Shooting off hand or without any support is sometime difficult, especially at greater distances. There are a couple of reasons to practice other shooting positions such as squatting. Firing the Rifle from squatting is a lower profile shooting position and also a more stable. In addition to the four points of contact, you now have two more. Your elbows on the insides of your knees as your are in the squatted position lends addition support. It is very fast to get into and also recover out of. It is hard to get your aligned sights steady on a target off hone or standing in higher winds and other environmental factors. These same factors combined with the situation you may be faced with are only working against you. Remember, it is not the firearm this is not accurate, it is the shooters abilities or skill set that plays the most vital role to complicate an accurate shot.  As Tom Clarke & Mark Flinn show you the more body contact with the ground will give you more stability in your shooting position.

Squatting has only your feet touching the ground, but becomes a braced position when you include the elbow contact points inside your knees.  This will give you more stability, as you are lower to the ground. Squatting actually has six points of contact to aid in stabilizing your rifle as the sights are aligned on target and will produce an accurate shot, if you are capable of getting into this position correctly.

When you mount a long gun, you pull the gunstock into the shoulder pocket; establish a good stock weld and then a good cheek weld. Your firing hand and support hand grasping the rifle as you pull it back.  This gives you four points of contact we are after for stability. Now add the support of your elbows inside your knees and you will have a very stable shooting foundation. Assisting you also in the management of recoil.

Here is a link to a video on ATAC TV Firearms Channel that teaches you how to and what to practice on the range. Click here to watch the program.

Tom Clarke teaches you how to lower your shooting / firing platform to engage your target from kneeling.  Shooting from kneeling is more stable, lower and very easy to learn.  The guys show you in the video how to practice this firing position on the range.  This is a more stable and lower profile firing position. Now remember, there are two different forms or styles to fire from kneeling. One is supported kneeling and the other in un-supported. Both have their applications in which the situation will dictate how and which kneeling position is correct. This blog only is pointing out the basic supported kneeling and how to practice this on the shooting range.

The supported kneeling give the shooter five points of contact; firing grip, support hand, shoulder or stock weld, cheek weld and also the support hand is additionally supported with the tricep head in front of the knee.  Yes, do not put your elbow on the top of your leg, this simply does not allow stability. The tip of your elbow is pointed and the back of your arm or tricep head lays more stable in front of the knee as show in the picture.

A few tips & Tricks when shooting the HK Rifle:

1. As you start to get into the kneeling fire or shooting position on the range, practice this slow and perfect. Establishing those solid points of contact.

2. Push your nose close to the rear sight, not too far back on the comb of the rifle stock. The (your) eye relief needs to be close to the rear iron sight of the HK Rifle.

3. Do not squeeze the support hand too tight, it is only supporting the rifle.

You can watch the HK USC video on ATAC TV Firearm Channel to pick up some more tips & tricks Here is the link to the Video

Train safe, slow and be consistent and your speed will come.

Tom Clarke & Mark Flinn demonstrate the order in which you should be pushing out your USC carbine and the importance of the order. Learn how to present your H&K USC rifle from the Muzzle Up Carry. Keep the muzzle in line with your eyes and the stock tucked in your arm.

The goal is to get the rifle out as fast as possible, but be sure to push the rifle out to clear your clothing and then pull in with your firing and support hands into your shoulder and establish a cheek weld.Practice it dry, over and over. Some tips and tricks are below

1. Starting with your firing grip and your thumb on the safety.

2. As you push the HK rifle out move the selector switch to the fire position.

3. Pull the rifle into your shoulder pocket and while sliding the comb of the stock into your cheek weld.

4. Now shift your focus to the top of the front sight from the target.

5. The sequence of shooting has begun and now it is up to your trigger control

Tips: Sight alignment, sight picture, trigger control and follow through is the basics of marksmanship. These are the fundamentals that will make you fast as long as you practs this slow on the range perfectly.  Slow perfect practice gives you the end result of fast firearm presentations.

Watch the Video Here to pick up some more tips: H&K USC Muzzle Up Presentation Program

www.ATACTV.com

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) announced this week that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will testify on Feb. 2 before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about his role in the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ now-infamous “Operation Fast and Furious.”

