Given the number of new gun owners out there it’s probably a good idea to review how to accurately shoot a handgun. As always two of the greatest sources of information are internet websites and YouTube – assuming that you read articles and watch videos made by someone that actually knows what they’re doing.
 
For our money one of the best online video sources for firearm and shooting technique information is Paul Harrell – who we like to think of as the “Bob Ross of firearms”- informative, descriptive, humorous and calming. Paul's YouTube channel has lots of great videos that are always filled with actual methodical shooting demonstrations.

With regards to accurate handgun shooting, back in January/February 2017 Paul posted three videos on what he believes are the key points and the proper techniques.
 

• Part One:    Accurate Hand Gun Shooting: Grip and Stance (~6 minutes)
• Part Two:    Accurate Handgun Shooting: Sight Alignment/Sight Picture (~7 minutes)
• Part Three: Accurate Handgun Shooting: Trigger Control (~6:30 minutes)

 
Part One focuses on handgun “Grip and Stance” and makes the following key points:
 

• You need to develop a degree of competency in hitting the target before you start adding multiple target engagements, shooting on the run, combat reloads, etc., 
• Start with a user friendly handgun and a really stable normal stance
• Either an Isosceles Stance or Weaver Stance are great for learning to shoot
• Bring the gun up to your line of sight. Don’t bring your head down to the gun.

Part Two focuses on handgun “Sight Alignment/Sight Picture” and makes the following key points:
 

• Purchase a gun with adjustable sights – assuming that your budget allows it
• Get a good sight picture – preferably “Point of Aim = Point of Impact”
• Shoot some rounds to get an initial group that you can adjust off of
• Move the rear sight in the direction of where you want the rounds to move
• Move the front sight in the opposite direction of where you want the rounds to move
• Test different types of ammo since your ammo can make a significant difference in your accuracy and groupings

Part Three focuses on handgun “Trigger Control” and makes the following key points:
 

• Trigger control is the most difficult aspect of handgun shooting
• Start with a good grip
• Choke up on the grip as much as you can with all your fingers and thumb
• Place the middle of your forefinger's "pad" on the trigger – not in the joint of the finger or just on the finger tip
• Make a steady squeeze straight back
• You should be surprised when it goes off - don't anticipate the firing
• Mastering trigger control takes a lot of work, a lot of concentration and a lot of rounds

If you’re a new shooter, or an experienced shooter looking to improve, you should really spend 20 minutes and watch these three videos from Paul.
 
For a more detailed look at stances here’s a good article from Pew Pew Tactical:
           “Shooting Stances & Grip: Isosceles vs Weaver vs Chapman”

If you want additional details on how to improve your accuracy with a handgun - then you should also checkout our previous blog post on "The Secret to Mastering the Handgun" which features a 19 minute video by Alex Hommes, the Operations Manager for the Silverado Shooting Academy.

Aside from the canned vegetable and fruit additions mentioned in our previous blog, there was only one other piece of gear that we thought we should add to our Disaster Preparedness gear to assist in a situation that lasted longer than 2 weeks; an Emergency Dental Kit (EDK).
 
According to the American Dental Association, there are more than 2.1 million visits to the emergency room for dental related cases each year. Of these 80% (1.65 million) don’t actually require emergency treatment and could probably be diverted to the dental office on a semi-urgent basis (“Majority of Dental-Related Emergency Department Visits Lack Urgency and Can Be Diverted to Dental Offices”).

But accidents do happen and dental issues need to be taken care of expeditiously to prevent problems like:
 

• Toothaches
• Cold sores and/or lesions in your mouth
• Additional damage to your teeth if they are shipped or broken
• Infections
  • Such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
    • A staph infection that is difficult to treat because of resistance to antibiotics
• Respiratory problems like pneumonia
• Ulcers
• Brain abscesses

 
Because of this you need to include dental health in your emergency preparedness plans. Especially since, in a disaster you may not be able to get to a dentist, or a dentist may not be available – and no one wants to be like Tom Hanks in the movie “Castaway”. So, for emergencies involving your teeth, you should have the essentials for treating minor dental pain and injuries in your Disaster Preparedness kit.
 
When looking for, or making, an EDK you should look for a kit that includes the following items:

• Toothache Drops
• Dental Wax
• Temporary Filling Compound
• Temporary Cement
• Denture Repair Material
• Gloves
• Cotton
• Gauze
• Sanitizing Wipes
• Dental Floss
• Tweezers
• Step-by-step instructions on how to treat common dental emergencies using the kit

Rather than build a kit on our own we searched the internet and found Dr. Stahl's Emergency Dental Kit. It contains the almost all of the items we were looking for to include:

• Water Resistant Case
• Toothache Drops (1)
  • Eugenol (i.e. clove oil)
• Dental Wax (2)
  • Natural/synthetic waxes and resins
• Temporary Filling Compound (2)
  • Calcium/Barium Sulphate, Dimethoxytetraethylene Glycol, Zinc Oxide, Ethylmethacrylate Polymer, Acesulfame-K
• Temporary Cement (2)
  • Zone Zinc Oxide, Non-Eugenol Temporary Dental Cement
• Denture Repair Material (2)
  • Liquid & Powder : Methyl Methacryllate
• Cotton (4)
• Gauze (1)
• Tweezers (1)
• Small Mixing Dish (2)
• Mixing Spatula
• Wood Toothpicks (2)
• Illustrated Instruction Manual

 
In our opinion the Dr. Stahl Dental Kit has all the essentials for temporarily treating minor dental pain and injuries. Adding this EDK to the rest of our First Aid Supplies ensures that we’re prepared for any small dental issues during a short duration disaster. The kit even comes with an order form that you can use to purchase refills if you use an item or just want additional supplies.
 
It's imperative to take care of your teeth – even in a disaster. Since you never know when a dental emergency will come up and you won't be able to get to a dentist quickly, you should have an EDK on hand. You can buy the Dr. Stahl EDK at CampingSurvival.com.

If you want more details on EDKs, here are a couple of good articles to read:

          How to Build a Dental Emergency Kit

          How to Make a First Aid Kit for Dental Emergencies