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I am interning at a local police department. In about a week they are going to have their qualification shooting test and I was given the opportunity to come along and shoot too. Does anyone have any advice? And what are some of the scenarios/tests that other PD's use to train their officers?
What part of Indiana???
When I lived in Southern Indiana a buddy of mine was a Sheriff's Deputy and firearms instructor and I rode on patrol with him and assisted with qualifications.
If you have a ballistic vest wear it, qualifications were more dangerous than entering a closed business at night with the intrusion alarm going off. Remember many cops are not "gun people" and may not have had their sidearm out of the holster since the last time they qualified; getting muzzle swept with a malfunctioning pistol is no fun.
If its a standard police practical it''ll go roughly like this..
3 yard shoot from the hip
5 yard strong hand, weak hand
7yard strong hand ,weak hand
10 yard strong hand,weak hand
15 yard strong hand, weak hand
25 yard strong hand weak hand.
Usually 50 or 60 rounds and must shoot a minumum score. Some depts, use 300 point total others use 250.
Some shoot from a door opening or a barricade at 25. Some kneel at 25.
Some shoot with the gun in hand, we shoot with the gun in the holstered and snapped in postion, which I think is better practice.
There are lots of variations but most shoot at a B27 sihouette.
I used the word "roughly" because more than likely there will be some variation.
If you can shoot its a pretty easy course. If you arent a gun guy, some will have difficulty.
That's pretty much the course I had waaaaaay back when. Sidearms were holstered and drawn at the "commence fire" command. You'll get out of it what you put in. Humans, under extreme stress, will revert to core training. That was pounded into us throughout the academy. I hated left-hand barricade, yet every time I had to draw on duty, it was from left-hand barricade. You'll see the ones who have to blow cob webs out of the trigger guard - DUCK!Quote:
Originally Posted by HotGuns
I wouldn't worry about it to much. You are going along for the fun of it, so have fun. If you stink now, you'll stink in a few weeks too.
Every department does things different. We do a lot of different things, both for raw training value, and to keep people interest up in coming to the range. This morning for example, I intended on doing a lot of moving and shooting. But the range was a horrible mess with about 6" of snow still. So, we shot at static paper and called it a day.
We have an indoor range and an outdoor range. In the indoor range, for the state qualifications, it's a 50 round course. It's timed, using two targets side by side. You have to hit the targets in the predetermined amount of time before the targets are flipped to their side (edge wise) to the viewer. Also, in the 10, 15, and 25 yard ranges, you have to put 2 rounds in the left target, 2 rounds in the right target, and if you have to reload, you have to move while doing a tactical reload. Then there's the firing while kneeling, then getting up and putting additional rounds in next target.
In the academy, we were taught to also fire while lying on your side, and also on your back shooting between your legs. At the outdoor range, we have a cruiser there with a detachable windshield. We are taught to shoot from inside the cruiser through the windshield and/or window, depending on the angle of the cruiser and the target. Then exiting the cruiser and firing again. For fun during the academy, we had to cut a playing card by shooting at it edgewise from the 3 yard line.
It sounds like your ranges cover it all. Just having a gun and shooting at paper targets isn't much of a challenge.
Your biggest problem will be nerves. The courses described above are pretty accurate and standard. Relax, relax, relax, you may out score some of the officers. You're lucky for the chance. Just remember, it's a piece of paper, not a BG shooting back. Enjoy.
Our course was similar, we also shot from our back, feet toward the target and feet away from the target. Under barricades, such as vehicles and many other unorthodox positions. Just go and have fun with it.