Correct. For what I was talking about no sight picture is obtained. The first shots are taken from the hip as soon as the gun clears the holster and can be turned towards the target.Rafe wrote:If your like 8 ft or less from a threat you don't even want to try to extend the gun do you? I mean if you extend all the way to get any kind of sight picture aren't you just making the gun easier to knock aside or take away? And your times back up that if a bad guy can cover the distance in two steps cutting a half second off the time to draw and fire is a really big deal. I remember one guy, I think it was Kelly MacCann, talk about the whole pistol presentation thing being like a continuum. That you had to be able to fire from a retention position if your in physical contact with the bad guy and be able to to fire at any other point in the process of extending to a full sight picture, and that circumstance and distance dictated when the shots broke. In other words you shouldn't get used to practicing just one way because if your fighting him off with your left hand you can't get a sight picture at all and if it's a 15 yard shot no way you should be firing from the hip.C-dub wrote:dlh wrote:Opinions, anyone?
Of course we have opinions.
My own real life experience is limited to IDPA and IDPA style self defense matches. At self defense distances, figure less than 20 feet and probably more often than not, bad breath distance, getting your handgun out in time will be the biggest challenge. After that, point and shoot will be GOOD enough if you even have time to bring it up that far.
Probably the best tool I purchased to aid in my training was a timer. IIRC, it used to take me as long as 1.5-2 seconds to get my first shot off and on target. (i.e. center mass) After some practice, also IIRC, that time came down to around 1.2-1.3 seconds. Then I began to analyze the whole thing and decided to try it at 3-5 feet without bringing the gun up to eye level for aiming. My first shots dropped easily below 1 second and with further practice was getting 2-3 off, center mass, in under 1 second. Not regularly, but usually within 0.97-1.2 or so.
IMH, non-expert, opinion, at extremely close range self defense distances, getting the first shot off will be crucial. Aiming will be instinctual and precision non-existent. That can be for a little further out. Not bad breath distance. Plus, your off hand might be busy fending off the BG, so your usual two handed grip or stance or whatever has already gone out the window. Now, you're in a fight for your life.
If the fight is still going or there are other targets as distance is created then what others have said about the front sight are also what I practice.