Issa, who is chairman of the House committee, and Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) have led an ongoing investigation into the role of Holder and the Department of Justice in the operation.

Rumor Alert: Veterans’ Health and “Sporting Purposes” Among the thousands of questions NRA-ILA answers every month by email, phone and letter are scores that begin “This guy told me he heard …” Unfortunately, all too often this is the telltale sign of one of the rampant rumors that circulate around campfires or gun store counters, and especially on the Internet. Three of the most recent top rumors involve veterans’ gun rights, the status of the “sporting purposes” test for firearms importation, and new restrictions on gun shows.

Record NICS Checks in 2011: In January, the FBI reported that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) performed a record number of background checks in 2011. Over 99 percent of NICS checks are firearm-related.

Obama to Congress: I’ll Decide What’s Constitutional: This week, NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris W. Cox wrote a comprehensive op-ed for the Daily Caller regarding President Obama abusing executive privilege and seeking new ways to vilify gun owners and further his anti-gun agenda.

To read the piece, please click here.

Get Involved In This Year’s Elections: NRA, along with America’s gun owners and Second Amendment supporters, have long been anticipating the 2012 elections—discussing, planning, preparing to ensure that our nation heads in the right direction of protecting freedom and our Second Amendment rights. Now is the time to put those plans into action, and with the help of the NRA-ILA Grassroots Division, we are confident in victory for 2012!

GRASSROOTS NEWS MINUTE VIDEO: To view this week’s “Grassroots News Minute” video, please click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIYkRmi2Tj ESTATE ROUNDUP (Please note the only items listed below are those that have had recent action. For other updates on state legislation, please go to the state legislation section at www.NRAILA.org, and check each week’s issue of the Grassroots Alert.)

For additional information, please click on the links provided.

NEVADA: Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association Hosting Fourth Annual CCW Forum
The Nevada Sheriffs’ and Chiefs’ Association will be hosting its annual Concealed Carry Weapons forum in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 17 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Grant Sawyer Government Building (room 4401) located on 555 East Washington Avenue in Las Vegas.  Your participation is key to the continued success of Nevada’s Right-to-Carry process, so please attend this important forum.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Pro-Gun Legislation Passes in State House
Despite fierce opposition from Governor John Lynch, House Bill 334 and House Bill 536 passed in the state House of Representatives and will now go to the state Senate for consideration. HB 334 would strengthen current statewide firearms preemption by further prohibiting local governments or state agencies from enacting ordinances or regulations for the use of firearms. HB 536 would repeal the existing law that requires a person to have a concealed firearm license in order to carry concealed.

NEW MEXICO: Pro-Second Amendment Companion Bill Pre-Filed for Short Session!Recently, state Senator Bill Payne (R-ABQ) pre-filed Senate Bill 26, the Senate companion measure to House Bill 32, which was introduced in December by state Representative Bill Rehm (R-ABQ) and previously reported here.  This legislation would repeal Section 30-7-9 of the New Mexico Criminal Code, which limits the purchase of rifles and shotguns by New Mexico residents to their home state and contiguous states.

ATAC TV FIREARMS, TOM CLARKE, MARK FLINN, LENNY BOLTON, JIM FULLER, GLENN JUSTICE, JEFF HALL, NRA, HANDGUNS, RIFLES,

Presentation from the Holster Dry Practice Exercise, with your Dominate Eye only.

Understanding know and unknown distances prior is a great starting point.

