How do you do a double-tap?

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TMS-
I beg to differ. Many would argue that your definition of the "double tap" actually decribes the "controlled pair"....two sight acquisitions, two shots. The classic "double tap" entails one sight picture.

In any case, you're right on about the concept of the technique regardless of the philological nuance: Two A Zone hits as fast as practicable.


Gunfighter-
The "geometric" damage theory had to do, I believe, with the rag-writers proposal of putting the second shot into the original "zone of injury"....my terminology is foggy here; Walt Welch will probably remember.
Thus, it was argued, two rounds on top of each other, would create "quadruple damage" compared to the "double damage" of two rounds a handsbreadth apart. Of course, lack of data did not get in the way of these "pronouncements"; nor did common sense, human anatomy or human physiology....it was junk science from the git.

Good rule of thumb:
If you're making little figure eights, go faster. If one round is missing the kill zone, go slower.
Rich
 
Thank you all for your replies...this has been very educational! However, Mohican Sneak mentioned just before this post, that "...the front sight is re-aquired before the next trigger pull."
I saw someone shooting at the range, and he was doing VERY quick double-taps, and I don't think there is any way he can be re-acquiring the sight. His pistol almost sounded like a fully-automatic weapon firing 2 shot bursts at times, and he was grouping the two shots dead-center of the target only 1-2 inches apart, except for some occasional 2nd shot flyers going high.
I'll need lotsa practice with cheap 9mm ammo to get this right...I'm used to shooting by: Controlled breathing; very slow and gradual trigger-pull; very high level of concentration. I only get one shot off maybe every 5 seconds this way, but at 25 feet I can unload the entire magazine into or touching the orange dot (a 1.5 inch diameter). I'm finding it difficult to try and get the second shot off quickly without feeling "out of control," and end up getting the second shot into the edges of the black circle (5 inch circle), and even into the white.
I'll take Rich and Gary's advice, and start out slower and speed up the follow-up as it gets more comfortable, and learn to get more efficient with the trigger, releasing just enough to reset the sear...which means I'll have to stick to just one gun for this practice, or I'll get confused with the different trigger mechanisms, different sear-reset requirements, and different trigger-weight.
 
100% trigger control. Most do not shoot the gun enough to create the muscle memory need for double taps. Fast is smooth and smooth is fast. You have to be ultra comfortable with you gun before attempting this level of skills. Get someone who knows enough to coach you so as not to waste money and time doing the wrong things.

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When guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns.
 
Rich, junk science, LOL! We armchair pistoleers wouldn't have anything to talk about if we didn't have lies, damn lies, and statistics. :D

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Remember: When you attempt to rationalize two inconsistent positions, you risk drowning as your own sewage backs up... Yankee Doodle
 
I'm not an expert, but this is my take on "double taps"

IIRC, The Cooper school of thought is, first off, abandon the term "double-tap". More precise definitions:

Controlled pair: 2 aimed shots/hits with distinct sight picture for each shot at one threat.

Dedicated pair: 2 aimed shots/hits with distinct sight picture for each, and decision to fire 2nd has been made before the first one goes. Note in follow through from the first shot/hit, the threat may have moved and tracking is necessary.

Hammer: 2 shots/hits fired with one sight picture, relying on the proper body mechanics and grip to return the handgun to approximately same aiming point.

Summary:
Controlled pair: BAM......BAM
Dedicated pair: BAM BAM
Hammer: BA-BAM

As to WHY we shoot twice, IIRC (I might have this wrong) but since handguns are iffy stoppers to begin with, 2 is more decisive than one and helps ensure that at least one hit a vital spot.

Why only 2? I'd say (and once again I might have this wrong) it's ammo conservation since it was developed for a single stack 1911. Also, the instructors I've met/read about say that if Plan A doesn't work, repeating Plan A on and on doesn't make nearly as much sense as going to Plan B immediately.

Finally, the "shoot until 2 left, then a head hit" might ruin your day if you lose count. Counting 1...2 is a lot easier than
1 2 3 4 5 6 ...NOW the head shot. 7...
Screw that up and you might be going bap bap bap bap ("how many is that?") bap bap ka-chunk (slide lock) and oh FECES now it's really a bad day.

Once again this is my amateur opinion, worth everything you paid for it.

Edmund
 
Agree with Jack99.

Accurate fast "double-tap" = muscle memory.
With .22 cal. pistols it's also possible
to spare a little time for some extra
"rough" aiming, little recoil of .22 does not throw orientation of sights too far, but with 9mm or bigger calibers there is no time to aim again, if we are talking 2 shots in 1 second or less...

I shoot doubles and triples with my Ruger
MKII pretty fast and relatively accurate,
but still have a long way to go to do the
same with CZ-75...not enough muscle memory
to hold this kicker steady for the second
fast shot.
 
