Shooting

So, you’ve had your first Shooting Lesson; what now?

~ grant.gallagher ~ 1 Comment

Author ScotShot Scott is an NRA and USCCA certified Instructor and Training Counselor in a range of firearms, and home and personal defense disciplines. In an Alternate Universe, he is a husband, father, grandfather, scientist, musician, educator and grumpy old professor. Just your average reactionary, short, fat, old, bald guy!

It might surprise you to know that only a small percentage of gun owners ever take a lesson from a Certified Instructor. Congratulations! You have taken the first step into becoming a Responsibly Armed American! Let’s talk about some initial things you can do to build and grow your new skill. Remember, “Use it, or Lose it!”

Most people who have become new gun owners in the last couple of years are thinking primarily about home and personal defense. In this post, we will focus there. Here’s an interesting little factoid. Over 80 percent of defensive firearms use takes place at the distance of between 9 and 15 feet, so don’t worry about further distances until you’re comfortable with that.

It’s also important to be aware that the TV visual that you only need one shot is, well, made for TV. In reality, you’ll need more, and you’ll want to shoot them pretty fast. So, while we aren’t target shooting, we *are* shooting with focus. We’re shooting with a Defensive Focus.

Here are the gory details. If we need to shoot in defense of our life, or the life of a loved one, then we must do so with purpose. That purpose is to “Stop the Threat”. How is the threat going to be stopped? Does the attacker turn and run when they see our defensive firearm? If so, there is no longer a threat and we can no longer justify shooting. This is important, Tigers!

But if we *do* have to shoot, then we must stop the threat as quickly as possible. The best way to do that is to shoot several times into the heart and lung area. This area is generally referred to as the “High Center Chest”. This is the best way to diminish the attacker’s ability to feed their brain with blood and oxygen. That is what will stop the threat.

So, where is High Center Chest? Take a moment and find a sheet of plain printer paper and fold the long end in it until you have a square. Now, hold it against your chest. Voila! High Center Chest. Easy peasy. Any shot inside that 8 1/4 inch square is an equally effective defensively focused shot. Do you think you could shoot rapidly into a target that size at 9 – 15 feet? Of course you could! So, how do we practice? Let’s hit the range!

We find the plainest target we can lay our hands on. Forget about the zombies and the balloons and the bunnies. Forget about anything with a target and rings and numbers and X’s. These are for different kinds of training. Our ideal target is the “Q” target and every range has them. Now, we either tape on our folded printer paper, or simply draw a square of about 8 – 9 inches with a thick sharpie, then run the target out to 10 – 12 feet.

We safely remove the gun from its case and set it down on the table with the muzzle pointed downrange, and the slide locked back. Load a magazine with five rounds. We bring the gun to a firing condition. We establish our proper two-handed grip and bring the gun back to our chest with the muzzle pointed straight downrange. This position is called “High Compressed Ready” and it’s the only “ready position” we should use. OK – good to go? Let’s fire one shot. We will keep both eyes open and focus on the square.

Extend the gun straight out to the target until both arms are as straight as we can make them, and into our line of sight of the target. The gun should be right in front of our eyes. Our finger should be off the trigger. We should not need to move our head down to find the gun. We should be able to see the gun right in the middle of the square. We touch the trigger but we don’t move it. We press the trigger to discharge one shot. We lift our finger back onto the frame of the gun and return it to High Compressed Ready (HCR).

Did the shot fall anywhere inside the square? Then it’s a ‘hit’! Score ‘1’ for you and ‘-1’ for the bad guy. Now we repeat. We extend the gun, touch and press the trigger, and return to high compressed ready with our finger on the frame. We always look at the target with both eyes. We’re going to repeat this until we can get every shot somewhere inside the square at 10 – 12 feet. This will generally not take more than 15 rounds, but if it takes us a few more, that’s ok.

OK! Now, multiple shots. We load five rounds and extend fully to target as before. We take as much time as we need to let the gun settle back into the square before firing a second time. Now back to HCR. Both shots in the square? Excellent! Extend again and fire three shots, again taking the time we need to get the gun settled and all shots in the square. Use two five-round magazines on this exercise. If we want we can do it again but firing all five shots into the square. That’s good work and 40 or 50 rounds well spent! Time to say “Well Done, Me” and call it a night.

So, let’s review. We are training ourselves to know how quickly we can fire while still getting our shots in the square. The more holes, the less blood to the attacker’s brain and the quicker we will stop the threat.

  • We are training initially only between 9 and 15 feet;
  • We are focusing on the target;
  • We are working from high compressed ready;
  • We are extending the gun fully with both arms, up into our line of sight on the target;
  • We are *seeing* the sights within the target square, but we are not *using* the sights;
  • We are touching then pressing the trigger, letting the gun settle back into our line of sight on the target between each shot;
  • We fire multiple shots as quickly as we can without going outside the square.

We are balancing speed and precision, and learning to shoot with a defensive focus.

Did you enjoy this post? Did you disagree with this post? Either way, please leave a comment ising the link at the top of the page!

Firing your first shots – trigger press.