First start with establishing a known distance.  As you begin, or if you think you have judging distances mastered, that doesn’t mean you DON’T NEED to practice the basics.   Judging unknown distances is a stand-alone exercise.  On the other hand, we will give you two methods.  There are all types of controversy out there on one or both eyes open when shooting.  Lets keep it simple; if you were going to push a thread through a needle you would shut one eye.  Yes, we shoot with both eyes open and the conditions and distances will dictate using a dominant eye only or both eyes open.  Lets move forward and give you a simple solution.  From 7 yards and in you can get away with hitting “close enough” to your intended point of impact.  But, it will only be close to rather than the exact intended point of impact.  (As you read further down, between steps 3 - 4 you need to learn to shift your focus.) For those of you that think you only need to shoot with both eyes open, here is a question for you.  If you were held by the neck as a hostage and the hostage taker only exposed one eye every few seconds. Would you tell the cop, SWAT, or XXXX to, “use both eyes, it is faster, just shoot it is not a precision shot”. I doubt it, your exposed to all types of errors which could be fatal.  The point is, at any distance you need to guarantee the hit, not hope for the hit.  Yes, you may think this is advanced; no it is the basic fundamentals. This is not an range drill trying to hit a big steel plate; you are trying to ht a quarter over and over.  Then be able to pick up the pace.  As you excel in your skills, you need to ALWAYS give yourself a refresher course on distancing while shifting your focus from the target to the top of the front sight post.  After time you will develop a natural point of aim, which will ONLY last as long as your continuing education does.  So lets dry practice at 7 yards with one eye for now.  You can go to the next stage of both eyes open after you have performed at least 1,000- 2,000 dry presentations.  In our advanced programs we explain in great detail with video of what happens as you back up and forget to close that eye.  It a tactical environment, you may have to keep both eyes open to have a wider field of view.  But before you go off and start point shooting, get the basics down.  It is a safe number to say if you have 10,000 rounds through your pistol and 2 - 3 times as much dry practice, then you can move on to more advanced tactics with both eyes open.  In the end, regardless of how much you have trained just remember, if it is a precision shot, use your dominant eye only!  You may only get that one shot.

This is the BASIC presentation, to get your handgun from the holster to “sights” on target, AND YOU CLOSE THE NON-DOMINATE EYE to get the 100% focus on the front sight!  OK, this technique IS required to guarantee that “LONG” shot or a close precision hit like a hostage takers eye socket, or just shoot a nice tight group.

You must learn that situations dictate the amount of precision sighting required for a hit, is measured in distance and target size.  More about this subject in the 2 EYE OPEN blog and the advanced Dry Practice Programs that will teach you the difference between shooting 3 feet OR 15 yards, as an example,  3’  -   2 eyes,   15yds   -   1 eye open. You need to learn the 1-EYE OPEN method first, then move on to more advanced techniques.

Everyone attending ATAC Training courses trains with semi-auto pistols, but the firearms are carried in variety of locations.  It does not matter what type or brand of handgun you run, but you are crazy if you don’t Dry Practice with it from the location you carry it.  This is the exercise that must to be repeated until it is ingrained in your muscles memory. The goal is to make it a reflex.  No short cuts here, you must do the time in training and most often it is not fun, but it will pay off in the end with a higher skill level.

Check our the programs on www.AtacTv.com

Start with unloading your handgun and to remove all ammo from the magazine and your pockets, we are going to do this dry. Even performing this without ammo, you must follow all the safety rules. Strating from the holster. (Where ever you carry it) These are the basic steps of the Presentation.  If you need to SEE the steps, go to ATAC Firearms channel and view the 1911 or Glock Presentation, Grip and Stance, and / or Sequence of Shooting Programs. Doesn’t matter which handgun; the steps are basic to all.

(DRY PRACTICE DRILLS SHOULD BE AT ¼ TO ½ YOUR NORMAL PRESENTATION SPEED!)

• STEP 1 Eyes on TARGET, establish a firing grip on the handgun while in the holster, at the same time move support hand up to mid-line tight to your body as you focus on your target.

• STEP 2 Handgun is drawn straight up, trigger finger is straight along the frame, (not on the trigger) as elbow drops down, rotating the muzzle toward target, anchor the butt of the handgun in a rib near your pectoral muscle, support hand in mid line of chest tight to your body. Bring the gun as high as you can and is still comfortable for you. Eyes are still on target. (This could be a shooting position, if needed, more on this in the advanced programs)

• STEP 3 As Handgun is raised up toward your line of sight, support hand mates with firing hand, safety goes off if you have one, Handgun is raised higher into your line of sight, and pushing out toward target, trigger finger (firing hand index finger, if you haven’t figured this out yet?) starts to enter the trigger guard and the center of the first pad your index finger is placed in the center of the trigger and pulls the slack (free play of trigger) out. Now shift your focus from the target to the top of the front sight post AS the  sights are brought on target.. This is one of the biggest faults many shooters do not practice and their ability can only go so high.  Most often you cannot diagnose what is going wrong.  You MUST practice shifting the focus from the target to the top of the front sight post. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!  Shift your focus to the front sight and STAY on the front sight post! DO NOT SHIFT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE TARGET AND FRONT SIGHT!

