Feel like I’m really getting good with the SCAR-17. Today I tried several drills. With the hostage drill, I first tried grouping shots in the eyes and forehead, saving one last shot for an attempt at the mouth.
Next, I tried bisecting the hostage-taker’s head and grouping the shots on the side closest to the woman as a way to really concentrate on my aim. Sadly for her, though my grouping I think is pretty good, I nevertheless killed the hostage with a temple shot. Or I would have, had that been the shot I took before killing the hostage taker.
Finally, I took an 8″ x 8″ VisiShot target out to 100 yards again. This time, I managed to keep all twenty shots within roughly 2″ of center mass, with 10 of those shots within 1″:
I also drilled on the pistol range today, as well. With both the Taurus 24/7 OSS 45 (using iron sights) and the FNP-45 Tac (using the Trijicon RMR reflex sight, sometimes with both eyes open) I had no misses at a head-sized target out to 30 feet, and at 21 feet was able to keep all my shots within 3″ of the bulls eye. I also shot at 45′ and 60′ and was able to put all but a couple of shots at the longest distance into the body, including several shots in the heart and along the spinal column. I didn’t take pictures of those targets so you’ll just have to trust me. I’ve always felt comfortable with the FNP. But since I adjusted the altitude on the reflex sight a few clicks, I’ve been shooting it much much better.
The only thing I forget to do today was shoot with my left hand. Next time.
So. The takeaway: Beware, zombies. It’s one thing to be adept at shooting. It’s another to enjoy taking those kill shots. And I’m a stupidly grinning motherfucker these days.
how much did you spend in ammunition and targets today? probably not much just wondering.
I have the targets: bought them in bulk off eBay. Ammo? Not sure. Shot maybe 75 rounds of .45 ACP and 60 rounds of the .308. So maybe about $50?
Next time I’ll be sighting in the S&W M&P 22LR. I only have 2x magnification on that scope, though, so I’ll probably just shoot it out to maybe 25 yards. I can shoot hundreds of rounds of that for, like, $1.50
Hey, whose side are you on, shooting at Visigoths?
[…]
Oh. Time for another cheap beer.
Did you buy the PBR, McGehee?
one other ? why do you aim at the left side of the thug vs. the right side?
The store I went to doesn’t carry it. I got my regular brand instead: Stagger Lager (not its real name).
Aiming on the right side was safer. Aiming to the left was supposed to keep me more concentrated. As you can see, the slightest pulled shot from there and you get exploding headed 80s lady. So I have to get better.
Have you tried shooting the woman without hitting the man? Maybe she’s got a gun stuck in his ribs.
No worries, she’d already been bitten and had T-Viri coursing through her veins.
She’ll be up around in no time.
And looking for YOU!
“So I have to get better.”
Or reconsider your tactics — bear in mind that fine motor control goes completely to hell under extreme stress and fine accuracy suffers.
Take another look at the top photo and you’ll see that you also have a good shot at the perp’s shoulder. Hold just to the right of his hand and if the shot hits home you’ll take him down. If you pull the shot a couple inches left it will pass through the hostage’s shoulder and still take the perp down. Worst that can happen is the hostage will be wounded, but she won’t be dead. It’s a much higher percentage shot with less risk of killing the hostage. But I suppose it’s not cool like a head shot…..
Yeah, Swen, I’ve done drills where I aim only for the hand and shoulder, as well. The truth is, the head shots are easier to see from 100 yards out with a spotting scope. Much harder to see the shots on the darker area of the targets.
Hopefully you are retaining the spent cases. Reloading helps keep costs down. And it’s like packing your own parachute: you’ll know for sure it’ll go off, and if it doesn’t, who gets blame.
Is that target from a movie? It seems like it might be to me.
i just wanted to say your shooting was “#optimal”;)
Insert expected coulda got the armadillo a blowjob from a hooker for that $$ joke here.
Cabela’s has a 2nd Amendment sale going on through Oct. 23, right now, if anyone’s interested.
And if you aren’t you can always sell the brass to someone who is. Alternately, you can pay somebody to reload your brass for you —assuming you know somebody who know’s somebody, so to speak.
That’s what my hunter-father used to do with his practice .20-06 Springfield and .375 H&H Magnum back in the 80s.
Not that he practiced a lot —because that shit costs real money. And anyways, you shouldn’t need more than a couple – three shots.
by .20-06, I mean .30-06
naturally
There’s no gals in binders here…
“Botox and Bullets”
http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1642955?preferredArticleViewMode=single
Nice Gemsbok.
Serr8d, if you ever happen to come across a lingerie and concealed carry post on the web, be sure to let us know.
I don’t reload now. I want to learn eventually, but right now I’m just concentrating on learning the weapons. Learning to “make” the ammo is the next step, provided we don’t collapse as a society before then, in which case I’ll have to take a crash course.
If Jeff or anyone else is interested, stumbled across this:
Enter today for a chance to win a 480 rd case of 308 Win 150 gr. FMJ from Freedom Munitions! Just click “Buy” and enter to win for free!
Assuming here that it’s a legit attempt to acquire a bunch of new email addresses for direct marketing in exchange for a paltry case of remanufactured .308. But hey, 480 rounds is 480 rounds and somebody’s gotta win!
Just not you.
Jeff, that little phenomenon is the origin of the phrase “sucks to be the hostage”. IRL, if you don’t kill him in spite of the meat shield, he’s got a chance to keep firing.
That, and it’s never a good idea to get into playing the goblin’s “look what you made me do” games.
Jeff, a few years ago, I saw an article on basic reloading equipment at Kim du Toit’s place; I’ll send it to you.
Thanks for the laugh
Problem is, “you fight like you train” and a head shot is the lowest percentage shot you can take on a live target — too much movement, too small a target, and too close to the head of the hostage in this scenario, so it’s really the target of last resort. Also, you’ve described this as a “drill”, which are usually simulations of tactical situations you might potentially meet. Are you planning on bringing your spotting scope to an actual hostage situation?
This is one of those things that requires some thought. As an example, I quit shooting trap as practice for upland bird hunting because I got so used to firing one shot and smoking the clay (it really did improve my accuracy) that when I flushed a flock of Huns I’d fire one shot and then stand there stupidly while the rest of the flock flew away. A second or two later it would dawn on me that I could have shot another. It was improving my accuracy but destroying my hunting tactics. I was “fighting” like I’d trained. And that was only with the mild adrenaline rush of a flock of flushing birds.
It would be my advice to strictly segregate accuracy practice from tactical drills. Take your time, work on getting a solid position, good sight picture, and a clean, surprise trigger break while shooting small groups on little round targets.
When you do tactical drills keep them as real as possible, i.e., in this hostage situation you’re only going to get one shot with very little time for preparation, at an unknown distance, and probably with your heart pumping. So create scenarios that simulate that. Run 100 yards before you shoot. Shoot from a variety of improvised rests and with no rest, in formal and improvised positions. Shoot in bright daylight, but also at dust and dawn when you can barely see. Shoot when it’s hot with sweat in your eyes and when you’re freezing and can barely feel your fingers. Fire one shot as quickly as possible and make that one for “keeps”.
Try just a little of that and then ask yourself how comfortable you’d be attempting a head shot at 100 yards. Given the scenario your target presents, I’d rather shoot through some (relatively) non-lethal part of the hostage aiming for the shoulder shot on the perp than try for the head shot when their heads are that close together. Better the hostage should live with a crippled shoulder than try to live with half a brain, and if a crippled shoulder isn’t a better outcome than what the perp has in mind for the hostage I wouldn’t shoot at all.