Point shooting (also known as target- [1] or threat-focused shooting, [2] intuitive shooting, instinctive shooting, subconscious tactical shooting, or hipfiring) is a practical shooting method where the shooter points a ranged weapon (typically a repeating firearm) at a target without relying on the use of sights to aim. Emphasis is placed on fast draw and trying to score preemptive hits first. [1] In close quarters combat, where life-threatening situations emerge very quickly, sighted marksmanship techniques become risky, [3] so advocates of point shooting emphasize a less sighting-oriented style that prioritizes the tactical advantages of quick fire superiority and suppression.
Point shooting is also a technique used by trained archers and marksmen to improve general accuracy when using a bow, crossbow, firearm or other ranged weapon. By developing a muscle memory for a given weapon, the shooter can become so accustomed to the weapon's weight and balance in its typical shooting position as to remain relatively accurate without needing to focus on the sights to aim. With sustained practice, a shooter can develop a subconscious hand-eye coordination utilizing proprioceptive reflex, minimizing the concentration required for effective shooting.
One point shooting method, referred to as aimed point shooting, has been used and discussed since the early 19th century. [4] The method employs the use of the index finger along the side of the gun to aim the gun, and the middle finger is used to pull the trigger. Mention of the use of the middle finger can be found in books from the early 1800s up through the 20th century: 1804, [5] 1810, [6] 1816, [7] 1829 [8] 1835, [4] 1885, [9] 1898, [10] 1900, [11] [12] 1908, [13] 1912, [14] and in many other military manuals on the M1911.
The United States Army's first instructional manual on the use of the M1911 pistol specifically mentions it, but in a cautionary way due to the design of the slide stop: the slide stop pin protrudes out from the right side of the pistol, and if depressed when the gun is fired, the M1911 can jam. Similar cautionary language is repeated in many other military manuals published from 1912 and up until the 1940s: 1915, [15] 1917, [16] [17] 1918, [18] [19] 1920, [20] 1921, [21] [22] 1922, [23] 1926, [24] 1927, [25] 1929, [26] and 1941. [27]
Several US patents have drawings showing the method used with firearms: US Patent # 694969 issued Mar. 11, 1902, [28] US Patent # 896099 issued Aug. 18, 1908, [29] US Patent # 2270707 issued Jan. 20, 1942, [30] US Patent # 5166459 issued Nov. 1992. [31]
Early 20th century shooting experts such as William E. Fairbairn and Rex Applegate advocated point shooting, while many experts later in the century advocated the use of sights. Later sight-reliant methods include Jeff Cooper's modern technique method which became popular after World War II. The modern technique is also known as "sight-reliant shooting" or "sight shooting".
The issue of using sight-reliant shooting, which relies on the use of the sights for aiming in close-quarters combat situations, versus point shooting, which does not rely on the sights for aiming in close quarters combat situations, has been debated since as early as 1835. [4]
The one thing that point shooting methods have in common is that they do not rely on the sights, and they strive to increase the shooter's ability to hit targets at short range under the less-than-ideal conditions expected in close quarters, life-threatening situations, self-defense, and combat situations.
Aimed point shooting employs humans' innate ability to point accurately at targets in such a way that the shooter can use that ability to hit targets with a firearm.
The following is from Chap. 2, Sect. II, US Army Field Manual 23-25, Combat Training With Pistols & Revolvers:
When a soldier points, he instinctively points at the feature on the object on which his eyes are focused. An impulse from the brain causes the arm and hand to stop when the finger reaches the proper position. When the eyes are shifted to a new object or feature, the finger, hand, and arm also shift to this point. It is this inherent trait that can be used by the soldier to rapidly and accurately engage targets. [32]
Further the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Publication on Military Operations on Urbanized Terrain (MOUT) states:
Pointing Quick Fire. The pointing system is based on the phenomenon that when a person looks at an object and simultaneously points a finger at it, the finger aligns itself on the point of focus of the eyes with no conscious effort on the part of the individual. When a Marine looks at an object and simultaneously brings his rifle to his shoulder, the rifle in effect becomes an extension of the pointed finger. Consequently, it aligns itself naturally with the object on which the shooter is focusing. [33]
Walter J. Dorfner SSgt VSP, the Vice Chair of the Use of Force Committee of the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council at the Vermont Police Academy in Pittsford, Vermont, wrote a paper that details his experimentation with using that method of aiming and shooting. He also was the lead firearms instructor for the VSP.
