COUNTING SHOTS is important to me......

[chief38]

Ever since my Dad got me my first .22 he always insisted that I count my shots! It became so engrained in me, I simply can not shoot without doing so as it is an automatic thing I do. I even count other shooters shots (next to me) when I am loading up or doing something other than actually firing.

When I train a new shooter, I insist they start counting their shots but most of the time they don't seem to get it! Not only is it very important to know how many rounds you've got left in the magazine or cylinder, but when not in a SD or HD situation at least you don't look like a Dufuss while shooting.

To me this is such a simple thing and I can't understand why it is so difficult for others to do. I could understand guys who have been shooting for years and have never done this, but for new shooters it should actually be easier to learn - I would have thought. This helped me out tremendously when competing in SASS (Cowboy Action Shooting) matches, PPC matches, and just in informal friendly competitions.

Just wondering if I am the exception here or others do this while shooting as well. To me, especially for those who CCW on a daily basis, this should be second nature. You never want to pull a trigger in desperation and the last thing you hear is "click"!

 

[Rudi]

The round count is big with me as well. Just wonder if I would be able to do it in a real situation. Training is key.

 

[stansdds]

Never get caught with an empty firearm, I learned that in my USPSA competition days. The same goes for defensive uses, count shots and reload before empty. If you always count when you practice, you are more likely to count in a serious situation.

 

[Rpg]

It's hard to imagine NOT counting your shots whether hunting, in competition or anything else. It's second nature to me.

Some things are just obviously important: counting shots, zipping your pants, turning off the stove ...

 

[OKFC05]

Chief, you and I share the same views, but we're just out of style. I get flack from new shooters for just talking about reloads. The modern attitude is to get a bigger magazine so they don't have to reload, much less anticipate when to reload, or even know how to do a speed reload.
In IDPA, the magazines are limited to loading 10 regardless of actual size, and some new shooters complain bitterly. I've even heard "if the stage is 18 rounds, I should be able to load 18."
"If I didn't have to use cover, I could shoot faster" is another complaint that irks me.
Oh well, maybe I am just too old............

 

[Oldfrt]

The only hard part with me is when I switch from a 5 shot to 6 shot revolver, last time at the range I was leaving one good round in the moonclip. I have a preference for the 5 shot revolvers so my 6 shot ones don't get near the usage.

 

[blues7]

Counting comes to me as naturally as breathing. To each his own, I guess.

I prefer to know how much ammo is in my firearm and when a (tactical) reload may be called for.

 

[Echo40]

I'm surprised that we still don't have firearms with LED readouts that keep track of remaining ammunition in the magazine like in the movie ALIENS. I remember hearing that the US Army was planning on making such a feature a requirement in future trials for military contracts, but apparently it was never actually implemented.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My dad taught me 'no matter the firearm, count the rounds'.

It has been both a blessing and a curse.

I always know how many rounds I have left to work with but It ruined movie shootout scenes.

 

[Old cop]

Ever since my Dad got me my first .22 he always insisted that I count my shots! It became so engrained in me, I simply can not shoot without doing so as it is an automatic thing I do. I even count other shooters shots (next to me) when I am loading up or doing something other than actually firing.

When I train a new shooter, I insist they start counting their shots but most of the time they don't seem to get it! Not only is it very important to know how many rounds you've got left in the magazine or cylinder, but when not in a SD or HD situation at least you don't look like a Dufuss while shooting.

To me this is such a simple thing and I can't understand why it is so difficult for others to do. I could understand guys who have been shooting for years and have never done this, but for new shooters it should actually be easier to learn - I would have thought. This helped me out tremendously when competing in SASS (Cowboy Action Shooting) matches, PPC matches, and just in informal friendly competitions.

Just wondering if I am the exception here or others do this while shooting as well. To me, especially for those who CCW on a daily basis, this should be second nature. You never want to pull a trigger in desperation and the last thing you hear is "click"!

