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It would seem from what I have read about confrontational spontaneous shooting that it pays to be prepared to get to it and have good aim and steady nerves.

You read about the Old West shootouts and the winners were often the most aggressive and first willing to go to work and have good aim and rock steady nerves.

Having never been in a corral standoff shot out, I'm not quite sure how I'd react, but your comments remind me of Holiday at the OK Corral or the Kevin Costner character in Open Range when he knows the fight is immiment and just carries it to them dending them reeling.

I know, it's Hollywood but the fight scenes in both those movies seem pretty realistic....like the Greensboro Klan/Commie shootout we all saw. The Klan won because they were more determined and agressive and the commies though armed let their bravado expose them poorly.

As for home defense shooting....most of it takes place in 7 yards space and in the dark or near dark. Keep one's head, be sure of the target and shoot till they are down good.

Just my layman talk, my reaction to danger has typically been either fear or anger. I think anger makes for a bit more brazen action, but fear is a motivator, I have fought pretty good fisticuffs scared to death.

I've never been in a real shootout, so it's all theory to me. But I think the cowboy and gangster movies teach some bad lessons, where good and bad guys stand in the open blazing away at one another. I think in reality, you had best get to cover first! My limited experience shooting wax bullets in ship holds etc tells me that shooting from the open turns one into a bullet magnet right away. Even if you hit the other guy, he will react by blasting away at your muzzle flashes even if that's all he can see. So much better to be behind a wall, vehicle etc. Even if that means "running" for the first few seconds of a shootout!

Of course there are situations where you have no choice but to advance, firing and being fired at, in the open. But I think that is the exceptional situation and not the rule. Rule 1 should be do everything you can not to become a bullet magnet! That means move to cover first.

Of course if you're lucky and you have to fire from the open like the Klan-commie shootout, or our forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, you may be blessed with enemies who can't hit a barn. But that's not the way to plan or train. Train like your enemies are good shots, and get cover first.

My Pups preempt my pistolas in most oh dark thirty bump in the dark incidents. When did Rocky go to doggy heaven ? Sorry ya lost him. Did ya note in that Open Range movie that they were more upset at the fact they shot their dog than their friend ?

Stay Safe !