http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...s-suspect-104yds-holding-horses-handgun/

AUSTIN (KXAN) – The gunman who attacked the federal courthouse, the Mexican consulate and the Austin Police Department headquarters was killed by a single shot taken from 312 feet away by mounted patrol Sgt. Adam Johnson who also held the reigns of two horses.

Sgt. Johnson told Chief Art Acevedo that he credits “divine intervention” and that the other officers in the mounted patrol unit who were advancing on the shooter should get the majority of the credit.

Acevedo described Larry Steve McQuilliams as being heavily armed with two “long rifle guns” including a .22 caliber and an AK-47-style weapon. In the rental van he used during the attacks, police found a book titled “Vigilantes of Christendom” as well as multiple propane cans fashioned as Improvised Explosive Devices. Also inside the van, officers found a map with 34 targets, including two downtown churches.
- See more at: http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/...ing-horses-handgun/#sthash.vJz8tZpD.dpuf

I'm a fan of Texas lawmen. But, that lucky (very very lucky) shot stood a better chance of missing and hitting an innocent down range. He should never have taken that shot.

Careful, wringing your hands that much can cause chafing.

Wet blanket. I'm glad he took the hail Mary shot, saved other people's lives and in doing so realized his true potential in life. Some never do.

Edit to add: Not only that but he's humble about what many would consider a superhuman feat and what may be the greatest defining moment of his life. I applaud him.

Luck would have been if the man closed his eyes, spun the horses in a circle, stuck his arm out, fired randomly, and killed the guy.

He hit what he was aiming at. That isn't necessarily luck.

You don't know what was in the background, the shot could have been perfectly safe. You also don't know that the shooter hadn't practiced long range shooting and knew what hold over was required to hit his target.

Aim at head and bullet would drop into chest. Not that difficult.

wasn't there, don't know the guys abilities.

but in this case he got er done


works for me

I talked to a neighbor that works for APD, he said the guy shoots a lot. I didn't sound like it was all luck.

Hitting a man sized target at 100 yards, should be "par", not a hole in one.

I regularly knock over bowling pins at 75 yards standing, strike an 8" gong at 80. Hitting something with an 18" circle at 100 should be reasonable, not exceptional.

Of course, that's without adrenalin pumping or bullets whizzing my way. Give credit where credit is due. The shot shouldn't have been all that difficult.

The circumstances - makes it remarkable.

Dan

Agree. Probably a few thousand posts on social media about how the cop should be prosecuted.

Social media... yeah that should dictate policy because of all those intelligent, experienced and knowledgable anonymous posters. Just like the one above who pretends to know the background behind the bad guy and what the officer saw at that moment. Groan...

Exactly what Dan said. Exactly.

i'm pretty sure you could make that shot, and it wouldn't be luck, either.

not so

He was a Texan

GMAFB...

I can bust bricks at 50 yards on a regular basis with my Glock 23 and hitting a target the size of a man wouldn't be that hard to do, but i would prefer to use a two hand hold instead of just one hand. Plus you only have to be lucky once.

It all depends on what kind of practice he partook of. Most people never even attempt shooting that far with a handgun, so they believe it to be impossible, or "lucky". Elmer Keith could routinely (if I remember correctly) hit a man size rock at over 400 yards, and once finished a wounded mule deer at over 800 yards with an open sighted 4 inch S&W 44 Magnum.

I don't doubt it a bit. I went out shooting with one of my buddies, back in my younger days, and saw a bunch of unbroken clays on the berm. I started shooting at them with my Glock 23, and started consistently breaking them. Not every shot, but at least 3 out of 5 {and I was awful close on the misses). My buddy was amazed when we paced it off to 75 yards. I've also shot 6 round 100 yard groups with an open sighted Ruger Redhawk 44 Magnum that ran around 4 inches. And I don't consider myself to be all that great with a handgun.

I could mention rjm and a couple others on here too.
I bought a super redhawk in 44magnum many years ago mainly to shoot gallon milk jugs at 100yards.
With some of the new wonderkind cartridges like 357sig, you don't really have to worry much about holdover. Bullet goes where you point it.
after a while punching paper targets right in front of you gets boring.
Interesting enough, part of the firearms training on the S.O. back in the 70's was routinely shooting at 50yards. I knew this little lady instructor that with a j frame that could do head shots at that distance.

I shot enough bullseye, 3 inch 10 ring IIRC one handed, M9 service pistol, at 50 yards, with a horrible trigger on it and probably about 85% or so of my shots would land in the 10 ring at the time.

Human at 100, no problem.

And it really shouldn't be. The pressure could make it tougher and I don't deal well with pressrue at times, but I know folks that thrive on the moment and makes them even sharper and better...

As to not taking the shot, a miss at that range a time or two is much less chance than an LEO opening up and emptying the mag of the glock up close... Odds are worse there...IMHO.

It isn't hard at all to hit a man size target at 100 yards with a pistol , but it might get a little harder for some if the target is shooting back.