The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Tactics and Training

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old February 8, 2012, 05:32 PM   #1
AndersonG22
Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2012
Posts: 82
Self defense practice distances???

What distances should I be practicing SD shooting at? And how big should my groups be before I move back?

I practice at 21' if there's very few people at the range and they agree to let me, when there's a lot of people there the closest distance I can practice at is 25 yards...

BTW I have a MKIII 22/45 and a G22, they are my only 2 guns.
AndersonG22 is offline  
Old February 8, 2012, 05:55 PM   #2
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
It looks like the distance you can shoot, at that range, is fixed, seven and 25 yds.
If the .22s are going to be your only guns, are they also going to be your defense weapons?
If so, then target sizes should reflect the effectiveness of the .22 - namely head or center of mass, rapidly fired.
3" to 4" diameter targets, at seven yards, should do.
5" to 6" max, at 25 yds.
Longer than these is good, too.
50 yds with a .22, especially a rifle, is not hard, at all.
One of the advantages of the .22 is excellent accuracy and low recoil, allowing very fast multiple shots.
Try these and see.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old February 8, 2012, 07:46 PM   #3
MTT TL
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 21, 2009
Location: Quadling Country
Posts: 2,780
I practice at 1, 7, 10, 25 and 100 meters with pistol.

I know of very few people who practice at one yard. This I believe is poor planning. You might think that you can't miss at that range but you can. You need to get used to the idea of shooting at something too close or you might hesitate at the wrong moment.
__________________
Thus a man should endeavor to reach this high place of courage with all his heart, and, so trying, never be backward in war.
MTT TL is offline  
Old February 8, 2012, 08:01 PM   #4
AndersonG22
Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2012
Posts: 82
Quote:
You need to get used to the idea of shooting at something too close or you might hesitate at the wrong moment.
Yes, very true, I will try that next time.

My local public range only has 25 yards and farther, the only time I can practice at closer distances is when there are very few people there.
AndersonG22 is offline  
Old February 8, 2012, 08:12 PM   #5
AndersonG22
Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2012
Posts: 82
Quote:
If the .22s are going to be your only guns, are they also going to be your defense weapons?
G22 is short for glock model 22 which is .40 S&W.
AndersonG22 is offline  
Old February 8, 2012, 09:31 PM   #6
kraigwy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
No law says that if you practice at long ranges you have to shoot long ranges in self defence.

Practicing long distance will do wonders to your short distance shooting.

I shoot extended distances with my 642 simple because it forces me to concentrate on fundamentals witch get sloppy shooting short ranges.
__________________
Kraig Stuart
CPT USAR Ret
USAMU Sniper School
Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071
kraigwy is offline  
Old February 8, 2012, 10:39 PM   #7
Crazy88Fingers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 20, 2010
Location: WesTex
Posts: 958
They say most shootings occur within 7 yards. So go with 15 just to be safe.

Of course the further you can shoot, the better.
__________________
"And I'm tellin' you son, well it ain't no fun, staring straight down a .44"
-Lynyrd Skynyrd
Crazy88Fingers is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 10:12 AM   #8
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
"G22 is short for Glock model 22"
Not always:
http://www.shootingtimes.com/2011/01...herg22_031506/

If you want meaningful answers, don't talk in shorthand, it's confusing.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

Last edited by g.willikers; February 9, 2012 at 10:28 AM.
g.willikers is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 10:28 AM   #9
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
A quick word on self defense practice at the longer ranges.
Practice at the longer distances just the same as the closer ones.
Not bullseye style.
It's very tempting to want to look good, and hit the center of the target at 25 plus yards, with every shot.
And that alone is good practice, too.
But self defense requires speed as well as accuracy.
And the faster, the better.
Just a thought.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 11:53 AM   #10
kraigwy
Senior Member
 
Join Date: June 16, 2008
Location: Wyoming
Posts: 11,061
The thing is, not all shooting is self defense.

I shoot for fun, thousands of rounds a year, but except for the odd rattle snake or critter going after my chickens, I shoot for fun.

Yes I practice at short ranges, and I also practice at long range, not because I think I'm going to have to defend my self at extended distance, but because I SHOOT FOR FUN.

Trying to engage targets at 100 yards requires me to concentrate on my fundamentals (and its fun).

I'm not saying I can even hit the target 100% of the time with my 642, I can't, no where close. But its still fun trying.

But besides being fun, it does help with my fundamentals. After a session of extended range shooting, my close, normal snub nose revolver shooting distances improves immensely.

It's not fun setting at 7 yards and tearing the center out of a silhouette target, nor do I learn anything.

The exception is improving my speed and presentation, that's fun too.

