Biggfoot44
Ultimate Member
- Aug 2, 2009
- 33,199
On the Original Topic, what Nanook said in post #13 . 95% of "advanced skills " are Fundamentals done well .
One of the subjects we discuss in this blog, a lot, is the importance of having quantifiable metrics of performance. A large part of that is what I call “soft standards,” i.e. “I did better than I did last time,” and “I performed the drill/skill correctly.” On the same hand however, there is a time and a place for “hard standards.”
“Hard standards” are simply a published set of metrics that a given group of people are expected to be able to achieve, on demand, without specific preparation or warm-up. As individual practitioners of…dare I say…the “Heroic Ideal,” soft standards really should be more important to us than soft standards, but hard standards do have a very important role to play as well.
In the first place, it allows us the confidence to accept fate stoically. “What is, is.” If I have met a hard standard, on demand, without preamble or warm-up, then I know–without doubt or uncertainty–that I am capable of achieving that. I don’t have to go into a disturbing situation wondering, “Gee, I wonder what I am capable of today?” I can simply plan my fight, however briefly, around that standard.
This ties into the second place where hard standards are important. If I am planning something that requires more than just myself to achieve, I need to make my plans predicated on the known, quantifiable capabilities of those on my prospective team. If I don’t KNOW that Joe Snuffy can hit a given rifle shot, on demand, every single time, then I cannot make Joe Snuffy making that shot, the locus of my operation. Sure, he MIGHT make it, and everything might turn out alright. He is just as likely however, to NOT make the shot, ensuring failure.
If you are part of a group: whether a local prepper group, a “militia,” or a police department or military unit, and you don’t have hard standards in place, you’re not serious about being able to accomplish your mission.
Since I'm not interested in becoming a competitive shooter and basically my end goal is close quarters self defense, where there would be no "warm up", I do exactly the opposite.
highly suggest you, and everyone else, if you haven't done so, do a couple of idpa and uspsa matches. it's not force on force training, nor tactical training, but when that buzzer goes off and everyone is watching you, there's enough pressure to get your blood going. great opportunity to see how you, and your gun and gear, work together under a little pressure. a whole different animal than doing single or double taps on a static range, even using a timer. if you don't want any 'warm up,' shoot the stages blind with no walk-throughs. plus these are a ton of fun.
IDPA isn't about accuracy it's about speed. There is a difference.
Proficiency with a pistol is about so much more than group size, unless you are looking to shoot bullseye slow fire group size doesn't really matter. The goal is to place all shots on a target of given size as fast as you can for the given distance. Learning to time your shots, to break shots anywhere from the instant you reset the trigger with the slide pointed at a target, all the way up to taking the time to line up the sights and hit a 6" target that is 50+ yards away. If your group is too small, shoot faster, if you are throwing shots wide, slow down or figure out what you are doing wrong, learn to fire as soon as you have enough of a sight picture to work, especially when moving from target to target. I wasted years chasing small groups at public ranges that didn't allow rapid fire. Soon as I started competing, found a private range without overbearing rules, started working with a timer, and using several blank sheets of paper or plates, I learned how fast I could shoot and still hit a target. That improved my skill much faster, including "traditional" accuracy with a bullseye target, although I only use them for occasional testing and tuning guns and handloads.
My suggestion is to NEVER be satisfied with your accuracy. Always strive to do better.
You're completely missing, or ignoring, the point. Of course one can't plan for every situation, but so far you haven't offered a plan for ANY situation besides "once the bad guy raises his gun.......". That's not exactly a "plan" in my book. The whole point is, what do you do BEFORE that happens ?
Here's where I'm coming from..........
It's the middle of the night.
You hear someone in your house.
You quietly roll out of bed and pick up your gun.
You peek around your bedroom door and see someone rummaging through your desk in the next room.
According to you it's not a good idea to announce your presence OR call the police.
So exactly what do you do ? What's the plan ?
highly suggest you, and everyone else, if you haven't done so, do a couple of idpa and uspsa matches. it's not force on force training, nor tactical training, but when that buzzer goes off and everyone is watching you, there's enough pressure to get your blood going. great opportunity to see how you, and your gun and gear, work together under a little pressure. a whole different animal than doing single or double taps on a static range, even using a timer. if you don't want any 'warm up,' shoot the stages blind with no walk-throughs. plus these are a ton of fun.
