Point Shooting for Self Defense - Your Experiences

[keith44spl]

I Bowhunt with a recurve and shoot instinctively. I don't use a sight to throw a baseball or football.

I do those three well because I've done them all for a long time.

Point shooting is no different, practice is the key to success. If you think about it objectively, the sights are just an aide. It's your focus and concentration that put the Arrow, Baseball, Football or Bullet on target.

Every movement we make is an exercise in hand/eye coordination. If you can feed yourself without sticking the fork into your forehead you can point shoot.

Well boys, right thare ya go...It's all in a nut-shell.

Kinda like roping a calf...It's all in the practice.


Su Amigo,
Dave

 

[photoman]

I went to my first professional golf tournament this week and it was amazing to watch those guys hit that little ball 150 yards and land it two or three feet from the hole! I'll be darned, but I couldn't find any sights on those golf clubs!

 

[photoman]

Photoman4,

Yes, I shoot at Bullet Trap over on K Avenue. The range stations are definitely not conducive to point shooting. I guess what I'll try is to let my straight arm come down till it touches the bench and bring the arm up and double-tap. Hopefully this is acceptable with the staff, if not, I am sure I'll have someone "tapping" me on the shoulder!

I've gotten the tap on the shoulder a few times over there.

As long as you get the gun up where you can look over the top, you'll be ok (more or less). Honestly, most point shoot instructors will teach a method that gets the gun up into your peripheral vision anyway. True hip shooting takes a TON of practice.

 

[scooter123]

I've gotten to the age where I just can't seen handgun sights anymore, especially at the one local range that allows me to do some rapid fire practice. In general for rapid fire I'll set my target 30 feet out. At that distance I'll generally group between 4 and 5 inches with a split time around 1/2 second. If I push for speed I can get the split down to 3/10 but the group opens up to about 7 inches. For slow fire I'll push the target out to 50 feet with a 5 inch sticker and do my best to keep every shot within the sticker.

Now, my targets aren't nearly as pretty as when I was younger. However, today I'm able to shoot a lot faster and still be effective. I won't deny that I still desire shooting tiny little groups but have resigned myself to knowing that I'll have to use optics in order to do that.

 

[Old cop]

During my 30 year LEO career I had to use my service revolver to protect myself more than once. I never had time to get a sight picture, never missed my "target" and will be eternally greatful for the point shooting training I received.

The only advise I can offer is to find a way to learn this life saving skill if you are serious about self defense. It works equally with revolvers or autos.

 

[Kelly Green]

I practice defensive shooting by point shooting because most self-defense situations happen quickly, in low light and at close range. Practice with the gun you will use.

 

[Silversmok3]

Its dependent on the situation one is faced with.

On the street at arms length there's no sighted stance ive seen that will even let you get a sight picture. In my close call the bad guy was 25 feet away, with me moving backwards as he was advancing towards me. In that instance I had *JUST* enough room to draw and gain a proper sight picture and stance. Inside of 10 feet ,if you have to draw you'll be point shooting whether you want to or not.

This is true in a vehicle as well. If a carjacker comes to your driver side window , there's no physical way to get a sight picture without putting your face in the way of the slide on a semi-auto. A revolver perhaps may make a flash sight picture in a car easier,but nevertheless you won't be going Iscosoles , Weaver, or Chapman stance thumbs forward in the drivers seat of your car.

 

[stacy06]

I learned to shoot at home, with an empty weapon. Pull the gun up quickly, and point at a predetermined target. THEN use your sights, for verification. I was taught that a light switch makes for a good "10 yard" target. Once you are comfortable, then repeat at the range. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me.

 

[GnarlyTwoTrack]

GnarlyTwoTracks,

Shoot between your legs practice, NEVER. Bad things can happen in the heat of battle.

If on the ground, you've fallen or were knocked down, learn to roll to your side a little and have BOTH LEGS and FEET out of the line of fire as you fire at the target. Cross your legs in the opposite direction of the shooting hand and roll on your side in that direction a little to be clear of the muzzles direction.

Practice shooting with the weak hand only too.

As Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch says " Never Point The Muzzle At Something You're Not Ready To Destroy.".

Ill have to post an example.

 

[David Sinko]

Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting shows Ed McGivern shooting between his legs from all kinds of positions, even while handcuffed. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

The same book also shows him shooting lead discs out of the air with his revolver, hitting them dead center. An assistant clicks the adjustable sight and the impact moves the corresponding amount off the center of the disk, proving that high speed precision shooting is possible by using the sights.

Dave Sinko

 

[KKECK5]

I think the reason they started us at 50 yards was to quickly show us that we weren't as good as we thought, ( a legend in my own mind) and it was just a waste of ammo.

 

[photoman]

Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting shows Ed McGivern shooting between his legs from all kinds of positions, even while handcuffed. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

The same book also shows him shooting lead discs out of the air with his revolver, hitting them dead center. An assistant clicks the adjustable sight and the impact moves the corresponding amount off the center of the disk, proving that high speed precision shooting is possible by using the sights.

Dave Sinko

Shoot! When talking about Ed McGivern and revolver shooting, ANYTHING is possible.

 

[amazingflapjack]

I like what's been said, and I would add that a target that gives some reinforcement when hit has been a positive element in all hand gun shooting for me. Gongs or old aluminum frying pans hung by wire are fun as well.

 

[sipowicz]

Just don't shoot a knee. Aim between your legs.

Now you tell me.....

 

[mc5aw]

I find handgun point shooting to be similar to shotgun shooting.

Richard ...

If you've ever fired an AOW shotgun you'll know this comparison is dead-on.

Have you tried shooting a Colt New Agent (9mm or .45) with the gutter sight? It's an enlightening experience and takes a bit of getting used to since most experienced shooters are conditioned to work a firearm's front sight. It requires practice, but pays dividends once you're comfortable doing it.

 

[Kanewpadle]

My slingshot doesn't have sights and I'm pretty good with it. Just ask the raccoons who visit every night.

 

[VictorLouis]

Does anyone recall Darrell E Mulroy?

His passing was too soon! Besides his radio and other pursuits, he offered training in the Twin Cities area as PlusPTechnology.com (plusp.com - plusp Resources and Information. This website is for sale!)
Site is now defunct.

He survived more than a handful of shootouts, second probably only to Jim Cirrillo in the modern era. As Jim spoke (paraphrase) of seeing each serration on the front blade of his Model 10, Darrel would tell you he never saw the sights in any of his fights. One of the big principles he tried to drive home was to get a gun that FITS you, or try and make it fit you.

The Gun Zone -- Darrell Mulroy

If you search THR and TFL , I think you will find his posts there as 'pluspinc'

 

[jlrhiner]

There is an excellent little book called "Shooting to Live" by Fairbairn and Sykes. It goes into great detail to explain the training synapse to use with a new shooter for point shooting. The two fellows that authored it were cops in Hong Kong and were personally involved in a couple of hundred (that's right, several hundred) shootings. And I believe it was written in the 20's.

It's very informative and easy to follow. I highly recommend it.

 

[DesertZig]

Laser training aids

Has anyone used laser training aids as a way to practice point shooting at home?

 

[ogilvyspecial]

Has anyone used laser training aids as a way to practice point shooting at home?

Even though I've been point shooting since the mid-70's
I routinely use Crimson Trace Grips as a training aid.

I'm a night person and we live way off the road so I have the opportunity to
walk around the yard & barns at night and draw my gun and point it at "whatever",
then fully squeeze the grip with my middle finger to activate the sight to see how I did.

Sometimes I activate the laser about half-way through my
arm motion so the laser is on just before I get on target.