• STEP 4 HANDGUN COMES TO REST AT FULL EXTENSION, Focus has moved from the target to your sights, front sight level with the rear sight with equal light passing on the right and left sides of the front sight post, (aligning your sights and eye focus SHOULD be happening between Step 3 and 4) closing your non-dominate eye and establish 100% focus on that front sight post.  You are ready to shoot!

At this stage, start your trigger press until the trigger “breaks”. (It should surprise you) With 100% focus on the FS post, it should NOT move when trigger breaks! Trap the trigger to the rear, simulating a “reset” while focusing on the front sight (follow-through) trigger finger goes straight along the frame, lower the handgun to about 45* as if following your target to the ground, and perform appropriate After-Action-Responses.

• Handgun is in the ready position (In both hands, pointed low, about 45* angle) RESET your trigger by racking the slide and releasing it.
• Return to holster in the reverse order, from the ready position, move through STEP 3 to STEP 2, and PAUSE.  Look around to make sure you are ready to re-holster. The muzzle should be point straight out, down range towards your target.

• Move from STEP 2 to STEP 1 (re-holster carefully)

DO AS MANY REPETITIONS THAT YOU CAN WHILE REMAINING 100% FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU ARE DOING. IF NOT, STOP! Dry Practice only when you can focus 100% on the exercise and stop when interrupted or tired. Do not ingrain bad habits by getting SLOPPY. Do it perfectly on each reputation to ingrain it into muscle memory.  It will PAY huge dividends in your skill level.

Next is adding movement, see you after a few thousand dry presentations. and a thousand live rounds for validation.  Example, dry practice 30 presentations 5 days week, the shoot 50 rounds. Immediately after the 30-5o rounds end it with 30 more dry presentations. Rest 7th day. Start all over the next week. After 5 months of this, then move onto the advanced programs.  If you want to learn faster do more sooner.  Do two- a days, 30 in the am and 30 in the pm and 60-100 rounds on the 6th day. The in 2.5 months you will be ready to move on.

* REMEMBER, it is OK to cheat in a fight, we actually applaud you for it.  But NEVER cheat yourself in training or practice. DRY PRACTICE IS THE SKILL BUILDER!

Learn HOW to do these drill

About Jeff Hall

ATAC TV Law Enforcement & Military Channels’ Jeff Hall

Owner and lead instructor Jeff Hall is a retired lieutenant from the Alaska State Troopers, with over 25 years of combined military and law enforcement experience. While a Trooper, Jeff spent nineteen years on the pistol team and twelve on the S.W.A.T. team; he has used all of the techniques taught by Force Options in combat and also on ATAC TV LEO/Military Channel
Jeff Hall is one of the only US police officers to win an air-to-ground firefight against an armed criminal. This occurred on 5/19/84 at Manley Hot Springs, Alaska; it was recently featured on the History Channel’s Sniper: Deadliest Missions.
Helo-Gunners was founded by two air-to-ground combat survivors, Jeff Hall and Chris Hayes. All Helo-Gunner Instructors are LE and/or military combat veterans.
Based on actual police air-to-ground combat, aerial gunnery is designed for the police or military group using helicopters for patrol, insertion, or interdiction. This class teaches the operator to effectively engage targets from a moving helicopter. This class is a must for any organization that puts armed officers into helicopters!

Jeff is a Handgun Combat Master and holds black belts in five arts, ranging from 3rd through 10th Dan. He is an NRA certified instructor in handgun, shotgun, submachine gun, carbine, and precision rifle; an NRA Adjunct Staff Instructor; and certified Police Master Instructor. All Force Options instructors are similarly qualified.
Jeff is currently training for the Four Weapon Combat Master test, and to become the second ever to pass the Handgun Combat Master test with a revolver.
In 2005 Jeff was inducted into the U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame, and in 2007 into the Universal Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He was named Grandmaster, promoted to 10th dan, and named “soke”, or founder, of the art of Hojutsu, the Art of Shooting.

