Brian, I agree with the groin shot, but only if you are firing a large calibre handgun or a shotgun; and only if you can place it where it will strike the pelvis squarely. Many women, and some men, carry small calibre handguns. A pelvis shot with one of these can be very much a gamble. A centre thoracic shot or a shot into the "T" is always the best shot to take if it is possible.
Also, perp defense attorneys love non-lethal shootings. They often successfully argue that because the person being attacked did not have to kill their client the shooting was unjustified. This happens more often than you would think. The results are disastrous for the real victim.
Understood. If I ever wind up in court, the company I take training from will be there to testify (it is part of the contract) and they are the ones that have given me the instruction on how to stop someone. They also recommend no smaller than 9mm or .38 special as a power floor. The other thing they state is don't stop until the attacker is stopped. Two to the chest, two to the groin, then head shot is a standard I was drilled on (and we practiced). The idea is to stop the attacker with the chest shots, if that doesn't slow them down, groin shots tend to work well (at the hip even better if you are really good) and head shot if that does not work.
The legal aspect of being sued, or worse yet being criminally charged, because you used something other than a fatal shot to stop the attack is somewhat short-circuited if you follow a course of fire that you were trained in and carried out. It is especially useful if you have the trainer as an expert witness in court (the trainer I used has often been) and he states you followed the course of fire he taught you to take. Pulls the rug out from under the prosecuting attorney if you have had the training and followed it.
Which is another
really good reason to get professional training. If you ever are in a fire-fight, the chances are you are going to be in a court room fight afterward. Having the ability to state, and have it clearly documented, that you did as you were trained, is really taking the justification for questioning why you used the course of fire you used out of "you were reckless" into "you were well trained and followed your training." Just having the guy be there to analyze the evidence can be invaluable. A good 8 hour first course is usually just a couple of hundred dollars, getting a follow-up is about the same, and going to a 3 day advanced course can be just a couple of hundred a day. For about a $1000 dollars, you can get training that is near invaluable in terms of being able to defend yourself and your family, get a document trail that shows you are not a loose cannon that just shoots at anything that moves, and get someone that can be a witness in the unlikely event that you ever have to use that training. Given that you probably need to be putting 50 rounds down-range several times a month to keep training sharp, it is a cheap cost of being prepared.
-----Added 11/21/2009 at 08:28:45 EST-----
It's a 5 foot tall lady who's never shot a mammal, gents, let alone a person!!!
Aim center mass. Chest. Pull trigger until nothing else comes out.
The lady ought get herself to a range and practice with silhouettes on a regular basis. There is no excuse for not preparing for war before the battle begins. Both my wife and I have put thousands of rounds down range, and while we have not done as much as we might, we do so every chance we get.
