Category: Training

Range Visits for Self Defense Practice

On By Tom LindsayIn Drills, Self Defense, Training1 Comment

The ideal place to practice shooting for self defense is an outdoor range, because you need to be able to practice shooting on the move, shooting from odd positions, and other scenarios that you would encounter in a self defense situation.

Unfortunately, many of us don’t have access to an outdoor range often enough to practice these perishable skills. In some previous posts, I gave some thoughts about how I practice at an indoor range to get ready for competition. Yesterday during lunch I went to the range to practice my self defense shooting.

Here’s what I practice for self defense. Since my range doesn’t allow me to draw and shoot, all shots are from low ready.

I use a silhouette target set at 7 yards to 10 yards. I use 10 yards because I’ve paced off my house, and this is the longest shot I would have to make. Sure, I might face longer shots, but that’s not what I’m practicing today.

I start with the target at 7 yards, and make single shots into the central target zone. For me, this is a triangle formed by the nipples and the larynx. A shot in this area makes the most effective hole in an attacker, and is most likely to stop the fight the fastest. I want 10 or so good shots in this zone, with good form and follow through.

Next I do two shots to the triangle, starting with a measured pair, and moving to a double tap. Again, I want good hits, good form, a follow through.

Next, I do Mozambiques – a shorthand for a drill invented by Lt. Colonel Jeff Cooper, consisting of two shots to the triangle which fail to stop the threat, followed by a shot to the head. It should be noted, from my experience at competitions where it has been included, that a true Mozambique is not a quick “two shots to the body and one to the head.” There is a pause between the first two shots and the head shot to assess whether the head shot is needed. This is important, because in a real fight, there is no way to know that the third shot would be needed. So, that’s the way you should practice it.

In fact, if you have a shooting partner at the range, a great way to do a true Mozambique is for the partner to watch you shoot the first two shots, then call “Yes” or “No” indicating whether your shots stopped the target. If not, then you follow up with a head shot. Then, go on farther – if that shot isn’t dead on the central nervous system, follow up with a pelvic shot.

Next, I turn my body 90 degrees left, and starting with the gun at low ready, I press out to the target with my right hand and deliver shots to the triangle, first singles, then doubles. This simulates a shot to the extreme right, where you might not have a chance to square yourself to the target.

Next is a couple of Mozambiques from this position, but I try to square myself to the target between the body shots and the follow up, just like I would want to do in a real situation.

Next, do the same from the other side. Naturally, using the weak hand means taking more care, but that’s the point of practice. You will get better.

If your range allows, shots from the retention position would also be included. My range has a bench in front of me, so this isn’t a good idea.

Next, I run the target out to 10 yards and practice making single shots and doubles, either to the triangle, or to another zone like the pelvis, so I can distinguish those shots from others. The longer distance doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough for me to make a difference.

I usually end the session with the target at 5 yards, and I shoot 4 or 5 shots as fast as I can, while keeping them in the triangle.

As you can see from the photo, I’m not always as accurate as I want to be, but most of the shots are in the triangle or in the head, or at least where I was aiming. But I am getting better, and that’s the whole point.

Cross Dominance Revisited

On By Tom LindsayIn Cross Dominance, Training

April 2010

August 2011

As I’ve related before, my son is cross dominant. Like a large number of people, he is right handed but left eye dominant.

We’ve worked on compensating for this before, as seen in the top photo, taken over a year ago. He even started shooting rifles left handed.

The last time we went shooting, I noticed he was shooting rifles right handed. I asked him about it when we got home.

His answer? He figured he should learn to shoot both ways. What about his eye dominance? Did that make the rifle shooting a problem? Not really – he just squinted a little with his left eye, and it all fell into place. Considering he was hitting targets at 100 yards with iron sights with the AR, I’d say it worked.

I also noticed him last weekend shooting his Nerf pistol right handed, despite having done that almost exclusively left handed. And he did a good job with it.

When he starts competing, and the stage calls for “offhand” shooting, the rest of us are in for a surprise. He won’t have one.

Thoughts on Methods of Carry

On By Tom LindsayIn CCW, Concealed Carry, Training

Sometimes you need to carry 2 Glocks.

JP over at the Empty Mags Podcast recently did an episode about pocket carry, that is, carrying a pistol in a pocket holster. I was reading other blogs who commented on this, and I wanted to share my thoughts.

There are several ways to carry a gun, and there is no way I can be exhaustive, but here is how I’ve done it.

My choice of carry method depends on several things, including the clothes I’m wearing and where I’m going.

By far the preferable way for me is belt carry, the traditional holster on the belt on the strong side, which I do when I can wear a concealing garment like a jacket or over shirt. I carry at almost the 3 o’clock position, maybe 3:30, and I would carry it even farther forward if I could work out reliable concealment. I just find that a draw at 3:00 or farther forward works best for me. When I open carry, I carry at 3:00.

