While I was practicing some of my usual "aim small / miss small" exercises at the range this morning, one of the ROs was watching and asked me if I had ever tried splitting a piece of cardboard at that distance (25'). I told him that I had not but I didn't see any reason that I couldn't, so I tore the flap off of one of my ammo boxes, taped it on end on the backer board sent it down to the 25' mark. I loaded my MKIII (Williams Fire Sights) with 4 rounds of Federal 550 with the following results (my goal was to split it twice) The 1st round landed a bit right. The second was very close and left a scorch line but no dice . The third was a direct hit . The 4th hit was again just to the right near the bottom . All in all, I wasn't disappointed in my 1st attempt of splitting cardboard
While at the indoor range in Newtown, Readyline. I was trying different guns, a 22 single, a 38 S&W derringer, and Burning off some steel Tula ammo in 40, in my Springfield XD. On the Silouette, the solar plexus to belly button is all in red. I pretty much removed the red from the target with 2 mags 14 rds of 40. Fire fast reload, fire fast. At 25 yrds. The RSO asked how can I do that with the recoil of the 40. Some people fear the recoil, some the noise. I spent 2 hrs 1 on rifle and 1 on pistol. The Mosin has noise. I hit 3 in center at 50 yards with iron, touching each other and 2 more just outside. It is about aim small miss small, at least with the rifle. With my pistols its instinctive shooting or Point Shooting, Been doing it so long. Recoil, muzzle flip does not really bother me. My arm, hand and brain all work together. Training, works.
Mike .... Indeed training works! As I've mentioned a few times recently I've become a big believer in point shooting for purposes of close proximity self defense (less than 10 yards). One of the SD exercises that I generally include at each range trip are "target closing" drills. Simply defined, I set the target (6 x 10 or 8 x 8) on the backer board at a height that would extend downward from the top of the sternum on a 6' man (covering the vital organs) and set the system to close on my position (anywhere from 15' to 25') after a few second delay. Due to range rules limiting shooting from the draw, I start from the "low ready" compressed position (safety on) with my body angled 30 degrees away from the target and my head angled 90 degrees away from the target to simulate an attack from various angles (and to add more difficulty to the scenario). The following target was from this morning utilizing 9 pairs of double taps with my 1911 Micro-compact with the target closing from 20' (5 angled left and 4 angled right). While I'm happy when all shots land inside of the 8 x 8 or 6 x 10 target border, I wasn't disappointed that 17 out of 18 shots landed within the 5 x 5 circle on this one . As with all self defense exercises, how it would translate into a real life scenario with the adrenaline pumping ... I hope to never find out.
If it is good enough for the IDF..... The best thing about Point Shooting, or Natural Aim, or Instinctive Shooting, whatever name you want to give it, is that if you are pushed back, down, to the side, etc.... if you are on one knee, laying on the ground, weak hand because you dropped or because your stong hand has been disabled. You can shoot. Going down, coming up. Try it with your weak hand. Train with that. Empty and dry fire or snap caps, get your brain hooked to your weak hand also. Bob Munden, Jerry Miculek, and fast shooters don't get great sight pictures. They hit what they aim for. Granted both of the above mentioned are robo-shooters. Maybe androids or aliens, they can't be human.... Brain remembers with training, it is instinct. No matter what the situation. Talk to a combat vet, in a firefight they clear a jam, reload, etc, and don't even know they did. It is instinct through training. Of course the anti-guns, military, war, et al, say it is because they ARE robots, taught to kill. Shooting and killing are 2 different things. Not all soldiers are warriors. Not all gunfighters hit a target. They spray lead towards the enemy. John Connor from American handgunner writes about being a fan of Sight picture, stance, etc. He once wrote that he was moving fast with a wounded troop in a fireman's carry in Viet Nam. An enemy popped up he drew his 45 and fired while moving and dropped the enemy. That is Instictive shooting. He did not drop the wounded troop, get in a stance, take aim....he Point Shot, under stress. It works.
