By Tank Hoover

I recognized all the warning signs, but daftly chose to ignore them, as I gradually stumbled into a false sense of confidence, falling for one of the oldest tricks in the book, or range, as it were.

It started innocently enough a few years ago. I just purchased a new Ruger Single-Seven in .327 Federal, the perfect pest perforator, and I wanted to wring it out, using my handloads and see what they could do.

Using a sandbag rest atop a carpeted 4″X6″ block of wood, I would assess how the gun and loads shot at 25 yards while trying to keep any human influences to a bare minimum. The more I shot, the more I absorbed and diagnosed the “feel” of the gun, the trigger, and myself. We meshed as one, into a well-choreographed symphony of shooting splendor. As shooters, we’re defined by the holes we make, and as a writer, by the holes we fill-in as we tell the story. My holes are close, and getting closer. Two or three overlap each other, with a flyer or two, close by on a 5-shot string. Periodically, they all start behaving and a single ragged hole appears as a smug smile spreads across my now relaxed face after a session of intense concentration and mental haiku.

Next came the Big-Bore blasters, .480 Ruger and .454 Casull — 5-shot Bisleys. Same thing! Lots of handloads shot from the same benched, sandbagged set-up for rock steady support. Sure, I learn the “feel” of each gun intimately during every range session, as if taking its pulse and other vitals. I know what makes them tick and what to expect. Shooting those itty-bity bragging sized groups made me feel like the Big Kahuna. Then came a Ruger SR-1911, then a pre-31 S&W. You get the idea.

Yet, there I was, precariously hanging upside down metaphorically, with a snare around my ankle, tied to a thick, springy tree branch, tethered by a trap of my own making. I figured out this wasn’t a good position to be in! I needed release.

The Booby Trap

While my benched sandbagged rest is a tried and true way to test any gun and handloads in question, you can get sandbagged if you don’t watch out! I had fallen into the itty-bity group booby trap! I wasn’t challenging myself! I wasn’t shooting from practical, real life shooting positions! I was in effect, a white coat lab guy testing my gun and loads, rather than being a real shooter!

Huh?

Yep! Good ol’ practical shooting, or training! Shooting for a practical purpose. Be it for self-defense, handgun hunting, or rifle hunting, you need to train, or shoot the way you would in the field, or street. Challenge yourself. Don’t try to shoot when conditions are perfect. Shoot for when conditions are bad, tough, or less than optimal, the way life throws us a bucket of worms from time to time.

Rather than taking your time and shooting bullseye style, try some quick double taps as fast as you can, while still maintaining control and practical accuracy with your gun. If you’re shooting a double-action revolver, shoot it double-action, the way it was intended. If you’re a rifle hunter, shoot from your hind legs, unsupported. Sometimes that whitetail deer will jump up and explode right before your very eyes. Practice quick snap-shooting.

There’s no question it’s easier to hit when using a rest, but most times a rest isn’t handy in life’s situations, so we have to shoot unsupported. Train for the worst and the worst will be the norm when the time comes to shoot, be it hunting, or self-defense.

I became frightenly aware of being trapped when I was shooting with some of my friends. I had been shooting so much from the bench, my off-hand shooting was suffering, and I wanted to put it out of its misery, quick, with some diligent shooting! As good friend Dick Thompson says, “You never master the handgun.” It’s an ongoing journey and doesn’t take much to get off track if you don’t keep up with it. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to regain what we lose. You just need to shoot, with purpose!

Stand Up

Lately, I have bagged the sandbags, and am shooting from my hind legs, unsupported with both hands. I challenge myself. I’ll shoot single-action, with no time limit, then double-action, no time limit, and finally double-action, at about one shot per second. Each sequence I can see the groups grow larger, but still deadly at 25 yards for any zombie, creature, or pest. As time goes on, the groups will shrink. It just takes time to regroup and challenge yourself. Get back on track! Don’t psyche yourself out and fall for the 1-hole group brag-gang. Keep it fun and keep it real!

And if by chance you do find yourself hanging upside down by a snare, or caught in the jaws of a spring steel trap, or at the bottom of a tiger pit looking up, wondering how the hell did I ever end up here? Fear not! Knowing you are trapped is half the battle. Escape is as simple as getting practical, challenging yourself, and just having fun!

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