Somebody explain this to me , please.

[1911 guy]

Alright, maybe I'm a little too "old school" to get it. Why is the latest craze to put the cart in front of the horse when learning handgun shooting? The new buzzword is "point shooting". Now before everyone gets all upset, I think it's real, it's a usefull skill and I've done and will continue to use it when it's called for or I just feel like practicing it a bit.

But lately, it seems the mantra of point shooting has supplanted learning how to effectively use a handgun. New shooters are being told to practice it before they even have the fundamentals down, some proponents actively discourage any and all use of the firearms sights, it's become the new "I know karate" thing, if you don't yap about it all the time, you're not running with the cool kids anymore.

Why has point shooting become seen as another way to use a handgun? It is merely another skill in the use of a handgun. The three broad categories of putting lead on target are refined sight picture, flash sight picture and point shooting. They all have advantages and limitations, so it's wise to become familiar with all three. Why have so many drunk the kool-aid and it takes a putz like me to call b.s. on it?

 

[presspuller]

I am with you on this one. But to be honest I don't hang around in circles that really promote it that much.

 

[schnarrgj]

You need to crawl before you walk and walk before you run. Get the basics of shooting down first. They need to be second nature then proceed to new levels. Wait on the point and shoot.

 

[VHinch]

Agreed with all of the above. I am a dyed in the wool Clint Smith disciple, and as such firmly believe in using the sights. Point shooting does have it's limited usefulness, but if at all possible I'll be using my sights, and continue instructing others to do so as well.

 

[redneckrepairs]

In my experience it isnt that the responsible instructors in the skill or art of point shooting discorage sighted fire in all circumstances . It is rather that they are better instructors than they are advocates for the techniques they teach . I have noticed that when a disagreement between the aimed fire ( which i am a member of lol ) and unaimed fire camps happen the first thing that gets lost is the range and targets they actually train on and at . If you read carefully you will see they are advocating a quick and dirty method of hitting a close target ( not withstanding Brownie's shooting bowling ball sized stuff out at 50+ yards with a 1911 devoid of any sights on the slide ) . What gets lost in the ermmm..... debate , yea that is the word i wanted lol , is that most instructors of ps are not saying never use the sights , they are teaching a method of hitting a torso at close range with speed not plucking coins out of the air shooting from the hip . Its a valid skillset even taught to and by LE for the " phone booth " ranges that things can easily go bad at . Tho in LE qualifications the time of a course of fire is so liberal ( as a rule ) as to make the close range work a joke as far as building and maintaining any kind of skill level that might prove helpful to an officer on the street .

 

[bps3040]

I pocket carry, so I practice point shooting at 3 yards and under. Or what I consider point shooting. I draw from my pocket and fire. I can get the 1st shot off much faster and with practice, practice, practice, you can get pretty good with it.

 

[HM2PAC]

I personally believe in knowing the basics of anything before going on to the "advanced" lessons.

IMHO the point shooting is the advanced lesson. Where I've seen it taught is in self-defense instruction that centers on conflict out to a max of 7-10ft. In this application, it makes sense to me. At 7ft, I don't need, (or have time), to line up sights. Just get your hits and get out.

 

[Frank Ettin]

I also agree that one must learn the fundamentals before doing anything else. Among other things, if one doesn't have trigger control, he'd going to miss whether he uses his sights or not.

 

[green country shooter]

I don't see the trend you see. I read discussion of point shooting on the internet, but the pistol schools like Thunder Ranch, Gunsite, USSA and so on still teach sights and trigger control. The internet discussion is just a fad and will pass in a few months.

 

[.38 Special]

Guess I'm out of the loop. I didn't know point shooting was hot right now. Actually, I thought point shooting was still kind of poo-poo'd these days.

FWIW, I think the OP said everything else worth saying. Point shooting -- even hip shooting, IMO -- is a useful and entertaining skill. It should not supplant sighted firing, however, which is much more useful in most situations.

 

[tntwatt]

I think point shooting for SD purposes is much easier to learn for a beginner. Seems to fall right in line with which direction to point the weapon. It is gross motor not fine motor like sight shooting. I also consider point shooting absolutely useless past 20ft. Hitting the torso is easy compared to the 10 ring. When teaching any skill we always concentrate on the larger movements first and then refine them. Like driving, you can teach someone in a parking lot to go left then go right with ease. Then you progress to the more refined skills like parking.

That's the way I've done it before. Safety, familiarization,point shoot, sight shoot.
I'm a nurse and work with alot of people (mainly women) who've never shot before and go out with me and the wife for their very first time. They want to shoot and hit something the very first time or they get disheartened. I get the hook in them first and then on later trips we get to the finer points.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Something to consider is the definition of point shooting. A lot of what I see described as "point shooting" is actually aimed fire, perhaps not focusing on the sights, but the gun is definitely out in one's line of sight. To me, true point shooting would require a body/hand/arm position index and not looking at the sights or gun at all. "Hip shooting" is one such example.

 

[VegasOPM]

I can say that I use both aimed fire and point shooting when I shoot USPSA. Anything closer than 5 yards is point shot, anything beyond is aimed fire.

 

[1911 guy]

Good points brought up.

The couple that stuck in my mind were from Redneckrepairs concerning target size and range as well as from the Lone Haranguer regarding an actual definition of point shooting.

