Accuracy is something of a chimera: a mythical beast made from many parts. To be a really accurate shooter, you have to master your grip, stance, breathing and trigger control. You need excellent eyesight and top-notch hand-eye coordination. You have to have Zen-like affinity with your weapon, whose behavior varies according to its design, age, state of tune and the cartridge inserted therein. You have to be able to read—and adapt to—environmental conditions. A firm grasp of mathematics and ballistic theory doesn’t go amiss either (unless it makes you over-think your shot). And you need practice (i.e. money). And after all that, you still might suck . . .
As my father used to say, there’s no substitute for good genetics. A naturally talented shooter can pick up just about any gun and shoot tiny groups at ridiculous distances. And?
Being a naturally talented shooter is a bit like being well-hung. It’s nice and all, but, well, let’s just say that the old expression “it ain’t the meat it’s the motion” wasn’t created by size-challenged men.
In the same sense, I reckon a natural ability to shoot accurately isn’t as important as your ability to shoot under pressure. I’ve seen extremely accurate shooters fold from the simple stress of a friendly competition. Put them in a life-or-death situation, and I wouldn’t count on them for suppressing fire, never mind a take-down shot. I’ve also seen lousy shots who raised their game to Olympian heights the second it was game-on.
Of course, there are some lucky bastards who are both accurate and calm under pressure. And experienced. Who practice. A lot. I call these people “instructors”. Or, if you will, good instructors. I learn as much watching them shoot as shooting under their instruction.
As for accuracy, I’m reasonably confident I can remove my XD(m) 45 from my holster in short order and hit center mass on a human-sized target at distances up to about 20 feet whilst moving rapidly through a hostile environment.
I can land several shots in rapid succession AND know to save a few cartridges for exigent circumstances. Or decide NOT to shoot. Given enough time, I can shoot center mass at twice that distance with reasonable reliability.
I’m not a competition shooter. So that’s as accurate as I need to be. You?