Moving and Shooting

[Wannabegunsmith]

So I've been getting into firearms in the last 4 years heavily and decided it's time to start doing some "Tactical" shooting instead of just sitting on a bench. I have made a range down in my woods. Using trees as targets with big steel plate mounted on the trees to shoot at. So I was wondering if theres any tactics to shooting and moving. Youtube vids or any tips you guys have. Thanks

[Wannabegunsmith]

One of the questions I wanna know is do I keep my legs bent and try to run/move as straight as possible and with the littlest amount of upper body movement..?

[serf 'rett]

Lots of stuff pops up with a simple Google search. Read it. Watch it.

Even better get some training. Put your training to work by shooting in one of the pistol sports like IDPA where there is moving and shooting.

[zombietactics]

I would STRONGLY suggest either taking at least ONE class from a qualified instructor, or getting involved with competition shooting if you can find a mentor.

This is both so that you do not form bad habits, but more importantly so that you do not get ahead of yourself safety wise.

[dawg23]

[QUOTESo I was wondering if theres any tactics to shooting and moving. ][/QUOTE]

Moving is a tactic. As is shooting.

I think you're actually asking about techniques. As was noted, getting instruction from a qualified trainer is the answer.

[kraigwy]

Best you're going to find, put out by the CMP and Army Marksmanship Unit (best shooters in the world)

Covers:

Close Quarters Marksmanship DVD
This is your chance to learn the secrets to hitting targets
quickly at close range with both a rifle and pistol. This
DVD will give you the tools necessary to excel at high
speed close range shooting.
Lessons Covered: Kit Set Up, 7 Principles of High Performan-
ce Shooting, Weapons Presentation, Accuracy, Targets, The
Reload, The Mental Game, Range Drills, The Ready Up Drill,
Recoil Management, Multiple Threat Engagements, Shooting on
the Move, Changing Gears Drills, Alternate Position, Weapons
Transition & Malfunctions.

The DVD only cost $6.95 from the CMP

http://estore.thecmp.org/store/catal...4=&note5=&max=

[1stmar]

Todd Jarrett has a lot of info on this for both pistol and rifle. YouTube

[Skans]

I tried running and shooting at people-sized targets just 4 feet away. Getting a hit was questionable; getting a solid hit was next to impossible.....for me, anyway.

[1stmar]

Soft feet and knees are the key. It's not all full speed run, but a quick walk.

[raimius]

Definitely take a class.
There are a lot of DUMB things that people don't realize they are doing when they try to teach themselves something they know almost nothing about.

Seeking well-qualified instruction is a sign of wisdom, not an admittance of weakness.

[PawPaw]

Oh, absolutely take a class. Consider such things as use of cover, movement techniques, communication, and firing positions. The basics of maneuver warfare is move, shoot, communicate. Lots of folks spend a lifetime refining the basics. Start slow, and be deliberate. Speed comes with focused practice.

[MarkCO]

Dry-fire...the secret to success. Cheaper and easier too.

Phase 1. Get a water bottle, take off the lid, fill it full. Then walk around the house holding it with both hands, arms extended. Utilize the walking methods illustrated on the multiple YouTube channels. You spill, you are not stable enough. If you work in an accommodating environment, take the water bottle and set it near your workstation. Everytime you move, use the bottle.

Phase 2. Superglue a WD40 spray tube to the top of the water bottle and do the same thing, but locate targets and start doing transitions as you move around.

Phase 3. Turn off the lights, do this in the backyard, even at the range.

Phase 4. Same bottle as in phase 2, but add in "Pew, Pew" frequently.


Yes, phase 4 is just having some fun. Seriously, 10 minutes a day for a month will teach YOU more about shooting on the move that you can ever learn burning $400 of ammo in a $400 class...for 50 cents max. I tell students to do this before taking a class, and it is obvious those who took it seriously and those who did not. I have been know to toss a water bottle at a student and send them to the parking lot to run around cars so they could focus on this and get it down.

