[N.H. Yankee]

I think much of the time discussion is based upon the assumption of a close encounter 20 feet or less and a non moving single threat. This is what I call situation bad IDEAL, and IDEAL is what I call SELDOM! Gunfights are fast and violent and as a hunter I have shot quite a few running/bounding deer in the thick New Hampshire woods at 50+ yards with 1 shot kills. Easy, NO, I have burned more ammo trying to hone this skill than I care to say. This brings me to the next paragraph.

Two years ago I emptied a 30-30 at a large buck starting at 45 yards running flat out in thick woods and only hit him once, first time in 20 years I needed more than 1 shot to drop a deer. Hate to say it, seasoned and having shot more deer this way than I can count I panic shot after the first round. My 30+ year hunting partner once said I am like ice when shooting, I'm glad he wasn't with me then, I was like silly putty. I followed my shots with the trees that got hit and realized I hit the deer with my last shot. I knew I missed the first time because I jerked the trigger and it went downhill from there. I had whats known as a BAD DAY!

I'll bet any LEO who has been in more than one firefight will tell you seldom do they mentally respond identically. A sudden ambush type assault will not give you the edge like an advanced notice situation and the sudden surge of adrenaline and uncertainty can throw you off your game. Ever wonder how you would react if you shot a perp and the perp didn't drop or stop his or her aggression, would you still be focused and cool under fire?

Try putting a round cardboard pizza dish in a tire and have it supported by a wheel on a wire and rolled to a safe shooting position and try hitting the thing. This is one way I honed this skill, also walking, turning, and shooting at deer targets at 75-100 yards offhand. I also have practiced the tire with a pistol just for fun at 25 yards, Lets just say before I got a hit, the amount of money spent on ammo could have bought a couple pizza's.

A running perp firing at you is a hard target to hit, and I think you will be glad you have more than 5 or 6 rounds. I think its a WISE man who carries too much ammo rather than chance it. Yes, I have carried just 6 shooters and semi's with less than 10 years past, but I've changed my thinking. Many perps are felons who worked out at the joint and bulked up, some in excess of 250 lbs and much of it muscle, bigger target, harder to stop in some cases, many perps work in pairs also.

I always carry a hi-cap now and a spare mag, even up till a couple years ago I carried 1 mag, but any seasoned competitive shooter knows they've had more than one off night at the range. I felt with my shooting skills I didn't need more, well 2 years ago if someone told me I would empty my rifle at a deer at 45 yards, even running and miss four out of five, I would have laughed. I guess my ego has taken a hit and I have taken a different approach to is there really such a thing as having too much insurance.
I guess its like the one armed deputy said in unforgiven when he was ridiculed for loading 2 guns and having only one arm to shoot with, he said I don't want to die for a lack of shooting back.