~ grant.gallagher ~ 1 Comment

Author ScotShot Scott is an NRA and USCCA certified Instructor and Training Counselor in a range of firearms, and home and personal defense disciplines. In an Alternate Universe, he is a husband, father, grandfather, scientist, musician, educator and grumpy old professor. Just your average reactionary, short, fat old bald guy!

“Tell me, Carlice… why do we press the trigger?”
Nervously, she replies, shuffling her feet, “Dr Lochter, Dr Lochter… to fire the gun.. we press the trigger to fire the gun..” Her voice trails off.
“No, Carlice, that is IN-cidental.”

If you’re a new gun owner, then I hope your Firearms Instructor wouldn’t send you to a well-known lover of meat, Chianti, and lima beans to learn the basics, but I like to think that there’s some truth in the example. I also hope that they wouldn’t describe the moment when the trigger trips the firing pin as a “surprise break”. This may increase apprehension in new shooters, all of whom are perfectly aware that pressing the trigger causes the gun to fire and they’d rather it wasn’t a surprise, thank you.

So, what have I observed going on in peoples’ minds when they begin to increase pressure on the trigger to fire their gun – any gun – for the very first time? Many new shooters are perfectly calm and remember everything we worked on in the classroom. For some though, the nervous voice in their head almost immediately says “why hasn’t it FIRED yet?”, and they rapidly pull (or as we say, “slap”) the trigger. This jerks the gun and undoes all the good work they just put in regarding stance, grip, presentation, aiming, breath control, etc. Less frequently, but still commonly, they may well press the trigger well but then immediately flick it off, or rush the gun back to their chest, perhaps with their finger still on the trigger.

All of us who teach firearms, particularly handguns, to new shooters, are aware of these things and many more, which is why we always give you only one round when we haven’t seen you shoot before.
Here at ScotShot, we have developed a method that is specifically designed to separate proper trigger press from the gun’s firing. As we will tell you, it is your job to press the trigger, it is the trigger’s job to fire the gun. Here’s what we do.

Once we are happy with your grip and stance, and feel that you are positioned correctly, we ask you to shoot with our guidance:

“OK – when you’re ready;

  • finger on the trigger;
  • pause your breath;
  • steady press back and hold for two;
  • breathe;
  • relax your finger;
  • finger off, and gun in.”

Your finger starts off the trigger and ends off the trigger. The gun returns to compressed ready and so the next shot also reinforces the proper push-out to eye level. We use this technique exclusively in the preparatory classroom period, and with live-fire as much as necessary for the student to see that they can achieve a group of shots.

There’s a number of things that can conspire against new shooters and prevent you from shooting optimally. We will explore some of these in later posts, but one less obvious thing is the importance of which part of your finger actually touches the trigger. It’s important to use the fleshy pad at the end of your finger.

You might find yourself pushing your finger through to the first joint because this feels more comfortable, but this may well pull the shots to the side (or use your finger tip, which pulls the shots to the other side). We prepare you in the class by asking, “If I gave you a small little screw and asked you to close your eyes and tell me what shape it is, which part of your finger would you roll it around on?” Now it’s obvious [1].

That’s the ScotShot way of trigger press. It’s not the only way, but it’s a way that we have found works pretty well, most of the time, for the majority of new shooters. Good luck to all of you who are learning to shoot for the first time, or learning the basics of defensive shooting!

How does this sound? Do you prefer a different method? Write and tell us!

[1] If it’s me, I might well say “tiny wee screw”.

Searching for your Goldilocks Gun

~ grant.gallagher

Author Jamie Green is a firearms instructor in Arkansas. She holds certifications with the NRA, USCCA, Rangemaster Firearms, and The Complete Combatant to name a few.  She is on the Board of Directors for Armed Women of America (aka TWAW Shooting Chapters, Inc.), and the FBI Citizen’s Academy Alumni.  Jamie writes curriculum for the Boy Scouts of America Shooting Sports program and is passionate about helping her students on their personal protection journey regardless the path they choose.

Are you frustrated when you look at your target? Do you attend trainings and work hard only to keep getting the same results? You know you are properly applying the shooting fundamentals but the bull’s eye eludes you. What’s a guy/gal to do?

Maybe it’s time to evaluate your gun. Is it too big, too small, or “just right”? Just like a pair of shoes (or your unmentionables) your gun needs to fit properly. Remember finding a pair of shoes after trying on several and realizing, knowing, feeling ‘YES, these are the shoes’? Or maybe it was that driver that somehow magically puts your ball way down that fairway and sitting pretty. You can find that same feeling with your gun if you apply just a couple of principles.

If you have been shooting any time at all, you know that your gun must be easy for you to rack, and that the trigger needs to suit you. You have to be happy with the sights. But there are just a few more things to check before you ‘check out’ at the register. The key is ‘frame size’. It’s important that the frame size is matched to your hand, just as a shoe is fitted to your foot.

Photo from Lucky Gunner

To check gun fit, follow a few simple steps. Holding the gun in your dominant hand, extend your arm toward the floor, keeping your arm and wrist straight. Does the back of the gun create an imaginary straight line all the way up your arm to your shoulder? It should do so. Next, is your basal thumb joint (the joint at the base of the thumb right next to where the thumb joins the hand) sitting on the side of the gun rather than behind the gun? It should be. Make sure the gun is in this position in your hand (left side of picture).

