Defensive Only Shooters? (non LEO, Hobby, Sports, Military, Hunters)

[indie]

I'm just curious as to how many folks at THR own guns and practice shooting for personal defense purposes only without being into shooting for sport/hobby, law enforcement, military, or hunting.

As i some of you know, i just bought my first gun, a taurus 66, 4" 357 magnum, and i want to learn how to use it for defense purposes.

pricing ammunition and hearing about price increases coupled with hearing how much ammo many of you go through, "practice" seems like its going to be very expensive.

i'm not really looking to become a gun hobbyist, but i do want to be comfortable handling and shooting my defense weapon.


i was wondering, for those who are also only doing this for personal defense, but any others are welcome chime in because more frequent shooters will likely know more about becomming proficient or at least decent with a firearm.

How often do you shoot/go to the range?
How many rounds do you usually use in a trip? How long do you shoot?
Do you practice with snap caps, dry firing?
How much ammo do you keep or store at home per gun?

 

[geekWithA.45]

I'm primarily a defense shooter, though I'll admit to "happy fun plinking" on a regular basis.

Range trips? 1/month, wish I could shoot more.

Rds/trip? 200-500, depending. Generally over 2-4 hours. It's easy to rip through 100 rds in 1/2 an hour.

Dry fire? Yes.

Spare Ammo? Yes. I keep 1k rds/caliber minimum, and feel naked when the ammo crate's that low.

 

[indie]

i was thinking once a month myself...at least until i get on my feet with other things. I just finished law school, student loans are kicking in and im trying to buy a house in the next couple of months.

is an hour/150 rounds per trip unreasonably low?

 

[Rumble]

I suppose I'm a "defense-only" shooter (well, that's not entirely possible, so let's say the primary reason I own guns and shoot them is self-defense). I do not hunt; I am not into target shooting (in the sense of seeking the pinnacle of accuracy and/or repeatability); and I'm neither LEO nor military--just a regular civilian type.

So, anyway--self-defense is the main reason.

As for practice opportunities--I get to the range 1-2 times per month for a couple hours each time, and I typically work with 2-3 guns (1 is usually a rifle). I'll shoot about 200 rounds all told, working slow-fire and rapid fire. When I have the chance, I do practice shooting from the draw, but not everywhere allows that.

At home, I do some dry-fire practice, but not nearly enough.

Edit: I bought a house about 8 months ago. Right around the time of the purchase, you're gonna spend a lot of time staring longingly at guns you can't afford to feed!

 

[ShackleMeNot]

When I read your question it sounds like this to me:
"I want to learn how to defend myself. I bought this punching bag and I hit it X number of times a day. Is that enough or should I hit it more?"

Hitting a punching bag is a very very small part of learning to fight. Hitting it more doesn't really make you a better fighter. You have to learn how to APPLY the skill of punching in a dynamic and stressful situation to better prepare yourself for hitting someone when it counts.

I understand that you are just starting out and your money situation sounds tight but if you own a gun primarily for defense you need to take some professional training. A quality class will change the way you practice and you will see defense in a different light. Formal dry fire, dynamic live fire and Force on Force training are all necessary.

Don't just hit the heavy bag unless your end goal is to punch heavy bags.

 

[El Tejon]

"Three days with the Master equal three years training alone."

To echo SMN, be cool, go to school. Formalized instruction is invaluable. It will help you focus as well as teaching you "how to".

To answer your questions: range once a week, I keep it to 150 to 200 rounds with my defensive weapons (I'm known to plink with .22s as well), I shoot as long as I can, but try to keep it focused, dry practice is great (remember the safety rules and have a regime for dry practice), I keep as much ammo as I can stored.

 

[indie]

^ yeah its a progressive thing,...

Right now, time/money doesnt allow me to dedicate alot to shooting, but i do want to be able to use my gun if the need arises.

I plan on at least by early next year taking CCW instruction and getting my license. And also buying another concealed carry revolver.

I want to just know what i need to do in order to familiarise myself with handing my defense weapon, in my current situation with limited time and funds.

 

[indie]

to clarify, i greatly appreciate you guys wisdom and advice.

I just am a bit overwhelmed when reading how much you guys practice/shoot and i dont even know anyone who ever goes to a range other than my best friend.

It seems from my limited experience reading these forums... that no matter how many times you go to a range in a month, somebody will recommend more, no matter how much ammo you have, its not enough.

I just want a clarification as to what is considered essential for self defense, and what is more of sport/accuracy/professional training.

I want to set a monthly plan on time and expense for awhile and adjust it as needed, but i dont really have a starting point of reference other than what ive read on here because i dont know anything about the "practice" experience. It seems many people here burn through thousands of rounds per month

 

[okiewita40]

Dry fire will help you out. As far as range trips go. Since you have a 357 you can shoot 38 special when you go to the range. They are cheaper to shoot than 357 mag. Also buy and practice with some cheaper 357 mag ammo as there is a bit of a difference in how the two rounds shoot. i.e. recoil.

I would also recommend taking a training class. They are full of info that you may not know and need to know. hope this helps you out. is just my two cents worth.

 

[DogBonz]

I have become a "defensive shooter" recently

I used to be into the more “sporting” aspect of shooting. You know, trying to make the smallest groups in paper from as far away as possible. I have always enjoyed hunting. That all changed when two guys broke into my old apartment. One was armed with a baseball bat, and the other had either a crow bar, tire iron, or a pipe or something. I think they broke into the wrong house as we later discovered that the gut 2 doors down was dealing drugs. I caught them as they broke through by door. The first guy saw my USP45 pointed at him. I less than politely instructed them to leave and they complied.

