How To Shoot Under Stress
It is important for students who are training for defensive pistol shooting to shoot under stress. They should be subjected to a moderate degree of stress that mimics the experience if and whenever they face a violent attacker.
This drill requires three people to conduct: a shooter, a runner, and an observer — to track where the first shot hits or misses the paper. The runner must be someone who runst the fastest. The observer’s job is to stand safely behind the shooter making a mental note if the rounds hit or miss the paper during the drill.
The shooter will not be shooting at the runner.
Once at the firing point and facing down range, the shooter will load their gun with 2-5 rounds of ammunition.
When guns are loaded, the shooter will be in the ready gun position or have their loaded pistol in their holster with the retention devices secured. (For safety precautions, anyone who has plans on practicing from the holster has to make sure that they are skilled enough to do so.)
The shooter will be facing down range with their pistol loaded and either in the ready gun position or holstered. The runner will be behind the shooter, slightly off the shooter’s non-shooting side, their back facing the shooter’s back (facing up-range). The runner will have one of their hands on the shooters non-shooting side shoulder. The runners other hand will have weighted object to drop.
After a few moments, take the shooter by surprise, without a hint, the runner will run away from the shooter as fast as possible towards a safe location.
Once the runner’s hand leaves the shooter’s shoulder, the shooter may engage the target as fast as the can.
The runner will drop the object upon hearing the first shot but keeps running and stop when he hears the last shot.
Once the shooter is done firing, they should show an unloaded pistol then secure it either on the shooting bench or in their holster.
The shooter may now turn around and look to see how far they are from the weighted object in relationship to where their first round hit the target.
Compare the shooters defensive accuracy to the NRA Standard of being able to put five rounds into a nine-inch circle. Did the first round hit the target?
The distance/time it took the runner to travel from the shooter to the first and last shots were fired. Did the runner cover more than 21 feet before the shooter fired his first shot?
The distance the runner covered represents the amount of distance a determined violent attacker could cover when changing at a shooter/defender.
This distance/time represents the same amount an attacker could use to assault and possibly disarm the shooter/defender.
If the shooter/defender had some form of cover between them and the attacker would it give the defender more time to react?
