Things I've been doing lately to add "realism" etc to my shooting

[ROFL SQUAD]

These may or may not be applicable to you based on the facility you have available to train at. Just some data points I felt like sharing.

1. I've taken to doing some strenuous calisthenics between exercises. (Lately working on low-ready position to ready position picking up the front sight along the way.) The jumping jacks, etc. get your heart moving quite a bit, which translates to you really having to concentrate on picking up the front sight and controlling your breathing, barrel shake etc.)


2. The past month or so I've been shooting entirely in the dark or low light with and without a flashlight. I've read that over 95 percent of armed encounters happen in these conditions, and therefore I've really started to limit my normal light shooting. Count on your low light shooting skills, groups, what have you to not even be close to what they are in the daylight. This was a real eye opener for me, given the odds of being involved in a confrontation at night. Your barrel alignment with your eye really comes into play when its tough to see any sights. Point shooting really does exist, especially when all you can see is a random black square that you seem to be holding somewhere out in front of your face :/. (The place you would normally look for your front sight).


3. I've also been shooting a lot with my non dominant hand. God forbid I lose the function of my right hand in an encounter or I have to shoot around the left side of an obstacle. I couldn't hit crap one or even two handed with my left arm at 10 yards. Thankfully I'm improving. Work on your weak hand skills!

4. Slowly. Carefully. Practice your draw from CONCEALMENT. I hate how these idpa, etc. shooting sports are supposed to involve somewhat real life scenarios etc, but none of the the competitors ever draw/mag change from concealment which in my opinion kills the whole premise. You'll learn real quick how certain shirts you may own foul your draw etc.


Enough rambling..but just my two cents.

J

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[MN2Go]

Good start. Good for you making the extra effort to improve yours skills.

Should I ever need to defend myself again, it will not be during the dark hours. I just don't go there.

However, low-light training is a whole new phenomenon. I learned to shoot triple taps pretty soon

Weak-hand shooting has always been part of my training. I can hit with weak-hand only 'almost' as fast as strong-hand only, thanks to USPSA/IPSC matches and training.

Good luck to you.

[bladenbullet]

idpa does draw from concealment...you are not required to use the vest everyone wears so choose a real life concealment garment and use that...unless i misunderstood your concern idpa requires "a" cover garment...not a specific one...

and yes....idpa definately makes you improve your support hand shooting...last match i was in had mozmbiques in 3 targets at 7-8 yards with support hand from cover...its hard enough making 1 or 2 but thre 2 to the body/1 to the head was a fun little challenge against the clock...

[MN2Go]

I found this great article last night:

IDPA - Will It Get You Killed?

[Chevyguy85]

I read somewhere that putting even so much as a t-shirt on your target can mess with your brain and cause you to shoot differently. I've yet to try it but it makes sense in a way. Most people shoot @ paper targets or idpa/ipsc types. Dress them up and you no longer see the a zone and it might make i harder to shoot? Just a thought/suggestion to increase the "realism"

[Blackeagle]

I read somewhere that putting even so much as a t-shirt on your target can mess with your brain and cause you to shoot differently. I've yet to try it but it makes sense in a way. Most people shoot @ paper targets or idpa/ipsc types. Dress them up and you no longer see the a zone and it might make i harder to shoot? Just a thought/suggestion to increase the "realism"

Not being able to see the scoring zones is a big aid to realism. In addition, a t-shirt over the target also prevents you from seeing the holes from your hits, which is more consistent with a real life gunfight.

[ROFL SQUAD]

I'm going to try the t-shirt thing! Good idea!

J

[ROFL SQUAD]

MN2Go,

Good article. Thanks.

[Cruel Hand Luke]

I found this great article last night:

IDPA - Will It Get You Killed?

Glad you enjoyed it.

As I said in the article, I view IDPA not as training, but as a venue to test your skills you have been working on in your training.

IDPA gives you a regularly scheduled "test" that you did not set up where you can test your marksmanship, gunhandling, and target discrimination skills under pressure.....pressure of the timer and pressure of other people watching.

Is it the SAME pressure as a real fight? Of course not. But it is more pressure than just leisurely standing at the local rock pit shooting tin cans. Is IDPA pefect? No. Is it "training"? No. It is a game that uses some of the same skills (marksmanship, gunhandling, target discrimination) that you would use in an actual deadly force encounter.

As to the OP, I agree 100% that the more we can practice our skills while wearing street clothes and not "game clothes" or open carry the better off we will be. I cannot remember the last time I shot other than with an inside the waistband holster covered by an untucked polo shirt. Why? Because that is how I carry every day in the real world.

[bladenbullet]

experience is something you dont get until just after you need it...

idpa is a good fundamental way to test your skills under some pressure...

[Jason Storm]

When my ship did a week of training in a combat shooting course for their reactionary force teams at Blackwater (now USA) Training Center, they had each of us run 100 yds. to get the heart pumping before engaging the targets utilizing the shotgun, pistol , and rifle. And boy, their shooting skills suffered for those that were out of condition and don't know how to control their breathing. And what I have said previously, physical conditioning and shooting skills do go hand in hand.

[Cas Cowboy]

I shoot IDPA and agree it's not training but I believe it really does help. I personally hate the vest and don't wear one. I dress in my normal clothes and use whatever shirt I have on as my concealment garment. Probably not the best outfit for good scores but who cares.
I've seen good careful shooters go to pieces when the timer goes off for the first time. They can hit a deer with a running shot or shoot one inch holes at 25 yards with the pistol. But when they feel the pressure of the timer it's a different world and I believe it's as close to a real fight as we can get and not be at a training center.
It's an eye opener for some long time shooters that I know.