Level III SO Qualify

[BigGuy]

After first round at Level III SO Qualify. I'm second from left. This was strictly marksmanship, not tactical. The three targets on my right are for retired LEO. I'm surprised the kid on my left didn't actually put a couple of rounds into my target. I feel pretty good considering having no training and how little lead I've put downrange.

Other parts of the training really pointed out how different things get when the manure hits the ventilator. The LEOs were putting out shots fairly quickly as though in a tactical situation. I was taking my time and hitting the target. The instructor made it clear this was an exercise in marksmanship, not tactical. I guess old habits died hard with them. I suspect that if we had moved to tactical shooting, their patterns would look about the same, while mine likely would have drastically expanded.

If I get into this profession, I'm going to need a LOT of training. The though of facing a hostile suspect with my current skill set is disconcerting. Lots of Tylenol last night. For what it's worth, the LEOs were grunting as bad as I was while on the mat, though their technique was much better.

[LeonCarr]

I have seen a whole. lot. worse. You are doing it right by focusing on marksmanship first. Speed will come with practice.

What makes this a "Level III" Qualification?

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[BigGuy]

I got my Texas Level III Security Officer Certification. This was the Range Qualify. Also certified with OC, Baton, and Handcuffs. Finished the class yesterday. (Sun 3/31/19) I'll get on and register with TOPS today.

[Jago668]

I got my Texas Level III Security Officer Certification. This was the Range Qualify. Also certified with OC, Baton, and Handcuffs. Finished the class yesterday. (Sun 3/31/19) I'll get on and register with TOPS today.

Did you do the shotgun as well?

[Paladin]

Your target is looking good!

Congrats on your certification!!

[Scott B.]

You're shooting fine. Nothing to beat yourself up over, at all. As one of my instructors is fond of saying, "Would you stand in front of that target and take any of those hits?"

[BigGuy]

I got my Texas Level III Security Officer Certification. This was the Range Qualify. Also certified with OC, Baton, and Handcuffs. Finished the class yesterday. (Sun 3/31/19) I'll get on and register with TOPS today.

Did you do the shotgun as well?

Yes. I'm used to a semi-auto, so I kept forgetting to rack the gun. Otherwise I passed. It reminded me of something from my youth.

The man who lived across the street from me was a legendary woodsman and hunter. My father, (A Green Beret) was impressed with his skills and we often hunted with him. He grew up duck hunting with a pump shot gun, and I can promise you he could put pellets into ducks as accurately and as fast as anybody I'd ever seen with a semi-auto. As an early Christmas gift one year, his wife got him a new, semi-automatic shotgun. I wasn't in the blind that day, but my father was. He had tears in his eyes as he recounted Franks first hunt with the new gun.

They called the ducks in, then jumped up to take them. Frank fired a single shot, then .... nothing. Dad said he looked over to see Frank trembling with the effort to "rack" the fixed fore stock of the semi-auto. He almost threw it out of the duck blind with the effort. He just couldn't get himself to pull the trigger without the racking motion first. Many ducks flew away, unmolested. I believe there was some language involved. He traded the new semi-auto in on a new pump action gun.

I don't know whether he explained it to his wife, or just never mention it. (I suspect the latter. They remained happily married the rest of their lives.)

[BigGuy]

One other note.

With the secession of employment, my range time has ceased. I sort of knew this was coming, so I've been cutting back for a while. I dropped my membership in the gun club, about year ago, so no place to make noise. I've got about 500 rounds of Winchester White box ammo, so I grabbed the oldest (2 years old) for the qualifying portion of the certification. In retrospect, that wasn't a smart move.

Out of 50 rounds, 2 were duds and one did something weird. I experienced a failure to eject. When I clear my weapon, I noticed that the outside of the case was blackened, as though some of the propellent had escaped and burned outside of the brass.
If I ever had any though of using WWB as defensive ammo, that pretty well cleared things up for me.