yerasimos wrote:I obtained a copy of Jeff Cooper's To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth, and I found the first two sections (The Present and The Pistolero)useful. Interesting and useful philosophical commentary, ideas on mindset, and much more. Cooper called things as he saw them, straight up/neat, holding nothing back, uncowed by liability concerns, and it is very refreshing to read, particularly in these times. There is a lot of material toward the end that is not applicable to CCW, but it can be interesting reading. It is a book worth buying new, particularly if you do not have an prior experience with the Modern Technique or are not interested in the schools that promote it.
Cooper was never a big fan of unsighted gunfire (or point shooting), insisting upon, at minimum, a rough flash sight picture (or blitzblick, as it is sometimes called). Someone correct me if I am wrong, but the derivative Modern Technique/Gunsite crowd are even less enthusiastic about unsighted fire. However, the NRA's PPOH doctrine covers some "point-shooting", and I know there are other trainers out there that address this type of shooting.
I am not deliberately being unduly critical here, but I would prefer to separate the word handgun from tactics. To me, the word "tactics" denotes how one moves within a potentially- or known-hostile environment to maximize your advantage and minimize your disadvantage vis-a-vis one's opponent. Handgun marksmanship and how one chooses to manipulate a handgun of one's choosing can be treated seperately, particularly for a beginner.
Your post isn't hijacking the thread, but mine would be so I'm going to start another thread on "Point Shooting."
As for training books, much will depend upon what your skill level is at this point in your training. I would suggest that the
NRA Guide to the Basics of Personal Protection Outside the Home would be a very good book to study. It covers far more than just shooting and it also does as good a job as is possible when it comes to teaching defensive shooting from a book. (As you noted, nothing takes the place of training and practice - in that order. Don't learn bad habits, then have to "unlearn" them later.)
Chas.