Matthew Temkin
Member
Last week I was invited to teach rifle point shooting at a Mass. police conference, while my Swedish police friends taught point shooting with a pistol.
All students were either experienced SWAT members or military.
All were already very good weapon handlers and had excellent marksmanship abilities.
Here is the lesson plan of what we covered in 4 hours and about 350 rounds.
CLOSE QUARTER CARBINE
1) Aims of course: These techniques are designed for room combat and closer distances. They can be used in any lighting conditions and with any type of sights--or lack of them---on the carbine. Cover the five types of long gun shooting.
Explain combat “stance”…elbows locked in, toes to the target, back heel raised---and show how this is used for all firearms, baton and hand to hand methods.
A) Classic aimed fire using both front and rear sights.
B) Weapon at shoulder, ignoring the rear sight but placing the front sight on target.
C) Weapon at shoulder, but completely ignoring the sights.
D) Underarm assault position.
E) Folded stock into midsection.
2) Aimed Fire Drill.
This is to evaluate the student’s basic rifle skills.
From the 15 yard line have them fire a series of one and two shot bursts from low ready position.
Check for basic marksmanship, reloading, malfunction clearance and weapon manipulation. Two 15 round magazines.
3) Move into the 10 yard line and place orange dot on the throat area.
Shoot single shots with the front sight placed on the dot, with no reference to the rear sight. Explain how this negates the need to “hold high” for a close range precision hit, and also talk about the Thornberg reflex.
Repeat with 2-4 round bursts and have them transition to the pistol when the rifle runs dry. Show how if the eyes focus on the bottom of the chin then the handgun rounds will impact near the orange dot.
4) Point Shoulder Drill.
Move to the 5 yard drill and do the same (60 rounds) drill with point shoulder technique.
5) Explain that the true goals of the course is to place a bullet in the exact spot that your eye is focused on.
Procceed to 4 to the body, two to the head drill.
Explain that the head shots are made just by changing your focus. 60 rounds.
6) Zipper Drill. Explain it’s purpose in combat, as well as a good “Hands follow the eyes” drill. 60 rounds.
7) Moving in drill.
Discuss the importance of being in motion, especially toward the threat if the distance is short and cover is not an option. Start at the 7 yard line and move in, firing 5-6 shots, stopping at about eh 3 yard line. 30 rounds.
Then repeat the drill with another magazine, but add backward motion. 30 rounds.
8) Pivot Drills.
One magazine with stationary right/left pivots, then another magazine while stepping in/moving forward with the pivot. 60 rounds.
9) Marching drill.
Explain the training reasons behind this and how moving in gives the best accuracy.
10) Lateral Motion Drill.
One magazine to the right, then another magazine to the left.
Then do two magazines with the right/in/left/in/back drill. 120 rounds.
11) Multiple Target Drill.
Explain concept of stepping/lunging in towards each target.
Two magazines shooting at 2-4 targets. 60 rounds.
12) Underarm Assault position.
Show proper technique, and then do one magazine with 1-2 shot bursts, then another magazine of 3-4 shot bursts. Distance is 10 feet. 60 rounds.
13) Four shots to the body, two to the head. 60 rounds.
14) Hip-Shoulder Drill.
First whistle begin rapid fire from underarm assault and on second whistle transition to point shoulder rapid fire without any pause. Each drill should be about 10-15 shots, but do not state any such requirement.
15) Pivot Shots.
One magazine stationary left/right pivots, another magazine moving in pivots. 60 rounds.
16) Slapping stock into side from port arms and firing shots. 30 rounds.
17) Multiple Target Drill.
One magazine stationary, one magazine stepping in towards each target. 60 rounds.
18) Weapon Transition. ( One Pistol magazine)
Stress cradling the rifle in the weak arm...muzzle up... if standard/no sling is used.
19) Weapon Strikes.
First teach Fairbairn stick fighting method, and then show how it pertains to the rifle.
Also teach giving up the rifle and using handgun.
Show a few simple methods of weapon retention.
20) S drill.
My main goal was to instill a ruthless kill or get killed attitude, along with making the rifle sound like a machine gun when shot on semi automatic. And much to their delight I insisted that all firearms be slung and loaded at all times when not in a ready position.--something that I picked up from John Farnam last year.
I also insisted on pin point accuracy along with speed.
For many of the drills the target was a 1 1/2 inch orange dot, placed at throat level.
I also insisted that they not only shoot the BG to the ground, but also to shoot him while on the ground..provided that he is still a lethal threat.
Since some of the target stands would fall down when shot ( and we were working on a dirt range) these drills worked out quite well.
I did make it quite clear that this class was not a replacement for rifle marksmanship but rater a compliment to what they had learned earlier in their patrol rifle course.
