I just started reading a book from 1992 that stresses the importance of instinct shooting over training by use of sights for combat shooting situations. I have also read just the opposite.I have no formal pistol training, just shooting for fun, plinking, & trying to shoot bulls eyes at the local range. I am considering getting some training by joining IPSC, but if instinctual shooting is more what I need for combat preparedness, & they stress the use of the sites, it seems to me to conflict with what the book I'm reading says is how to be prepared for a combat situation, which is what I want to learn.
I know I am reading a book that is 11 years old, & I don't know what other books along this line I should read. So I decided to ask ya'll, cause I know your experts.
I used to shoot my bow instinctively, & I could shoot as well as my friends with sites, which always amazed them, & they would ask me how did you do that? I grew up shooting bow, before sites were a common use item, but my friends started with sites. & didn't understand the concept of look, adjust by instinct, & shoot.
I would guess it's the same concept for shooting a pistol.


Which is the better method for combat preparedness?

I think you hit it on the head when you said you grew up shooting a bow. go out and practice using sights all the time, then when you need the speed or want to goof off, try inctinctual/ point shooting.

IPSC teaches you nothing about combat shooting.  I familiarizes you with your gun and teaches you how to shoot accuratly with aimed fire. It also teaches how not to use cover, how to engage 15 bad guys standing up to them head on, it teaches you how to drop loaded magazines all over the place leaving your ammunition supply behind. It does help you learn how to operate your gun under the stress of competition, so that will help a bit.  IPSC is racing plain and simple and a really fun time. It is not about anything practical/real world.

There are plenty of self defense type courses around the country. You might be better suited to attend those. Learning the legalities of when/how to apply deadly force is as important as learning how to point and shoot your gun.

Aimed fire always works instinctive shooting is what they used when filming the A-Team and you say how many injuries there were on that show.

I shoot IDPA, and I can tell you that at distances under 10 yards, I do better without looking at the sights.  For those longer range shots I generally do need to line up the sights, but I'll often take at least one shot "point" shooting and will hit it 50% of the time or so.

With that said, my goal is to learn to shoot with both eyes open and use the sights.  I think that will prove to be the fastest all around method.

Front sight, center of mass, squeeze trigger.

I say use sights unless the target is close enough to touch, in which case the gun ought to be back around your waist to protect it from being grabbed.

In the modern legal world, you are responsible for every bullet you fire. You should know as precisely as possible where every bullet you fire is going to go. That's aimed fire.

ISPC/IDPA may not be a perfect simulation of combat tactics, but it does emphasize putting shots on target quickly. As far as I know, they don't explicitly emphasize use of sights - they just give points for putting bullets through the targets in the shortest amount of time. The fact that the competitors use aimed fire shows that it is the best choice.

I say use sights unless the target is close enough to touch, in which case the gun ought to be back around your waist to protect it from being grabbed.

In the modern legal world, you are responsible for every bullet you fire. You should know as precisely as possible where every bullet you fire is going to go. That's aimed fire.

ISPC/IDPA may not be a perfect simulation of combat tactics, but it does emphasize putting shots on target quickly. As far as I know, they don't explicitly emphasize use of sights - they just give points for putting bullets through the targets in the shortest amount of time. The fact that the competitors use aimed fire shows that it is the best choice.

Aimless
 12/14/2003 6:16:58 PM

Ditto what Mace said.

Anyone who champions point shooting should put his money where his mouth is & compete in IPSC/IDPA with a sightless gun & see how competetive he his...

Your guess would be correct IMHO.. [:D]





Whatever works best for any given individual. As long as the bad guy goes down first, that's "all" you want.

Screw it, use the bow & arrow if ya wanna!! [:P]

"Sites"?