Practice Choosing Cover In Engagements

  Apr 23rd 2020

There are few things as important for tactical training as knowing how to accurately locate and swiftly move towards cover. Even master gun trainers — with hundreds of hours of aim training under their belt — know that their chances of survival in a surprise hostile engagement would be slim to none without knowing how to find good cover. But before you start practicing your aim while crouching behind a couch, remember: learning how to identify a suitable protective cover in the midst of a confrontation takes time, practice, and mental strength.

Ready to take your tactical gun training to the next level? Being a good shot can only get you so far during an emergency. For a more thorough training regimen, enroll in one of our tactical mindset courses, designed to sharpen your quick-time reactions and critical thinking during hostile engagements. In the meantime, keep the following tips in mind to master the art of choosing cover.

Minimize Your Exposure

Here is one fatal mistake we see rookies make time and time again: shifting angularly while retreating behind cover. Doing so is likely to leave you exposed to shots, as covers are rarely omnidirectional, meaning they almost never work from every direction. Instead of moving in relation to your cover, locate the threat, move in relation to their position, and change covers accordingly.

Save Your Rounds

If you are retreating behind a cover, you need to move in relation to the threat’s position. If you’re fighting from the cover area, do not engage the threat by aimlessly firing in their direction. Instead, try to save your rounds. Pinpoint the location of the threat continuously, anticipate their movements, and shoot only when necessary and when confident about their location.

Practice Multiple Positions

In the heat of a confrontation, the nearest cover may not be as ideal or convenient as a Jersey barrier. Sometimes, the only available cover nearby may have you standing, kneeling, or laying on your stomach while firing. As such, it’s important you know how to identify suitable cover in the unlikeliest of places. You should also become comfortable shooting from multiple different positions — not just crouching and standing.

Improve Your Position When Possible

Even after you have successfully located a threat and moved towards cover, continue searching for a better location to retreat to. While you should try your best to minimize your exposure while in combat, at the same time, you should always try to improve your chances of survival. Keep your eyes peeled for a better cover that would allow you to have a better sight of the target but also more time to manage your weaponry and plan a conflict-resolution strategy.