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txinvestigator,

You are clearly quite correct - that kind of breathing is only for target shooting for score. That's why I said, "Again, in a "real" situation this is not going to be any help; but punching paper at the range, it can help improve your groups." in that post.

Having lead a very sheltered life, and never having (knock-on-wood) been in a "real" situation, all I know anything about is paper-punching.

The rest of the paper-punchers suggest that "match pressure" can simulate, to a small degree, the pressure of a "real" encounter. I'd imagine this is probably more applicable to "practical pistol" matches than to bullseye, but I doubt that "match pressure" ever simulates the reality of a gun fight.

My greatest fear is not being shot, it is that I will fail to recognize an actual threat if/when one presents itself. The first time I ever got sideways, driving on an icy road, I did not accept it at first - the only thing that saved me was hours mis-spent getting sideways in fresh snow in the Sears parking lot, for fun. This trained my reflexes so when I entered a turn too fast on a public roadway (probably 30 in a 40 zone, but on ice), I handled it ok - didn't hit anything, and didn't start to shake until later.

An armed confrontation is different in that I think one has to recognize it as such before responding. Maybe I'm wrong, but I dont think that responding reflexively is acceptable in such a case - I think I need to make a conscious decision that my life is in immediate danger, I can't escape, and need to shoot back to survive. This is different from countersteering into a skid by reflex.

Your comments are welcome and, indeed, requested.

Regards,
Andrew

Jim,

You are right, they say it for pistol too; I was just parroting what my "mentors" in Highpower told me.

In case anyone wants the Army Pistol Marksmanship Manual, it is at http://bullseyepistol.com/ under the heading, Perfecting Technique.

Regards,
Andrew

To answer your original question, there is a book entitled _Surgical Speed SHooting_ by a guy named Andy Stanford. He talks at length about the "Modern Isosceles" stance and how it is so much better than the Weaver. I got a copy from Alibris for about $15. Not sure it was worth it, but not sure it was wasted, either.

In my opinion, you are better off emulating the pictures already posted and following the advice already posted.

I often put a piece of Scotch tape over the lense of my my non-dominant eye-glass, to allow light in but obscure the double image. Some people say that squinting the off-side eye leads to eye fatigue. They tell me to ignore the double image but it is not that easy.

Obviously, in a "real" situation you will not have time to tape up your glasses, or change to your shooting (near) prescription so you can have a sharp-focus front sight.

Some people say to take a breath, let half out, and hold the rest - for each shot. The Highpower Rifle people say to let it all out and break the shot during the "respiratory pause" - after you exhale, there are a few seconds when you don't need to "hold" your breath, and don't feel the urge to inhale. Again, in a "real" situation this is not going to be any help; but punching paper at the range, it can help improve your groups.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Andrew