I’ve used several kinds of holsters for this: Kydex paddle holsters, Kydex belt slide holsters, and leather belt slide holsters. Again it depends on what I’m wearing and where I’m going. If I need to take the holster off to go in a restricted place like the courthouse, I’ll use a paddle holster, although I’ve also taken to using a leather belt slide holster, and carrying a leather IWB holster to put the gun in, and put it in safe keeping.

I also have a Bladetech double offset drop belt holster that I use for competition. That’s it in the forward position in the picture.

Next on my preferred carry methods is Inside-the-Waistband, or IWB. All my IWB holsters are leather. I carry them at 3:00 also. I find that when the gun is canted forward a little, it rides right on my hip bone, which works really well.

Next is a fanny pack with an IWB holster in it. I stress that I always use a holster whenever I carry, even if it’s in a fanny pack, so that the trigger guard is covered to prevent accidentally pressing it. I use a fanny pack when I’m out walking, wearing gym clothes. I’ve also used a very large fanny pack to carry in the car, and I sling it over my shoulder like a ruck sack. No one knows.

I also have an ankle holster that I bought at a gun show on a whim. I’ve never carried using it. My plan was to use it to carry my G19 as a backup gun. Maybe I should work on it.

Now, back to the issue of pocket holsters. Admittedly, I’ve never carried a gun in a pocket holster. In fact, I don’t own a gun that’s small enough to carry in a pocket holster.

I don’t rule it out though. Michael Bane talks in his Down Range Podcast about methods of concealed carry, and I really like his strategy – whatever he’s carrying on his belt, he almost always has a pocket pistol in his left front pocket as a backup. In his case, it’s a Ruger LCP.

His thinking is this, and I like it – he doesn’t plan to have to draw the gun quickly in most cases because his plan is to have his hand on the pistol, already partially drawn, when trouble goes down. Weer’d also talks about having his pocket pistol out and on the console.

Of course, this assumes we know when trouble is happening, which isn’t always the case. But if we work on our situational awareness the chances of this go up a lot.

The Evolution of My Pistol Shooting Stance

On By Tom LindsayIn Competition, Training5 Comments

I was looking at photos of people shooting, and I noticed the different ways people hold their guns when shooting. This got me thinking about how my own shooting stance has changed over time.

Here is a brief history of my shooting stance.

The Dueling Stance

This is the classic one handed bullseye stance. The shooter aims along the arm, and puts one hand in their pocket. I have no idea if this is still being done, but if I had to guess, it probably is, by bullseye competitors.

I’ve played around with this stance on occasion, but I don’t have the arm stamina to do it effectively. However, if I did need to do it, I would just get some training and practice.

The good news is I don’t have much reason to use this stance. I don’t shoot bullseye and I don’t settle quarrels with a duel.

Weaver Stance

This stance was the major stance in use in the early days of Practical Pistol. A lot of more experienced shooters still use this stance. A lot of Hollywood people who don’t have a good instructor use this stance, some of them using the Teacup method with the support hand.

R. Lee Ermey uses the Weaver stance. This is interesting, because the military taught a one-handed shooting style with the 1911, up until adoption of the Beretta M92 in the 1980’s.

I used the Weaver stance early on, because it gave me a better view of the sights. The gun is closer to the eye. It also turns your body a little bit, which stabilizes you against the recoil. Proponents also say it presents a smaller target to the bad guy, but to me that assumes you are standing there shooting at a bad guy, and not running like hell to get away, like you should be.

Isosceles Stance

This stance is named for the triangle that the arms make when holding the gun in front of the shooter. It was pioneered by Brian Enos and Rob Leatham in the 80’s.

I noticed that a lot of shooters used this stance, and I tried it a number of times. Some of them lock their elbows, like Dave Sevigny, and some leave the elbows a little bent, like Doug Koenig. I tried it both ways.

But because it was uncomfortable to me – that is, unfamiliar – I quickly went back to the Weaver stance.

On a couple of practice occasions, I decided to see how accurate I could be with each stance. I found out that I was a lot more accurate using the Isosceles stance than the Weaver, and I mean a lot more accurate. I think it has to do with the variability of the hold. In the Weaver I kept my strong arm a little bent, and I think this led to differences from shot to shot.

After a few sessions, I finally convinced myself to switch to Isosceles. It wasn’t easy – no change ever is. But it’s paid off for me.

Now, I occasionally find myself back in the Weaver stance, for no apparent reason. Habit I guess.

My point of all this is to say, try all the stances. Don’t use a stance just because you think it looks good on Jack Bauer. Use what works. And if people give you grief, let your score do the talking.