Hitting The Target
By Ron Mullins and Thom Bolsch
Last month we discussed self-defense with a firearm.
This month we are going to expand on that subject and review “Hitting the Target”.
There are two schools for hitting the target. One school requires a steady hand, excellent hand eye coordination and a time frame necessary to execute on the shot.
If accuracy is your objective; this process works. But what if the time frame is short, or the target is moving; such as someone running towards your child’s bedroom door?
With accuracy targeting; you are looking to put a small hole in the “X” that marks the center of a piece of paper. With self-defense; putting several holes in the mass of the body is the objective. You want the attacker to stop moving. Stop moving towards you or stop subjecting an innocent bystander to violence. You want them to stop!
Speed and accuracy play against each other in shooting a target. At the range, you put your target on the transit and push it out. You steady yourself, pick up your firearm and aim. Slowly you squeeze the trigger and put a hole in the center of the target. Then another, and another. Three shots and you have three holes in the center of the sheet of paper hanging out there fifteen yards away, and all three holes can be covered up by placing a quarter on the center of that target. Nice Shooting.
But real-life is not the sterile environment of the range. First, your target is a real person. Second, they are moving. Third, the time frame available is not seconds but micro-seconds. And forth, and this is critically important, that paper in your lane fifteen yards away is NOT shooting back at you!
While accuracy is not as critical in self-defense shooting; it is important. You don’t want to be wildly shooting bullets randomly. You do want to stop the threat.
To do so you need speed in engagement. You need to draw, present, aim and fire in a steady and fluid motion. A motion that your muscles remember from practice and training. And you won’t get that from standing static in a lane shooting at a static piece of paper.
As mentioned last month, self-defense with a firearm is muscle memory and mental preparation. Our culture has raised us to respect life. To NOT kill. However, in a situation where a threat poses to harm you or someone you love; you have to set aside that culture and eliminate that threat. And it requires mental training along with physical training.
As mentioned last month; it’s unlikely that you will ever be in a situation requiring you to accelerate the action of drawing and shooting; but we train for something we hope will never happen, so we are prepared should it happen.
We offer self-protection training at Saddle River Range. When you are ready, sign up for Firearm Self-Defense, Defensive Shooting and Tactical Carry. These classes are designed to help develop the muscle memory, and the mindset necessary to protect your family from someone that wants to harm them.
Summer is almost over; school starts soon. When was the last time you grabbed the kids and stopped at the range? Hunting season will soon begin. Come on by and get some practice in before the season starts.
Stay Alert, Stay Safe,
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