Point shooting is often included in military tactical training, alongside other topics such as combatives and urban warfare. A variety of point shooting methods have entered military doctrine at various times and places.
Soon after the creation of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1942, then Second Lieutenant Rex Applegate was given the task of adapting the training being given to British Commando forces for use by OSS agents. Applegate's methodology was published in his book, Kill or Get Killed which was first printed in 1943, and based on his training program for the OSS developed with William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes. This method is often referred to as the Fairbairn, Sykes, and Applegate method, or FSA (though sometimes the order is altered to FAS).
By 1976, it was into its fifth edition, and was re-published in 1991 as Fleet Marine Force Reference Publication FM12-80, Kill or Get Killed [34] . This book covers a wide range of topics, from armed and unarmed combat to prisoner control and riot control techniques. Chapter 5, "Combat Use of the Hand Gun", covers the basic use of a handgun in a combat situation, while chapter 6, "Combat Firing with Shoulder Weapons", covers techniques for submachine guns, rifles and shotguns. While aimed fire techniques are covered in both chapters, along with topics such as use of cover and different firing positions, the point shooting techniques generally attract the most attention. Much of Applegate's instruction on point shooting involves developing a firm, consistent shooting position that allows the student to consistently hit where he is looking.
While Applegate did cover firing handguns from the hip (from a position he called the "1/2 hip" position), he was careful to point out that this method only worked on targets at the same level as the shooter, and only at very close range.
For one hand shooting, the gun is held in a low ready position and on center of the body, and with the wrist and arm locked. The arm stays locked (stiff), as the pistol is then raised from the shoulder. And when on target, a convulsive squeeze is used to fire.
To reduce error in the stance, targets not directly in front of the shooter are engaged by turning the upper body at the hips, since turning the arm at the shoulder, elbow, or wrist will result in a loss of control and a miss, while turning at the waist keeps everything aligned correctly.
Another of Applegate's training innovations was the use of particularly intense combat firing ranges, which he called the "house of horrors". A cross between an obstacle course, a haunted house, and a shooting range, it used a three dimensional layout with stairs and tunnels, pop-up targets, deliberately poor lighting, psychologically disturbing sounds, simulated cobwebs and bodies, and blank cartridges being fired towards the shooter. The range was designed to have the greatest possible psychological impact on the shooter, to simulate the stress of combat as much as possible, and no targets were presented at distances of greater than 10 feet (3.0 m) from the shooter.
Applegate also used his house of horrors as a test of the point shooting training. Five hundred men with no previous handgun shooting experience were run through the house of horrors after standard, bullseye-type, introductory target pistol training with no gun handling instruction, and then again (with modifications in the layout) after training in Applegate's approach to point shooting and basic gun handling. The average number of hits in the first group was four out of twelve targets hit (with two shots per target). After point shooting, the average jumped to ten out of twelve targets hit. Further shooters trained only in point shooting, including those who had never fired a handgun before receiving point shooting training, maintained the high average established by the first group. [35] Similar methods were in use as early as the 1920s and continue to this day, for example the FBI facility called Hogan's Alley.
A method of point shooting with a rifle was developed by Lucky McDaniel and taught by the US Army beginning in 1967. It was called "Quick Kill", and it was taught using an air rifle. The Quick Kill method was fully detailed in-step-by-step fashion in Principles of Quick Kill. [36] [37] It was taught starting with a special Daisy BB gun that had no sights. The slow moving steel BB was visible in flight on sunny days, making it an inexpensive tracer round. The students began by firing at 3.5-inch (89 mm) diameter metal disks thrown in the air slightly in front of the student and 2 to 4 meters (6 ft 7 in to 13 ft 1 in) above the student's head. After an 80% hit rate is attained firing at these disks, the student is then presented with 2.5-inch (64 mm) diameter disks. Once proficiency is attained with the aerial targets, it shows the student has mastered the fundamentals, and training moves on to stationary targets on the ground, first with the BB gun and then with a service rifle having its front and rear sights taped over.
