Originally Posted by
Mando
younggun308,
It might be a wise idea to avoid any trade off in gunfighting.
There are but two rules that apply to gunfighting:
1. The only known way of surviving a gunfight is to not get in one
2. If Rule 1 is unavoidable, don't get shot
Only a fool would trade his life for a bad guy's life.
Your accuracy is nowhere as important as a bad guy's accuracy. If you take time to aim at close distance, you body would likely end up as evidence of murder.
I'll venture to guess neither of us is an experienced gunfighter.
One thing that does, however, stand out from writings by gunfighters in the Old West is that 1) encounters tended to be at close range) and 2) people's first reaction was to shoot as quickly as possible, firing off as many rounds as possible, and they consequently were not as effective as the people who weren't actually the fastest.
Of course one doesn't take the time aiming a pistol like they do aiming a rifle from a deer stand, nor do they aim as precisely...but if the military trains people to focus on what's behind the front sight before pulling the trigger, they're probably onto something.
We are all legally liable for every single bullet that exits the barrel. A shot that goes into the roof or 2.2 feet to the left of the target doesn't help save your life---if anything, it forces you to spend more time getting on target (because you weren't in the first place), giving the "bad guy" more time to shoot you than if you just took an extra .25 seconds to actually make your shot count. Then, if you're lucky enough to be dealing with someone who didn't capitalize on your poor aim, you might have killed an innocent bystander.
Unlike cartridge choice, tactics aren't a trade-off. There's no downside to having control over your bullet placement, even when you're shooting without hesitation at a target. If the dreaded moment arises, all I'm worried about is getting on target and THEN pulling the trigger quick (rinse repeat).