I recommend every one try their pistols/revolvers at 50 or even 100 yards. You'll enjoy it and probably will learn something.
__________________
Kraig Stuart
CPT USAR Ret
USAMU Sniper School
Distinguished Rifle Badge 1071
kraigwy is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 01:02 PM   #11
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
No doubt long distance practice is beneficial, but the subject of the thread is:
"What distances should I be practicing SD shooting at?"
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 01:34 PM   #12
Old Grump
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: April 9, 2009
Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in
Posts: 3,144
Quote:
No doubt long distance practice is beneficial, but the subject of the thread is:
"What distances should I be practicing SD shooting at?"
I'm going to throw another twist at you more important than the range and that is how you shoot. I drill at various ranges from 8 yards to 110 yards because that is how my range is set up. The important thing is how you shoot and it should be mixed up with standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. Some exercises should be strong hand, weak hand and two hand. slow fire and rapid fire, shoot from a chair and shoot from behind a barricade. I know that's hard to do on a public range but if the range isn't crowded and you talk to the range master you might get some of those drills in. If nothing else get the strong, weak and two hand drills in, you never know when the flag goes up what hand may be available to you due to injury or some kind of encumbrance or the position you are in.
__________________
Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.
--Daniel Webster--
Old Grump is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 01:43 PM   #13
AndersonG22
Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2012
Posts: 82
Quote:
I'm going to throw another twist at you more important than the range and that is how you shoot. I drill at various ranges from 8 yards to 110 yards because that is how my range is set up. The important thing is how you shoot and it should be mixed up with standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. Some exercises should be strong hand, weak hand and two hand. slow fire and rapid fire, shoot from a chair and shoot from behind a barricade. I know that's hard to do on a public range but if the range isn't crowded and you talk to the range master you might get some of those drills in. If nothing else get the strong, weak and two hand drills in, you never know when the flag goes up what hand may be available to you due to injury or some kind of encumbrance or the position you are in.
I'm really new to shooting, only 150 rounds ago I learned how to control recoil. I went from just pointing and shooting to trying to control that B*#*% and get the sights back on target pretty fast.

At 21' I can shoot about a 5 inch group pretty fast( with my glock 22 .40 cal), how tight do ya think it should be before moving back?

And while I can control the gun during recoil I think I can save a lot of time if I could line the sights up a lot faster. I will practice with the .22 for now but sometime in the future I might get a 40-9 conversion so I can practice with a little more recoil.
AndersonG22 is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 01:44 PM   #14
JerryM
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 4, 1999
Location: New Mexico
Posts: 1,889
I practice no farther than 15 yards and mostly at 10 and 7 yards. I cannot imagine a CHL holder having to shoot at 25 yards.
Jerry
__________________
Ecclesiastes 12:13  ¶Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
JerryM is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 02:47 PM   #15
Frank Ettin
Staff
 
Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
Quote:
Originally Posted by JerryM
...I cannot imagine a CHL holder having to shoot at 25 yards.
It's not necessarily a question of someone having to shoot at 25 yards in a self defense situation. It's that practice at longer distances is very helpful for developing and maintaining fundamental marksmanship skills, and those skills are useful for defensive gun uses.

That said, it is desirable to be able to practice more self defense specific skills such as presenting from a holster, shooting quickly and accurately, shooting while moving, etc. But it's difficult to find places where those skills can be practiced. Classes and some competition, like IDPA, can be helpful in that regard.
Frank Ettin is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 02:48 PM   #16
Buzzcook
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 29, 2007
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 6,126
There's nothing magic you learn at 10ft that you can't learn at 25yds.

How you practice is more important than the range. Well with in reason.

You can still shoot strong, weak and two handed at 25yds. You can still practice point shooting at that range as well.

Imho only shooting at a torso sized target at 3yds gives one a false sense of security.
Buzzcook is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 02:49 PM   #17
Rj1972
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 16, 2010
Posts: 129
I practice at 3, 10, and about 13 yards. I measured and it was about 12.5 yards from my bedroom door to my front door which is the furthest one could shoot inside my house. Some may say I might some day have to shoot further than that, but I feel ok with the plan.

Oh and most of my practice is shooting from low ready to quickly firing one or two shots (I can't do more than a double-tap at my range, so this is as close as I get to the home defense situation).
Rj1972 is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 03:13 PM   #18
ActivShootr
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 15, 2007
Posts: 1,040
What distances should you practice for SELF DEFENSE?

Ideally: Contact distance to 100 yards.
Realistically: Any and every distance you can safely practice.

Don't worry so much about shooting itty-bitty groups as making fast hits on the target using the gun, holster, clothing, and AMMO as you will most likely be using during self defense.
ActivShootr is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 05:46 PM   #19
Colonel Custer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 23, 2011
Location: ky
Posts: 106
hmm what we train for

3 yard nonaimed punch style shot
7 yard strong hand/ and weak hand. Supported shot (both hands)
15 yard
25 yard
30 yard
__________________
In order to cut down on gun crimes we The Govt. are banning all guns.

Well I guess I will sleep with a chainsaw next to my bed. Not the same as a gun but I figure the sound of it revving up will be as effective as a pump shot gun being cycled.
Colonel Custer is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 06:00 PM   #20
G1R2
Member
 
Join Date: December 20, 2011
Posts: 73
Self-Defence Practice Distance

Less than 10 feet during low light or night time conditions. If you don't have your own shooting range, your're probably out of luck.

