stalks and NOT celery!

[frater secessus]

I would not go to RTR if there could be a violent stalker.

I went to RTR 2018 two weeks after a forum member threatened to attack/murder me on sight.*  Since he was going to be at/near the RTR I noted what he and his vehicle looked like so I could steer clear.   Verified that Arizona and my home state had CHL reciprocity.  I am a peaceful man and do not seek danger,  but OTOH I won't live a life of fear either.  

* the threats were posted on a different forum.  Yes, I made screenshots.

 

[crofter]

Whatever you decide to use for personal protection, you need to practice with it; the more the better.

And with an aerosol deterrent (bear spray, pepper spray, et.al.) you need to practice in different wind conditions.  The last thing you want to do is incapacitate yourself.

I totally agree -practice makes perfect. When an animal is stalking you, you are more likely upwind (how they can smell you), so when you turn around and face the animal with the spray you will still be upwind.  If you surprise an animal on the trail, not necessarily the case. You could get some pepper too. 

If you are defending yourself inside the van, totally different tactic. I would not deploy spray inside at all.    ~crofter

 

[crofter]

Verified that Arizona and my home state had CHL reciprocity. 

Getting training and concealed carry permit is another option if you like small firearms. You do have to spend some time practicing regularly for your permit to be a real defense and not just window dressing. So if you don't want to spend time at the gun range, another option would be better.  And concealed carry is not brandishing, for those with that concern. The firearm is out of view under your shirt, in your boot, etc.  Open carry, where it is legal is also not brandishing. The firearm is holstered in plain view.     

Arizona has reciprocity with the most states (your concealed permit works in Arizona as well as your home state).  And you do not have to be a resident of Arizona to get your permit there.  You do have to keep renewing your permit to keep it active, again the need to stay in practice with your firearm.     ~crofter

 

[crofter]

I went to RTR 2018 two weeks after a forum member threatened to attack/murder me on sight.*  Since he was going to be at/near the RTR I noted what he and his vehicle looked like so I could steer clear.   

Did the person even show up?      ~crofter

 

[Dingfelder]

Regarding range practice, there is a very cool ability to laser train targets with a SIRT laser pistol, a very high quality item made to hyper-realistic weight and dimensions. There's also an AR-15 bolt that can be put into a rifle to fire a laser down the barrel.

You can even coordinate your practice with a software program like LASR, with a computer, phone, or tablet so that you are given different drills, including timed ones. You can use regular targets or better yet, assign target sizes, places, and hit zones at will on the objects around you in your environment. You can practice indoors or out, whenever you like.

The initial outlay runs in the low hundreds but from that point on, the only cost is batteries. While no training can completely replace live fire, especially for someone brand new to guns (learning to deal with noise and recoil, even the presence of other people and general noise, is important), the training to acquire a sight picture, proper grip, and smooth motion regarding both trigger control and overall body coordination is extremely helpful and challenging. And considering how easy it becomes to practice anytime and anywhere, virtually cost-free, the learning curve is almost certain to be shortened dramatically.

Plus it's pretty fun ... if you're into the gun thing at all. And even if you're not but do own a gun, it's best to practice anyway.

Note: revolver is not an option with SIRT yet.

 

[frater secessus]

Did the person even show up?

I blocked him soon after so I don't know what he was posting, but I gather from other conversations he was either in Q or at the RTR proper.

For those keeping score:  I was not killed.

 

[crofter]

Regarding range practice, there is a very cool ability to laser train targets with a SIRT laser pistol, a very high quality item made to hyper-realistic weight and dimensions.  

here's a link to a SIRT company  https://nextleveltraining.com/product/sirt-110-training-pistol-2/
I have not personally used this training technology, but it looks like fun. I initially did my pistol training years ago with $6 worth of blanks and a mirror, followed with more time and training at the gun range.      ~crofter

 

[crofter]

I blocked him soon after so I don't know what he was posting, but I gather from other conversations he was either in Q or at the RTR proper.

For those keeping score:  I was not killed.

Thankfully you were able to stay safe.  Did you feel that attending the gathering anyway was a risk, or OK to do?    ~crofter

 

[frater secessus]

It judged it to be a risk, but one I could manage/mitigate. I'm attentive and figured I'd see him (or his caravan) before he saw me and I could de-escalate by avoidance.

 

[Dingfelder]

here's a link to a SIRT company  https://nextleveltraining.com/product/sirt-110-training-pistol-2/
I have not personally used this training technology, but it looks like fun. I initially did my pistol training years ago with $6 worth of blanks and a mirror, followed with more time and training at the gun range.      ~crofter

It really is fun.  With my SIRT pistol, I can shoot anywhere, no harm no foul and no noise no expense.  Simple and fun and it will teach you a lot about your bad habits very quickly.  It could easily pay for itself at twice the price by keeping you from wasting ammo while training.

With LASR software, the sky is the limit pretty much.  You can do simple stuff or get really, really deep into it.  

I'll stop there because sometimes the more you say about something, much less praise it, the harder it is to believe.

If you're interested, there it is.

