The Best

Very cool. I watched the Shooting Gallery episode on The Outdoor Channel that followed a daughter of one of the crew through a Thunder Ranch class. Clint Smith must have his revered reputation for a reason.

How do the dropping targets in the Terminator work? Is it really sensitve to bullet momentum, i.e. 9mm vs. .45?

Also - one shot to take them down? Do they not teach you that you should typically engage each threat with 2 shots?

Jeff

Jeff, The targets in the Terminator are held up with magnets. They are very sensitive to momentum and .45 tends to do better with a less than direct hit on the magnet. To knock them down with a 9mm you need to have a good hit on the retaining device.

At Thunder, you are taught to shoot until the threat stops. If that takes one shot, good, if not, keep shooting until the threat is gone.

I can second that logic that one shot or more depending on the type of situation. If you are engaging multiple targets then speed may require that you do without the three shot (two center mass, one head) strategy. Depends, on the caliber of the weapon you use, the distance of your other targets, line of sight, and many other variables.

I read an interesting article about a Detroit Metro Officer who confronted three armed suspects and was shot after killing two. Evidence later showed that the Officer had been puting three rounds a piece into the first two supsects when the other suspect got the drop on him.

I personally train for the three rounds concept, but stuff will happen and you have to learn to adapt, overcome, and roll with it. Reaction time, coordination, and accuracy are what you should strive for above all things.

Just my two cents.

Mulriple targets get engaged closest to furthest with 1 or 2 rounds each then back again