Posted: 2/13/2003 5:22:35 PM EDT
| Did anyone else see the "Worlds Scariest Police Shootouts" on TBS? I dont know, because I have never been shot at, but is it really hard to hit someone that is 20 feet away(or less)? |
| Dad was a ranger, taught me young, taught me well, how to use a handgun. Especially in combat situations. I read an article in Guns & Ammo about this situation. Hit rates below %20 in the field are common for police officers. I'm really not surprised. I'm sure it's not done intentionally, but police officers are being trained to look at the target, not the sights, when firing. Dad taught me well, always ALWAYS line up the sights in a combat situation. The target should be somewhat of a blur, but aim for the center mass, right smack in the middle of the chest. These police officers are firing without aiming. They need to be trained in situations of stress to fire using the sights. |
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I have a friend who opened up on a perp pointing a shotgun at him. Was about 14 feet from the guy and missed with all seven shots. He actually went to the range quite a bit too. From what I understand it is really really hard to accurately place shoots onto a small target when under a great deal of stress. |
| I've never been shot at but I do believe that if the target is shooting back, the stress must be high. If you can take an extra second and aim, I think you'll win every time. I do know that I got 3 shots at a large deer some years back and got "Buck Fever" and didn't aim other than in his general direction. With a human target the stress must be unmeasurbly higher. |
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Back when i used to hunt deer. I had "buck fever" twice. I've never been in combat (and hopefully never will) but i think that "combat shock" is the about the same, just more intense. "The brain turns into water and runs out of the ears". I remember time slowing down i could hear little things like the wind blowing leaves around even after firing a blast from the Mossberg 500 i used. I did'nt miss all of my shots (three each) the first time i hit twice and the second i hit once blowing off the front right leg of the deer. (aiming at the heart). Lots of trees in the way wich did'nt help. Both times the deer was running at full speed being chased by dogs. I hate hunting with deer dogs. Bird dogs were ok. |
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Statistically, cops don't get off the first shot. The bad guy decides to initiate the gunfight, and cops have to fight through the "startle response" (the "Oh Sh-t!" factor). BGs get off the first shots most of the time, because action is quicker than reaction, and hit with 91% accuracy. Cops return fire with 41% accuracy. Fight of Flight doesn't kick in for about a minute, and Adrenaline actually makes you shoot a little bit more accurately (I think it was a Grossman study where soldiers and cops were injected with Adrenaline and then shot). Because of the startle response, cops often forget all of their training and exhibit the "classic" shooting behaviors: -No use of sights -Tunnel vision -Arms extended and locked straights out -panic fire most or all of their rounds -High incidents of hits to BGs weapon, weapon hand and arm because they focus on the weapon instead of the "real" threat. This is why sims training is becoming so popular in LE training circles; it gets officers used to the startle response and innoculates them for the stress of real life encounters, by replicating, as closely as possible, the circumstances in real life shootings. After several sims engaements, the cops start using their sights, shooting more accurately and winning. Sims also gets cops ready for the reality of gunfights; gunfights are probably going to start off with you getting shot, and then playing "catch-up." |
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Well said natez, Been teaching with simms. about three years now, It's amazing how a 95% qualifier gets in the shoot house and can't hit the BG at fifteen feet with a full magazine. I've actualy had s#!t hot talkers actualy freeze up when the first round goes by them! Ya never know until your there. |
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Quoted: Well said natez, Been teaching with simms. about three years now, It's amazing how a 95% qualifier gets in the shoot house and can't hit the BG at fifteen feet with a full magazine. I've actualy had s#!t hot talkers actualy freeze up when the first round goes by them! Ya never know until your there. I LOVE SIMS!! The county sheriff brought a sim trailer truck out here, I stopped in about 5 PM and asked the operator if I could do a run through. First scenario I got my head beat in with a tire iron, my weapon remained in the holster. Every run after that I scored one head shot and 1 center of chest, (I'm a double tapper). No "innocents" were shot at. Sim operator said I scored in the top 97% over most of the cops who went through. I'd love to have that set-up at home!! |
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East if the Mississippi, the average LEO is a marginal shot to begin with.(I said the AVERAGE cop, NOT the instructors or the guy that's an avid shooter) They simply don't practice enough to be GOOD. Part of this is cheapskate city fathers and CLEOs with budget problems to deal with. Ammo costs money. Take marginal shooting skills, add 2 1/2 cups of stress, bake with a cup of fear and you have a recipe for pretty shabby marksmanship. Of course, even a pretty good shot isn't going to be up to his best when the SHTF, but his odds improve somewhat if he was good to begin with. There's also a liability issue. The course of fire in many places has been dumbed down and scoring is now either pass/fail. LEOs USED to wear skill badges (Marksman, SS, Expert, etc) until Johnny Lawyer pulled a 'Gee, if you're an expert, why dint cha shoot the guy outta the guy's hand? It sucks, but that's the way it is. |