After participating in a couple threads here concerning trigger and stance, I would suggest that ongoing participation in one of the action shooting sports is a major plus in becoming a competent defensive shooter.
I spent the last 15 years involved in an IDPAish local pistol match as well as local 3 gun competition. I was the match director for the vast majority of that time. I noticed that a large number of people who had taken lower level "defensive shooting classes" still had not mastered the handling of their weapon. They could not deliver accurate shots on demand and their gun handling was not up to par.(Draw stroke/speed, reloads, etc.)
I suspect one of the issues is that taking a class is a once every year or so affair. They do not follow through with a LOT more practice and don't have people around them to keep them involved.
Among the newer/less skilled shooters that I observed thru the years who started to shoot our matches regularly there was a marked improvement in skill and a motivation to continue to get better. They were in squads with better shooters and got tips and encouragement to improve.
There is always the argument about how some game "tactics" will get you killed, but so will being a lousy, slow shot with a pistol. Shooting at someone and missing them is not good for your future. Some sports do require the use of cover that does help develop shooting skills from more than just the "stand square and shoot" situation.
I have had people who have taken much more than just the basic CCW class who didn't really get to where they could shoot well until they spent a couple years attending monthly pistol matches. It gave them a good reason to really focus on what they were doing and immediate feed back on how they were doing. The $20 entry fee plus ammo is quite a bit cheaper than using the next class to practice.
They also are presented with a good variety of target types and shooting positions to cause them to have to adapt to things they may not be good at.
I have found that timer and peer pressure do provide a small amount of stress that they have to learn to perform under. Overall I think the regular shooting matches give the CCW person a big edge in the learning curve.
I spent the last 15 years involved in an IDPAish local pistol match as well as local 3 gun competition. I was the match director for the vast majority of that time. I noticed that a large number of people who had taken lower level "defensive shooting classes" still had not mastered the handling of their weapon. They could not deliver accurate shots on demand and their gun handling was not up to par.(Draw stroke/speed, reloads, etc.)
I suspect one of the issues is that taking a class is a once every year or so affair. They do not follow through with a LOT more practice and don't have people around them to keep them involved.
Among the newer/less skilled shooters that I observed thru the years who started to shoot our matches regularly there was a marked improvement in skill and a motivation to continue to get better. They were in squads with better shooters and got tips and encouragement to improve.
There is always the argument about how some game "tactics" will get you killed, but so will being a lousy, slow shot with a pistol. Shooting at someone and missing them is not good for your future. Some sports do require the use of cover that does help develop shooting skills from more than just the "stand square and shoot" situation.
I have had people who have taken much more than just the basic CCW class who didn't really get to where they could shoot well until they spent a couple years attending monthly pistol matches. It gave them a good reason to really focus on what they were doing and immediate feed back on how they were doing. The $20 entry fee plus ammo is quite a bit cheaper than using the next class to practice.
They also are presented with a good variety of target types and shooting positions to cause them to have to adapt to things they may not be good at.
I have found that timer and peer pressure do provide a small amount of stress that they have to learn to perform under. Overall I think the regular shooting matches give the CCW person a big edge in the learning curve.
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