Realistic Training Scenarios

[MTGun]

I am going to be helping in the setting of Courses of Fire at my range shoots. After looking at the traditional types (El Presidente, etc.) and others recommended by IDPA and IPSC, etc. I started thinking about how people like to criticize the competitive shooting sports as being "Only Games", "Not Realistic", etc. I completely agree and completely disagree with this type of thinking b/c the so called shooting games teach much as long as you know the difference between good defensive habits and gaming-only habits.

My point is that I have decided to start keeping a notebook with me and write down all of the places in my town that could be places of vulnerability and go to these spots and create scenarios at each place that we all frequent and then reproduce these at the range with names like "Psycho at Starbucks", "Alley Parking at Albertsons", "Public Bathroom", "Unloading Groceries","Garage Attak", etc. I will weave these into fundamental Courses of Fire.

What are your thoughts?

God Bless

ps for those in Wyoming I'll set up a Course of Fire called "Broke Back Mountain" (shooting from retention position while reclined in a tent!)

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[HotGuns]

If you want to make it realistic, have someone shooting back.

Softair, or Simunitions really get the point across. Its much more difficult to engage when someone is shooting back at you. If forces you to use available cover and it forces one to think.

Everything goes out the window when the stuff is flyin at ya...

[P95Carry]

If no ''incoming'' then work to make things difficult with regard to cover, carrying items etc.

We had a good stage (of many) last Saturday - we had to be walking fwd with a cash bag in each hand - after ''stand by'' command. On the buzzer, drop cash bags and head for a slatted fence, then draw and engage thru gaps. After that section run to cover and engage further targets.

If carried out faithfully and with cover used properly these routines are useful. We also had one close quarters section - like 2 yards. Gun was hidden under a towel - had to load and fire freestyle two on each of three, reload and then strong hand. repeat but with part two weak hand.

All challenging and tho a game - useful practice. Let the imagination run riot !

[MTGun]

Hotguns
I have had both simunitions and lead flying at me and any good repetitive training helps. Yes, I wish I had Thunder Ranch, Gunsite and Blackwater Ranges in my backyard and that me and my fellow gunclub members had unlimited funds for simunitions, etc. but for now it will have to be square range IDPA style training to see us thru
"when the stuff is flyin"!

God Bless

[grnzbra]

...had unlimited funds for simunitions, etc. but for now it will have to be square range IDPA style training to see us thru
"when the stuff is flyin"!

God Bless

Airsoft is the poor man's Simunitions. Gabe Suarez has an excelent book on how to use them for training (if you can't get to his FOF class).

[Pickpocket]

Vehicles. Nobody trains with vehicles.

Engage to the front, left, right, rear while coming (or screeching) to a stop. Exiting the vehicle during an engagement.

Of course - finding a place to do all this would be the trick.


EDIT: I saw too late where you said you were pretty much restricted to square-range... sorry.

[calireserve]

Simunitions are some of the best I have done. We did an active shooter drill at a local high school that was a lot of fun.
I also like the idea of vehicle drills, as Pickpocket mentioned. Having a threat and having to deal with your seatbelt and unholstering your weapon while still in your car. And or possibly firing at a threat from your car(tougher to do under stress than you think). I am also a big fan of any course of fire that has you moving around getting your heart rate up with light jogging or constant moving from places of cover/concealment. I also like courses of fire that at a certain point have you change and use your weak hand. I know a lot of us shoot weak handed at the range at a fixed target. But Shooting and reloading weak handed while going through a stressful course of fire can be a humbling reminder to practice ,weak handed. Oh well just my .02

[CopperKnight]

If you aren't able to use a car, or airsoft, or the other stuff, I think doing a simulation of neighborhood areas is a great idea. It would make people think, especially about what's behind the target, better than the usual range stuff. You need to think...What if I miss the BG, am I going to shoot the barris...barest...beris... the coffee maker guy behind him that's frozen in fear and not ducking out of the way?

[LibertyGal]

I like your idea to set up local scenarios using places they visit all the time. Hopefully will raise the condition of awareness after the class is over and they resume their everyday lives.

LibertyGal

[rocky]

sounds like some good suggestions. May I suggest maybe some prone shooting too. Try doing a mag change while on your stomach can be difficult too.

[TonyW]

These are all good idea. I'd just ask that you share what you finally come up with as it could be good for everyone. Thanks.

[MTGun]

I am starting to shoot at 3 ranges soon. One range is the IDPA/IPSC/3Gun range which is FAR AWAY.

Another range is the anti-club rules range which hosts more shoots than anyone and thinks IDPS/IPSC is for fags and is FAR, FAR AWAY.

Then there is my home range which is CLOSE BY and we are in the process of creating a defensive shooting schedule with hopes to create a larger following.

I just learned I have to shoot in my "first" IDPA Classifier next weekend at the FAR AWAY range and have my first shoot at the FAR, FAR AWAY range this Sat. So, my CLOSE BY shoots with COFs designed around local THREAT ZONES will be coming later this month. I will share The Good, The Bad & The Ugly when it occurs! (that isn't the name for a COF but what I expect to happen when all of my fellow rednecks show up to shoot combat pistol ...I'm designing safety rule handouts right now...insert the Spagetti-Western Whistling Sound Here)

God Bless

[Macattack]

Paintball guns work well too.( ten shot pistols are like 80 bucks. No big tank, ten shot clip). Instintly know where your shots are placed, and know painfully were you are hit. You would also be surprised how fast ten rounds go in a combat situation.