I certainly would not want to be a defendant before a jury trying to convince them that killing someone at a distance greater than 25 feet was self defence.
G1R2 is offline  
Old February 9, 2012, 10:18 PM   #21
robmkivseries70
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 15, 2005
Location: free territory
Posts: 203
To make the drills more interesting sometimes,
I'll put the targets up with the blank side out and use that for a
COM aiming point. Works at 25 yards as well as 25 feet.
Best,
Rob
robmkivseries70 is offline  
Old February 10, 2012, 12:40 AM   #22
Bill DeShivs
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 7, 2006
Posts: 10,967
If you can shoot well at 25 yards, 3 yards should be no problem....
__________________
Bill DeShivs, Master Cutler
www.billdeshivs.com
Bill DeShivs is offline  
Old February 10, 2012, 01:06 PM   #23
Old Grump
Member in memoriam
 
Join Date: April 9, 2009
Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in
Posts: 3,144
Quote:
I'm really new to shooting, only 150 rounds ago I learned how to control recoil. I went from just pointing and shooting to trying to control that B*#*% and get the sights back on target pretty fast.

At 21' I can shoot about a 5 inch group pretty fast( with my glock 22 .40 cal), how tight do ya think it should be before moving back?

And while I can control the gun during recoil I think I can save a lot of time if I could line the sights up a lot faster. I will practice with the .22 for now but sometime in the future I might get a 40-9 conversion so I can practice with a little more recoil.
Serious answer and I can hear the screams of anguish now is forget the SD drills for right now and practice marksmanship.

Buy your choice of 22 ammo by the case and a set of snap caps for your guns. Dry fire drills at home and slow fire at the range. When you can keep 8 or 9 shots out of 10 in the black at a slow fire target and I don't care if its 50' or 50 yards you are ready for some fun shooting namely time and rapid fire.

Get a timer to help time you or shoot with a friend and time each other. You aren't trying to learn to shoot fast but to get all of your shots on target in a short period of time. Unlike what most will insist it is not the first shot that wins a gun fight but the first good shot. Spend at least part of your time during or at the end of your session with the weak hand/strong hand drills.

When you are shooting better than 80% at a standard bullseye target at a fixed range and you transition back to a silhouette target without a set aiming point there is a brief period of adjustment but it won't take long. Do not make the rookie mistake of chasing your bullet holes. That means you shoot, the bullet landed in a good spot and you shoot at the bullet hole. Do NOT do that. If your sights are off an inch at that range you are good, if you start chasing your bullet holes your next shot will be an inch from that or 2" from your original aiming point.

Keep your focus on your sight and your sight on one part of the target and shoot till your gun is empty. You are shooting for group not bulls eyes. If you find you need to change your aiming point you can do that next time around. If you need to change your sights do it the next time around. Right now you are only shooting for group.

Don't worry about flyers, keep practicing the fundamentals and they will diminish. Do not worry about your group size, it will shrink as you get better. Do not get all down on yourself because not every shot goes where you want it to. I have been practicing and competing for nearly 50 years and I didn't get started till I was in my middle 20's. I still don't have all my shots go where I want them to. Don't worry about that one, don't worry about the next one. Just relax, have fun and concentrate on your frontsight and trigger pull.

It takes a lot of gun powder and even more trigger time to make a shooter, do not think you can do it over night, that leads to frustration and irritation and depression and giving up. Be patient, keep grinning, enjoy the fun part of it and the serious part will happen a lot faster. Get in to big of a hurry and it won't happen at all.

Dos Centavos from a dinosaur who made every rookie mistake there was to make because I was a hard headed Bohunk who didn't listen to his coach for 18 months. How was I supposed to know he was an Olympic caliber shooter, he never talked about it.
__________________
Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters.
--Daniel Webster--
Old Grump is offline  
Old February 10, 2012, 02:19 PM   #24
g.willikers
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 28, 2008
Posts: 10,442
For practicing stuff not allowed at public ranges, don't forget about airguns.
You can do that at home in any manner you like.
Along with dryfiring your real gun, getting the feed back of actual holes in targets is mighty useful practice.
Try to find one that mimics your real guns as much as possible.
Not difficult these days with the very authentic models of airsoft and pellet pistols.
__________________
Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez:
“Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”
g.willikers is offline  
Old February 10, 2012, 03:43 PM   #25
AndersonG22
Member
 
Join Date: January 12, 2012
Posts: 82
Quote:
For practicing stuff not allowed at public ranges, don't forget about airguns.
You can do that at home in any manner you like.
Along with dryfiring your real gun, getting the feed back of actual holes in targets is mighty useful practice.
Try to find one that mimics your real guns as much as possible.
Not difficult these days with the very authentic models of airsoft and pellet pistols.
Funny you should mention it cause I was thinking about picking up a co2 powered BB handgun, I tried to use my brothers but its broken.

Quote:
When you can keep 8 or 9 shots out of 10 in the black at a slow fire target and I don't care if its 50' or 50 yards you are ready for some fun shooting namely time and rapid fire.
How big is this black area? I make my own targets out of loose lief paper, I trace a quarter with a sharpie then color it in.
AndersonG22 is offline  
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:11 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2021 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.09048 seconds with 10 queries