The reason the quick kill method works is that the shooter learns to sight above the barrel, rather than along the barrel. While focusing on the target, the muzzle is placed about 2 inches (51 mm) below the target (the distance being measured at the muzzle), which places the barrel nearly parallel to the line of sight of the shooter. To hit the aerial targets, or other targets above eye level, the shooter focuses on the top edge of the target. When shooting at targets on the ground or below eye level, the shooter focuses on the bottom of the target. One of the points emphasized in quick kill is that it is essential to focus on a single spot on the target, such as the top edge of a thrown disc, or the bottom edge of a can on the ground.
A key to hitting the target is for the shooter to track the target by moving their head with the rifle seated against it, instead of just following it with the eyes.
The Daisy company commercially sold sightless BB guns and target throwers for a number of years under the name Quick Skill, along with an instruction book that was a demilitarized version of the aerial target portion of the "quick kill" course.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Robin Brown (a former student of Lucky McDaniel) popularized Pistol Quick Kill. [38]
With Pistol Quick Kill, the pistol is gripped and pointed at a target much like a person would point their finger. "When you point, you naturally do not attempt to sight or aim your finger. It will be somewhat below your eye level in your peripheral vision, perhaps 2-4 inches below eye level."
The same applies when pointing a gun at a target. Just as with pointing their finger, the user will "...see the end of the barrel and/or front sight while looking at the target...You have not looked at the gun or front sight, just the target."
"With Quick Kill, the focus is always on the target, never having to adjust one's gaze or focus even remotely on the near object [the gun or sights]."
Quick fire is a method previously used by the US Army for teaching point shooting. It is described in the following excerpt from US Army Field Manual FM 3-22.9: [39]
Aimed. When presented with a target, the soldier brings the rifle up to his shoulder and quickly fires a single shot. His firing eye looks through or just over the rear sight aperture. He uses the front sight post to aim at the target. Using this technique, a target at 25 meters or less may be accurately engaged in one second or less.
Pointed. When presented with a target, the soldier keeps the rifle at his side and quickly fires a single shot or burst. He keeps both eyes open and uses his instinct and peripheral vision to line up the rifle with the target. Using this technique, a target at 15 meters or less may be engaged in less than one second.
Reflexive fire is a method currently used by the US Army to teach short-range marksmanship with a rifle or carbine, but it is considered to be the least accurate of the techniques taught. [40] [41]
The "Israeli method" is a point shooting system devised by the Israel Defense Forces for use in training personnel to use rifles, submachine guns, and handguns.[ citation needed ]
In its initial stages of training, it closely resembles the FSA method. In later stages, training in the rapid acquisition of the sights is taught, as well as a more advanced method of point shooting.
Instinct shooting, referred to as "Quick Kill", was taught to the U.S. Army using rifles by Lucky McDaniel as far back as the 1960s. McDaniel also taught his point shooting techniques to the police, but using BB guns.
Point firing, or instinctive shooting, with rifles developed as a result of direct combat experiences. [42] : x It is taught by the Israeli, British and French militaries. [42] : xii Instinct shooting with a handgun has been taught at most police academies worldwide since the 1980s. [42] : i
Point firing is similar to Quick Kill, with the sights not being used. The target is usually in close range, between 1–21 feet, in a life-or-death situation. [42] : ix Chuck Klein defines instinctive combat shooting as "the act of operating a handgun by focusing on the target and instinctively coordinating the hand and mind to cause the handgun to discharge at a time and point that ensures interception of the target with the projectile." [43] The shooter should focus on a small point, like a button, stain or corner, not the attacker or target in general. This intense focus is tunnel-vision, which is widely discouraged, but is mandatory for the brief moment when the shooter transitions from deciding to shoot to the completion of shooting. Additional threats and innocents who may be hurt are scanned before the decision to shoot is made, and can be seen in peripheral vision. [43] [44] Between the point at which one decides to shoot and completion of the shot(s), full concentration, oblivious to everything else, is required. The time in which the shooter is engaged in tunnel vision only lasts a matter of milliseconds. [44] Race car driver Phil Hill says, "True concentration is not aware of itself." [44] There are no rigid requirements for positioning the body, feet or arms, as the practical use of this technique requires the shooter to be able to shoot from any position, though it is recommended that the shooter practice the technique using common target shooting stances. [42] : 36
A semi-automatic pistol is a handgun that automatically ejects and loads cartridges in its chamber after every shot fired. Only one round of ammunition is fired each time the trigger is pulled, as the pistol's fire control group disconnects the trigger mechanism from the firing pin/striker until the trigger has been released and reset.
