Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Who here practices Double Tap

When you are at the range? I do, it is the only way to get better, and is my chosen way to defend myself and family.

As a kid I learned to hunt/shoot with a single shot, therefore I have always tried to depend on one well placed shot.
If a guy could learn to get two very close it could be a good thing in self defense I guess, but one well placed bullet will work on anything I have ever shot if I hit it right. Over the years I have killed thousands of animals from gophers to large elk.

I learned double tap in the Army and it has stuck with me on defensive training. Hunting, it is 1st shot has got to get it done. Les

What's Double Tap, if I may ask?

It just means squeezing the trigger twice. Basically, don't fire one shot and wait to see what happens, fire two right away.

Not sure who came up with that tactical concept. I'd like to think I was tactically aware enough to double tap and all that, but in a life or death encounter I'd probably emulate an MG-42 and try to achieve the highest cyclic rate of fire humanly possible. I'd be like those guys in the movies who fire all their rounds and then squeeze the trigger 3 or 4 more times on an empty gun just to make sure.

I do, but oddly, I seldom see others doing the same at my range.

Often I see a man take a careful stance with his handgun of choice. Raise it with a two-handed grip. Line up the sights carefully. Squint real hard. Take one shot. Maybe a second, shaky one. Put the firearm down on the bench. Squint real hard at the target. Repeat.

It can take several minutes for him to get through one clip of ammo.

And he'll be glad to tell you why one particular handgun caliber is better than all the others.

- TJM

Firing 2 consecutive shots as soon as possible. This is usually taught in tactical/defense classes, as there is a big difference between killing and stopping; the goal being stopping. You will be surprised at how far apart the impacts are at first, and how close you can get them with proper instruction and practice. I practice double-taps starting with .22 rimfires, and working my way up, with both pistols and revolvers.

Chris

I practice double taps almost every trip to the range(once a week)
It is pretty easy to do with my Glock19(9mm) but with my Kimber 45 or my Glock29(10mm) it is a bit more difficult!

I practice double taps at multiple targets, spaced irregularly,
from varying ranges- usually 7 to 30 yards, and generally from the leather. I do not practice "quick draw", but try to move only my arms and present the weapon smoothly. Twice a month, at least, expending no more than 50 rounds each session. I fire my other guns more often, but that's just for fun, and different.

Thanks, I see.

If I had a handgun, it is certainly something I'd practice.

Double taps are practiced everytime out. Practiced regularly, it becomes habit. Part of the trigger reset function.

Plus it sounds cool.

SL, why don't you have a handgun?

I don't really have a legitmate excuse for it, besides that I live in CA (for now) and it seems like too much of a hassle to buy, own and use one. Plus, even if I owned one here, I couldn't take it everywhere with me, so I figure I'll just get lots of practice with my air pistols while I'm here, and when I move to a better state, then I'll buy a real one (or two) (okay, maybe 25 or so )

That's no excuse

Chris

For defensive purposes, I practice "empty the gun", reload, repeat until the threat is gone or ammo is depleted. On paper the threat can be whatever you want it to be.

TM

The latest catch phrase is "controlled pair" to better define what is actually supposed to be taking place in the firing of the sequence. You should not be smashing the trigger as quickly as you can with no regard for controlling those shots. You are responsible for every action you take, and, the consequences of such actions. A stray bullet winging downrange unaccounted for is bad news for everyone. It should go something like this. The first shot breaks, watch the front sight rise and return, get a "flash sight picture" of the front sight as it stops, not passes through, stops in the "A zone." You have controlled the movement of the trigger on its reset or return forward and once you have that front sight steady back where it should be the trigger crush begins again. With practice this is done very quickly. Remember to breathe and be in control...

A couple of points, having the two shots hit the target several inches apart is actually better than having them look like snake eyes. A pair of shots touching is cool to see, however, the second shot is traveling through the wound cavity of the first shot and not contributing as much terminal damage as if it were a few inches away. Second point, do not ever trust a single shot to stop a determined attacker. You don't know if the attacker is wearing body armor, jacked up on drugs, on a jihad craze, or whatever. To shoot once, then gawk to watch the effect of that shot could be a life ending habit. The drill would be to shoot two controlled shots, quickly evaluate, then reapply if necessary. I can tell you from experience, things are seldom that calm and calculated. Don't plan on, and, get in the habit of shooting just one round. Make plans to survive what is a brutal few seconds, and, to do what is necessary to come out a winner. Your family will apreciate it!

Good topic and MOGC - good info to think about there....

I've had zero training and never really considered controlled pairs/taps but I will now.

Shooting Lady,
I think owning a handgun is like buying life insurance.
You buy it hoping you never need it, you also can't wait until you need it to buy it. It will be too late.
whelennut

I'm not sure but what the double-tap is on its way out according to Mas Ayoob. The bottom line is to shoot the threat until its aggression is no more and then stop. Any excess will be seen as too much force by certain types of individuals who may or may not be lawyers, cops, judges or jurors. The double-tap is a good excercise, but I wouldn't use it until it became second nature.

I cannot remember where I read this, however, "shoot until the threat drops out of your sight picture" seems like pretty good advice.