Lights out match

[Jennifer Herd Seymour]

So... How many of you people actually carry a gun?

Daylight only?

Stores sell bazillions if sure fire lights every year. I'd assume a bunch of those lights are sold to permit holders.

In my opinion ( since a ton of crimes happen at night) if you carry a pistol you should be able to run it with a flashlight.

A weapons mounted light is great---- for a bona fide "operator".... First time you light up your old lady or dog making a bump in the night that rule about pointing a gun at stuff we are willing to kill gets real close to home.

If your competent in strong hand only shooting.... Adding a light is easy enough.... And like any other handgun skill it's "new" until you have learned it as second nature.
Every one of us was green as grass at every aspect of this once upon a time.... Drawing from a holster is risky too, but we learn it to play.

Night shooting at matches..... If your MD has thought things through it's not unsafe at all. Like any other sport... If you don't have the right facility, equipment or supervision don't do it

As a participant... If your not ready, prepared, trained or confident in the situation don't do it.

I've never shot a night match yet that was "darker" than a parking garage.

I definitely want to learn this skill, I'm just not so sure that it is wise to try to learn it at my first IDPA match. I shoot USPSA but I know the rules are different and the setting will be different. I wanted advice on how to best hold the light and is it a skill that I can realistically learn at the match or will it make me unsafe. I will practice with a light and decide I guess.

 

[drmitchgibson]

If we do a lights out stage tomorrow night, I might just mag-dump 60 rounds at the arrays and call it good.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

http://oklahomaconcealedcarry.com/Low_Light_Training.html
Jennifer S.

This will get you started.

 

[Wall]

http://oklahomaconcealedcarry.com/Low_Light_Training.html
Jennifer S.

This will get you started.

That'd be a pretty long commute from South Carolina

 

[Jefpainthorse]

That'd be a pretty long commute from South Carolina

Tony... The beauty of the internet lets people in South Carolina read stuff posted by businesses in Oklahoma.

Keep up- it's 2014 already

 

[Wall]

got it, I saw Training & Stillwater armory & figured it was a class, didn't realize it was an article.

 

[Jennifer Herd Seymour]

http://oklahomaconcealedcarry.com/Low_Light_Training.html
Jennifer S.

This will get you started.

Thanks!

 

[No.343]

I think Julie G. did a pro tips segment on Shooting USA about low light techniques.

 

[Jennifer Herd Seymour]

OK, so I went to the match. It was actually really well run and very eye opening! The stages were very simple, no reloads. The match director simply wanted to expose the shooters to different ways to shoot in the dark. The first stage was shot holding a flashlight above your head. This turned out to be my favorite way to shoot in the dark. The second stage was shot holding the light with weak hand with weak hand under strong wrist, bracing it. I hated this one. I couldn't see my sights. The last two stages were no light (it was not pitch black, it was just very dim. We could see silhouettes) and the last stage had a small light flashing.

It was shocking how much trouble even the good shooters had making really good shots. As the match director stated, most invasions or attacks happen in the dark. We should all be prepared to shoot in the dark. By the last stage I had gotten more used to shooting in the dark and how to get my eyes used to not being able to see my sights really. Practice makes perfect.......sort of. The RO's were very attentive and advised everyone that they were going to be more strict at this match since they could take no chances in the dark. I never felt unsafe.

The moral of the story.....I now really want night sights! Those with night sights had a definite advantage. And I need to practice in the dark, even if it is just dry fire and sight acquisition.

 

[Jefpainthorse]

Ah.... Now we can learn stuff .... Very good, grasshopper !

Night sights..... I own one pistol with tritriums and here's the deal

If there is enough light to see the target there will be enough light to see the sights.
Play around with the weak hand light ... After a little practice you will pick up any sights as they are backlit in a fashion

Be aware of this too... On a follow up shot the muzzle blasts will light up the sights too

If you have shot at night ( or trained for low light)you will learn that ported pistols will fireball you into a case of night blindness.

The other thing..... At a match all those flashlights bobbing around will ruin your natural night vision

If you've been out in the dark the eye will adjust to whatever ambient light is available.... When you catch a flash of light it takes a while to readjust to the dark.

 

[Jennifer Herd Seymour]

Ah.... Now we can learn stuff .... Very good, grasshopper !

I've always liked learning new things. I was worried there would be no direction though and I knew I needed some direction in this area. The last stage was my best, I only had one -1 shot, no other deductions (other than my slow time to start with, lol). My eyes started to figure out how to see the sights somewhat, I definitely think it could be done with practice and training the eyes. Jus tlike when I learned to shoot with both eyes open--I had to train my eyes then as well.

 

[Scott Hearn]

One thing that comes to my mind that I've learned is that you pretty much have to throw the front sight focus thing out the window. In the dark I tend to focus on the target and superimpose my sights over it. Hell, the last dark stage I shot I never did see the FS, but I did get the rear centered up and I went 1 for 1 on most of the plates with just that, so I guess my index and grip were good.

In the light it's the other way around with a hard focus on the FS and a blurry target. Tritium sights are a definite help but not completely mandatory once you get it down.