Is Your Pistol Training Realistic?

When we as sheepdogs make time to go to the range do we train for real-life situations?  Or do we shoot from the hi ready at the 5-10 yard line at a blue piece of paper, flat-footed and admire our tight groupings?

I would wager most of us fall in the latter category.  It is what we have done for years and yes…it is better than nothing.  But, it is a far cry from realistic.

It is easy to feel secure when you carry a gun with you as you are carrying a force multiplier to give you a tactical advantage.  However, this is a fallacy and is like living in a bubble of denial.  Just carrying, or throwing your pistol in the glove box or console is not going to help you when the time comes to actually use deadly force.

So, what is REALISTIC pistol training you ask?  Let’s dive into 5 steps to make you much more prepared, rather than just being armed.

• Practice your grip & draw stroke. This is what you need to do in front of a mirror until it is second nature and you NEVER have to look down to acquire your weapon.  If you are fumbling around with your shirt, belt, or pants…you are likely going to lose any type of immediate use of force.
• Get off the X. Most of the time, you will be shooting at a moving target and they will be shooting back at you.  We have all heard the saying “like shooting sitting ducks”…when you stand there flat-footed like you are at the range…you are giving the attacker a much easier target than if you were moving.  Train to acquire your weapon and get moving and off the X.
• It is not a video game. You see people in videos all the time that get behind a car door, wooden door at their house or a sheetrock wall and think they are safe.  That is the difference between cover & concealment.  COVER will stop a bullet.  Concealment simply hides the human body.  Practice shooting from your knees, around stationary objects, and moving laterally from cover.
• Practice immediate action drills. Murphy is alive and well as we all know!!  The moment your life depends on it, your weapon may have not been fired in some time and has the breach slightly open, or the magazine has partially disengaged.  IF and when this happens, practice the tap-rack-fire drills to keep your muscle memory fresh.  Rather than looking at your gun as though you want to scold it for not firing.
• Always be prepared. If you are going to be wearing shorts, a tank top, and flip flops….how and where will you carry?  It is much easier to carry in the winter when we have on jeans, long sleeves, jackets or vests.  Have a plan and be prepared for how you will carry every day.  It should be something you know and have prepared for.  If you carry a winter/summer gun….that is fine.  Know your holster/weapon setup and be prepared to use it.

The bottom line is using a weapon of deadly force is a very serious thing and is literally a matter of life or death.  Just to carry is going to lull you into believing that you are prepared.  Don’t be THAT GUY.  Set yourself up to put the odds in your favor when the time comes.

Are you more committed to preserving your own life more than the aggressor is to taking yours away?

Think about it.

Fortuna Paratus Remunerat= Fortune Favors the Prepared.

Shane Smith