I haven't tried IDPA, or USPSA, but I will say that operating under the timer in the little bit of 3 gun dabbling I've done is a real eye opener. It has never taken me longer to get a mag out of my pocket and into my pistol (something I've done hundreds of times) than when the clock was ticking. Moving and shooting under stress would seem to be a great tool to put into one's belt, regardless of where it was found.I disagree. I haven't shot uspsa, but I've done IDPA and was not a fan of some of the rules. I can assure you that when on a two way rifle range no one is going to "dock you points" if you drop and leave a magazine that has ammo in it. Which by the way they told you that you have to do. I found myself paying more attention to the rules vs than my actual shooting. IDPA isn't about accuracy it's about speed. There is a difference.
Do you live in MD? We all have different plans, but threatening someone's life with a gun (that's what their lawyer will say, "Freeze, I've got a gun!" means) shouldn't be the first one. Leave that kind of justice in America.
Shine my WML to make sure it's not someone I love and if not, tell them to get the fvck out and leave everything.You don't like my approach ? That's fine. I'm perfectly okay with being challenged and having to rethink my actions. That's the only way we learn. Constructive criticism ? Absolutely, bring it on ! I do however have a problem when people simply want to be critical and shuffle away without offering any alternatives.
SO, I'll ask the same question I asked the other person........
It's the middle of the night.
You hear someone in your house.
You quietly roll out of bed and pick up your gun.
You peek around your bedroom door and see someone rummaging through your desk in the next room.
What EXACTLY do you do ? What's YOUR plan ?
Shine my WML to make sure it's not someone I love and if not, tell them to get the fvck out and leave everything.
They don't need to know what the shiny thing is attached to just that there is a shiny thing and a person there.
If they comply, cool. Escort them outside and hold them at gunpoint until the popo shows up. If they don't or I find them doing something that puts me in fear of my life or others then I put them down like a rabid animal.
There's no legal requirement for me to tell them I have a gun or I may shoot them.
Shine my WML to make sure it's not someone I love and if not, tell them to get the fvck out and leave everything.
They don't need to know what the shiny thing is attached to just that there is a shiny thing and a person there.
If they comply, cool. Escort them outside and hold them at gunpoint until the popo shows up. If they don't or I find them doing something that puts me in fear of my life or others then I put them down like a rabid animal.
There's no legal requirement for me to tell them I have a gun or I may shoot them.
Not questioning your tactics, but I won't mount a light on a defense firearm. What if it is a loved one, you're now pointing your firearm at them.
Not questioning your tactics, but I won't mount a light on a defense firearm. What if it is a loved one, you're now pointing your firearm at them.
2 things.
1. No I'm not. I use my light at a downward angle (generally) and the light that "bounces back" is generally more than enough for usability for ID purposes.
2. If I was drunk and bonked on my head and had amnesia and forgot all my training theprice of 1-3 seconds of muzzling someone finger off trigger would be much less than the lifetime of regret I would face if I where to shoot a loved one or innocent person by mistake.
Agree with everything you said, and yes, I'm aware there's no legal requirement.
My thinking is that I want them to know so that there's absolutely no doubt in their mind what's going to happen if they challenge me. I don't want them to think for even a moment they might have the upper hand
Ol "speed is fine, accuracy is final" LAV on competition vs defense...I disagree. I haven't shot uspsa, but I've done IDPA and was not a fan of some of the rules. I can assure you that when on a two way rifle range no one is going to "dock you points" if you drop and leave a magazine that has ammo in it. Which by the way they told you that you have to do. I found myself paying more attention to the rules vs than my actual shooting. IDPA isn't about accuracy it's about speed. There is a difference.
You don't like my approach ? That's fine. I'm perfectly okay with being challenged and having to rethink my actions. That's the only way we learn. Constructive criticism ? Absolutely, bring it on ! I do however have a problem when people simply want to be critical and shuffle away without offering any alternatives.
SO, I'll ask the same question I asked the other person........
It's the middle of the night.
You hear someone in your house.
You quietly roll out of bed and pick up your gun.
You peek around your bedroom door and see someone rummaging through your desk in the next room.
What EXACTLY do you do ? What's YOUR plan ?
My plan is to play it by the book: secure family, 911, wait.
I just started shooting about seven months ago. Please let me know what you think, level of accuracy an average shooter like me should reasonably expect to attain - Hit a Target (Size ?) consistently from what Distance? with a semi automatic 9mm pistol - after 1 year of weekly visits to the range - 50 to 100 rounds per visit and about 1 hour of dry fire practice at home. I saw this on the Internet and would like your thoughts on reasonableness of the goals outlined. Thanks for all your input.
Level 1 All 5 shots hit a 3 X 5 index card at 3 Yards
Level 2 All 5 shots hit a 3 X 5 index card at 5 Yards
Level 3 All 5 shots hit a Paper Plate at 7 Yards
Level 4 All 5 shots hit a Paper Plate at 10 Yards
Level 5 All 5 shots hit a Paper Plate at 15 Yards