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When all you’ve got is a hammer, everything looks like a nail

January 06, 2012 06:19 AM • Doug Wyllie

During my most recent range training exercises, the challenge was to get accurate, threat-stopping shots on target as
quickly as possible from within the con�ned space of a compact car. I did this training using sighted �re.

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Editor’s Note: Last time I wrote a PoliceOne column on a controversial topic (yeah,
that one) I got hammered with comments and critical emails. That was so much fun,
I’ve decided to do it again (I’m told sarcasm is tough to pull off in written word, so
please be advised: that was sarcasm). Anyway, let’s start the year off with a “bang!”
and address the matter of “point shooting versus sighted �re.” Please add your
thoughts below, but as always, let’s keep our commentary professional, productive,
and on-point.

My favorite news item from this week is the one about the recently-widowed, 18-year-old mother
of a three-month-old boy — the one who shot an intruder dead when he kicked down her door.
I’ve done my share of “when/then” thinking about a similar situation going down at my house,

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and I �rmly believe I’d have similar results. I believe this because I practice, practice, practice.
Frequent readers of this space know that I do my level best to improve my skills through the
various training venues I attend, dry �re exercises (as well as repetitions with my ‘Blue Gun’), and
�nally with practice by myself at the range. When I’m at my local range — or any range, really —
with a smattering of skill levels represented up and down the line, it’s abundantly clear to me
that my shooting skills are “average” — certainly not “bad” but sadly, also not “excellent.” I’ll
never win any ISPC shooting competition, but I’m de�nitely good enough to “solve the problem”
should it ever come to that.

That young lady in Oklahoma was simultaneously armed with a handgun and a shotgun (my
kind of gal!), and although I’m not presently aware of which �rearm she used to solve the
problem, I’ve got a hunch it was the long gun. I’ve also got a hunch she didn’t acquire a perfect
sight picture. No way to know, but that’d be my guess. Door comes �ying in, and “boom!” One
dead bad guy, another bad guy who thought better of attempting entry — he turned himself in.

I get a pretty big kick out of the feverish intransigence a small segment of folks have over the
issue of “point shooting versus sighted �re.” Why not both? After all, when all you’ve got is a
hammer, everything looks like a nail. Nearly all of my range time (maybe 90 percent) is devoted
to sighted �re, but I also do some reps point shooting. Some of this is by necessity — when
performing a “shot from retention” exercise or for �ring on a target within “bad-breath range” for
example — but I also will purposefully “aim” from the seven-yard line by ensuring excellent body
alignment, stance, and my best possible trigger control.

Police1 Columnists Sound Off

The criticism I’ve heard (more than once) is that I’m confusing my muscle memory. But given
the 90/10 percentages I devote to the two “philosophies,” I think I’m good to go. Regardless, I’m
always looking to learn from people who know way, way more than I do — I frequently joke that I
could take all my �rearms knowledge, put it in a tall drinking glass, and still have room for a
delicious adult beverage — so a while back I asked my friends Ken Hardesty, Dick Fairburn, and
Lance Eldridge to send me a couple quick thoughts on the matter of “point shooting versus
sighted �re.” Let’s get to it.

“The best answer I’ve heard when speaking of sighted �re versus point shooting is, use your
sights when you need to,” Ken Hardesty began. “Up close and personal, obviously the user won’t

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have the time or the ability to use sighted �re. Beyond that, I’m an advocate of sighted �re. As a
police o�cer, I must be able to call my shots. If I can’t explain where I intended the rounds to
impact, and how I insured that would happen, I’m faced with a problem. The �rst question any
plaintiff’s attorney will ask is, ‘how were you trained, and how do you train others?’ The answer
is, ‘to focus on the front sight.’ Once again, at ‘FI card’ distance and in, sights are simply not an
option for me. Outside of that, sighted �re is my choice and the way I train.”

“The point shooting crowd claims sighted �re is virtually impossible under close, combat
conditions,” stated Dick Fairburn. “They always refer to someone’s ‘research’ which supposedly
proves their point. I concede that the natural human response to a threat is to focus in on the
threat, making it impossible to focus on the sights at the same time. Those who serve as
Simunition role players for academies training new recruits quickly learn to wear at least heavy
leather gloves (padded hockey gloves are even better) because the recruits will tunnel vision in
on the threat (your gun in your hands), resulting in lots of painful Sims hits on your delicate
�ngers. However, as the trainees become conditioned through proper stress inoculation
training, they become able to concentrate on their sights and land good, center-of-mass hits.
Trainees who don’t initially focus on your hands will often shoot low during early scenarios ...
my theory is they are lowering the gun to better “see” the threat, but again, they do better as they
become conditioned to performing under stress.

“If you truly and fully believe Bruce Siddle’s theory that �ne motor skills are impossible under
high-stress conditions, we couldn’t produce effective �ghter pilots. But, since we can train top
performers to multi-task both �ne and gross motor skills in a three-dimensional battle space at
Mach Two with their hair on �re, the human machine can be conditioned to the stress, making
any task possible,” Fairburn continued.

