upright, so it doesn’t require much modification. Just widen your stance and bend your knees to get your head behind cover. If squatting is enough to protect yourself from incoming fire, don’t get any lower; to do so would needlessly compromise your mobility.

To get lower, there are several shooting positions where one or both knees are in contact with the ground. There’s high kneeling, double high kneeling, low kneeling and double low kneeling.

High vs. Low

High kneeling means one or both knees are on the ground, with your leg—or legs if both knees are on the ground—forming an approximate right angle. The ball of your foot (or feet) are in contact with the ground, which allows you to propel yourself up quickly.

With double high kneeling, it’s a little slower to get up because you’ll first have to transition to one knee. Your upper body positioning is no different than standing upright or squatting.

With low kneeling, your butt rests on one or both heels. This enables you to get even lower. When kneeling on your gun-side knee, this position allows you to brace your non-shooting arm on the corresponding raised knee.

This helps stabilize your gun for increased accuracy, but you should avoid resting the point of your elbow on the point of your knee. Instead, rest the outer portion of your elbow against the inner portion of your knee.

With the low kneeling position, you could place the tops of your feet on the ground rather than the balls of your feet. While doing so would enable you to get even lower, it would of course also take longer to stand up.

Finally, we have various lying positions, which include prone, rollover prone and supine. These can enable you to use a very short object like a fire hydrant or even a high curb as cover. They also allow you to stabilize your gun for better accuracy.

Prone requires you to lie on your stomach, facing the threat, while propped up on your elbows. Rollover prone involves facing the threat while rolled onto either shoulder. You might find it more comfortable to bend your leg opposite the side you rolled to. If you roll to your left shoulder, your right knee bends, and vice-versa.

Supine may be used if you find yourself on your back, behind the tire of a car or in a similar predicament. Keeping your feet on the ground ensures your lower body is out of the line of fire. It also enables you to move left or right to stay oriented to the threat. You can brace your arms against the inside of your legs for stability.

Recognizing and maximizing available cover is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself against someone shooting at you. If you’re unarmed, it buys you time. If you’re armed, it provides a degree of protection from which you can return fire to stop the threat.

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