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How Far Away Should I Take The Shot?

8K views 99 replies 51 participants last post by  Mike1956 
#1 ·
At exactly what distance am I 100% certain of my accuracy? This is a 3/4 scale target, thirty feet from me. Land lot Soil Tree Grass Grassland
These are the first four shots I took today, each one coming from chest ready. Photograph Fun Photography Vintage clothing Illustration
I am not extolling my marksmanship, because there are many here who would outdo me every time. I am just saying I endeavor to train effectively, so I will know my limitations, and expand my abilities and skills.
 
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#56 ·
At exactly what distance am I 100% certain of my accuracy? This is a 3/4 scale target, thirty feet from me. View attachment 66826 These are the first four shots I took today, each one coming from chest ready. View attachment 66827 I am not extolling my marksmanship, because there are many here who would outdo me every time. I am just saying I endeavor to train effectively, so I will know my limitations, and expand my abilities and skills.


Just saw this thread, and chuckled a bit. I practice this stuff everytime I go to the range. Two hand rest at belt level, bring it up, and fire one shot to the face. Why, some may ask.

I've talked to my wife and told her if someone grabs you from behind while we're getting into the car and orders me to hand over money, wallet, whatever, and I am nearby, take her feet off the ground. This will cause the robber to forget me, try to maintain her, and I fire one time at the face. Across the hood of a car/SUV is only 10 feet on the outside. ON the same side of the vehicle, it could be closer. It takes a decisive move and little thinking, just shooting.

It is effective point shooting as most shootings occur in that manner anyway.

Good shooting by the way.
 
#57 ·
I actually think this is an excellent planning method for such an attack. even a 100 lb female is dead weight, and all but the largest of men would be caught off guard by such a large amount of dead weight suddenly hanging from their arm. Even if you were not present, more than likely a BG would be forced to release his hold with such weight, possibly providing a means of escape. Also, if you were present, it would dramatically increase the margin for error to a safer level by removing her, or any one else from the line of fire. I think i may have to add this to my training technique tool box. I follow the adage of its only silly if it doesnt work, and in a life or death struggle the only silly technique is the one you dont try. .... ymmv
 
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#68 ·
At exactly what distance am I 100% certain of my accuracy?....
How much stress were you under?

Stress can hugely affect accuracy and there is very little stress in shooting a paper bad guy at 10 yards holding a paper gun to the head of a paper woman you've never seen before in a nice quiet field. Try to find some advanced training. Find some safe way to try to induce stress in yourself. Seriously, run 2 blocks and then fire at the targets. Do jumping jacks, burpees, get your heart pumping and your breathing faster. Shout loud, repetitive verbal commands at the "bad guy". I love teaching advanced classes and inducing stress, in part because I like yelling at people, lol. People are often surprised by their reactions and changes in their grouping.
 
#75 ·
Our range here is mostly set up for marksmanship ,basic pistol and ccw training so no drawing or anything like that . Range lane length is 100' . About 1/3 of the way down is where I will start .Some days I hit fine, others are low left on a large silhouette target . So distance is not my forte. at 21 feet I switch over to the smaller Secret Service targets. I find from 21 feet down to four I can keep them in 7,8,9 and 10 ring. $ feet and loser , the head is not a problem.

Point to this, I better hope the bad guy doesn't start shooting beyond 30 feet. Fortunately, our local criminal class either goes full up drive by or withing 7 feet . Drive by is problematic, 7 feet , not so much. ...so far
 
#84 ·
Our range here is mostly set up for marksmanship ,basic pistol and ccw training so no drawing or anything like that . Range lane length is 100' . About 1/3 of the way down is where I will start .Some days I hit fine, others are low left on a large silhouette target . So distance is not my forte. at 21 feet I switch over to the smaller Secret Service targets. I find from 21 feet down to four I can keep them in 7,8,9 and 10 ring. $ feet and loser , the head is not a problem.

Point to this, I better hope the bad guy doesn't start shooting beyond 30 feet. Fortunately, our local criminal class either goes full up drive by or withing 7 feet . Drive by is problematic, 7 feet , not so much. ...so far
That will all change in a few months for you at Volusia in Fla sir
 
#80 ·
(Haven't read every post here, this may have already been addressed.)

At exactly what distance am I 100% certain of my accuracy?
Contact or near-contact, to be irritatingly exact about it. We're not machines, we can get really, really, really consistent but not perfect. To be exact, you can't guarantee accuracy at much more than barrel-on-skin distances.