All students were either experienced SWAT members or military.
All were already very good weapon handlers and had excellent marksmanship abilities.
Here is the lesson plan of what we covered in 4 hours and about 350 rounds.
CLOSE QUARTER CARBINE
1) Aims of course: These techniques are designed for room combat and closer distances. They can be used in any lighting conditions and with any type of sights--or lack of them---on the carbine. Cover the five types of long gun shooting.
Explain combat “stance”…elbows locked in, toes to the target, back heel raised---and show how this is used for all firearms, baton and hand to hand methods.
A) Classic aimed fire using both front and rear sights.
B) Weapon at shoulder, ignoring the rear sight but placing the front sight on target.
C) Weapon at shoulder, but completely ignoring the sights.
D) Underarm assault position.
E) Folded stock into midsection.
2) Aimed Fire Drill.
This is to evaluate the student’s basic rifle skills.
From the 15 yard line have them fire a series of one and two shot bursts from low ready position.
Check for basic marksmanship, reloading, malfunction clearance and weapon manipulation. Two 15 round magazines.
3) Move into the 10 yard line and place orange dot on the throat area.
Shoot single shots with the front sight placed on the dot, with no reference to the rear sight. Explain how this negates the need to “hold high” for a close range precision hit, and also talk about the Thornberg reflex.
Repeat with 2-4 round bursts and have them transition to the pistol when the rifle runs dry. Show how if the eyes focus on the bottom of the chin then the handgun rounds will impact near the orange dot.
4) Point Shoulder Drill.
Move to the 5 yard drill and do the same (60 rounds) drill with point shoulder technique.
5) Explain that the true goals of the course is to place a bullet in the exact spot that your eye is focused on.
Procceed to 4 to the body, two to the head drill.
Explain that the head shots are made just by changing your focus. 60 rounds.
6) Zipper Drill. Explain it’s purpose in combat, as well as a good “Hands follow the eyes” drill. 60 rounds.
7) Moving in drill.
Discuss the importance of being in motion, especially toward the threat if the distance is short and cover is not an option. Start at the 7 yard line and move in, firing 5-6 shots, stopping at about eh 3 yard line. 30 rounds.
Then repeat the drill with another magazine, but add backward motion. 30 rounds.
8) Pivot Drills.
One magazine with stationary right/left pivots, then another magazine while stepping in/moving forward with the pivot. 60 rounds.
9) Marching drill.
Explain the training reasons behind this and how moving in gives the best accuracy.
10) Lateral Motion Drill.
One magazine to the right, then another magazine to the left.
Then do two magazines with the right/in/left/in/back drill. 120 rounds.
11) Multiple Target Drill.
Explain concept of stepping/lunging in towards each target.
Two magazines shooting at 2-4 targets. 60 rounds.
12) Underarm Assault position.
Show proper technique, and then do one magazine with 1-2 shot bursts, then another magazine of 3-4 shot bursts. Distance is 10 feet. 60 rounds.
13) Four shots to the body, two to the head. 60 rounds.
14) Hip-Shoulder Drill.
First whistle begin rapid fire from underarm assault and on second whistle transition to point shoulder rapid fire without any pause. Each drill should be about 10-15 shots, but do not state any such requirement.
15) Pivot Shots.
One magazine stationary left/right pivots, another magazine moving in pivots. 60 rounds.
16) Slapping stock into side from port arms and firing shots. 30 rounds.
17) Multiple Target Drill.
One magazine stationary, one magazine stepping in towards each target. 60 rounds.
18) Weapon Transition. ( One Pistol magazine)
Stress cradling the rifle in the weak arm...muzzle up... if standard/no sling is used.
19) Weapon Strikes.
First teach Fairbairn stick fighting method, and then show how it pertains to the rifle.
Also teach giving up the rifle and using handgun.
Show a few simple methods of weapon retention.
20) S drill.
My main goal was to instill a ruthless kill or get killed attitude, along with making the rifle sound like a machine gun when shot on semi automatic. And much to their delight I insisted that all firearms be slung and loaded at all times when not in a ready position.--something that I picked up from John Farnam last year.
I also insisted on pin point accuracy along with speed.
For many of the drills the target was a 1 1/2 inch orange dot, placed at throat level.
I also insisted that they not only shoot the BG to the ground, but also to shoot him while on the ground..provided that he is still a lethal threat.
Since some of the target stands would fall down when shot ( and we were working on a dirt range) these drills worked out quite well.
I did make it quite clear that this class was not a replacement for rifle marksmanship but rater a compliment to what they had learned earlier in their patrol rifle course.
) low and fast and continued to make hits as they drove the gun up to the sights. Folks without any training less so. When running low/no light scenarios there weren't any sights visible to use so they all used point shooting.
