Over the years, firearms training have consisted of precision shooting techniques. Courses developed to enhance precision skills such as PPC and bullseye, were developed and are still being utilized today. Precision shooting skills emphasized by these courses are precision sight alignment, and slow smooth trigger pulls, which often emphasize shooting from distances of 25 and even 50 yards.
Statistically, most shootings take place within 7 yards and are very quick and violent. The precision shooting skills an officer has learned and developed through these courses may not serve them well in a real shooting incident, it may even harm them.
Survival shooting may more adequately serve an officer’s needs in a shooting situation. The technique has been called many different names: instinctive shooting, reactive shooting, point shooting and speed shooting. We will refer to it as survival shooting.
In this article we will cover proper grip, stance and sight alignment required to successfully perform this skill.
The grip is especially important in this type of shooting. Let’s take a look at what a good grip allows the shooter to do. The grip allows the shooter to maintain control of the weapon and aids in recoil recovery. As in precision shooting, sight alignment and trigger control are important. However, the more secure the grip, the more tolerant the shooter’s shooting becomes to a faster trigger operation.
Grip Strong Hand
The strong hand should grip high on the back strap of the weapon.
Approximately 40% of the grip is maintained by the strong hand.
Grip Support Hand
The heal of the support hand is positioned so that it is pressed firmly against the portion of the grip not covered by the strong hand.
The support hand thumb is positioned under the strong hand thumb and pressed firmly against the receiver (not the slide).
Both thumbs should point forward.
Approximately 60% of the grip is maintained with the support hand.
When using this grip, ensure that there are no gaps between the palms of the hands. Gaps are weaknesses in the grip and recoil will seek the path of least resistance, thus causing the recoil to travel through the gap and pull the weapon off target towards the direction of the gap. You want the recoil to flow straight back where your arms and body can absorb it. This will cause very little muzzle movement and as you will learn later in the article what muzzle movement is left over can be used to your advantage. A very important part of this grip is the thumbs forward. The thumb of the support hand should approximately the same distance down the receiver of the weapon as the trigger finger when fully extended off the trigger towards the front of the weapon.
The most important thing to remember about stance is “stance is not that important" The bullet goes where the barrel was pointed at the time the trigger was pulled regardless how you were standing, kneeling, sitting, etc …
Stance (isosceles )
Feet should be approximately shoulder width apart and side by side with the knees slightly bent.
The head as well as the upper torso should be shifted forward.
The arms should be straight and locked at the shoulders, elbows and wrists.
Just like trained fighters the head should be low and forward with the shoulders rolled forward and high protecting the neck area. You’ll know when your head and shoulders are correct as you will be able to feel your hearing protection on your shoulders (if you use hard ears). You are a predator! Take the predator stance head low, weight forward, like a cheetah stalking their pray. Food stands up straight predators are low to the ground.
Unlike the sharp concentrated clearness demanded on the sights in precision shooting, survival shooting places a stronger emphasis on “sight picture". Imagine the rear sight as a window. When firing look through the “window" rear sight, if you can see the front sight somewhere on the target through the rear sight, you will hit your target.
Sight picture
Start indexing the sights as the weapon is being brought up to the firing position.
After each shot is fired re-establish site picture.
Trigger control is simply manipulating the trigger in a way that allows fast, tactically accurate shooting.
As the weapon is brought up to the firing position, you should start the trigger back.
By the time the weapon is on the target the shot should be discharging.
Immediately take up the slack in the trigger after every shot.
In training, be aggressive on the trigger. Accidental discharges may be frequent in the beginning of training believe it or not…this is good (as long as the accidental discharge takes place when the weapon is pointed down range). If you do not experience an accidental discharge, you are not being aggressive enough on the trigger.
Through proper grip and stance, recoil will be greatly diminished. Any remaining recoil can be used to your advantage in firing multiple shots on one or more targets. As the weapon recoils, allow the recoil to move the weapon back into position or even on to the next target.
Remember we fight the way we train. Therefore we must train the way we want to fight in combat. If there is anything that gets me angry on the range, it’s watching a police officer remove his finger from the trigger after each and every shot. If you do this STOP it NOW! Because when the time comes God forbid it does. You will…when in a fight for your life, take your finger off the trigger giving you’re attacker that extra fraction of a second that they need to bury you forever.
When that day or night comes and you have deemed it necessary to use deadly force, please be aggressive, hesitate not, give no quarter and win your fight! Win for all those who are waiting for you to come home.
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information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
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