Like many of you reading this, I like to be in tune with what is occurring in society, but simultaneously, the negativity of the news can wear me down. So, I am fully-aware of the horrific and unfortunate events happening in my home state of Minnesota this past week, but I want to direct my energy towards areas that can help me. Being a good member of my community, providing for my family, giving back when I can, and maintaining my skills of self-defense are some of the best ways I know possible.
In Minneapolis/St. Paul this past week there have been businesses looted and burned, police officers have had Molotov cocktails and bricks hurled at them, and curfews have been issued for the city. When society descends into chaos my first thought is: how do I get home? Our family, our house, our home… that is supposed to be our sanctuary. So, if civil unrest occurs while you are at work or out in your community you need to be able to get home. I was talking to a fellow shooter recently and that conversation transitioned into how does that apply to our skill of shooting? That is a good question. My first thought was being able to shoot from cover.
There are a lot of dynamic shooting courses we can now take where the ability to shoot from a vehicle – in or around one – is a popular topic. Knowing what surfaces are concealment (merely a place to hide) while others are cover (a hard surface that can protect you). Shooting around structures or a vehicle will often force you to position your body in difficult positions as well. You will find yourself kneeling, crouching, contorting, and bending in ways you typically would not shoot at a range by yourself.
If you do not have classes available to attend in your area you could always look to make a “shooting board” for yourself. You likely have seen them on the internet. It is a simple plywood board with random rectangle holes and funny triangular edges. It looks like a bad shop project from high school, but what it does is it forces a shooter with a rifle or handgun into odd shooting positions. The more you can get comfortable with being uncomfortable (as contradictory as that sounds) the better prepared you will be when you need to shoot from cover, concealment, or a vehicle potentially for defense.
Making my own shooting board to practice from is going to be one of my summer projects. I currently try to kneel, crouch, and do odd positioned shooting while at the range, but doing it out in the open on a firing line does not have the same effect as it does from behind cover – like a shooting board. Until next time, continually check out our blog, join our newsletter, and watch the website for new and exciting updates! As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below. We love it when you participate in our articles and keep the conversation going!
