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therooster wrote:dont get stuck on one instructors mindset; learn from as many of them as possible.

That's precisely why I asked my question. Thanks.

It would worry me to death if I wounded an intruder and he got away. Would he come back later for revenge? Even if he got a year or two in jail. Would he harm me or my family later in retaliation? Those thoughts run through my head. And when those questions come up in a conversation, it is often followed by "Empty your magazine into the bad guy".

Thanks. I learn something new everyday. :)

therooster wrote:

propellerhead wrote:Any advise from the better trained folks?

i do have to point something out....

i have read a lot of people talk about center mass incorrectly.

Center of Mass = just that, the center of whatever mass is in front of you.

Center of Mass is not the thoracic cavity. (but it can be)

if all he had to shoot at was a leg and arm, then the center of mass is the biggest target available of those 2 limbs.


advice?
here is my advice. read robert_de_niro's story with an open mind. his result was the best possible outcome you can hope for; no on died, the badguys got caught, and he didnt suffer any consequences for defending himself. there are a lot of "experts" out there who would say otherwise, and comense to pick appart his story and point out "what he did wrong"... but the fact still stands; the outcome was great. its easy to point a finger, but remember, you always have three pointing right back at you.

there is a lot of bull that gets tossed around (especially on the internet). just make sure to lookout for #1 and be sure not to step in #2.

I believe I did point it out.... that I wasn't trying to pick apart his story and pass judgement on what he did wrong, if any. I agreed that the end result was great and never did I point a finger at anyone. I am very new at this and far from being an expert. If I stepped on someone's toes here, I apologize. Sharing the story does present an excellent opportunity to learn and that's all I want to do. I'm not claiming to be an expert nor am I trying to find fault in anyone but myself. Learn and build upon this experience. That's all. Isn't that what we intelligent people do? Isn't that why we share experiences in forums? If this forum is not the place for this, then say so and I'm out of this thread.

I just remember a clear point made in my CHL class. They advised against shooting a limb. The advise was shoot to stop. The advise was to aim for the upper half of the torso. The original post lead me to believe a shot was made to the leg. It was later pointed out that the perp hasn't fully entered the house/apartment yet when the shot was made. Nerves were a major factor and I don't even know what I would've done if I were in the situation. The fact remains, the instrusion was stopped yet the person could've been 100% capable of firing back, even if the leg was hit. So, my question remains... would it have been advisable to wait for a clear shot to the upper torso? That also means you could easily be in the perp's sights. Tough call. That's why I ask...

robert_de_niro wrote:His leg and arm with the .38 were the only part of him actually in the apartment. The rest of him was partially or completely concealed by the window blinds. I would not have fired had I not seen the revolver...

That would be scary. Do you shoot now while you have a large advantage or do you wait till he's fully inside, challenge the armed perp, then shoot so you hit center mass? Tough question to answer when you're living the moment.

Any advise from the better trained folks?

Makes you wonder if a laser dot sight would've helped.

robert_de_niro wrote:Yes the leg shot was me just missing due to my shooting position, darkness, and nerves. You should always aim for center of mass and shoot until the threat is stopped.

Oh, so the guy was inside your apartment already?

PS. I'm glad you're ok and thanks for sharing your experience. It really helps people like me think through the scenario. It's a good mental exercise.

KBCraig wrote:He already stated: he missed. He didn't hit the BG's leg, only hit near it, and even if he had hit the leg, it would have been a miss.

Kevin

Right. He missed the leg. But did he intend to shoot the leg?

cjlandry wrote:Seems to me that the intent is to stop the attack. It worked.

If the intent were to kill your enemy, then the ambush should be held off a little longer.

I'd much rather deal with a threat while the threat is off-balance (like having one leg through a window) than when that threat is where he can get a solid position to shoot at me.

The instructor made a big deal about this point in my CHL class. Yes, the intent is to STOP the person at the same time it is reckless to aim for a limb because you could easily miss and hit an innocent bystander. Hitting an innocent bystander has no excuses. Isn't this the reason we use hollow points and shoot the center mass? So the bullet STOPs the person and stays in the person and not hit someone else? It was made clear that warning shots are not advisable and could get you in trouble. I'm not saying what robert_de_niro did was wrong or right. The end result is good. I'm just wondering about the idea of shooting a limb.

I'll probably catch some flak for this but why did you shoot his leg? Did you mean to shoot his leg? I've always been told to shoot at the center of the torso and that shooting a limb is reckless and should not be done. Should you have waited until the upper torso was inside your apartment then take the shot?