Instructors: Don’t move on to the next lesson until your student understands the first one!
At the range this evening I saw someone “teaching” — I’m sorry, just can’t bring myself to type it without quotes in this instance — a new shooter. After receiving mediocre instruction on marksmanship fundamentals, the student proceeded to miss 8 out of 10 shots on a 2’x3′ (that’s feet not inches) target seven yards away. So what does the instructor do?
- Go back over the fundamentals of marksmanship? No.
- Do a little dry-fire first? No.
- Move the target in closer and encourage the student to slow down, look at the sights, and press the trigger smoothly? No.
- Say “good job,” move the target out to ten yards, and have the student shoot another magazine, this time missing all ten shots? God help me, yes.
Just how little do you know about shooting if you think that moving the target farther away is going to improve accuracy?
So tonight’s train-the-trainer lesson: accuracy is most easily learned with moderate sized targets (I like 5×8 cards) at close range (3 yards). It’s big enough to hit, small enough to force the shooter to aim, and close enough that the shooter isn’t intimidated.
Train hard & stay safe! ToddG
I normally carry my S&W .22A or now Walther P22 to the range with me. When I see this type situation I will normally step in and offer to let the shooter try a different handgun (without being intrusive). As an instructor for our range I feel obligated to do this. Most of the time they hit the target and immediately smile and say why couldn’t I do that with the other (usually much bigger cal) gun. GOTCHA! Then its time to get them on the right track. Yes, I am deceptive sometimes.
I’m amazed at the amount of “instructors” I see at ranges doing similar things.
The last “instructor” was wearing a full “tacticool gear” including a camelback water system (in 70 degree indoor range) and 15 or so spare mags. He could barely keep the bullets on the target at 5 yards.
Similar to the recent post with the girl shooting the gun that was way to big for her, these things do not help further the shooting sports.