Defining the Long Shot

Let’s all agree we are not talking about personal attacks that typically occur at close range if not extreme close range. We are talking about a gunfight at 35, 50 or 75 yards; maybe even further or the maximum effective range. Many are already bemoaning the need to take a shot at these ranges and they are not be wrong. Again, if what if the mission is the safety and security of these locations. What if the mission was to engage the bad guy at these extreme ranges in an effort to shift their mindset to survival mode. Many in law enforcement can find themselves in this situation as school resource officers or if they are the first responding officers on the scene of an active shooter. While first responders may have access to a rifle, school resources officers must deal with the attack from a “come as you are” war mindset. Meaning the rifle is secured in an office space away from the attack site and of little value.

An Origin Story

I’ve been in situations where distance was common, whether it was intentional such as an approach to a target or unintentional, being caught in bad situation and needing to beat feet. As a result, years ago we created and taught a class called Pistol Distance Shooting to address the issue of maximum effective range to units and organizations with a similar skill set requirement. It was the genesis of being in some tight spots and needing to push beyond the normal pistol shooting ranges. In the one day class we shot pistols out to 25, 35 & 50 yards standing. Then 75, 100 & 200 from prone. It was a great class on truly understanding marksmanship principles. Some argue it is not realistic and again they would be right. Unless there is an attack while in a mall, school or store with terrain greater than your normal training distances. What training and standards exist for this mission. To be honest, there really are none. It could be reckless, maybe even irresponsible to not at least practice to better understand the challenges of these extreme ranges.

Understanding the Distance Challenges

What is the secret to shooting at these extreme ranges? There are two buckets, gear and skill. To do this well will require the right gear. Back then, I ran those classes with a high-end full size 1911 with adjustable sights. My zero was 35 yards and it allowed me to hit out to 100 yards relatively easily. That’s where the fun ended. Beyond that and it is extremely difficult. But, what about in today’s environment with red dot sights (RDS) on pistols? I’m not saying it is easy, but it is more likely to be achievable for shooters with less than advanced skills. This is where gear has narrowed the playing field. Each year I shot out to 100 yards with my pistol more as a reminder of humility than preparedness. In the process it has greatly improved many other facets of my skill set. Match ammunition is an option, but to be honest I doubt it will help without the use of a RDS. A match grade pistol is also not entirely necessary. I have some really high end match pistols that I love, but my annual humbling is with my carry pistol. That is sometimes my P365 xl or xMacro, both with short barrels.

It’s All About Technique

Taking a stand falls in the realm of skill and capability. Here, I break it up into two smaller buckets; freestyle and supported. Freestyle being standing and supported being prone or some other supported position. Both will require a higher than average attention to detail. The RDS really shines in this regard. At these extreme distances I’m doing less thinking about sights and more thinking about trigger control. Really understanding the sear wall is a huge benefit. The next skill to develop is using holds. To get a good hit on a target at 50, 75 or 100 requires adjusting the point of aim. There are too many variables to list, but suffice it to say aim higher. This is where practice provides the insight and skill to be effective. For those wondering, a sub 2 inch group at 25 yards will generally produce a 6 inch group at 50 yards and 10 inch group at the 100 yard. I’ve attacked this problem from several different angles, but this seems to be a good rule of thumb. All bets are off if holding a decent group at 25 yards is not possible. Even with no true mission requirement for this skill set, I still encourage all decent shooters to play with the 50 yard line as their maximum effective range. The first time I put a decent group at the 50 yard line was a true watershed moment for my capabilities.

Getting to the 100 Yard Range

How to train at these extreme distances requires a little preparation. Without knowing the bullet’s flight path, use a flyer sheet. This is the sheet of paper used to collect the data on a missed shot. To do this, I invert one of our TCT Mk4 targets so the head is at the bottom. Then affix it to the hanging target with glue to give me 36 inches of vertical drop. If my point of aim is off the primary target, the flyer sheet will catch it and I can make an adjustment. The flyer sheet is really not needed until maybe 75, but 100 and further for sure. My biggest complaint is not having convenient access to more than 100 yards for pistol work. Most of the time, if I’m going to a 100 plus yard facility, I’m working on my rifle. The last pro tip to fast track learning is to collect data. So, create a DOPE log or Data On Previous Engagement. For me, what I do is take a picture of the target with the point of aim along with the point of impact. This allows me to start my newest session without repeating some of the past mistakes. I don’t spend too much time here, maybe a total of 50 rounds from 35-100 yards. I will admit it is challenging, but also very rewarding.

To those who must defend our national treasures, I hope there is the means to improve the gear and skill.

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This is going to hurt some people, but it is the truth. You are not good enough to start questioning a mechanical issue over or a technical error.

It’s the Indian, not the Arrow

What I mean by the above statement is all too often people will complain how their gun doesn’t shoot straight. They may use a different way of phrasing it, but that is the gist of their comment. I have had students come up to me with complete contempt for their gun to the point if I wasn’t looking they would toss it over the berm. Before folks blow a gasket, is it possible you could have a problem with your sights being misaligned? Of course it is possible, but it is far more probable it is you and your inability to apply consistent fundamentals as the root cause.

Big boy rules

Too many times both students and society in general want the easy way out. The way where no responsibility is required. Que the blame game. Blaming your equipment instead of honestly asking yourself is it me? I know it is easy to blame your equipment, but the excuse is irrelevant in our classes. I will admit, there have been times when I too want to blame the gun, but when the truth is allowed to surface it is the student. How can I say this with such conviction. It is simple, we do a tremendous amount of work from the 25 yard line where the majority of students suck from this distance and we have the records to prove it. As a side bar note, it is a bit ironic to hear so many people discount the 25 yard line, but then all of a sudden try to blame the gun for their technical inadequacies. Lame…

It’s all about consistency

There are even cute little pie charts depicting symptoms and remedies. I have found these to do more harm than good. In fact, I would throw most of them away and replace it with one saying “if you cannot put a slow fire group “here” you suck and it is not the gun”. To be able to accurately diagnose a shooting related symptom it has to be consistent. In addition, the work needs to be preformed at a distance where true errors will be evident and not masked by the closeness to the target. We perform diagnostic drills daily and I rarely blame the gun. I wait until the student is able to replicate the same error each day. If they can, then an important goal has been achieved. They have developed consistency and more than likely the error has disappeared as a result.

Look for salt on their shoulder

There has been a few occasions where a visible inspection reveals a shift in the rear sight. However, when no visible deviation is present the likelihood it is the gun is so remote I would buy lottery tickets first. When lack of consistency is present it is easy to blame the gun, but a veteran instructor will not fall for this trickery. They will have the skills necessary to diagnose the student and see where the real problems lie in order to set the stage for improvement. I have been doing this for a while now and I have a statistical matrix of shooting errors on top of having performed just about every common shooting error myself. The problem is most instructors don’t have the necessary skill to diagnose shooting errors. Instead we see crazy theories and guess work. A true disservice to the industry.

Stop blaming the gun and put more work into your marksmanship skills. If you are looking for sympathy in our classes you better be able to hold your breath for a long time.

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