I would also argue that when Brownie shoots bowling balls at 50 yards with no sights, that's not because there's magic in the technique. It's because he's spent a lot of time behind that trigger. I know a veterinarian, Doc Temple, that has a drawer full of worn out (not worn, worn out-no longer work) Colt .22 revolvers. For the last half century he's owned a successsion of identical guns to plink DRAGONFLIES with. Learned skill, not textbook technique.

Everybody who cared to post so far has been of similar thoughts. I wonder if the vocal supporters ddn't see the thread or if they are in huddle, crafting a manifesto.

 

[foghornl]

Point shooting is another tool in the box.

However, you DO need to learn to use the basic flat-blade screwdriver BEFORE using the sooper-dooper electric/atomic/battery powered driver/hammer drill.

 

[sqlbullet]

Let me start by qualifying. I am in the sighted fire camp. Short ranges (<7 yds.), at least front sight with a proper stance, longer ranges full sight picture.

That said, I will reference by hearsay an column in American Handgunner sometime this year. The column as Winning Edge, and I think it was the Jan/Feb or Mar/April issue. They were interviewing an IPSC top dawg. If I recall correctly he was quoted to the effect that you can teach accuracy to a fast shooter, but not speed to an accurate shooter.

This, or course, flies in the face of Coopers rule "Accuracy, speed, power" which should be the foundation of practical competition. It would seem based on this advice that if one wants to be competitive in IPSC, speed supersedes accuracy. This may be the source of the interest in point shooting.

 

[jrfoxx]

My guess would be that it's due to the masive increase in the number of people buyinh handguns for the sole purpose of SD/HD and/or CCW. With almost all states allowing CCW now, the increase (or percieved increase) in violent crime has caused a lot of people with nor interest in guns, hunting, and target shooting, to get a handgun and a ccw permit.The yahve no interest in hunting or target shooting, simply in self defense, so they learn and are taugh point shooting for the most part due to the fact the statistically, a SD shooting will be VERY fast, and happen at VERY close range. Thus, since thats all these people are buying thier gun for, and they make up a huge new growing segment of gun owners and permit holders, you see a corresponding increase in emphasis on point shooting.

Now I agree they should also learn, and be taught, to use sights too, since there are times the situation will call for their use in SD, so they shouldnt be taught ONLY point shooting, but I can see why that may be a lot more emphasized lately, since it is more aplicable to the growing new segament of gun owners.Most of them really do just see the gun as a true tool, and only a tool, and will not get into shooting, hunting, etc.for them, since the ONLY thing they will ever use the gun for (if at all) is SD/HD, point shooting in WAY more likely to be the skill they will need, so that is what they are learning and being taught.

Beleive it or not, there are a LOT of people who dont like guns, and enjoy going to the range or going hunting, and simply want 1 gun for SD and thats it.It's crazy, I know, and I cant understand why they are like that, as I dont know how you cant love guns and shooting, but these wierdos are out there, and there are actually more of them than us. Crazy. Different strokes I guess.

(before someone take the above wrong, I wasnt being snotty sarcastic or anything, I was just being funny about how we are different, and in the minority as gun lovers, not just gun owners. It was meant as a "laugh at ourselves" kind of joke, so nobody flip out. I know we can be a critical, sensitive bunch.)

 

[rduckwor]

I can say that I use both aimed fire and point shooting when I shoot USPSA. Anything closer than 5 yards is point shot, anything beyond is aimed fire.

I agree. Point shooting is very useful for close-range engagements. Think about it, do you really need a perfect sight picture at say under 5 yards? I typically point and try to get a flash sight picture on close targets. When given the gift of distance and time, I'm going to try to get a solid aimed sight picture to be certain at least the first one goes where I want it to go. Maybe given time, an aimed pair down range. Up close, time is much more important than sight picture and point shooting is pretty much instinctive at those ranges.

YMMV,

RMD

 

[Drgong]

I am a decent rifle shot, but the first to admit that I am not a great pistol shooter yet, and will most likely (GASP) take a class to improve my shooting.

 

[RobMoore]

I haven't seen a trend toward point shooting either, but I'd say anyone trying to learn it before precision shooting is out of order.

Bullseye is step 2 in learning how to shoot (right after safe gun handling)

If you can't keep 10 slow rounds on a paper plate at 10 yards, I think you need to keep practicing until you can, then move on.

 

[hemiram]

25 years ago, when I was shooting all the time, I used to do it (Point shoot) all the time, and I was actually pretty good at it. I liked it better than shooting the "usual" way, as it seemed much more natural to me, at close range anyway. I have tried it a couple of times recently, and I do better with it than I expected, considering how badly I shoot using the sights these days.

 

[.38 Special]

In No Second Place Winner Jordan recommended that the student not begin point/hip shooting practice until he could consistently score 80 or better on standard targets. This is a good deal better than "paper plate at 10 yards" accuracy, and appears to be a whole hell of a lot better than the average guy at the local range is doing.

Still seems like good advice to me.

 

[danweasel]

Point Shooting is the most important handgun skill. That's why.

Shoot someone at 25 yards and see what happens.

 

[Mike Franklin]

Shoot someone at 25 yards and see what happens.

You'll likely miss him.
Point shooting is big because nearly every LE academy teaches shooting in one week, that's it. 98% of the LEOs never learn beyond that. They qualify once or twice a year and that's all they ever shoot.
I watched some guy point shooting on U Tube, he was sighting down the barrel like shooting a shotgun. He'd shot enough to know where to look to get a sight picture.

 

[RobMoore]

Point Shooting is not the most important handgun skill. Its not even a necessary one.