Low-light training objectives with weapon mounted lights

[ryan3030]

What do you focus on when doing low-light shooting with weapon-mounted lights in the dark? Do you just do your normal range drills? Do you add or remove any stipulations to the drills?

I'm interested in focus points for adding weapon-mounted light to my normal training regimen.

Ideas so far include:

• Target identification
• Shoot/no-shoot evaluation
• Momentary/constant on depending on situation
• Light vs bore offset when firing from cover

Any others you can think of?

 

[D K]

This is a bit of a side note, but will get to the constructive feedback.

Test shooting new SW Bodyguard .38 at Point Blank a few years ago made it quickly evident that you can't see anything but black on that gun when there's a low light situation, let alone the sight picture, as Point Blank didn't have the stall lights in place like they do now. Next stop was to buy a tritium front sight, which required a smithy to install, but very well worth it.

Since then, I've not asked the range master to kill the stall lights for some low-light practice, as you can still see the target quite well, but you may ask the next time you visit an indoor range if they can kill any of the lights.

For the .38, I also have Speer plastic bullets & cases, and with them, can practice in any light conditions in my garage, using a home-made backstop. If all you've got is autoloaders, you're out of luck on that end.

 

[Dean C.]

Tims Shooting Academy had a no light USPSA outlaw style match a few months ago. Ran my DPP equipped 2011 with a Surefire X300u and learned a lot. You must know how to handle a man function in the dark quickly and a red dot helps with a light IMHO otherwise it's black on black sights that I am not a fan of.

 

[MCgrease08]

Tims Shooting Academy had a no light USPSA outlaw style match a few months ago. Ran my DPP equipped 2011 with a Surefire X300u and learned a lot. You must know how to handle a man function in the dark quickly and a red dot helps with a light IMHO otherwise it's black on black sights that I am not a fan of.

I want a bright shiney high lumen and high candela light to ensure I don't inadvertently end up handling man functions in the dark. Eew.

But seriously, I just put lights on my defensive guns in the past few months, so I'm still learning the basics. Reliably being able to work the controls and get the light on, playing around with low and high ready positions to get used to the throw of the beam, how much it fills up the room, reflects off walls, etc. Both my rifle and pistol lights are 1000 lumen Streamlights and they both light up an entire room easily when pointing at the floor or ceiling, so no having to point the muzzle at anything to ID it.

The rifle light has an integrated laser which is pretty darn awesome from what I have been able to do with it so far. It was a little tricky to get it zeroed, but now that it's dialed in I can ring an 8" steel plate at 100 yards no problem. For anything under 50 yards I don't even have to shoulder the rifle. I can make hits while basically hip firing. It's ridiculously fast and the red dot of the laser is easy to see at night.

As far as training, I am just thinking through what likely scenarios I would realistically face that would require a light and going from there. Drawing from the holster in the dark, hitting the momentary on switch to ID the target and firing is an easy thing to work on.

I will be taking ACT's low light class in December and I am really looking forward to that.

 

[marvin02]

For those in the NWI area Michigan City Rifle Club has defensive pistol every Wednesday night. They do low light periodically (I think once per month), but the schedule for that is not posted. I'll try to find out the next date. The web page says "Defensive Pistol League" but is is not a formal league and you do not have to commit to being there every week, show up when you can. Read the linked web page for details. They try to keep the round count reasonable and still get benefit from it. The people running it favor using your carry setup vs race type equipment. They allow drawing from IWB. There is a $5 fee.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

I want a bright shiney high lumen and high candela light to ensure I don't inadvertently end up handling man functions in the dark. Eew.

But seriously, I just put lights on my defensive guns in the past few months, so I'm still learning the basics. Reliably being able to work the controls and get the light on, playing around with low and high ready positions to get used to the throw of the beam, how much it fills up the room, reflects off walls, etc. Both my rifle and pistol lights are 1000 lumen Streamlights and they both light up an entire room easily when pointing at the floor or ceiling, so no having to point the muzzle at anything to ID it.

The rifle light has an integrated laser which is pretty darn awesome from what I have been able to do with it so far. It was a little tricky to get it zeroed, but now that it's dialed in I can ring an 8" steel plate at 100 yards no problem. For anything under 50 yards I don't even have to shoulder the rifle. I can make hits while basically hip firing. It's ridiculously fast and the red dot of the laser is easy to see at night.

As far as training, I am just thinking through what likely scenarios I would realistically face that would require a light and going from there. Drawing from the holster in the dark, hitting the momentary on switch to ID the target and firing is an easy thing to work on.

I will be taking ACT's low light class in December and I am really looking forward to that.

ACT's low light class is great! Pound for pound (ammo cost, tuition, time invested), that is a tremendous class.

 

[marvin02]

The Michigan City defensive pistol low light shoot is the 4th Wednesday each month. If you can't show experience shooting in Match (USPDA, IDPA, etc.) type situations they expect you to observe one night. They also prefer you shot a regular match before you shoot the low light match.

 

[Leadeye]

I don't see as well in low light as I used to, old age I guess. As time goes by I'll be relying more on shotguns.

 

[bwframe]

Part of ACT's instruction details night vision, how and what effects it.

As you age, your night vision takes longer to acclimate. Damned kids had their night vision in half the time.

It is very easy blind yourself on nearby objects. Blind yourself a few times with your weapon light or handheld from reflection on any number of surfaces and your night vision reverts back also.

Weapon light or not, you must carry and use your handheld light for target identification. Otherwise you are identifying targets or not from pointing the muzzle of your gun at them. Wives, kids, family, officers, other students, etc.