Shooting oblique
A large part of getting a shot accurately unto a target is getting the stance and presentation right. This is indisputable.
However, there are times when stance and presentation must be sacrificed in the name of speed, as in shooting while moving, and shooting behind low and irregularly shaped cover.
True, says Dr. Don Garcia of Kamagong Gun Club, the chance of having to shoot under the above-mentioned circumstance is slim.
It’s next to nil unless you happen to be a competitive shooter engaging an especially difficult course, or a defensive shooter having a bit of bad luck, like that shop clerk in Indianapolis, Indiana who was shot but managed to shoot back at his two assailants, killing them.
But, this pediatric surgeon, full-time Deep Purple rock aficionado and part-time firearm advocate stresses, it’s important to incorporate in our regular shooting practice drills that involve shooting in difficult positions.
It’s not for the faint of heart. The drills that Dr. Don suggests involve discharging a pistol several inches away from skin – the shooter’s skin.
And isn’t advised for those who haven’t had much training and range-time and it is definitely not for the stupid, the reckless and the showboats.
The moment you lose sight of the inherent danger of what you are doing, you are likely to injure yourself.
The first scenario involves an injured shooter who has been forced on the ground without cover and with armed enemies fast approaching.
Here, the shooter lies back, plants his feet towards the direction of the enemy, raises his knees so that his left and right femur doubles up with the bone and muscles of the upper leg and provides a barrier protecting the upper body, and shoots through the knees.
The logic is that even if the defender gets hit in the leg, the injury won’t immediately incapacitate him and he still gets to fight back. And, since the shooter is trained in shooting in this position, the likelihood of his survival is large.
The second scenario is when a shooter, again immobilized because of an injury, has to shoot through small ports – like the gap between the ground and the undercarriage of a car.
A fully mobile defender can shoot from urban prone position. But a defender, who has been shot, say in the leg, might not be so agile.
Dr. Don’s drill involves the shooter lying flat on his back and shooting upside down. It’s difficult, but nowhere near impossible with the right training.
Ferdi Cabrera, a reporter and cameraman for GMA 7 in Cotabato City captured the good doctor and a colleague doing the drill at Kamagong Gun Club last week and gave me the video that I’ve edited a bit and posted. Those reading online can access it via http://youtu.be/9awBhsnNovA.
I would like to stress that those who haven’t had any formal training and much range time should not try out the drill unless if in the presence of a qualified firearms instructor and range officer.
And by qualified I don’t mean anybody with a firearms license and a certificate from somewhere. I mean a person with the right credentials and endorsed to you by either a gun store supervisor or a gun club.
Drills like the one Dr. Don discussed are considered rather advanced and the possibility of injury is extremely high.
I strongly suggest that new shooters get sufficient supervised range-time first; earning hits from shots fired in these shooting positions would be next impossible without mastery of the basics of marksmanship and handling, anyway. ([email protected] www.rebelmouse.com/stagefive or follow @On_Stage_5 on twitter)