[zombietactics]

You're (sort of) cross-pollinating your contexts.

The old bulls-eye methods have a context rooted primarily in dueling and hunting, not so much self-defense or current MIL/LEO tactics. Consider the unbelievably long par times for those types of competitions.

"Fife and Taylor" may have qualified with protocols including 25-yard fire ... but check your times there as well ... nothing difficult about those standards.

I'm not sure where the idea of 15 yard being "the big standard" comes from, but it' true that many agencies (including the FBI) are weighting their quals more heavily towards closer ranges and faster par times than in previous ages. There's a reason for that ... it' a far more realistic representation of what they are likely to encounter in the course of duty.

I don't read gun rags much these days, but I agree that it's a bit silly to test accuracy of the gun at 7-15 yards.