Conditional Shooting
Dr. John Woods 01.06.16
One of the skills that concealed carry shooters and preppers alike need to practice is conditional shooting. What is that? Conditional shooting is simply taking advantage of any and all available nearby cover to protect one’s self. If this sounds like pretty much simple common sense, then you would be right.
Hunters in the field and woods have long learned to camo themselves by using natural cover. If you get caught stuck out in the open in plain view, then you are simply busted by any game animal that spots you. If this were a domestic self-protection scenario, then standing out in the middle of a parking lot only invites a high likelihood of getting shot or otherwise harmed.
If you happen to ever be faced with a situation in which you must defend yourself in a public venue, then first learn to scan your surroundings. If you are inside of a vehicle, then you may need to lower your extremities to hide yourself so you can clandestinely observe what is going on without over exposing yourself. This gives you ample time to prepare yourself.
If you are outside of your vehicle, in a parking area, in a shopping center, store, or otherwise out in the semi-open, then immediately look around to see what defensive positions you could utilize to help secure yourself. This might be a light post in a parking area, another vehicle to hide behind, the corner of a building, metal standing mail box, or whatever.
You not only want to reduce your own exposure to cover vital areas of your body, but also secure for yourself protective cover in the event you might be called upon or decide to engage yourself. At least you should be looking for cover from which you can view the unfolding situation. You may not decide to engage, but you still want to protect yourself.
Inside a store you may have to act quickly. I mean let’s get real, you may never face a situation like a robbery or assault, but these happen every day and people are always caught off guard. That is what you need to plan and practice to avoid.
At the shooting range or information shooting practice, work on shooting skills from covered positions, kneeling, crouching, or other unusual shooting stances. Also practice with shooting offhand. Conditional shooting is a necessary skill to be learned.
