Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
Training is a worthwhile thing for any number of reasons, but the main thing a good trainer does is to push your personal horizons back a good ways, on multiple fronts. You learn things about your firearm, your gear, your choice of ammo, your ability to run your gun, and how to bring all those things together to successfully solve a critical personal problem under severe pressure.
And sometimes you get introduced to ideas you should have thought about, but just never had wrapped your mind around before. Apparently that happens to lots of folks. Take a look at http://www.tacticalanatomy.com/ for some ideas about one particular idea that might not have crossed your mind before in this specific way. I ran across this site in passing, while looking for something else, and it prompted me to start this thread.
Some here know I'm a big fan of Louis Awerbuck. One of the things Louis does is shift to three-dimensional targets as soon as possible in a class, and start encouraging students to think about where bullets will be going inside their particular target. Take a look at the pictures posted in the review at http://www.louisianaselfdefense.com/wp/?page_id=34 , and scroll down to the one captioned "Targets, YFA Style."
That's because Louis (and any number of other trainers as well) teach GUNFIGHTING, not target shooting. It's easy to get into the 'shoot center of mass' mindset, shooting flat two dimensional targets on a flat range, but gunfights are dynamic events, not static ones. And your target in a gunfight is a THREE-dimensional target, not a flat piece of cardboard. It's a target that isn't likely to display itself at convenient 90 degree angles, either- see the odd tilts those target stands are set up to display? That isn't an accident.
I know some here are forced by circumstances beyond their control not to use 'humanoid' targets- their range won't allow it. I know there are lots of other complications in the way of 'realistic' practice at many ranges.
All I can say is, do your best to get yourself into a good class with an instructor who will teach you some of the things you need to know. Once you feel secure in your ability to practice of some of these skills safely on your own, then you can look for a range which gives you more latitude. But please- train first- then practice. Training implies an instructor in my book.
And one thing that is not subject to physical limitations is your ability to conceptionalize and visualize what you need to be doing in the event you ever need to put sights on a human target. Can't imagine what's where inside the human body, and don't want to take an anatomy and physiology class to learn? Then take a look at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/animations.html . Some study at that site might help you learn some of the things you need to know.
I'll leave this for discussion at this point, with the warning that we will keep it High Road. I want this to be an opportunity for serious thought, discussion and education, not a comedy routine. 'Big boy' rules apply...
lpl
And sometimes you get introduced to ideas you should have thought about, but just never had wrapped your mind around before. Apparently that happens to lots of folks. Take a look at http://www.tacticalanatomy.com/ for some ideas about one particular idea that might not have crossed your mind before in this specific way. I ran across this site in passing, while looking for something else, and it prompted me to start this thread.
Some here know I'm a big fan of Louis Awerbuck. One of the things Louis does is shift to three-dimensional targets as soon as possible in a class, and start encouraging students to think about where bullets will be going inside their particular target. Take a look at the pictures posted in the review at http://www.louisianaselfdefense.com/wp/?page_id=34 , and scroll down to the one captioned "Targets, YFA Style."
That's because Louis (and any number of other trainers as well) teach GUNFIGHTING, not target shooting. It's easy to get into the 'shoot center of mass' mindset, shooting flat two dimensional targets on a flat range, but gunfights are dynamic events, not static ones. And your target in a gunfight is a THREE-dimensional target, not a flat piece of cardboard. It's a target that isn't likely to display itself at convenient 90 degree angles, either- see the odd tilts those target stands are set up to display? That isn't an accident.
I know some here are forced by circumstances beyond their control not to use 'humanoid' targets- their range won't allow it. I know there are lots of other complications in the way of 'realistic' practice at many ranges.
All I can say is, do your best to get yourself into a good class with an instructor who will teach you some of the things you need to know. Once you feel secure in your ability to practice of some of these skills safely on your own, then you can look for a range which gives you more latitude. But please- train first- then practice. Training implies an instructor in my book.
And one thing that is not subject to physical limitations is your ability to conceptionalize and visualize what you need to be doing in the event you ever need to put sights on a human target. Can't imagine what's where inside the human body, and don't want to take an anatomy and physiology class to learn? Then take a look at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/animations.html . Some study at that site might help you learn some of the things you need to know.
I'll leave this for discussion at this point, with the warning that we will keep it High Road. I want this to be an opportunity for serious thought, discussion and education, not a comedy routine. 'Big boy' rules apply...
lpl