New girl on the block

[Susan West]

Hi, I’m new to this forum and over the past week I have visited here on several occasions to read what you in the USA, I assume that is correct, write about firearms, their use and how to shoot etc.

Read a few interesting posts, nodded in agreement at some and cringed at others.

I ask politely at what distances do many of you practice? 15 metres? 20 or more?

When I take some of my students to the range for some practice i begin with them shooting 50 rounds at 50 metres 100 at 25 metres and 150 at 15 metres?

Speed is paramount, accuracy is critical, but accuracy with out speed is pointless and speed is irrelevant without accuracy, although I still teach speed.

By speed I mean at 15 metres 3 shoots per second at a standard IPSC target and if you miss the target at that distance perhaps you should take up another sport, or occupation, or learn how and why you need to do it better.

As an observation, guns don’t need names, they are not your friend. All guns are not the same, ammunition is a critical issue, calibres are NOT.
I prefer .40cal, but settle for 9mm, the right ammo is just that, ammo that when it hits, and hits the centre of what you intended to shoot, stays hit.

In the posts i have read there is much said about trigger control, grip, sight picture etc, they are all a given. Without the above you are a danger to yourself and those with you in a situation.

Practice is critical, bad habits must be eliminated. Then more good practice, strong hand weak hand, instinctive shooting, etc. In situations there is no time to think.
I also teach karate, when you need it you do not think, you respond, reflex.
However if you are really smart you would have seen the situation develop many seconds before it happened and taken the appropriate action.
Shooting is similar, be observant, know what is happening around you, who are the players and who are observers. I am not making reference to police officers in a tactical situation, I am making reference to the average person walking down the street, a person who carries.

I like my HS2000, no safety, loaded, but holstered and ready. Years will pass if you are lucky and you will never need to draw, but you train anyway, serious training, not what I call weekend plinkers. Weekend would be shooters if they only had what it takes, talk a lot, but when push comes to shove, just talk more.

To end, if you can take a pistol to the range and at 50 metres hit 3 targets 1 metre apart with 2 shots on each I will assume that you are competent and this should be done in under 10 seconds from the draw.
If you accomplish this I will know factually that you understand about the grip, stance, sight picture, sight alignment. Then guess how easy and fast it becomes at 7 metres or less. There is always more, but more rests with an individual, more is about attitude, more is about who you are.
From down under, where kangaroos roam.

[noobshooter]

Welcome to the forum!

My practice distance usually range from 7 yards to 25 yard (were American and don't use the metric system). Rarely, in USPSA/IPSC or IDPA pistol competition, will I see a target beyond 25 yards. I like the zebra drill at 7, 10, 15, then 25 yards. I also like to include 8" steel plates at the far left and right of the targets to improve my long transitions. I also iinclude footwork drills, draw from different positions, weak/strong hand shooting, prone, and shooting from one position to another. As you can see most of the training I do is for competition.

Again, Welcome from the other side of the world!

[rogerxd45]

most of my shooting is in the 10 yard range (sorry we still use our terrible measurement system that makes NO sense!)

most self defense shooting take place in under 7 yards so thats the area i like to practice the most.

i do move it out up to 25 yards and practice there a little

i would say about 25% of my shooting is past 10 or so yards and the other 75% is around 10 yards or less

[slugger6]

Welcome to the forum.

[Susan West]

Hi Noobshooter, glad to see someone awake at this time of night, thanks for the welcome.
So you shoot IPSC, what is your favorite gun, division, open, standard or production?
Plates are good, as long as you don't wait to watch them fall and move to the next target.
What are your times like? Just a question, surely in IPSC you see a targets at 55 yards thats about 50 metres, we do, not often, but at the major matches. To compensate for this we have 1/2 targets at 25 yards, it's all the same. Thanks again for the welcome.

[KCXPSS]

Welcome Susan...

[Blackwater]

If your serious about your training, then I suggest you send your credentials to 10-8 Forums. You'll get much better responses from known verified/operators. Maybe I'll see you over there.

There's much in the post that I'd disagree with. Speed and accuracy are equally important. I'd suggest a book called the "10 deadliest men", real accounts of real shooters.

[scurtis_34471]

Being able to hit fast at 50 meters is pretty unneccessary for for the overwhelming majority of shooters. It certainly couldn't be called self-defense. If you can reliably hit center mass at 25 meters, you're accurate enough for any real-world situation you are likely to encounter. To be honest, its pretty unlikely anyone will have to fire a gun in self defense at more than 10 meters.

[flycaster]

Civilian self defense? Better not shoot at 50 meters! Law enforcement? May well be necessary. Two different protocols.

Chuck

[Lab_guy]

Originally Posted by flycaster

Civilian self defense? Better not shoot at 50 meters! Law enforcement? May well be necessary. Two different protocols.

Chuck

Very true. Two different protocols plus thinking Internationally there is military and civil defense protocols as well (country specific).