Moving Targets

Much of our shooting and training take place from static positions against motionless targets because adding movement at a range can be expensive and difficult.

Many ranges have no way to safely allow movement on the part of shooters. Other ranges just don’t want the hassle of setting up the specialized areas needed for moving targets or moving shooters considering the number of people that just want to put holes in targets. And, of course, many moving target systems are just too expensive for small, personal ranges.

All of this is preventing many of us from obtaining real-world experience against moving targets. And that is too bad since I seriously doubt that an attacker is going to stand straight and tall and allow someone the time to draw, aim and fire, and neither should you. The moment an attacker realizes his victim has a way to fight back, he’s going to start moving.

Over the years, I’ve had times when I could set up movement situations for shooters. Unfortunately, I’ve never been able to afford a moving target system, though I have shot against a few. I did, however, set up a way to practice on moving targets using an old tire.

Simply tape a piece of cardboard to the inside of a tire, and have a friend roll the tire into the shooting zone. Of course, this must be done safely, so pay careful attention to the course set up. Unless you have bulletproof barricades, the only safe way to conduct this drill is from an angle on the same line as the shooter. Simply roll the tire at an angle away from the shooter. A hill really helps both motion and speed.

Remember, a fight is not a duel, where two people take careful aim and are honor bound to stand. Because of this, you’ll need to know how to move during a fight, and how to hit a moving target. What tips can you provide for setting up affordable ways to train against moving targets?