“At close range, at maximum speed, Jeff Cooper called the process a “�ash” sight picture.
Meaning, you simply need to “see” a fuzzy image somewhere on your target to get a hit ...
probably not an X-ring hit, but a hit. As my eyes got old and bifocal glasses became necessary I
better understood exactly what Cooper meant. A fuzzy, �ash sight picture is all I can get unless I
move my head around enough to �nd the sweet spot in the bifocals to get the front sight in
focus, yet I �re my annual retired carry qual and USPSA matches just �ne — a max distance of

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15 yards. I have an eye appointment coming up and I understand they can now put a “front sight
distance” bifocal spot in the upper left corner of my right lens, so I might regain my front sight
focus ability in fast conditions. Another alternative I �nd acceptable is to look over my glasses,
allowing my aging near-sighted eyes to have perfect focus on the REAR sight, improving my
groups.

“The summary is — most trainers believe in a �ash sight picture up close and more precise
sighted �re at 15 yards and beyond. The small, but very vocal point shooting crowd will never
agree, no matter what proof we offer. They claim that with enough practice you can become
very good at point shooting and they are correct. But, with the same or even less training time, I
can produce a more effective and well-rounded gun�ghter using sighted �re,” Fairburn
concluded.

Finally, these thoughts from Lance Eldridge. “I don’t think they are mutually exclusive. The real
question should be can the o�cer hit the target with combat accuracy inside acceptable time
parameters? If so it doesn’t matter if the o�cer “sights” or “points” the gun. If the quali�cation
course is su�cient to measure basic gun handling then all is �ne. Problem is that quals often
fail to re�ect the higher level of gun manipulation necessary to win the types of dynamic
engagements cops �nd themselves �ghting. However, if a qual is pretty basic, training must
push all shooters well out of their comfort zones and get them to shoot as fast and accurately
as possible...while moving.

“I encourage point shooting for deadly encounters inside 12-15 yards,” Eldridge continued.
“When I teach the concept of point shooting I have o�cers stand around and point — with their
�ngers — at each other as quickly as possible and then ask if they believe they are pointing at
their “target.” All agree they are. If the o�cer’s grip includes thumbs pointed forward and they
have indexed correctly there’s little difference between pointing with their index �nger and
aiming the gun in a similar manner. The trick is making sure the trigger press / manipulation
doesn’t move the barrel off the target. At this distance I believe the grip (wrists locked and high
on the gun) and trigger manipulation are the most important.

“This doesn’t create perfect shot groups inside a quarter, but it’s su�cient for lethal combat

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engagements, especially if o�cers can sustain an acceptable rate of accurate �re, say three to
�ve rounds in two seconds or less...while moving. I’ve also never been a fan of the two-to-the-
body and one-to-the head approach as it doesn’t re�ect real world situations. You continue to
shoot until the threat stops. I also tell students — by the way, I’m a student each time we go to
the range as well...learn things from each of the other o�cers every time — that if their body
shots are accurate and sustained the head will come to them, though that’s probably a
statement more appropriate on a closed range. What is the best number of rounds? Could be
two rounds. Could be ten. You just don’t know until it happens, but have to be able to not only
shoot accurately and quickly but assess the effect the rounds are having on the target at the
same time. You can’t do that if you’re worried about sight picture and sight alignment. In training
when asked how many rounds to shoot at a target in a particular scenario I always say that’s up
to them. Three? Five? Whatever! Drives the head �rearms guy nuts because of budget
restrictions on ammo purchases. I’m of the mind that all quals should be no further out than
12-15 yards. I also would like to see o�cers moving all the time while �ring,” Eldridge said.

“Sighted �re, I believe, is better suited for 12-15 yards and beyond, which can be covered in
training, and should be. There’s a bit more time at the longer distance and accuracy may be
important at these longer distances as well, especially given the types of possible scenarios.
Here I believe sight picture, sight alignment, and trigger manipulation are the most important.
What I’ve also found is that as I’ve aged I don’t do nearly as much sighted �re as I did when I
was younger. My eyes don’t focus as quickly and I’ve tried to compensate with technology, i.e.,
the Express Sites, for example. I’ve now found myself doing some weird combination of both
point and sighted �re at these longer distances so I can try and stay inside the time limits for
qual.

“But again, so long as the o�cer is hitting the target with combat accuracy inside acceptable
time parameters it shouldn’t matter. Instructors have to be intellectually �exible enough to
accept that all shooters are different and cannot be coached into performing unnatural acts on
the range. So, like you, I’ve never really understood the debate,” Eldridge concluded.

Police1 Members Speak Out

Please add your own thoughts in the area below, restricting commentary to that which is
professional, productive, and on-point. I believe we can all do a lot of learning by exchanging
ideas and engaging in conversation, both here in the online world and the next time we meet in

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person. For example, if you’re going to SHOT Show later this month, drop by the Police1 booth
and leave me your phone number. Or just send me an email with your contact information.
Perhaps we can continue this discussion over a cup of coffee, or after the sun goes down, over
one of those abovementioned “cold adult beverages!”

Stay safe my friends. Here’s to a great 2012.

Off Duty O�cer Safety O�cer-Involved Shootings Patrol Issues Police Training

Doug Wyllie writes police training content on a wide range of topics and trends affecting
the law enforcement community. Doug was a co-founder of the Policing Matters podcast
and a longtime co-host of the program.…

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