Where would you shoot a bad guy in self defense?

[lovemachine]

So I'm curious. You're in a situation where you have to defend yourself. Either in your home, on the street, wherever. You pull out your gun, and you shoot the bad guy. Where do you aim for? Do you aim for the head, and take him down with one shot? Or would you aim for the chest, knowing that if you aim high or low, you still get him? You aim for the head, theres a good chance you'll miss, by aiming too low, high, left, right...
Just curious on other people's thoughts.

Me, I'd aim for the chest. Bigger target. Or I may decide to get a little fancy and aim for his Eggroll. Making him sing falsetto for a very long time

 

[IndyMonkey]

Center of mass allows for the largest vital area.

 

[remymartin]

Center mass, repeat as necessary.

 

[rhart]

"A man has to know his limitations" I think Josey Wales said that.
If Im close, and its important to take him out quick, its a head shot if I have it. I know what I can do with my Glock at close range
Just because you shoot them in the chest, they dont go down right away like the movies show. If your not sure, shoot a deer in the lungs and watch him sprint for 250 yards. I have seen them run close to 100 yards with a heart shot.
Just my opinion

 

[Glock32j]

Double tap in the chest, if he gets up again double tap again.....

 

[Glock21]

Whatever piece of bone or meat he presents me, is the factual answer.

Hypothetically, the thorax, and ideally, the brainstem.

 

[shooter521]

Every instructor I've trained with has taught high center of mass (HCOM), with the ocular window (brain) or pelvic girdle as a secondary/specialized aiming point. If none of those are available, shoot what you can see. In any event, deliver multiple rounds quickly, until the threat is no longer present.

 

[IndyMonkey]

 

[jeremy]

Just The way I was taught...

Center mass in a controlled pair...

 

[360]

I'm gonna empty 8 magazines no matter what.

(I can't use purple from my iPhone)

 

[MTC]

Every instructor I've trained with has taught high center of mass (HCOM), with the ocular window (brain) or pelvic girdle as a secondary/specialized aiming point. If none of those are available, shoot what you can see. In any event, deliver multiple rounds quickly, until the threat is no longer present.

This one. Where? Wherever you can, if it is in fact self-defense. And shoot 'em to the ground.

 

[Joe Williams]

COM, if such a shot is available. If not, I shoot at what I can see.

 

[Andre46996]

COM and I will continue firing until I feel the threat has been eliminated.

 

[lovemywoods]

"A man has to know his limitations" I think Josey Wales said that.

Right actor, Clint Eastwood, different movie.
It was in Magnum Force, second in the Dirty Harry series. Inspector Callahan is speaking to his boss, Hal Holbrook, just before the boss' car blows up in the final scene.

 

[cosermann]

Where do you aim for?

Within the citizen self-defense context - These situations are so stressful and dynamic for most folks (lots of movement on both sides), anything other than COM makes no sense. Even then, most shots fired in such situations miss completely. Aiming for extremities is almost a guaranteed miss (and you don't want to just send rounds off into the wild blue yonder, that'd be unsafe ).

 

[ghitch75]

Double tap in the chest, if he gets up again double tap again.....

what he said....

 

[Bubba]

Center of mass of the available target. Usually that means chest, somewhere in the neighborhood of the sternum. If he's firing from behind a door, that might mean shoulder. If he's ducking behind concealment that might mean head. I'm looking for the biggest piece of real estate I can find for my target.

 

[stanicus]

I practice triple tap. 2 in the chest and 1 in the head. I cant say for certain thats what I would do in the heat of the moment, but its what I practice.

 

[g00n24]

Within the citizen self-defense context - These situations are so stressful and dynamic for most folks (lots of movement on both sides), anything other than COM makes no sense. Even then, most shots fired in such situations miss completely. Aiming for extremities is almost a guaranteed miss (and you don't want to just send rounds off into the wild blue yonder, that'd be unsafe ).

+1
We can all sit here and say "I'll hit them right in the heart, and when the next guy grabs an innocent bystander and uses them as a shield Ill shoot them between the eyes..." However, from hearing/reading what people who have been in actual shoot situations it is quite clear that conscious, careful, and deliberate aiming is unlikely, if not impossible. You are going to be pointing the business end at the threat and pulling the trigger as fast as possible until the threat is gone. If you're lucky enough to hit them center of mass, or in the head then +1 to you.
Thats not to say that a situation won't provide you with time/space to take aim and concentrate on the front sight (say stopping a robbery for instance). If that was the case, then as others have said, COM is where to aim.

 

[STAG556]

Originally posted by: stanicus
I practice triple tap. 2 in the chest and 1 in the head. I cant say for certain thats what I would do in the heat of the moment, but its what I practice.

+1 for the Failure drill, two to the chest and one to the head. I'm confident that God and the 147 gr JHP's will take care of the rest.