HCP Qualification - Shooting skills involved?

[Guest tommy610]

When you take the HCP course, is there a requirement involving shooting accuracy? And if so, what is that requirement? I ask because I would carry a .38 snubby (not so accurate at distances, but very reliable) but I also own a Walther P22 (more accurate, but I would not carry it).

Also, do you have to qualify using the gun you plan to carry?

Thanks

[mikegideon]

Mine was 48 rounds total, 12 each at 4 seperate ranges into a silhouette target. You can use the P22. You don't have to qualify with the gun you're going to carry. I shot 100% with a 9mm service pistol, and I'm not a crack shot. I think 70% is required

[Guest Caveman]

The qualification for my course was so easy a Caveman could do it.....I can't believe I just typed that. We had to hit a full size silhouette with 12 shots each yardage. 7 yards, 15 yards and 25 yards. Then a rapid fire at 7 yards. If you cant pass then you don't need a permit my friend.

Edited April 29, 2010 by Caveman

[monkeylizard]

My class was 18 rounds at 3 yards, 18 rounds at 7 yards, and 12 rounds at 50 feet. All into a full-sized silhouette target. Any hits inside the black area count. You don't have to get inside the numbered rings.

70% is correct. If you get all of them at the 2 closer distances, and miss all of them at the longer one.....you still pass. I now truly understand what others have said. If you can't pass the TN HCP course, you have no business carrying a handgun.

Some dude in my class shot the motor mount for the target and he still passed.

[Guest tommy610]

Thanks for the info, guys. Exactly what I was looking for. I had a feeling the bar was set pretty low, too.

[Guest Caveman]

My class was 18 rounds at 3 yards, 18 rounds at 7 yards, and 12 rounds at 50 feet. All into a full-sized silhouette target. Any hits inside the black area count. You don't have to get inside the numbered rings.

70% is correct. If you get all of them at the 2 closer distances, and miss all of them at the longer one.....you still pass. I now truly understand what others have said. If you can't pass the TN HCP course, you have no business carrying a handgun.

Some dude in my class shot the motor mount for the target and he still passed.

Wow, not surprising though. The guy next to me was all over the target and missed the silhouette twice at 7 yards.

[oldogy]

When you take the HCP course, is there a requirement involving shooting accuracy? And if so, what is that requirement? I ask because I would carry a .38 snubby (not so accurate at distances, but very reliable) but I also own a Walther P22 (more accurate, but I would not carry it).

Also, do you have to qualify using the gun you plan to carry?

Thanks

Welcome to TGO, if no one has done that yet. The others have covered most of your question .

In TN you do not have to qualify with the handgun you are going to carry. In fact, you don't even have to own a handgun to get a permit.

So I see your profile indicates you are a HCP holder yet you ask the question about shooting requirements to obtain the permit. What am I missing or what don't I understand?

Thanks,

oldogy

Edited April 29, 2010 by oldogy

[Guest Caveman]

Welcome to TGO, if no one has done that yet. The others have covered most of your question .

In TN you do not have to qualify with the handgun you are going to carry. In fact, you don't even have to own a handgun to get a permit.

So I see your profile indicates you are a HCP holder yet you ask the question about shooting requirements to obtain the permit. What am I missing or what don't I understand?

Thanks,

oldogy

Ooooo...I didn't catch that one, good question.

[Volzfan]

7 yards, 15 yards and 25 yards. Then a rapid fire at 7 years. If you cant pass then you don't need a permit my friend.

7 years of rapid fire would wear out most shooters and really go thru a lot of ammo. I'm glad that we didn't have to do that in my class.

[mikegideon]

7 years of rapid fire would wear out most shooters and really go thru a lot of ammo. I'm glad that we didn't have to do that in my class.

A good 1911 will do it. Not sure about a Glock

[Garufa]

A good 1911 will do it. Not sure about a Glock

[Oh Shoot]

I believe the actual requirements are 12 rounds each at 3,7,15 yards, and 12 rounds at instructor's choice, totaling 48 rounds.

70% score required.

The shooting backwards over shoulder using a mirror was the toughest part.

- OS

[JAB]

The shooting backwards over shoulder using a mirror was the toughest part.

