Most gunfights are nothing like you see on TV. Standing on a static range shooting at stationary targets does not prepare you for such a dynamic and violent encounter.
In this video, a bad guy comes into a phone store wearing a mask. The store manager jumps into action. Notice that this gunfight takes place at a range of less that 5 feet, the bad guy is hiding behind the counter, and the good guy can’t seem to get rounds on target. If you look closely, you will see the good guy clear a malfunction too.
What you don’t see is a “perfect” shooting stance. And, clearly, with all the shots that were missed by both parties, you don’t see much in the way of sight picture and sight alignment either.
Notice also that the good guy kept moving, changing his position and trying to get a better angle on the bad guy. This is likely what kept our hero from getting shot during all this action. The lesson here is that “training” by shooting at a stationary target will not help you much in a gunfight. You need to get some real-world dynamic pistol training to help you stay alive.
Master the Basics, Then Keep Training
Yes, you need to master basic marksmanship skills, but you also need to know that during a fight, you will not be standing still. It also pays to practice malfunction drills and to know for certain that you MUST stop shooting when the threat stops. This video is a vivid example of how dynamic a real gunfight actually is. Be ready to shoot on the move. Be able to get shots on target very quickly and at extremely close range. Train like you will fight.