 

[crofter]

It really is fun.  With my SIRT pistol, I can shoot anywhere, no harm no foul and no noise no expense.  Simple and fun and it will teach you a lot about your bad habits very quickly.  It could easily pay for itself at twice the price by keeping you from wasting ammo while training.

Another letter sent to the North Pole, "Dear Santa, I promise to improve my aim if you send me one of these..."     ~crofter

 

[Dingfelder]

It really does. Watching the laser bounce around as you bring the pistol to bear and/or squeeze the trigger turns your guesses about what you might be doing wrong into incontrovertible facts. It's especially amazing to see how much that little red light can bounce around in the last split-second.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I skimmed the videos, skimmed the posts, I got lost,???? Was someone sent to the principals office or was it sorted on the playground, what was the outcome??what was the point???? Who won?? Who died?? Who is mad at who??? What happened??? Who cares????

 

[crofter]

what was the outcome??what was the point???? Who won?? Who died?? 

As it turns out, Carolyn is still putting up you tube videos and was teaching at RTR 2019. Others have also been able to continue this lifestyle including going to RTR after a threat. Part of this discussion includes how does a van dweller deal with a threat, and this includes discussion of defensive tactics. Sorry you got lost.

In this community, we don't think anyone has died. Statistically speaking, people have died after receiving a threat, why we take it seriously. 

Another defensive tactic we have not discussed is using body armor and employing bodyguards. If you are being shot at, get some body armor. Yes it is hot and uncomfortable to wear a vest, but feels a lot better than a gun shot wound. If you need extra help for an event or travel, employ a body guard. They are not more expensive than a hospital bill, and are good at what they do.  

Me personally? I have employed the tactics we discussed here with success. I am still here typing on this forum, and free to travel as far as my energy and imagination will take me.     ~crofter

 

[crofter]

 how much that little red light can bounce around in the last split-second.

I read somewhere that breath control improves your aim, eliminating your chest movement at the moment you pull the trigger by exhaling. Have you heard of that?     ~crofter

 

[Dingfelder]

Moving anything at all can move you a little bit. No way around that. Even your heartbeat can shake your grip. So don't exhale while shooting. At least not if it's not the natural thing to be doing at the time. Maybe that idea is a carry-over from the perfectly good idea of exhaling while doing an energetic sports movement, like punching, or lunging?

Control of any kind improves your aim. You might also be thinking of trying to squeeze the trigger between heartbeats. It really works.

That's especially easy to see if you use a scope. You'll see your visual picture jump every time your heart beats. I'm an old-timey fan of iron sights sometimes, but a scope can actually teach you about calming down very easily via how clearly it points out how jumpy you are even when you think you're calm and taking it easy. Ever.y little twitch shows up.

 

[Dingfelder]

I revised that post extensively, but it was outside the 15 minute window. Oh well.

Suffice it to say that there are a lot of ways to train, and many ways to think of the dangers you might have to handle in which a firearm is involved. You may not monitor your breath closely in some situations, but in long-distance target practice, you might literally try to shoot between heartbeats. Try it sometime. You'll probably be surprised how quickly you can learn to do it.

And studying the matter is a good idea for anyone. It will make obvious how shaky perhaps most people's targeting really is.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

That is all well and good if your adversary is a paper target a long ways away.  But try it with something with teeth and claws or a crowbar, knife, or gun, or multiple attackers; all the while your heart rate is 150 or more, your breath is ragged, you're muscles are reacting from an excess of adrenaline = you are going to take on damage.

You should practice whatever situation you are preparing for, the best you can.  A retired Navy Seal I know has this on his wall:

"If the day ever comes that you have to fight for your life the only thing that will determine the outcome is if you have ever trained and prepared for that fight."

I constantly practice 3 and 5 second rapid fire:  draw point and shoot; no aiming, no watching my breath, no monitoring heartbeat.  I can consistently get 2 shots off into a 6 inch circle in 3 seconds.  If you can't draw and get at least one shot on target in 3 seconds find a gun you can handle.

 

[Dingfelder]

That's great.

It's still the case that any hunter will never have to quick-draw against a deer.

Nor a sniper.

We're talking about different things.

If anything, quick-draw stuff is over-rated. I'd pick situational awareness over quick-draw any day of the ... second.

P.S.: Navy Seals are far from close-quarters combat specialists. They take that up on their own time, because it's not their primary mission.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . .I'd pick situational awareness over quick-draw any day of the ... second.

P.S.: Navy Seals are far from close-quarters combat specialists.  They take that up on their own time, because it's not their primary mission.

Almost all of my deer hunting has been as a sniper or quick shots at a deer running through the underbrush.

The OP was talking about being stalked.

I agree, situational awareness is your most important defense.  Which is why I travel/hike with a dog.  But watch any nature show: wild animals, who have much better refined senses than we do and are constantly aware are caught by predators regularly.  The stalking can go on for days or weeks; the attack happens quickly with no time to think, only react.  That is why practicing the worst case is so important.  Your muscles will do what they have practiced, you don't have time to think about it.

P.S.:  The Navy Seal raid on Ben Laden's compound was a close-quarters, house clearing raid.  They practice this constantly.