Jeff has wrote many articles for magazines such as; S.W.A.T. Magazine, Police One, Gun Buyer’s Annual, Tactical Weapons, Black Belt. Additionally many firearm training manuals over the years.

ATAC TV™ Staff spend time training techniques including firearms, edged weapons, empty hand, physical conditioning, tactics and many others to maintain and increase our personal skill sets. A lot of time is spent in dry practice and life fire with assorted weapons platforms. This is how you build proper skill sets to effectively use the skill set when needed. Ever thought about visualization in your mind’s eye as a training technique? ATAC Staff believes visualization is a valuable tool and includes it in our additional training and development.

Visualization of techniques and skills you have learned on the shooting range, for example, can be reviewed in your mind and ultimately reinforce the mental and physical skills developed through dry practice and live shooting with firearms. Sound like something crazy? Not really, people use their built-in visualization process all the time. As an example, you lost your phone and can’t find it. Finally you stop and think about when was the last time you had the phone in your hand. A mental picture develops in your mind and you see yourself setting the cell phone down on the nightstand while you were grabbing needed items out of the nightstand drawer. This is and example of visualization and anyone can do it. Everyone has this ability, as you are hard-wired with the capability at birth and is built into your neurology. Most people use their visualization skills unconsciously, without paying any attention to how they do it, or to the quality of the pictures they create in their head. It can be used as a continued learning skill to reinforce skills you already developed by practicing and imagining them in your mind.

Visualization and the neurology associated with it are important components of memory. Visual memory is especially important in the retention of skills associated with tasks involving hand-eye coordination like shooting firearms. Many experiments conducted by neurologists, where various parts of the brain were electrically stimulated under controlled conditions, as well as sessions of deep hypnosis targeting a persons visual recall, have determined the visual memory is essentially perfect. In other words, perfect recall of that skill. Now you know why some people can recall everything they ever did. Most people have less clarity in their conscious memory for a reason. The distortion and deletion of some of our visual memory in conscious recall is a function of the brain to eliminate data overload. Your eyes and body amass an huge amount of data every second. The brain must put order to an overwhelming amount of information causing some of the data to become distorted, such as certain memory of crimes and/or automobile accidents when the information intake is enormous. This is the reason three people witnessing the same event have entirely different stories about what happened. Our preconscious internal filter activates and sorts information according to what we believe our priorities are at that moment, which might not be what we actually want to happen. We are all different individuals.

You might hear other people saying things like “running it through my head”, or “seeing myself doing the deed” and “see it my mind’s eye”. This is descriptive language that tells us they are visualizing the act of performing a certain skill learned in the past. Anyone that uses visualization skills will enhance their particular performance in any sport or skill. Most people that are good at what they do use this technique, some without knowing they are doing it. Now imagine utilizing this ability to enhance your shooting skill by practicing “in your mind” during those times it is not possible to dry practice or go to the range.

So, lets apply this visualization skill to shooting a handgun. In your mind, visualize a target; you present your Glock out of its holster and point into the threat or target. In your mind you see the front and rear sights aligning on center mass and the front sight snaps into focus. You press the trigger and get a surprise break as the bullet impacts the target. This represents a cycle of dry practice without physical movement, but has reinforced your mental skills, which translates to your physical skills too.

In a training program for shooting, visualization can be used in addition to a developed range program to generate quantum leaps and bounds in performance of an individual by utilizing these simple techniques.

• While actively training the skill on the range using visualization will increase and amplify the visual-kinesthetic memory associated with the skill set. Simple go back and forth between mental and physical techniques.

• Visualization used other times and locations, when not on the range will increase the retention of the skill set.

• If you have a specific task, prior visualization will reinforce the skill set and reduce reaction time during the actual task while reducing the stress level.

• Creating a perfect sight picture of the front/rear sight on your firearm in vivid color will remind you what perfect sight alignment should look like when firing.

• Imagine a scenario requiring you to present your firearm, align the sights and generating the perfect surprise break from the trigger press. This image should be the solution to the issue as you have successfully hit the target where you aimed, in your mind’s eye.

