Texas CHL Training.

[mec]

The program (Training for Concealed Handgun Instructors ) is changing a bit to reflect ongoing analysis by the Texas Department of Public Safety Training Division.

Originally, The Blue TXTP target was adopted to present a more effective aiming point- Higher than on traditional targets, Now the B 27 has become standard because of analysis of a Bad Thing that happened in a Dps shooting. They observed that the higher center/mass accentuates a tendency to shoot high and possibly miss the intended target. This prompted a move to the older target format.

The shooting demonstration stages begin from the "low ready position." the ready position has been raised from the previous below target hold to one that is barely below the visual plane. Additonally, shooters on the line are now encouraged to keep their sight picture after initial shots in the string to imprint the need to stay on target prepared to shoot until the threat is neutralized.

The only people remaining from the first sessions in late- 1996 are Commandant Rodriquez and Sgt Riddle who unfortunately ,will be retiring soon.

Sgt Ripps has been in the program for a couple of years and has extensive field experience including SWAT. Both Ripps and Riddle have attended Thunder Ranch and are very high on that program.
In the beginning, video presentations used in training had to be pre- approved by the CHL staff. Now all gun-handling films by Jeff Cooper, Massad Ayoob and Clint Smith ( Thunder Ranch) are acceptible for a portion of the applicant classes.

There are now just over 1600 certified CHL Instructors. The recertification classes seem to be running smoothly with competent gun handling greatly in evidence.

 

[Hypnogator]

the higher center/mass accentuates a tendency to shoot high and possibly miss the intended target

Precisely. Sometimes the old tried-and-true ways are best, regardless of whether they're considered "old fashioned."

It has always been a truism that in combat, you tend to shoot high. That's why they went to peep sights on military rifles over 100 years ago!

If you use your sights at all in a gunfight with pistols, you'll tend to look at the front sight over the rear sight, and your shots will go high.

Back in the old Federal basic course (circa 1973), we were taught, "Shoot for the crotch." A hit there will fold the opponent up and often as not take him out of the fight, but will give you plenty of time to get more rounds off before he can effectively return fire. Also it is a lot bigger target than the head, and moves a lot less. If you shoot high, you'll hit him COM or in the upper chest, instead of having the slug whistle over his head.

 

[saltydog452]

Kinda dumb of me I guess, but I woulda thought the tendency would have been to shoot low..Pressing the bang switch before the gun was brought to eye level sort of thing. I dunno, but hope I never have to find out for sure.

salty.

 

[ball3006]

First time I took my CHL class, the wiseguy next to me put all of his shots in a half dollar group in the middle of the forehead of the target..........and, it was not his gun.........chris3

 

[mec]

Well, you won't have to watch him do it again. The head is now worth only 3 points on the B27. We get a bigger 5 ring though. Kind of good because shooting at the head will often get you four shots in one little clutch and another out to the side scoring nothing.

 

[M2 Carbine]

Some friends are renewing this weekend.
I'm going to run them through the course for practice Friday.
Are the new targets being used NOW?

I usually have the people that aren't very good shots shoot low anyhow. A 4 is better than a miss.

 

[MechAg94]

You get 50 shots. The scoring is 150 to pass out of 250, I think. I guess you could get all 3's and still pass? To me it just means I can't get more creative after the first 25 or 30 shots. Doesn't matter anyway since my renewal doesn't need range time. I am up for renewal the first half of this year.

The recommendation by my instructor was not to shoot a perfect group even if you can. I think he was a little paranoid though.

 

[LJWebster1]

Yes, they are using the new targets. You get 50 shots to score 175 or of 250 total. I'm not a very expereienced shooter, probably only shot 300 rounds total, and I scored a 197. Would have been higher, except that we were allowed only 5 rounds in the magazine at a time, and each time we loaded a new magazine, the range officer made me decock my Walther P99 and shoot the first shot in double action. I have not practicied the double action shot at all, so I was all over the place with it, missing the blue completely at 45 feet, and otherwise scoring several 3s. It's very difficult to not qualify. We had a couple of ladies in their late 60s, early 70s and they qualified easily.

Mech, I think you need to qualify to renew as well. We were met at the range by all the people renewing. They then had to come back with us for 4 or 5 hours of class time.

 

[Brad Johnson]

People get in WAY too big a hurry on the qualification. A friend and I did a little test once just to satisfy our curiousity. We timed each other doing slow fire seven yard five-shot drills. The result? Our "slow fire" drills still came in an average of around two seconds under five second limit. Heck, we could almost have stopped for a cup of coffee and still had time to finish. People also don't realize that if you keep all your shots centered on the three and seven yard strings, you can miss EVERY shot on the fifteen yard string and still score enough to pass.

On my last qualifier I consciously slow-fired every string. Some of the "gun people" were griping that I was going over the time limit, but the instructor was standing there with his stopwatch to prove otherwise. Perfect score with one fist-sized ragged hole in the center of the target.

Brad

 

[mec]

Some of the instructors are raising the new target up higher to keep the shots from hitting below the backstop.

 

[M2 Carbine]

OK, I've still got a stack of the blue targets. I guess aiming at the bottom of the five ring is about the right spot for practice.

My friend's wife shot last week for practice. She put a number of rounds in the 4. With the new target her score would be close to 250.