We were taught to count in our academy firearms training and I still do it too. That "habit" came in handy in a 1974 gunfight w/armed robbery suspects. I knew exactly when to reload my Colt DS w/o the hammer falling on an empty chamber, getting me back in the fight very quickly.

 

[rockquarry]

Seems like counting may tread closely on the edge of easy chair combat but it probably hurts nothing if you choose to do it...

 

[Cal44]

If you count shots, it makes watching westerns and cop shows frustrating.

... All those 12 shot revolvers and 36 shot Glocks.

 

[brucev]

I count. I can count all the way up to six. After a I got interested in semiautos, I learned to count some more ... up to 7, 10 and now all the way up to 15. Cool. Sincerely. bruce.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Constantly maintaining a count of shots fired and rounds remaining is an excellent idea. It is also nearly impossible to do in an actual combat situation.

While in Vietnam and using the M16A1 we were issued 20-round magazines, the 30-round mags came along much later. The 20's had an annoying habit of causing problems when more than 18 rounds were loaded. Many of us loaded our mags with a combination of ball and tracer ammo to help us stay on top of what was going on. From the top, 1 tracer, 4 ball, 1 tracer, 4 ball, 1 tracer, 4 ball, then 3 tracer rounds. Those final 3 tracers alerted us that it was time for a mag change, and that was very helpful during a firefight.

Of course, along about the time for a magazine change it was also time for clean underwear.

No plan ever survives the first contact with the enemy (I think Gen. George Patton said that).

Half a century later and I wish I had access to more tracers.

 

[mikerjf]

I count with the J-frame, and 5 becomes 0 pretty darn quick. With the Glock I don't bother.

 

[WR Moore]

No plan ever survives the first contact with the enemy (I think Gen. George Patton said that).

Field Marshall von Moltke the elder.

 

[cracker57]

I have heard that when in a shootout many trained officer or agents have not a clue on how many rounds they fired, not saying you shouldn't train to count, just saying...... it might not happen when you are getting shot at.

 

[Univibe]

I have heard that when in a shootout many trained officer or agents have not a clue on how many rounds they fired, not saying you shouldn't train to count, just saying...... it might not happen when you are getting shot at.

Lawmen I know all say that in a real fight, or realistic SWAT type training, they don't count, and figure out that they're out of gas when the trigger quits making it go Bang.

 

[Seamus O'Caiside]

I usually count shots, but I didn't become a serious handgunner until I was 77 years old, and blind in my shotgunning eye. Now I have revolvers with 5, 6, 8, and 10 shots. It would not surprise me, and shouldn't surprise you, if I was to lose count when the target is moving around and dangerous.

Besides, I would rather not be distracted by counting when I am concentrating on my shooting.

I'm seriously thinking about marking one chamber with a little spot of red paint and making a habit of closing the cylinder with the marked chamber in the no.1 position, so a quick glance at the gun will tell me how close to empty it is. I just need to find a paint that will stand up to gun cleaners but be removable when necessary.

 

[Echo40]

It's funny, but I never really had to learn to count rounds, because ever since I learned to count as a boy, I developed the strange subconscious habit of counting practically everything. I don't know why, exactly, but I'm just one of those extremely perceptive people who makes mental notes of little things, even when they're of no particular importance.
Folks used to say that I think like a detective, but I think that's giving me a bit too much credit, because although I do have something of a knack for picking up on things that escape the notice of others, it's honestly more of curse than a blessing if you ask me. Honestly, I drive myself crazy during downtime, practically counting down the seconds until I had something to occupy my time because unless I'm tired I can't really relax, yet at the same time I'm anxious when I get extremely busy or have a lot of things to do. Everything becomes that much harder when you're always adding it all up then counting it all down.

However, I have a weird habit of doubting what I count, so I often end up second-guessing myself, thinking; "Wait, did I miss one there?" So eventhough I count my rounds as I'm shooting them, I end up questioning whether I actually counted them correctly. I do the same thing when I lift weights too.