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Old 04-17-2013, 06:18 PM
Delos Delos is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: North Dakota
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Default Real World shooting

When I began shooting serious targets, in the 1960’s, all police and prison guards were taught to be target shooters (15 or 25 yard range? Round bulls-eye targets). The most common handgun was a 4 inch barrel S&W revolver in 38 special. At my prison, like everywhere else, we were trained to shoot one handed, take a breath, cock the revolver, squeeze slowly, be surprised when it fires. (Watch your wabble circle as front sight moves across bulls eye squeeze a little more -and-on-and-on).

Naturally that style of shooting was handed down from old parlor shooting matches with muzzle loading single shot pistols. (With flintlocks there was a slight delay as the powder in the pan under the flint exploded then the main charge)

When the original dueling pistols shot this way the shooter turned sideways to make themselves a thinner target (back when most people were skinny - and any body shot eventually fatal).

In about 1970 some FBI research on police shooting distances claimed police shootings where typically less than 7 yards. At ranges over 25 yards the police had the advantage having been trained as target shooters.

So my first time on an organized range with a professional instructor in the 1960’s began with the words “if you want to hit something with this revolver, first forget all the cowboy stuff you see on television”.

Then in the 1970’s we were going back into the “cowboy stuff”. Police were dying at very close ranges. And police shootings are at farther distances than civilian shootings. They walk or run up toward armed robbers. They chase speeding cars and then need to make an arrest after stopping at an almost safe distance. (No such thing as a safe distance).

Anyway, one notable handgun shooter had really good scores shooting with two hands. And two hand shooting was best for handgun retention, and use of bullet proof vests that were coming on the scene.

We have come a long way. Gamblers in the old west sometimes unscrewed the barrels of revolvers, shooting directly from the cylinder. Drawing from a sitting position from sitting across a table the barrel was just in the way. Smaller pocket pistols were popular in the cities. In the Civil War Calvary a person needed to be able to shoot from a horse. Particularly when they were flanking down a row of cannons pointed at infantry.

Long ago an old story about some (union enforcer?) 400 pound gangster paying a visit to a guy who was not doing the right thing. Or maybe he was behind in his loan shark payments? Anyway the homeowner had a 9mm in a holster mounted up under his kitchen table. When it got serious the guy with the 9mm won the encounter.

Many homeowners have had a knock at the door, often at night, where he was attacked with knife or club instantly when the door was opened.

Inside a home a person seldom shoots very far. You need to forget about shooting a really small target (for awhile) and just concentrate on a fast small group, perhaps two shot bursts?

Most crime happens up close in low light conditions. Laser dots are nice. Warning shots are not considered good but a laser dot waved across a doorway between rooms speaks loud.

Let me know when you can quickly shoot bursts into an 8 inch circle at 2 yards (six feet from end of handgun). Naturally you are not looking a sights but holding a few inches lower, looking down the top of the slide.

For target shooting use your bifocals. Tell your eye doctor you want to see at arms length (your computer glasses?).

If a friend has a revolver you should try target practice both double action and single action. After shooting targets with a (38 special?) revolver using double action your semi-auto will feel nice. After shooting the smaller single action groups with revolver you will have a base (group size) to measure your progress from.

Lots of good advice has been given in this and other threads. Just hang in there and do not send your gun back unless you are shooting better groups with a revolver using 12 pound double action trigger pull.

We are not talking about shooting gophers at 25 yards. Daytime or indoor target shooters at public ranges can be a real nuisance. But they get you past irritating bad habits.

Rule 1. If someone is breaking down your door first turn off your lights.
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