Think About it -- Firearms Training for Church Security Teams II

Last week I wrote about the importance of firearms training for church security teams. We always have a graphic image for “Think About it” articles. Last week, I asked for the graphic to be a firearms target with hits showing up everywhere except where they should be. 

On one of the social media sights (where the weekly message is posted for the public), some readers made comments about the poor shooting example (as if they thought we were posting a target to be proud of). I didn’t respond. I can’t spend time responding to such comments. 

I will now introduce some of the basic foundations of good training.

I am a hunter and historian. I was honored to be asked to review Dave Grossman’s transcript of his book “On Hunting” (available now at https://grossmanontruth.com/product/on-hunting). I was equally honored to have my endorsement of that great work included in his book.

As Grossman observed, there are many lessons from hunting directly applicable to tactical operations and defense. This last week, I was reading one of my oldest books on hunting and history (by Teddy Roosevelt). On the topic of practice compared to the moment of truth, Roosevelt wrote,

… to shoot at a gray object, not overly distinctly seen, at a distance merely guessed at, and with a background of other gray objects, is very different from firing into a target, brightly painted and a fixed number of yards off. [i]

I recalled how my brother and other mentors trained me to hunt at a young age. Estimating distance, considering ballistics, elevation and windage, and choosing a specific effective spot on the live target, all had to come together to make a successful shot at the moment of truth. All those things also had to happen very quickly and (as Roosevelt pointed out), often in less than ideal light with obstructions between you and the animal. I have often taken big game by threading the bullet through tree limbs, leaves or grass.

Think About it

How many practice on human-shaped targets covered by a shirt? At unmarked distances? In the wind? In brutal weather?

Practice. Practice with traditional targets. Practice dry firing. But engage in tactical training with seasoned instructors in tough situations. 

Practice as if your life, or that of others, depends on it.