With newer shooters, I move them from the water bottle to a .22 pistol to fine tune the mechanics of keeping the torso, head and pistol centered on the same index (typically verticle) and isolated from the waist up as they move. This is where a quality instructor can help. But most instructors in the wild don't even know why the pistol (and head and torso) should stay verticle, much less do they teach it. It is a good weed-out question for an instructor.

[Mobuck]

During my high school years, I was in the marching band. To be a good marching musician requires learning to march in step while keeping the instrument steady. Having this skill applies to firing while moving.

[Bultaco]

There is a big difference between shoot on the move for sport and self defense.
The nice slow steady stuff for matches looks great & makes you a great target. We have a MGM running man target at our club. It took no time at all to realize that unless the target was running at full speed with at least 10 yards distance it got shot to pieces. Even with relatively small shooting windows the novice shooters got hits. I have been told that the suppressive fire you are doing will help. That concept was based on a squad with rifles, not your one puny pistol. If you back straight up or at a slight angle you don't move out of the cone of fire from your opponent. A wide open sprint for cover at a sharp angle to the shooter provides a better chance of survival.
If the opponent has a contact weapon then moving off line while shooting can be viable. You still end up moving a lot faster if playing for blood than
trophies.

[Deaf Smith]

Moving and shooting has its place but...

Go look at cop shootouts and see how many of them moved and shot at the same time.

Some did... alot didn't.

Deaf

[agtman]

Get quality training. It's worth your money & your life.

Avoid a "tool" school, where some guy claiming to be ex-mil or ex-LE says he can teach you all the latest & greatest details of how the tactical "dance" is done (i.e., moving & shooting, use of cover/concealment, etc.) He's a tool.

Do your research, use due diligence, and your $$$ and time will be well-spent. That level of training will likely be more effective if you ever need to use it.

[Slopemeno]

And after all that find a local paintball field. What's it like to shoot as someone trying to shoot you, while on the run? Find out. You can also ask the guy after he center punches you "Hey, what did I do wrong back there?"

[twr]

Learn to point shoot (less sights and more muscle memory) first. That you can do at your local range at no additional cost. But as many others have said, take a class. You can watch a hundred YouTube videos and possibly get the gist, but the supervision of a quality instructor is the only way to really learn how to tie in deliberate movement with the other shooting fundamentals. Additional things you can do on your own however are practicing draw stroke, mag changes, and malfunction clearing.

[4V50 Gary]

Another poster mentioned it. Lowered body with flexed knees, roll the feet as you move to be as smooth as possible. Practice advancing, retreating, side to side, diagonal movement while shooting.

I used to divide my shooters into two groups. One group shot while the second group served as safety officers, holding onto the shooter and maintaining their alignment while the shooting group was instructed to move back, forth, side to side.

[boondocker385]

learn the basics then do force on force....its a whole lot different when someone is shooting at you!

[45Gunner]

I do a fair amount of tactical shooting. I was once told: In a gun fight, if you ain't moving, you should be shooting. If you ain't moving, you should be shooting. If you aren't doing either, you should be reloading. If you ain't doing any of the three, you are dead.

When training, keep this in mind and you will find your instincts kicking in.

[FireForged]

I think you should take a fighting pistol and perhaps lay off running around in the woods until you develop a working methodology.

[pax]

Practice does not make perfect. Practice makes permanent.

If you practice doing something the wrong way 500 times, then guess what? On the 501st time, you will probably do it wrong.

Invest in quality training before you practice. It saves ammo ... and lives.

pax

[Glenn E. Meyer]

I might suggest that one be careful when moving through trees and shooting at steel. That can be quite interesting depending on distance. One might shoot from too close a distance and put a hole in yourself. I've been cut by fragments (once impressively) at a reasonable distance. I've seen others hit painfully.

Steel can also get pitted and the crater can actually shoot the round right back at you. I fear that a novice could be at risk.

Also, I agree that self-training is all fine and dandy but you need qualified observation of your techniques.

[Wannabegunsmith]

I've never had a problem with steel. I shoot AR550 and thats all I've ever shot. Although ive never shot at a solid target. The targets I always shoot at are on a stand that I weld together so they swing like a gong. I'm probably going to just make some stands and targets. Ive never had a problem with swinging or moving targets sending anything back at me.