I was reading LAV’s Gunfighter Moment on Soldier Systems Daily the other day because I’m the new guy at Alias trying to keep up, and I realized that Larry & Mike see the same stuff I do… only ten times more.
I’d like to elaborate on a common term that echoes in this community, “outrunning your headlights”. This analogy is useful for a Special Forces Team training our Allies, as lesser trained foreign soldiers always want to jump into the advanced training. It’s called Foreign Internal Defense (FID) and a large part of the SF Mission around the world. Anyway, to prevent our foreign friends from going faster than they are ready, we always told them that advanced training is simply the basics done well. ‘Crawl, Walk & Then Run’, this is never more important than during marksmanship training.
Slow down and perform the perfect repetition to build perfect muscle memory. Speed will come naturally, and accuracy is a must before speed, or you’re just slinging lead on a range, much like when you go to hit golf balls at the driving range without ever receiving a golf lesson.
I still see Military & Law Enforcement spending their budgets on the latest and greatest equipment, but they only check the block with marksmanship training and tactics a couple times a year. If it’s your life, or bread and butter, then training should be first to alleviate bad outcomes and fill the gap with equipment shortages, as the training will recognize short falls. Owning the most expensive piano doesn’t make you Mozart.
As it was explained to me 20 years ago when I would follow Larry to IPSC matches with other unit shooters, “You learn to shoot the gun you have and as you outperform your starter gun, you replace pieces with tricked out/high end parts to shave a second here and there”.
With long gunners, I’ve seen 25 power scopes on a .308 Remington 700 style, when a fixed 10 power is plenty for that rifle system, and for finding targets more quickly at ranges between 100m-800m. If you can afford the glass for a Leapold x25 or Schmidt & Bender x28 scope, then you can afford a .338 Lapua Magnum and enjoy dropping that Mule Deer a mile away. Make your optic fit your gun.
Sometimes, I just don’t get the shooting industry. By the time Jethro has figured out, “It’s not as easy as it looks and could use a little help”, he has already developed bad habits and the reason why women are usually better marksmanship students…
Yep, I said it!
– Respectfully, Daryl Holland
Daryl Holland is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major with over 20 years of active duty experience, 17 of those years in Special Operations. Five years with the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and 12 years in the 1st SFOD-Delta serving as an Assaulter, Sniper, Team Leader, and OTC Instructor.
He has conducted several hundred combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, Philippines, and the Mexican Border. He has conducted combat missions in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush Mountains as a Sniper and experienced Mountaineer to the streets of Baghdad as an Assault Team Leader.
He has a strong instructor background started as an OTC instructor and since retiring training law abiding civilians, Law Enforcement, U.S. Military, and foreign U.S. allied Special Operations personnel from around the world.
Gunfighter Moment is a weekly feature brought to you by Alias Training & Security Services. Each week Alias brings us a different Trainer and in turn they offer some words of wisdom.
Well said.
Outstanding. looks like Soldiers Systems has another great author.
We’ll said Darryl !!!
well said, especially the last bit about the women. My dad and I have help teach a lot of friends and family to shoot over the years and the women always pick it up faster.
You said females are better marksmenship students
Range scores have determined, that was a lie
Nice way to welcome a new contributor, call him a liar. Classy.
Maybe true if you are only looking at Big Army range scores, where the typical level of unit marksmanship “training” is the blind leading the blind.
Excellent post. Also glad to see another top level instructor who shoots competitively.
Good advice! This sures up what I know! I’ve been told I’m very deliberate when I shoot! Have to keep it up!
Great post! These Instructor posts have excellent insight into what really works and has been proven. Always a pleasure to learn more from the BTDT crowd. Keep up the great posts!
“Owning the most expensive piano doesn’t make you Mozart. ”
this x 100!
FHRITP is right because at competitions & high level training, you don’t see a woman on the podium higher than a guy.
However, when Instructing beginners the woman shows up nearly every time in “Receive Mode”.
If a man & wife show up at the range together with no background in marksmanship training, the wife usually goes home talking smack to hubby.
Respectfully, Daryl
And since she is on my Home Defense fire team, I can be totally comfortable with that.