- OS

"Drawing" a smiley face, bow tie and goattee on the silhouette target with bullet holes was no walk in the park, either.

Our instructor had us shoot our 48 rounds in six-round groups with the target being moved between groups. Same distances you listed, just with the target at each distance two, different times.

Edited April 29, 2010 by JAB

[Guest Caveman]

7 years of rapid fire would wear out most shooters and really go thru a lot of ammo. I'm glad that we didn't have to do that in my class.

Oops...

[Volzfan]

Oops...

[nightrunner]

the target is LARGER than life sized by the way and as long as you hit the black its a hit

[Volzfan]

We had a smart a** in our class doing head shots. After missing 4 or 5 shots he decided that CM was the better target area!

[D3vo]

the target is LARGER than life sized by the way and as long as you hit the black its a hit

Huh? I am routinely in contact with silhouette sized folks. ()

(JK, or am I?)

Edited April 29, 2010 by D3vo

[monkeylizard]

So I see your profile indicates you are a HCP holder yet you ask the question about shooting requirements to obtain the permit. What am I missing or what don't I understand?

The OPers location is listed as "PA". So I'm assuming he is a Pennsylvania resident planning to relocate.

I believe the actual requirements are 12 rounds each at 3,7,15 yards, and 12 rounds at instructor's choice, totaling 48 rounds.

That's my understanding too. My instructor chose 6 at each of the shorter distances for the last 12 rounds. It would increase their pass rating without making it so obvious as to have all 12 at the 3 yard mark.

Edited April 29, 2010 by monkeylizard

[Guest gw2and4]

A good 1911 will do it. Not sure about a Glock

You mean a good 1911 will wear out most shooters more than a Glock would? You may be right on that one...

[mikegideon]

You mean a good 1911 will wear out most shooters more than a Glock would? You may be right on that one...

Naw. A 1911 is smooth as a baby's butt

[Guest BIGKENDONTPLAY]

The 3 yards ,7 yards and 50 feet seem to be the normal distance. I have heard of instuctors who have you fire left handed as well and some variations in the distance, I was not required to fire left handed.

Check out my avater, it is the silhouette from my range qualifing test, 70 % in the black and you pass, I took mine with the weapon i carry sw 9mm sigma. I feel you should test with the weapon you plan to carry. Just my opinion

[Oh Shoot]

The 3 yards ,7 yards and 50 feet seem to be the normal distance...

I'm pretty certain that 12 rounds at 3,7,15 YARDS and 12 rounds at instructor discretion is mandated in the state HCP course requirements. Somewhere, as I can't find it right now.

- OS

[Spiffy]

You can pretty much throw the bullets by hand hard enough to put holes in the paper to pass.

You have to hit the target (B27). If you can shoot a gun without killing yourself or the person beside you, you can pass the shooting part of the test.

[SamZzz]

You have to hit the target (B27). If you can shoot a gun without killing yourself or the person beside you, you can pass the shooting part of the test.

When the hubby and I took ours we had this older lady (80ish) taking it. She was using a range pistol since her and her hubby hadn't brought enough ammo to both qualify with their ANCIENT revolver. Found out later the ammo they brought for it was as old as the gun itself! Anyway.. they had Ruger MKIIs and cheap .22lr ammo so the gun kept giving her fits. But even worse... she was one of those "hold the gun in her hand while turning to ask for help" types!

The instructor had his wife stand with her and help her load/unload the gun. Her target looked like it'd been shot with a shotgun at long range with several outside the black and..... you guessed it... SHE PASSED!

I asked the instructor's wife about it after that group was done qualifying (it took them over an hour with only 6 people shooting) and she said unfortunately they can't fail someone as long as they get the required number of shots in the black. If they can shoot the fun and hit the target, they pass... end of story. So yeah.. I don't see anyone actually failing the range test.. if you do.. you don't need to be carrying. Seriously.

One word of advice.. save yourself some time and trouble and take a gun that'll hold AT LEAST 6 rounds. We had a girl qualify with a 5-shot revolver.. She knew that reloading process inside and out by the time she was done with her test!

:reload: bang, bang, bang, bang, bang :load one round: bang :reload: ...