As to how far away? You want to be as close as you can get without getting shot yourself. You don't want to be any farther away than the situation requires you to be. Caveat is that if you can find a rested position that is farther away, that could well make for a better shot than a closer position that is unsupported.

So the real answer is: It depends.

I noticed somebody here wondering if it was really self-defense or justifiable much beyond three-four yards. There have been at least a couple of shootings where somebody could have stopped the killing early by taking a shot farther away than that. That's besides the threat a firearm puts you under about as far out as the bad guy can see you in most urban areas. Besides that, the exercise of shooting, say, over 25 yards will help if you need to put one in the left eye at four. There's some beneficial overlap there.

Re: Verbal challenges. Generally not a good idea, as it gives them a chance to shoot you. Been cases where that's happened: Good guy draws weapon, challenges, gets shot. One case, active shooter in a mall, good guy I believe had a flank shot on the shooter but challenged him first. The good guy got put in a wheelchair. Not an optimal outcome as I see it. So I don't like issuing warnings all that much. Won't say never, but most of the time, probably not.
 
#86 ·
Honestly, and I do practice this scenario, I would have to be INSIDE of 15 feet. Closer to 10 for 100% confidence with an actual person. That is for a head shot. I would NOT allow a family member to be taken. I would shoot regardless if that were the choice. perhaps a leg but I would simply not allow bad guy to take someone I love off into the night.

If it were my first wife, I'm taking the shot from 100 yards and in. Spray and not worry about pray. Poop happens (it already did, that is why she is an X).
 
#90 ·
There is one fatal flaw in your thinking. No life and death stress. That will greatly impact your ability to aim and shoot accurately. You may be shaking like a leaf and not have all the time in the world to get into a proper stance, take careful aim and squeeze that trigger just right. Any shooting practice at a range is not much help in self defense. All you do is learn to shoot at static targets that are always in front of you, you cannot move left or right and there is life and death stress. It is a common mistake many make. Just ask any veteran of a war about the difference in boot camp and the real thing. It is the difference between learning how to drive to work and learning to drive in a race. Sure, you have the basic skills but not nearly enough to race without getting yourself hurt.

To those who have no idea of what it feels like to be under extreme stress. How chemicals flood your body and affect your mind. How your body reacts by flooding your major muscles with blood leaving your fine motor skills less than they normally are. Your body gets ready to fight or run and you have to decide which to do as well as deal with focusing on the threat and your body shaking from the flood of adrenaline. I like to tell my new shooters to imagine trying to shoot a bullseye while in the middle of an orgasm. Sorry for being crude but that is the only example of how your body is taken over by the brain to such a great extent. Most people luckily never get to experience the stress of life and death. I just want you to realize that you cannot take your range skills and transfer them to a situation where you will be in a totally different mindset and emotional state. No one has a mental image of failing when they think of gunfight scenarios. Everyone comes out a hero. Problem is that the bad guy has similar mental images of himself and there can only be one winner and the odds are that the bad guy has done this a few times before and you have not. I find myself begging people to take at least one armed self defense training course if for no other reason than to see the difference of just shooting under the stress of being watched and timed, makes a significant difference even though you know no harm will come to you.

A wise instructor once told me, if I found myself having to take a hostage shot, I have already screwed up big time. :)
 
#92 ·
Just reading some of these posts have me out of breath an ready to call the EMT's. Hell if I ran twenty feet my next stop would be the emergency ward. I have told my wife if we get assaulted in a parking lot and the guy has a gun in one hand and the other arm around your neck stay still I will try to get as close as I can by pleading, begging or what ever it takes. Our signal will be when I say take my wallet and start to hand it to him is for her to try and twist away from him he will tighten his grip the opposite way then she should spin as hard as she can in that direction picking up her feet and fall. Also stay down because I'll be emptying the magazine at the SOB. I might add regardless of all the so called training believe me the brain function will short circuit in a real life situation like this. I would never attempt a shot over 5 feet no way. But then I am a natural born chicken and the last thing I would want to happen is shooting the wrong person. As I use to say to the 'coper crew chiefs I love the terra firma and the more firma the less terra. As for shooting the closer the better and if possible I would like to be in body contact before the .45 goes bang. Just one old guy's opinion. Semper Fi. JU.
 
#97 ·
Here is a confidence building exercise for you. Get a dot target, it has rows of 1" dots. Place the target @ 7 yards and shoot the dots. I was at an instructor level class last year and the guy next to me with his Kimber 1911 could only manage to hit the 8 1/2" X 11" paper the dots were printed on.
 
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