[Limnophile]

Have you tried that, in any kind of realistic simulation-based training?

I have not. Neither of the two ranges in my area allows such training on one's own. I noticed recently that one is now offering an 8-hr class that gets into more realistic defensive shooting. That's a long time for my foot, but it's on my to-be-considered list. Unfortunately, the USFS has banned target shooting on all nearby, easily accessible NF lands.

You have to (1) recognize the threat, (2) draw and present, and (3) shoot as many times as necessary. AND--your attacker has to stop before striking you.

If you detect and start acting when the attacker is six yards away, and if he moves a five yards per second, that must all take place in 1.2 seconds--including the time for the attacker to be stopped.

You can increase the time by moving--away from him, or laterally and forcing the attacker to change direction.

I'm well aware of the Tueller Drill and its implications. In 1.2 sec I'm not going to be moving fast or far, and when I place my weight on the bum foot I am often unstable. I have to work with what I have.

Nor is the location of a defensive encounter likely to have such lines.

One reason I view the location of a self-defense encounter as a battlefield.

Why would you ever think that?

Because any intervening objects between me and the bad guy that could interfere with my shot are providing cover (and perhaps concealment) to some degree.

In my opinion, you really have to re-think that. Obtain and watch the recent episode of The Best Defense about the pharmacy robbery. It's all about clear shots and backstops.

If you are referring to the recent armed robbery attempt where the pharmacy owner/pharmacist used his two employees/coworkers as concealment to draw his concealed sidearm on the robber who had his handgun trained on the three, I think you might want to watch that again. The gunfighting pharmacist was lucky that the robber was either inattentive or not really committed to firing his weapon in the commission of his crime. I'd be less than thrilled if someone used me as concealment to draw his weapon on a bad guy who was aiming a gun at me. While it's not a literal backdrop issue from the pharmacist's perspective, it amounts to pretty much the same thing, as his actions were a provocation that may have resulted in the bad guy killing one or two of his employees. The pharmacist has the right to put his life in further jeopardy, but did he have the right to put the lives of his two coworkers in further jeopardy? If you believe he did have the right to further jeopardize them, then you agree with me that collateral damage in defense of self or others is morally justifiable. In that particular scenario I do not think the pharmacist's actions were smart or considerate. I'm glad it worked out okay, but given that the guy had the drop on everyone behind the counter, the prudent action would have been to hand over cash, drugs, or both then call 911. Or at least wait until the bad guy's gun isn't trained on a good guy before drawing and shooting.

That should always be the first strategy. It is sometimes expressed as "don't go to stupid places."

I realize many don't have this option, being trapped where they are by economic circumstances. Those are the folks who need to carry most, and an even better goal for them would be to move as soon as they can.

Here is just such a video. You will find it well worth the time. It shows not only what to do, but why.

Thanks for the link. I shall watch the video and get back to you.

I have not tried shooting while moving. I have, however, trained in "moving off the X" while drawing. See this.

I'll watch this, too. If "getting off the X" means only relatively slight movement while drawing, that's acceptable to me if it can be done without sacrificing speed, accuracy, and precision needed to get the job done. But, for me, a quick move that puts my weight on my left foot may well cause a stumble that could significantly delay or interrupt my draw and the quick assumption of a relatively stable stance.

I have a trick knee, limited stamina, and more frequently than I should, bouts of gout. But I guarantee you that I would never trust my luck to standing still if I were being attacked.

I'm glad you are more mobile than me. I know my limitations. A Tueller Drill and the knockout game are very similar, sudden threats. I've concluded my very best defense is to avoid areas where such threats are more likely, and, fortunately, that's easy for me to do in my locale. If I get around to taking the new 8-hr class I mentioned above, I imagine I will have the opportunity to test my conclusion.

A bood blackthorn walking stick helps with mobility, and if push comes to shove (pun intended) it would be a good thing to have for anyone.

I rarely use my cane these days, but if I take a short hike I use trekking poles and rest alot on the way. If I need to hit a store for just a single item, I'll use a shopping cart, because it functions like a walker and attenuates my "drunken walk." I can balance myself on my right foot for considerable time, but cannot do so for more than a second or two on my left foot. As a result, when my weight is on just my left foot I sometimes stagger, which feels and presumably looks like a drunkard's walk -- it can be embarrassing.

I cannot tell what you are thinking, but it seems to me like you are thinking in terms of group size, as in range shooting. Forget about it. If you are being attacked, you will have no idea where, within that three dimensional moving attacker, the small vital targets are. Nor will you have time to worry about hitting them, even though doing so is critical. I will be a matter of balancing speed and precision, with the hitting of vial areas being a stochastic thing.

Considering group size is critical no matter what the setting or reason for shooting. We agree that praying and spraying may produce a psychological stop, but cannot and should not be counted on to produce any stop; in other words, hitting the target in the vitals must be the goal for defensive shooting.

For slow-fire range practice, I strive for 20-moa groups, which is good enough to hit the IDPA -0 thoracic zone out to and beyond the game's 35-yd maximum distance. As I ratchet up the complication factor, thus imposing stress on me, I will accept larger groups as the simulated situation warrants.

In a real-world situation at 5 yd, I'd be very happy hitting the bad guy anywhere with each shot, which would make me far better than the average LEO, who misses about 75% of his shots. Using the IDPA target as an anatomical model, the largest circle one can inscribe within the -3 zone is one with a 17.375-inch diameter, which at 5 yd is a whopping 332-moa target. In the hope of achieving that when needed I will train by striving to shoot much tighter groups than that.