Scribd
Upload
49 views2 pages

Training Advice From Wyatt Earp

The document discusses advice from Wyatt Earp on what makes an effective gunfighter, emphasizing choosing the right equipment, extensive practice, and balancing speed with accuracy by taking an extra fraction of a second to aim.

Uploaded by

thomasmpbetress
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
49 views2 pages

Training Advice From Wyatt Earp

The document discusses advice from Wyatt Earp on what makes an effective gunfighter, emphasizing choosing the right equipment, extensive practice, and balancing speed with accuracy by taking an extra fraction of a second to aim.

Uploaded by

thomasmpbetress
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

Training Advice from Wyatt Earp

While scrolling through my substantial digital library the other day, I found a fascinating
interview with the legendary lawman, Wyatt Earp. The exact date of the interview is not certain
but is estimated to be later in his life, long after his most famous exploits. He was discussing
what made a truly effective gunfighter:

“Models of weapons, methods of wearing them, means of getting them into action and operating
them, all to the one end of combining high speed with absolute accuracy, contributed to the
frontiersman’s shooting skill. The sought-after degree of proficiency was that which could turn
to most effective account the split-second between life and death. Hours upon hours of practice,
and wide experience in actualities supported their arguments over style.”

Note that he clearly understood the multiple factors that contribute to prevailing in an actual
gunfight: choosing the right gun, the best method of carry, the technique used to draw the gun,
the skill in operating the firearm and, most of all, the importance of “hours on hours of practice”
in order to develop the requisite shooting skill.

But one of his statements made a particular impression on me:

“The most important lesson I learned from those proficient gunfighters was the winner of a
gunplay usually was the man who took his time.”

Wait a minute! If you’ve watched most Western movies, you’ve probably seen lots of scenes
showing lightning-fast duels between two gunfighters, with the winner decided in the blink of an
eye. But Earp goes on to explain more clearly what he meant:

“When I say that I learned to take my time in a gunfight, I do not wish to be misunderstood, for
the time to be taken is only that split fraction of a second that means the difference between
deadly accuracy with a six-gun and a miss. Mentally deliberate, but muscularly faster than
thought, is what I mean.”

Sort of reminds me of the old sniper’s saying, “Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” In my years
of working with students, I have always advocated the same approach. You want to be fast, but
not “hurried” to the point that you are banging the trigger as fast as humanly possible.

By increasing the time between your shots by just a fraction of a second, you will find a
disproportionate improvement in your accuracy. And remember that by “accuracy” in self-
defense, we mean “combat accuracy” — rapidly putting multiple shots in the center of mass. We
are not trying to emulate benchrest shooters and their “dime-sized” groups.

1-2
I usually introduce this concept by first instructing the students to stand at the ready position,
guns extended and ready to fire. At my signal (usually a whistle) the students fire three shots as
rapidly as possible. We then inspect the results, which normally show the first shot hitting fairly
close to the center of mass but the follow-up shots being either too high or too low, with some
off to the left or right.

We then repeat the three-shot exercise, but this time a tiny bit slower. The results are always eye-
opening. With few exceptions, the groups are much smaller and more centered. Yet the speed is
always more than sufficient for a combat scenario.

Earp had some keen insights which have stood the test of time. Choose good equipment, practice
relentlessly and remember to balance speed and accuracy.

Good advice.

2-2

You might also like