Firearms Training

Front Sight Mail Bag: Shoot Better Than The Pros

June 17th, 2006  

Another great letter from our mail files:

Ignatius

I’m writing to tell you, “It’s all your fault.”This weekend, Anastasia (my 7 year old daughter) and I went boar hunting in Mendocino County, along with my cousin and his son.

On the first night of the hunt, we got on a good group of hogs, and I stalked to within about 40 yards of them.

I selected one that I wanted, a reddish one with a clearly defined razorback, and when I fired it dropped to the shot. No surprise there, because it was a pretty short shot and I had a decent rest and I was shooting a .338.

After I finished my after action drills (such as I could, since the pig dropped in tall grass) and put the safety back on my rifle, I turned and yelled to my cousin who was about 40 yards behind me, “It’s a razorback!” As I did, he yelled back, “He’s up and he’s running!”

I then spun completely around, unsafetied, acquired the target, verified that it was a red razorback of exactly the same size as the hog I had just fired at and then pressed the trigger. I rolled it over on a dead run with a left to right shot at about 70 yards just before it made the brush line. I then did a tactical reload while running up on my hog. I had hit it right through the lungs!

When I got near my hog, I was glad Front Sight had stressed tactical reloads and that my training was playing out. The rest of the group of hogs was just inside the brush, oinking and snorting, making false charges, and obviously none too happy. As it turned out, I didn’t get charged, but I was awfully happy that I had topped off my rifle’s ammo stack (and that I was carrying a sidearm that I KNEW how to use in close quarters from the handgun classes I had taken at Front Sight.)

As I approached the hog, however, I was confused. I knew the first shot had been true, and I had seen the animal drop like a rock despite its having turned slightly just as the shot went off. I began doubting myself. Maybe I hadn’t hit it squarely, and that’s why it got up and ran? At the same time, I was elated because prior to attending Front Sight’s Hunter Rifle Course I had never been able to make running shots, and this one was perfect!

However, when I finally looked at my hog closely, it only had ONE bullet hole in it. Now I really had some doubts! Did I completely miss with the first shot? Did I merely graze the big hog and knock it down momentarily?

About this time, my cousin walked up and we tried to figure out how I could have possibly missed with the first shot. So, doing what hunters should always do, we tracked that first shot shot. Sure enough, there was the first pig lying there dead! I had two hogs down (and fortunately, I had two tags in my pocket). This was an honest mistake because the two animals were virtually identical in color, build, and weight (within 5 pounds), and the grass was so tall that I couldn’t see the first pig on the ground when the second one ran.

What was AMAZING was that I had been able to make that second shot starting out with my back to the hog when my cousin shouted out that it was running. His question to me was, “Where on earth did you learn to shoot like THAT?!” Of course, you know what I told him. Now he wants to come to Front Sight, so I gave him a certificate which he plans to use to take the 4 day rifle course.

I attribute this ability to shoot rapidly, smoothly, and accurately entirely to the rifle training I have received this year.

So, no laws were broken, no safety rules were breached, the freezer is now full of meat!

All I can say is, “It’s all your fault!” I thought you’d enjoy this story of Front Sight’s training being put to use in the field.

All the best,
Ken Fish

Entry Filed under: Dr. Ignatius Piazza,From the Mail Bag,Front Sight.