I was on the phone the other day with Mike Pannone, a fellow Alias Instructor and former Delta Force Operator like myself. When the topic of shooting fast came up, Mike nailed it: “If you can’t shoot slow and straight then you have no business trying to shoot fast and straight.” Spot on.
Everyone wants to outrun their headlights these days and spray rounds all over the range in ‘Tacticool Ballistic Masturbation’ drills – that is way off base and unless your goal is to burn a bunch of ammo, and it’s also a complete waste of time.
Slow down and work on mastering the fundamentals – it ain’t sexy but it works. Period.
-Larry Vickers
Vickers Tactical Inc.
Host of TacTV
Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical is a retired US Army 1st SFOD-Delta combat veteran with years of experience in the firearms industry as a combat marksmanship instructor and industry consultant. In recent years he has hosted tactical firearms related TV shows on the Sportsman Channel with the latest being TacTV of which Bravo Company is a presenting sponsor. Larry Vickers special operations background is one of the most unique in the industry today; he has been directly or indirectly involved in the some of the most significant special operations missions of the last quarter century. During Operation Just Cause he participated in Operation Acid Gambit – the rescue of Kurt Muse from Modelo Prison in Panama City, Panama. As a tactics and marksmanship instructor on active duty he helped train special operations personnel that later captured Saddam Hussein and eliminated his sons Uday and Qusay Hussein. In addition he was directly involved in the design and development of the HK416 for Tier One SOF use which was used by Naval Special Warfare personnel to kill Osama Bin Laden. Larry Vickers has developed various small arms accessories with the most notable being his signature sling manufactured by Blue Force Gear and Glock accessories made by Tangodown. In addition he has maintained strong relationships with premium companies within the tactical firearms industry such as BCM, Aimpoint, Black Hills Ammunition, Wilson Combat and Schmidt & Bender.
Larry Vickers travels the country conducting combat marksmanship classes for law abiding civilians, law enforcement and military and has partnered with Alias Training to coordinate classes to best meet the needs of the students attending the class.
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.
Tags: Alias Training, Alias Training and Security Services, Larry Vickers, LAV, Vickers Tactical
Paul McCain will be here any minute…
Quite an honor to be quoted by one of the pillars of the industry. Thanks LAV.
ONE SHOT ONE KILL NO LUCK ALL SKILL!!
Valid observation as usual. But it is hard to believe it has to be made. Fundamentals first and always. I always found that I naturally moved and shot faster anyway when the bullets were flying. Was it Wyatt Earp that said: speed is nice but accuracy is deadly.
Earp reputedly said “Fast is fine, but accuracy is final,” also rendered as “Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything.”
Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
Slow is always slow. Smooth can be fast.
This is something I struggle with but have learned that speed will come naturally in time. Accuracy is final.
“Tacticool Ballistic Masturbation”
That has to be the most apt description I’ve heard yet on the subject. I totally agree with the observation that some are losing sight on the basics first; it looks cooler repeating some super-sweet spin move reload in your living room because that’s what you saw in a video. However, your basic skills might not even be up to snuff, only making that a reinforcement on a bad habit.
Some of the shooting axioms of Russian FSB Alfa group
?8. The winner is not the one who shot first, but the one who hit first.
?25. No one ever missed so fast that he won a firefight.
?40. No use shooting faster than you can hit.
Larry,
While I can appreciate what you are saying, how about dropping the other boot, and tell us what basics you have in mind? One man’s basics is another man’s Tacticool Ballistic Masturbation, etc.
Wyatt Earp is correct considering accuracy is the final element however, Wyatt Earp was also very fast. Do not confuse this… Speed is key if you want to win a fight due to the importance of delivering the accuracy quickly. Noner and the LAV are voicing (I agree as well) at the fact that people see speed and they just want to go fast. They need to realize that if they want to go fast, slow the hell down. There is a perfect balance but you have to shoot slow and strait first!
but but i want to be like a navy ranger delta seal that can empty a mag in a in the size of a dime and i just bought an ar so i know i can do it with no practice …../sarc
I agree that speed is important in point shooting or say within 10yds. Get the gun out of the holster & on target as quick as possible. This is where experience that you guys have would be an edge in a duel kinda gunfight. And yes Travis I do know who you are & thanks for the advice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM7kYbtwQJ4
Larry IS the human Grumpy Cat.
http://www.freeallimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/grumpy-cat-meme-4.jpg