The Balance of Speed, Accuracy and Assessment

[John Hearne]

Who is instructing to point muzzle left or right instead of up or down?

I heard it from Scotty Reitz.

[GOTURBACK]

DB also instructed the use of an offset low ready with a shotgun

[JHC]

DB also instructed the use of an offset low ready with a shotgun

Very interesting! I'd love to hear the reasons why!

[GOTURBACK]

Very interesting! I'd love to hear the reasons why!

If my memory is accurate, it was taught as a muzzle aversion technique for use when you needed to have the gauge in hand but nobody warranted having the weapon pointed at them yet. We compared the time to shot between a standard low ready, versus the averted low ready for reference and the time difference was minimal.

[peterb]

Any advice on drills for assessment for folks practicing alone or with a buddy?

[Sauer Koch]

My opinion is that our community (firearms not PF) doesn't address this very often, because gaining fighting skills is not as glamorous as trigger pulling

This is the core of the issue right here, well put!

Ludicrous-speed Split times = IG fame, and shooting at assessment speed gets a big yawn. I’m with Wayne & Darryl.

[Guerrero]

@Wayne Dobbs, is there any way to train assessment by yourself?

[Wayne Dobbs]

@Wayne Dobbs, is there any way to train assessment by yourself?

Well, I'd say there better be, because you'll be doing it by yourself in a deadly force encounter. I think one way is with a falling reactive target like a Bianchi plate, but doing assessment drills on them is NOT like you're supposed to shoot them in competition. In a competition, you shoot six sight pictures on six plates and you should know from reading your sights on each whether you missed or hit a plate and then return to clean up any misses. Using a plate rack for assessment, you shoot the shot and keeping your focus on sights, see whether you made a hit by the plate being gone. I'd only shoot one or two plates at a time on this method. Another really great way is to use your handgun in hunting (probably small game, although I've killed lots of deer with .45 ACP and one with 9X19). In hunting, like defense, we must align sights, press triggers, assess and repeat as needed. One thing I've learned is that the classic controlled pair is not going to happen with most situations, because once somebody fires a shot, everybody starts moving.

I'm sure that DB will be along with a missive on this shortly...

[Dagga Boy]

I heard it from Scotty Reitz.

Scotty is all about absolute clean efficient lines. I could not see this with a pistol unless there was another issue...like a child in front of a suspect.
With the shotgun, it is an indoor ready when not enough room exists to extend a low ready and keep the muzzle off people and to keep it from giving a position away or subject it to a take away.

[Dagga Boy]

@Wayne Dobbs, is there any way to train assessment by yourself?

I will use a hostage plate. I will combo things like a plate rack with non shoots. Things that force a perfect shot and then not moving on till a positive result is met. Trying to keep my “clock” for my hardwired responses (pairs and failure) very consistent at a speed that allows precision accuracy, speed and just outside of reaction speed.