The key to visualization is to actually see the fine details and take notice of them in your memory. You see the action in your mind’s eye; try to feel what is happening with your body in the picture you have created. It will add more value to the mind’s image of the skill set. The mind can recreate the actions if you train yourself to remember each detail.

A good way to start a training program to utilize this technique is to mimic your established dry practice program. The more you do this, the better shooter you will become. The techniques are easy to learn and apply to almost any situation or skill. As long as your eyesight is good, have imagination and the willingness to experiment training your brain, it will help you perform to an entirely new level of skill. And, it costs you nothing, but the performance gain is priceless.

The Nevada concealed firearms LAW has been in effect since October 1, 1995, and requires all applicants to be photographed, fingerprinted and investigated, even those who currently hold a permit. The LAW was amended October 1, 2001, which allow out-of-state residents to apply for a Nevada concealed firearms permit.  Out-of-state residents may now apply for a Nevada concealed firearms permit from the Sheriff of any county in the State of Nevada.  Current Nevada residents may only apply to the Sheriff of the county in which he/she resides.

Any person who meets the following criteria may apply to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for a permit:

A Nevada resident of Clark County
An out-of-state resident who received firearms training in Clark  County.
21 years of age or older.
Not prohibited from possessing a firearm by State or Federal law.
Successfully completes an approved firearms course in Clark County (paid for by applicant).
Pays the appropriate fees consisting of

1. New application         $100.25 - LVMPD
2. Renewal Application         $65.25   - LVMPD
3. Renewal Application and Late Fee        $80.25   - LVMPD
4. Renewal Application (more than 120 days late)        $100.25 - LVMPD

Applications can be denied for reasons outlined in the Nevada Revised Statutes. Such reasons include:

An outstanding warrant of arrest (including Traffic).
A felony conviction
Judicially declared incompetent or insane.
Habitual abuser of drugs or alcohol.
A conviction for a violent crime including a misdemeanor.
A conviction for domestic violence or stalking.
Currently subject to a restraining order, injunction, or other order of protection involving domestic violence.
Currently on parole or probation.
A pending entry of a felony conviction or recent suspension of a sentence for a felony.
Pending criminal charges
False statements on the application.

Read complete article here: Las Vegas Metro Police Dept Web Site

Applications can also be mailed to out-of-state residents.
Permits
Concealed Firearm Permits are valid for a period of 5 years and can be renewed for additional 5 year periods. Applicants must be fingerprinted and investigated. If you are a Clark County resident all firearms listed on the permit must be registered with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

A permit holder must carry the permit together with proper identification whenever they are in actual possession of the concealed firearm(s). The permit and proper identification must be presented to a peace officer upon request. Failure to produce the permit and proper identification carry a civil penalty of $25.00.

Carrying a concealed firearm without a permit is punishable by a category C felony.
Prohibited Locations: Click here for Links

• A permit holder must NOT carry a concealed firearm into:
• Any facility of a law enforcement agency.
• A prison, city or county jail, or detention facility.
• A courthouse or courtroom.
• A public airport and/or a public building that is located on the property of a public airport.
• A public building that has a metal detector at each public entrance.
• A public building that has a sign posted at each public entrance indicating that no firearms are allowed in the building.
• Any facility of a public or private school without written permission.
• Any facility of a vocational/technical school, or the University of Nevada, or Community College System without written permission.
• Any other building owned or occupied by the Federal Government, the state, or local government.
• Any other place where carrying a concealed firearm is prohibited by state or federal law.

The CCW Detail is located 5880 Cameron Street. Our office number is 828-3996.
Hours = Monday - Friday (excluding holidays), 8am - 3pm.Delete post

ALL COMPLETED APPLICATIONS ALONG WITH THE APPLICANT’S DRIVER’S LICENSE AND APPROPRIATE FEES (MONEY ORDER OR CASHIERS CHECK) MUST BE SUBMITTED IN PERSON AT THE FOLLOWING LOCATION:

LAS VEGAS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPT / CCW DETAIL
5880 CAMERON STREET, LAS VEGAS NV, 89118