Believe it or not, here at my local police dept. they train the policemen to give, return, 'cover' fire by firing several rounds in the general direction of a bad guy! That may be fine on the battlefield, but in a town or city I think not. That's why policemans job is hard cause you can't do things like that.
Who says cops can't shoot?
- Thread starter xmastree
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Believe it or not, here at my local police dept. they train the policemen to give, return, 'cover' fire by firing several rounds in the general direction of a bad guy! That may be fine on the battlefield, but in a town or city I think not. That's why policemans job is hard cause you can't do things like that.
It is a common thread to bash competition shooters because it is assumed that we will somehow lack that magical ingredient of "mind set".
Okay... What about a comp shooter, who practices his butt off, who also happens to have the proper mindset? Hence the Olympic swimmer line.
I think Joe and Zak nailed it. It is easier to bash competition shooters than it is to become as good as they are. If you can't play the game, malign the game.
I'm not bashing cops. Some of the best local shooters we have are cops. (Sheriffs deputies mostly). More power to them. I've been beaten by CoreyACP more times than I can count. However most of the cops I've seen come and and compete shoot one match, lose badly, and then never come back. Certainly part of it is scheduling, or lack of down time, or money, but that applies to those of us in civillian vocations as well. Heck, that is why most of the best shooters I know are young, single or at least don't have kids, and make good money.
It isn't just cops vs. comp either. I work with Army SF people a lot. (God bless them, great guys) and I work with a lot of the hard core "tactical" crowd. But there is often an attitude amongst those folks that comp guys are just gamers who just don't have that magic "mind set". I'm willing to wager that there are just as many gamers with the "mind set" as there are in any other gun toting group. But surprisingly, when I get the Army guys out to a 3gun, they have a blast, and often comment how it is awesome practice. Go figure.
Okay... What about a comp shooter, who practices his butt off, who also happens to have the proper mindset? Hence the Olympic swimmer line.
I think Joe and Zak nailed it. It is easier to bash competition shooters than it is to become as good as they are. If you can't play the game, malign the game.
I'm not bashing cops. Some of the best local shooters we have are cops. (Sheriffs deputies mostly). More power to them. I've been beaten by CoreyACP more times than I can count. However most of the cops I've seen come and and compete shoot one match, lose badly, and then never come back. Certainly part of it is scheduling, or lack of down time, or money, but that applies to those of us in civillian vocations as well. Heck, that is why most of the best shooters I know are young, single or at least don't have kids, and make good money.
It isn't just cops vs. comp either. I work with Army SF people a lot. (God bless them, great guys) and I work with a lot of the hard core "tactical" crowd. But there is often an attitude amongst those folks that comp guys are just gamers who just don't have that magic "mind set". I'm willing to wager that there are just as many gamers with the "mind set" as there are in any other gun toting group. But surprisingly, when I get the Army guys out to a 3gun, they have a blast, and often comment how it is awesome practice. Go figure.
To start off, this is my first post on The FiringLine and I enjoy reading thorugh all the forums. I can see the merits of several of the views expressed here. I myself am a LEO in SW Ohio. I have recently competed in a USPSA formatted league localy and enjoy every minute. I know that for my department, most of the LEOs are average shooters and would place in the of the pack if they were to compete. Should they be better? I think so. I am one that believes that you should strive to improve yourself and become more proficeint in every aspect of your job. Some in my department look at carrying a firearm as just another piece of equipment and cringe at the thought of going to the range.(these are usually the same people that its safer to stand directly in front of the target than on the firing line while they shoot!) I think that even though competition shooting doesn't have the element of danger that a real life encounter has, it is still forcing you to perform well under stress, namely in the form of a timer. To win, you need to focus on the fudamentals of marksmanship: sight alighment, sight picture and trigger control. These things become second nature with continued and regular practice, part of which I get from competing. Not to mention its a great way to relieve stress and make some new friends. I would not bash a competitor's abilities to handle a firearm. It shows dedication and determination to improve one's skills.
Larry Ashcraft
New member
Or Eddie Rhodes.
CarbineCaleb
New member
I don't know the answer, but I would think that LEO's are probably better on average in marksmanship than civilian gun owners. The discussion here has focused on competitive civilan shooters and comparing them to LEOs. That may be a fair comparison if that's how it's stated, but it doesn't imply that civilian shooters are better than LEOs.
I've never seen LEOs shoot, nor have I competed... but I've seen plenty of ordinary civilians shooting at perhaps half a dozen ranges, and I know that I am not a marksman, and yet I know that I am better than most of these guys, who are dangerous as much as anything else - and those are the civilians who go to the range.
Instead of picking out competitive IPSC players, pick out all the civilian guys who are hitting the ceilings, walls and posts at ranges - and then imagine what the guys are like who don't show up
Personally, I can imagine that a little more emphasis on firearms training would still be useful for LEOs, as it would be for private citizens.
I've never seen LEOs shoot, nor have I competed... but I've seen plenty of ordinary civilians shooting at perhaps half a dozen ranges, and I know that I am not a marksman, and yet I know that I am better than most of these guys, who are dangerous as much as anything else - and those are the civilians who go to the range.
Instead of picking out competitive IPSC players, pick out all the civilian guys who are hitting the ceilings, walls and posts at ranges - and then imagine what the guys are like who don't show up Personally, I can imagine that a little more emphasis on firearms training would still be useful for LEOs, as it would be for private citizens.