The Beretta 92 is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers continue to be used to the present.
The Beretta 92G-SD and 96G-SD Special Duty handguns are semi-automatic, locked-breech delayed recoil-operated, double/single-action pistols, fitted with the heavy, wide Brigadier slide, chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge (92G-SD) and the .40 S&W cartridge (96G-SD), framed with the addition of the tactical equipment rail, designed and manufactured by Beretta.
The FN Five-seven is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for the 5.7×28mm cartridge's bullet diameter, and the trademark's capitalization style is intended to emphasize the manufacturer's initials—FN.
Accurizing is the process of improving the accuracy and precision of a gun.
Combat pistol shooting is a modern martial art that focuses on the use of the handgun as a defensive weapon for self defense, or for military and police use. Like most martial arts, combat pistol shooting is practiced both for defense and for sport.
The USP is a semi-automatic pistol developed in Germany by Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) as a replacement for the P7 series of handguns.
The International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) is the world's largest shooting sport association, and the largest and oldest within practical shooting. Founded in 1976, the IPSC nowadays affiliates over 100 regions from Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania. Competitions are held with pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun, and the competitors are divided into different divisions based on firearm and equipment features. While everyone in a division competes in the Overall category, there are also separate awards for the categories Lady, Super Junior, Junior, Senior, and Super Senior.
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock, or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attached. The stock also provides a means for the shooter to firmly brace the gun and easily aim with stability by being held against the user's shoulder when shooting the gun, and helps to counter muzzle rise by transmitting recoil straight into the shooter's body.
A double tap is a shooting technique where two shots are fired in rapid succession at the same target with the same sight picture. Instruction and practice of the double-tap improves accuracy as shooters often do not have the gun fully extended on the first shot meaning the second shot of a double-tap is usually more accurate. The term hammer is sometimes used to describe a double tap in which the firearm's sights are not reacquired by the shooter between shots.
The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1985.
The Steyr M is a series of semi-automatic pistols developed by Steyr Mannlicher GmbH & Co KG of Austria for police services and the civilian shooting market. Design work on the new pistol began in the early 1990s and the final product known as the M9 was officially unveiled in the spring of 1999. The M40 version chambered in .40 S&W was developed before the M9, followed later by the M357 and two smaller variants of the M9 and M40 designated the S9 and S40 respectively. These pistols were developed primarily for concealed carry and have a shortened barrel, slide, smaller frame and a reduced magazine capacity. In 2013, the Steyr M (Medium) and S (Small) form factors were complemented by the L (Large) sized series and the C (Compact) sized series both available in 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W chamberings as the L9-A1, L40-A1, C9-A1 and C40-A1.
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action single-shot pistol or rifle that was introduced in 1967 by Thompson/Center Arms. It can be chambered in cartridges from .17 Bumble Bee to .45-70 Government.
The MEU(SOC) pistol, officially designated the M45 MEUSOC, is a magazine-fed, recoil-operated, single-action, semiautomatic pistol chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. It is a variant of the M1911 for use by the Force Recon Element of the United States Marine Corps' Marine Expeditionary Units from 1985 until 2022. It is assigned NATO Stock Number 1005-01-370-7353.
The modern technique is a method for using a handgun for self-defense, originated by firearms expert Jeff Cooper. The modern technique uses a two-handed grip on the pistol and brings the weapon to eye level so that the sights may be used to aim at the target. This method was developed by Cooper into a teachable system beginning in the 1950s, based on the techniques of shooters like Jack Weaver, Mike Rousseau and others, after experiments with older techniques such as point shooting. The method was codified in book form in 1991 in The Modern Technique of the Pistol by Gregory B. Morrison and Cooper.
The following are terms related to firearms and ammunition topics.
The Ruger SR-Series is a line of semi-automatic pistols manufactured by Sturm, Ruger & Company. At 1.18 in (30.0 mm) thick through the grip, it is touted by Ruger as one of the thinnest double-stack pistols available. The SR-series has been marketed as a backup/concealment weapon for law enforcement as well as for civilian concealed carry. The Ruger SR9 chambered for the 9×19mm Parabellum cartridge was introduced in October 2007, and the slightly smaller SR9c came out in January 2010. The Ruger SR40 chambered for the .40 S&W cartridge came out in October 2010, and the compact SR40c in June 2011.
