Today, we’re going to discuss gunning and running, focusing on how efficient movement can impact your overall speed and performance. We’ll examine how running between positions or shooting on the move affects results and compare these approaches. Sometimes, you need to decide whether shooting on the move is worth it. This decision depends on your skill level, the surface you’re working on, and the nature of the targets. In certain situations, it’s better to stabilize, stand still, and focus on grip and sight alignment to ensure accuracy. Shooting on the move can lead to lost points, making it a risky strategy when accuracy is paramount.
Comparing Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced Shooters
To illustrate, we’ll observe three shooter levels — beginner, intermediate, and advanced — and compare their techniques. A beginner moves cautiously, ensuring proper form and focusing on aiming while stationary. For example, in a 10-meter run, the beginner’s time was 5.03 seconds. Moving on to an intermediate shooter, they completed the same run in 3.62 seconds. This shooter ran faster but didn’t fully utilize their hands for balance while running. The advanced shooter, on the other hand, shot while entering the position and achieved a time of 2.70 seconds, almost three seconds faster than the beginner. This highlights the efficiency gained by combining movement with shooting.
Practical Demonstrations of Technique
The beginner’s cautious approach involved slow movements and standing still while aiming, emphasizing safety and stability. The intermediate shooter adopted a faster pace, achieving quicker sight alignment. The advanced shooter demonstrated the most efficiency, using both hands to run faster, starting to aim sooner, and transitioning seamlessly into shooting. This resulted in a smoother, more fluid performance.
When shooting on the move at a 20-meter target, scores often dropped due to scattered groups and missed points. For instance, while shooting on the move led to faster times, the hits often landed on “Charlie” zones, reducing overall accuracy. Stabilizing and taking the time to aim properly consistently yielded better results, including double “Alpha” hits and higher scores. Although this method might take slightly more time, it results in fewer missed points and better grouping.
Also read: What Is A Shot Timer, And Why You Need One?
Long-Distance Shooting Analysis
For longer distances, such as shooting at 17–18 meter IPSC mini plates, shooting while stationary provided better results. When shooting on the move, the time saved was minimal, but accuracy suffered significantly, with several misses. This demonstrated the importance of balancing speed and accuracy depending on the target and distance.
Final Thoughts
To maximize performance, aggressive movement between positions is key, but entering each position calmly ensures stability and accuracy. Deciding whether to shoot on the move depends on your skill, training, and the specific scenario. For longer distances or challenging targets, stabilizing and focusing on grip and alignment often lead to better outcomes. Efficient movement, when combined with precise shooting, can significantly improve results.