Next, place your finger on the trigger. The finger should sit ‘in front’ of the trigger, rather than at the edge. Do you have any room between your trigger finger and the frame of the gun? (You should have just enough room to get the tip of your pinkie or a pencil between your finger and the gun’s frame). Do you have to adjust your hand around the grip in order to reach the trigger properly? (If you do, then the imaginary straight line has just been erased). Answering ‘yes’ to the last two questions may indicate you have a gun with a frame that is too large for you. While you will still be able to operate the gun, you may not be getting the results at the target you desire. Your slow shots may be ok, but if you are shooting rapidly or under pressure, the shot placement may spread far and wide.

Finding a gun that fits your hand properly is an important aspect of accurate shooting. Think back to that feeling when you found THOSE perfect shoes (or driver). If your gun doesn’t fit, then keep searching. I promise there is a Goldilocks gun out there, one that is “just right”.

You’re not Alone !

~ grant.gallagher ~ 2 Comments

Author Heidi Bergmann-Schoch is a United States Concealed Carry Association multi-discipline instructor and Training Counselor (instructor-trainer), as well as a multi-discipline instructor for the NRA and a Chief Range Safety Officer. Public Safety orientated, she has served working nights as a Nationally Registered Paramedic and a Police Officer working patrol, training and handling a Patrol/Narcotics K-9 and an adjunct Tactical Officer. She does some of her best work in the dark. Spending a good part of her life breaking, training, and showing horses, she understands the art of compromise and the benefits of Advil. She can usually be found on her farm with her husband and a plethora of animals, as well as plenty of bees.

You’ve bought your first firearm! You’re excited and a little nervous that something you would never have considered owning 3 years ago has come home with you to help keep you and your loved ones safe. Every once in awhile, you get together and go shoot for an hour then head home, satisfied you’ve shot “well enough” and fairly confident of your abilities.

A few lessons and classes later you realize you really like to shoot! It’s fun while you’re there! Perhaps your spouse, friend or a relative has a gun too, so you may already have a companion to go to the range with. However with busy lives, one thing leads to another and next thing you know, it’s been a month since you visited your favorite noisy place! So why don’t you go more often? Seems your shooting buddy has been busy with no time to spare. If you were bowling or playing bocci chances are you’d be out there once a week, having set aside a particular time to get together with a group.

If you didn’t have a group but wanted to interact in one, or form one, you could put a notice up on the community bulletin board or even make an announcement on Facebook that you were looking for participants. But what about with firearms? It’s hard. Many of us keep this pass-time quiet, either going alone or with that one trusted friend, so when they’re busy, we become frustrated and our enthusiasm wanes.

I’m pretty open about my involvement with guns, explaining to anyone who will listen how they can be a very safe and effective part of a home defense plan.  I’ll go on to mention they are a fun hobby, an investment (I use this one on my husband!) or a means to harvest dinner. I have many friends who have firearms and many who do not but don’t object to the idea (..they know who they’re running to when the zombie apocalypse happens!). But that’s my life and I’m lucky to have it. I don’t have neighbors who get suspicious when they see a laser beam briefly shine out a window because I’m using a laser target in the living room. My neighbors don’t care if they see me loading the car with heavy rectangular bags or long oddly shaped ones.

Finding friends with similar interest in gardening is one thing, but how do you find like-minded people who like guns? Mention it to the wrong person and suddenly you’re the latest, juiciest topic of conversation in your HOA! The looks, the whispers….just the kind of attention you don’t need!

So how DO you make firearms friends? Start with your local range. Become a member and ask when the best time is to arrive and have some practice time that’s not terribly busy so it’s not too noisy. Weekdays in the morning or early afternoon are usually the best. People who are there aren’t rushing to send a few rounds downrange on their lunch hour. It’s a more leisurely atmosphere and the members there usually have some time on their hands. Maybe it’s a retirement hobby for them. But how do you break the ice and start up a conversation, particularly if you’re new and uncertain? Ask them about their gun! Firearms owners LOVE to talk about their favorite gun, target, latest gadget and how long they’ve been shooting. You can make a friend and learn something new as a bonus!

What about trying to find someone in your neighborhood to go shooting with? That’s a bit trickier. If you have a community center, find a class at the local range you may be interested in and post details on the bulletin board. You don’t have to leave your name, just attend the class and see if a neighbor shows up. Try starting your own group. Post a notice of a meet up at the range.  If you’re nervous about what people may think about the topic, make sure no one is around when you put it on the board. Go ahead, look over your shoulder! It may sound a bit “cloak and dagger” and it IS our 2nd Amendment right, but sadly we know not everyone we meet believes this. Don’t put your name on the notice, but do show up at the range on time. Don’t be surprised when your neighbor from two doors down walks in!

It may take a little bit, but you’re sure to find some friends on the range! Gun owners tend to be friendly, practical people who appreciate others who share their interests. Take that first step, head out to your favorite noisy place and make friends!