The Tanfoglio Combat or Standard, also known as T(A)95 or EAA Witness Steel, is a modified clone of the Czech CZ-75/CZ-85 pistol. It is made in Gardone Val Trompia near Brescia, Italy by Fratelli Tanfoglio S.N.C.
The CZ 2075 RAMI is a semi-automatic pistol made by Česká zbrojovka Uherský Brod (CZUB) in the Czech Republic. It features a staggered-column magazine, all-metal construction or optional Polyframe, and a hammer-forged floating barrel. The gun's name, RAMI, is derived from combining the first two letters of the designers' given names, Radek Hauerland and Milan Trkulja.
The Beretta APX is a family of polymer-framed, modular, striker-fired semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Beretta. The series began in 2016, starting with the full-size standard model. The line includes compact, concealed carry, and competition models.
accordingly, bear in mind that you ought to pull by a motion, or rather pressure, of your finger only, and not by an action of the arm; the middle finger, instead of the forefinger, is to be preferred, (by a young beginner especially,) since the anatomical situation of its muscles is less likely to diverge your pistol by a pull at the trigger, than one from the forefinger, instead of pulling with the end of the finger, (as with a gun you ought to do;) your passing the whole of the first joint beyond the trigger is also a desirable mode, and on similar grounds.
Pull the trigger strong with the middle finger.
Pull the trigger strong with the middle finger.
...and pulling the trigger with the middle finger
Some riflemen advocate the employment of the second finger upon the trigger; this has the tendency to apparently lessen the amount of force required to discharge the piece, and for men with very long arms or fingers may be the easiest position.
The loss of the greater mobility and sensitiveness of the forefinger is, however, a positive disadvantage.
In shooting a rifle, most sportsmen use the index finger to pull the trigger. If your readers would try using the second finger, and squeezing the hand together, instead of a direct pull, they would find a great difference in the pull of the trigger. This method is of great advantage when one has a standing shot at deer, as one is less liable to pull off.
Some beginners are very apt to 'pull off' in the act of firing. If such will make a practice of using the middle finger put well round the trigger, in place of the forefinger, they will probably find a great improvement in their shooting.
Special commando units were armed entirely with the C-96, and later the selective fire variants, as well as a large beheading sword carried in a leather scabbard on their back. Recognizing the Mauser's weak and strong points, the Chinese developed the following technique for using the C-96 and later the 712. They would hold it sideways (what we would today refer to as 'Gangbanger style'), with the index finger lying on the magazine well pointing at the target, and pull the trigger with the middle finger.
Some people will find it useful to press the trigger with the middle finger while keeping the index finger against the cylinder, parallel to the barrel. This technique relies on the habit of using the index finger to point at things.
I heard the General de Chabot tell that such a method of shooting had saved his life in several occasions. For example, the day before the battle of Sarrebruck in 1870, he found himself face to face with a Prussian captain while seating in a small canteen. They both shot at each other straight away. Mr de Chabot had a single action weapon while his foe had a double action one. Nevertheless, the German missed five times while the French lieutenant mortally wounded him with his second shot. It must be noticed that both had fired hastily but this technique for handling the revolver makes instinctive shooting more accurate. Always used this technique with a good quality revolver, as it will prevent any spit of lead from between the cylinder and the barillet that would burn your fingers.
Some Englishmen shoot with the second finger on the trigger and the first along the pistol...
The trigger should be pulled with the forefinger. If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
The trigger should be squeezed with the forefinger. If the trigger is squeezed with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
The trigger should be pulled with the forefinger. If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver Is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
If the second finger is used on the trigger the index finger will be extended along the side of the receiver where it is apt to press again the projecting end of the slide stop pin, thus causing a jam when the slide recoils.
The trigger should be pulled with the forefinger. If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
The trigger should be pulled with the forefinger. If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils.
If the trigger is pulled with the second finger, the forefinger extending along the side of the receiver is apt to press against the projecting pin of the slide stop and cause a jam when the slide recoils