Backpack or tankbag, rarely do I carry on my person when I am riding.
Revlis, again you beat me to it. Ayoob is really on point and his articles in G&A are usually usefull. Cooper is a an arrogant ass (met him in `93 I think) but has good points regarding use of cover.
The example you gave regarding the police shooting are all to frequent. The last statistic I remember came from the FBI analysis I belive was in 2002. It reported that
85% of shots fired
miss their intended target. Why? A good question. My personal opinion explaining this is two fold. One most cops only "qualify" every 6 months or so. The qualification is usually geared to pass even the poorest shooter. My 7 year old daughter could easily "qualify" at most police ranges. Also police (I know I'm generalizing) think of their firearm as a tool, like pliers, wrenches or a drill for that matter. They do not seem to devote much time or thought to it. This leads to poor performance overall. Shooters who care for, love, are faithful and devoted to their firearm seem to fair better overall. They have quicker strings of fire with more accuracy and deal with malfunctions much efficiently than someone who only shoots 50 rounds a year. I typically shoot 3 days a week and eat up a case of ammo a month (per weapon). I just wish I could shoot more
Second reason for poor performance is due to your nervous system. To put it simply. When something "dangerous" happens suddenly a persons heart rate will go up, which is another long explination that I will skip. The main thing to consider is as your heartrate reaches different levels (ie 120 BPM "beats per minute" or 160 BPM, ect) your body gives up certian abilities at different levels. The suffering areas to go are fine motor skills, tunnel vision, gross motor coordination, ect. If a person does not know what to expect from themsleves then they will perform poorly when the time has come. Most police DO NOT (excluding swat training) practice for "the time". Standing on a range congradulating yourself on your 45 out of 50 on paper will not give a true representation of you accuracy under duress.
Everyone interested in this topic please PLEASE try this experiment.
Go to your range and shoot your usual string of shots at your usuall (most comfortable) distance.
Mark your target
Reload (following all safety guidelines)
Then, depending on your situation and physical health, sprint 100 yards and back or do jumping jacks or push-ups, or whatever you do to get your heartrate up.
Then shoot the exact same string (at the same speed) that you just completed.
Compare your results. Wow pretty big difference isn't it.
By practicing this drill often may serve to put rounds on target when they are needed most.
Sorry for the rant.
Chris (NRA instructor, Pistol instructor, NC CCH instructor, CCH certified, FFL pending) thought I'd share.
