Posted on 05/24/2019 8:58:38 AM PDT by w1n1
Or is this a lost art? Many shooting instructors will agree that shooting inside 20 feet usually doesn’t require having a perfect sight picture. In a defensive situation, it makes sense to have point-shooting abilities. After-action reports show that, almost without fail, people don’t look at the front sight in a panic situation. Our instinct is to look at the threat. So why not develop that instinct into a usable shooting skill?
Brief History
Point shooting has been used by archers since the dawn of man. Training with firearms has its roots back in the OSS (Office of Strategic Services 1942) days.
Second Lieutenant Rex Applegate was given the task of adapting the training being given to British Commando forces for use by OSS agents. Applegate's methodology was published in his book, Kill or Get Killed which was first printed in 1943, and based on his training program for the OSS developed with William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes. Read the rest of point shooting.
I personally was trained by Lucky McDaniel, the father of ‘Quick Kill’ point shooting. I keep a few Red Ryder BB guns handy to teach others.
Take a gun, load up on cheap wad-cutters, and practice practice practice until it feels natural to point and shoot, and you can hit what you are aiming at.
It becomes as natural feeling as pointing your finger at something.
You can practice with a laser beam sight too. You can pull the trigger and see the beam on the target with your UNLOADED weapon.
In 1967 while in Basic Training, that is the skill we were taught with Daisy BB guns. Why? Because we were all going to Vietnam and that was a skill that was really needed.
Well...my vision now requires me to use the lower part of my bifocals to clearly see the front sight. So careful sighting is probably out for most defensive purposes. Not a big fan of shooting from the hip, though. Might work for folks who shoot 10,000 rounds a year, but I probably shoot 500. I often carry a J-frame, so missing is anathema to me. If you only have 5 rounds, you may need to take a little more time with each shot.
I also suspect my most likely use of a gun will be at near contact range. “Belly gun” range. Not too many bad guys likely to make their intention known from 50 feet away. And unlike a range, you can’t pull your weapon out until you have good cause to believe you are in serious danger.
My daughter says if she can point her finger at you, she will hit you.
Words a dad likes to hear from his daughter.
A lot of lethal encounters, perhaps most, will occur at distances where your main problem will be getting your gun out before you get stabbed. At arms-length distances, speed counts.
Thank you, for I thought my basic training company was the only one taught this. When ever I told others, they’d laugh.
My recollection is this was called “quick fire”. I also recall shooting at quarter sized discs.
With this skill it is easy to hit a man size target at 25 yards is a quick fire situation with either a rifle or hand gun.
Within the last year I’ve shot a skunk and bird with a pistol using the point and shoot method.
This cop and robber TV scenario where they go from room to room with both arms outstretched holding their pistols is just plain stupid.
Dumber yet is the recent fad of putting a pistol under the trousers/belt in the back. It leaves a very noticeable bulge, is easy for someone to take away from you, the weapon will eventually either fall out or into your pants and is difficult to pull out if you really need it in a hurry.
“I personally was trained by Lucky McDaniel, the father of ‘Quick Kill’ point shooting. I keep a few Red Ryder BB guns handy to teach others.”
Remember reading about that program. Started for anti-aircraft gunners?
Loads of envy, bet that was a kick-ass module!
Cheers!
I'm in the same boat as you. It's a stange stance to press the gun forward in an athletic crouch, but have your head tilted back to use the bifocals. Some people use stick-on bifocal lenses on the tops of their shooting glasses, which work great at the range but does no good at all in a defensive situation.
I used to poo-poo them as expensive and worthless toys, but I have recently discovered the wonders of the laser sight on a defensive weapon. I now have a S&W Model 60 J-Frame with Crimson Trace laser grips, and a Ruger LCP with a Viridian auto activation laser module.
Focus stays on the target, and the red dot is easy to pick up under most lighting. And the iron sights are still available if the laser cannot be seen under daylight conditions.
And I'm a cheapskate, so when Crimson Trace had a $50 rebate, and I had a 20% off coupon from Optics Planet, I got the Crimson Trace J-Frame grips for under $125.
The Viridian unit is a very fine system that cost me $65 on eBay, plus another $5 for a nice pocket holster with the deactivation magnet. It's the perfect pocket carry combo.
That’s similar to how I used to practice for hunting season.
Take a pellet rifle into the basement; have a target on a box suspended from the joist. A second string to where I was practicing.
I would jerk the string and the box and target would bounce all over and swing.
I then gave myself one second to sight and fire.
After 6 weeks I always hit the bullseye.
When hunting, I never missed ever, not even running squirrels.
It’s something that anyone can do. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Now there’s a daughter with her Schiff together! I’ve got four of them, all of whom are quite competent with a handgun.
For me, shooting from the hip is probably less effective than taking the gun and clubbing the person with it.
Otherwise I think I’m confident. I have not practiced as much lately as I should, though.
They were still teaching it in the fall of 1968, when I went through BCT at Fort Bragg.
You point to put the little red laser dot on target, then shoot, right?
Ed
I remember the interview with Rufus Hussey, the bean shooter man and he said he didn’t aim. Of course what he meant was he didn’t site down his arm to the sling shot. That takes to much time when your hunting rabbit for dinner.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rufus_Hussey
Another problem with “tv small of the back carry” is falling on it. Your spine will break before the gun will.
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