I use double tap if I am engaging one target.

If I have 3 or more targets, I will just shot one each and go back again to the other, to simulate real scenario.

I observe that the first engagement of double tap to first target is slower than the succeeding double tap shots to the next target, because in the initial stage of drawing and aiming the gun to the first target consume longer time, but engaging the second target is already faster.

When we always do this method, every time we draw the pistol our trigger finger automatically squeezed twice the trigger, and we are more faster than aimed one shot.
 
I am not an expert in this area, but in latest Evans and Marshall book on a stopping power (1996) they claim that double tap does not have a real advatage over one shot. I do not remember exact numbers, but something about 2 -3% difference. Any comments on it?

Zentao
 
Rich

I agree. If according Evanes and Marshall Cor Bon 115+P, for example, has 91% one shot stop, so what % it woud be for 12 gauge shortgun? 500%???
If they are right and handgun bullet really may have more then 90% stopping power, than double tap add nothing. I agree that it against common sense.

Regards

Zentao



[This message has been edited by zentao (edited October 13, 1999).]
 
I'm not sure, but I think the Marshall/Sanow double hit figures are for when 2 handgun shots hit the torso.

I'm guessing that the "controlled pair/dedicated pair/hammer" figures aren't taking into account when 2 shots were fired but only one hit.

Put another way, I wish there was a database on when 2 shots were fired and the bad guy ceased aggressive behavior independent of whether he was hit 1 or 2 times. The M/S database implies that they are comparing 2 hits vs. one hit. No mention of how many shots were fired.

I may be very wrong. I don't know for sure how M/S set up their database on the double hits. YMMV.

Edmund
 
IM ego-bulged Opinion, Edmund has the best definition of the distinctions between the ways to send two shots to the target.

I advocate controlled pairs beyond 5 yards, and hammers inside 5 yards, but only if your training shows your hits are within 4-5 inches of each other. But who's listening to this over-educated, over-read sometimes cynic?

Part of the dynamic of hammers is the "bounce" of your gun platform. Given a low boreline like the Glock, it seems possible that two shots fired at the dexterity limit of your triggah finnah *could* land pretty close to each other because the cycling slide going forward tips the barrel back down a touch, all before the full rearward rock of recoil is finished.

On the other hand, it seems more likely to me that the learning curve for hammers involves a firm grip and finding the trigger timing which lets the pistol "bounce" back to an approximation of its original alignment. In very close, this seems a reasonable course to plan for, since the target indexing is going to be a very large mass easily seen over, to the sides of, and maybe even under the firearm.

This is a very dynamic thing, like the two balls on a string "clackers" when I was in grade school. Remember those? Bounce them against each other, then give a big upward yank and get them bouncing at the top of the stroke as well as at the bottom.

Anyway, for a point of interest, I was doing some hammers at 15 yards with an SKS almost two weeks ago. The second shot was definitely during the recoil stroke. Second shot, standing, was at about 2 o'clock about 5 inches from the first. Flash sight picture and ba-bang!

On the theory that anyone worth shooting is worth shooting twice because of the uncertain success probabilities with handgun ammo, your desire to end the threat as quickly as possible is the key. My plan (which just might puke upon first contact with the enemy, like all battle plans...) is to begin with two and assess and scan, cycling between head, pelvis, and more body shots if there is a failure to stop. And scan and escape if I'm still alive!

To continue firing at center of mass after two or three or five shots have failed to stop seems to be lemming-like suicidal repetition of what did NOT work. Didn't the Democratic welfare state get denounced once as being the definition of insanity--repeating the same actions over and over again, expecting different results?

Gee, that insanity sounds like restrictive gun laws, doesn't it? And they have the nerve to call it "modern" ways of controlling violence...
 
I also concur with Jack99. When parcticing DT's, or even singles, I shoot "instinctive" - no sights. This is done at a reasonable distance of course. Long shots with my pistol are done with the sights.

Instinctive shooting uses no sights at all and is perfected (per se) with practice and is indeed heavily dependent on muscle memory. As with the above suggestions, the paracitce of releasing the trigger just enought to reset the disconnector is very important.

3 important DT rules to follow:
1) parctice
2) practice
3) practice

Good shooting.

CMOS
 
Simple dopuble tap:

1. Paint the front sight of your pistol bright orange or other luminous color.

2. Look OVER the front sight as you bring it up into your sight plane. Point it like a shotgun.

3. fire your 1st shot

4. fire your second shot as soon as your wrist recovers again looking OVER the sight and pointing it like a shotgun.

This will score you hits in a 3 inch circle at 7 yards, a 5 inch circle at 15.

I was doing this drill with a hungarian pa-63 walther copy in .380 and by the time i had done it for a while i was shooting golf ball sized two shot groups at 7 yards.

Dr.Rob
 
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