Low/Diminished light training

[ar15jules]

I unwrapped a new flashlight today like a kid at Christmas. I have various lights on my key ring, in my car, in my truck, on my night stand, in my tackle box, in a backpack, mounted to a pistol, mounted to a shotgun, mounted to a rifle and in my pocket. I read somewhere that higher than seventy percent of LE involved shootings last year happened in low/diminished light settings. I know that is an LE statistic, but believe that the same if probably true for anyone involved in a critical incident. I do the majority of my training/shooting in broad daylight, or on a lighted range. I do get the opportunity about five or six times a year to shoot under diminished light. I think I would be better served to put more time into shooting under low light. I know I don't do seventy percent or better in the dark.... What about you guys? Do you do any low light shooting/training? Has anyone taken a dedicated low/diminished light two or three day course?
Jules

[TonyF]

I've had a bunch of low-light specific training.

Everything deteriorates (marksmanship / gun handling) at night and low light conditions. There isn't much you can do to simulate it either.

We used to have a place where we basically had unlimited access to a quarry pit at the gun club we used to frequent but the place shut down some years ago.

If you can get into a low light training class, don't hesitate. You'll at least be able to discover what it's like when even the environment is also stacked against you.

[Palerider]

I have similar thoughts about receiving dedicated low-light training. I signed up for this next month. I'm bringing a hand-held surefire and a TLR-3 for my M&P.

http://forum.pafoa.org/training-cour...almyra-pa.html

It really solidified my desire to learn low light techniques after noticing how dark it was both inside and out after hurricane Sandy.

[Pizza Bob]

While I don't think you want to confuse gun games/competition with training, it would at least give you the opportunity to experience low light/no light use of firearms. Some IDPA clubs that have an indoor range that they use for matches, make these kind of stages integral to their matches. You may want to check out those in your area to see if they do this.

Adios,

Pizza Bob

[dgg9]

Has anyone taken a dedicated low/diminished light two or three day course?

Andy Stanford had a niche in that market maybe 8 years ago, with his "Fight at Night" weekend course, and book. Don't know anyone who specializes anymore, though.

A lot of the better trainers will sometimes have a night shooting segment on the Saturday night of a weekend class...depends on the range, its rules, its neighbors. Hackathorn does, and of course I'd recommend his class for more than just that.

As TonyF says, everything deteriorates at night, AND you introduce a new issue: you have to hold and manipulate another device, namely the flashlight. So there's the issue of what to do with it when you need two hands on the gun (reloading, etc). You probably don't want to figure all this out at the moment of truth.

[DaveM55]

We run everyone through a night shoot once a year.

I've seen many guys shoot better at night than during the day. Reason is they are out of their comfort zone and senses are heightened.

Make sure you have good night sites for the low light shoot.

We limit our flashlight techniques to Harries, Chapman and Rodgers. We let everyone practice all three dry fire and live fire before it gets dark. That helps the instructors to spot some problems with technique.

We also show how some techniques work in certain situations but not others. ie. For a right handed shooter Harries works fine from the right side of a cover object. But from the left side of cover the Harries technique is not the best choice using a normal right hand grip.

We teach that the light is a bullet magnet in an effort to keep guys from using the light too much. That's our biggest problem.

I love practicing at night and since I'm an instructor I get to shoot a little with each class.

[DonSmithnotTMD]

Try this

http://www.suarezinternationalstore....nfighting.aspx

[ar15jules]

You guys are all helping me (with few exceptions) to prove a point. Most shootings occur during low light. We all train mostly in the day. Three and four day classes that do "a course of fire" at night or LE training and qualifications that once or twice a year shoot 25 rounds downrange are not cutting the mustard. Statistics show that it should be just the opposite. We need to manipulate our firearms in the dark. We need to load magazines in the dark, clear malfunctions in the dark, identify threats or multiple threats etc....We just don't do it enough. I am guilty as well and do it six times a year. How can we get more instructors and LE trainers to get on board?
Jules