Since that day I couldn’t care less about hunting or groups. Well actually I still do, but they have taken a back seat to training for “defensive” purposes.

You need to practice. Just like having a wrench doesn’t make you an auto mechanic, just having a gun doesn’t make you a gunfighter. Not that any of us want to be gunfighters, but you have to train realistically.

 

[El Tejon]

Hey, it's O.K., no one, or very few, have unlimited time and money. That's why dry practice is so beneficial.

Remember, there is much more to defending yourself than just shooting. Need to know "when" as well as "how". That's why I recommend a class that can help you with both.

I always remember something my father told me in high school--education is one thing no one can take away from you.

 

[indie]

thanks alot okewita40.

I ordered 600 rounds of 38 special +p 158 grain lswchp from georgia arms. and 100 rounds of gold dot 125 grain 357 to get me started last night.

i thought it would be good to practice with potential defense round loads.

i will take a training class, i have to get more information on that.

 

[indie]

DogBonz, what do you consider training realistically? Thats my issue, the point of reference. im not sure what is the difference between a ball park of what is enough and what is extra for my purposes? I want to do what i need to do.


El Tejon, i've ordered snap caps and will practice, gun safety, loading unloading with and without a speed loader, handling and firing my gun safely at home daily before i make my first trip to the range.

Thank you guys for your helpfull advice.

 

[fletcher]

I only plink, and primarily own for personal defense. But, to answer your questions:

How often do you shoot/go to the range?
- Once every couple weeks at most. Wish I could afford for it to be more frequently.
How many rounds do you usually use in a trip? How long do you shoot?
- At the range, probably an hour to hour and a half. When shooting on someone's property, could be 2-3 hours.
Do you practice with snap caps, dry firing?
- Dry fire from time to time.
How much ammo do you keep or store at home per gun?
- Greatly varies. Right now I have ~800 rounds of 9x18, and between 50-100 for the rest.

 

[scurtis_34471]

I am primarily a defensive shooter. I tend to shoot 6" or 8" targets at 7, 10 and 15 yards. While I am trying to improve my slow fire accuracy and precision, my main focus is rapid taget acquisition and combat accuracy at those three distances. I go shooting for two to three hours three or four times a month.

 

[DogBonz]

Training...

You said that you are going to take a class. That is the first step. Although they may seem expensive, classes are worth every penny. You could go to a range and shoot thousands of rounds and never get any better, but 10 minutes with a good instructor could vastly improve your abilities. I take classes when I can, but if I cannot, I find other ways to train.

For instance get some snap caps and load one or two in your gun and load the other cylinders with live ammo (at the range, of course) and rotate and close the cylinder with out looking at it so that you don’t know when the gun will go bang and when it will go click. The first time you will see that even though you expected it, it still is a bit of a shock. I use them in my USP to practice clearing a FTF, but with your revolver all you need to do is pull the trigger again, but it will throw you off at first.

Also, engaging multiple targets is important. If possible at your range, set up a few targets at different ranges and in different positions and engage them. Start with the one that you deem to be the most dangerous (possibly the one closest to you), and work from there. Also if possible, move while doing this. It makes it harder, but in a real situation, you most likely will not just stand there stationary and fire. Also, moving to cover and then firing or firing while getting to cover is important. I also like to put my targets behind cover if possible, because BG’s are not going to just stand there and let you shoot them. If that is not possible, take a piece of paper and block off a part of the target and do not count any hits on that paper.

For great “reactive” targets that let you know when you “killed” them, take a stick, or 2x4, or whatever, and tape or staple a blown up balloon to it. Then take a cardboard box and cut a hole in it so that it will fit over the stick but not the balloon. Next cover it with an old T-shirt. When you make a center mass hit it will pop the balloon and the box will fall letting you know that the target is “dead”. That is good because often times peripheral hits will not stop an attack, sometimes neither will a COM hit.

The bottom line is to practice and learn. Change it up. Don’t get into a routine because the bad guys will not usually try anything when it is optimal conditions for you. They, if they are smart, will try to attack when you would be least expecting it or when your guard is down.

Be safe out there

-Fred

 

[indie]

thanks alot. I almost want to look for a house in the country so i can set myself up a makeshift practice range. LOL.

 

[DogBonz]

Forgot something...

I forgot this:
Start slowly and as you get better, then speed it up. Try to maintain your form and do things the same way every time, be deliberate, so that you build muscle memory. Muscle memory allows you to basically act with out really thinking about what you are doing, which can shave precious time off of your response time, getting you into action faster.

Also practice reloading under pressure. With a revolver it may seem dificult at first, but if you practice, you will be able to get very fast.

 

[GRIZ22]

is an hour/150 rounds per trip unreasonably low?

Anymore than 150-200 rds an hour and you're just sending lead downrange. As others have said strat slow and your speed will come. Learn to load fast with and without speedloaders. A few hours of professional instruction help immensely. If an instructor shows you what you may be doing wrong you can work to correct it on your own. It takes 300-500 repetitions to learn something and 3000-5000 before it becomes muscle memory.

Shooting is very addictive start shooting for defense purposes only and it will soon evolve into shooting for fun.

 

[mpmarty]

Learn to shoot while moving with either hand. Learn to shoot from kneeling, prone (laying down on your back, side and stomach) try shooting while running backwards (look out for obstacles that can trip you). If you MUST use a wheelgun get some speedloaders and teach yourself how to reload one handed as you may be injured and only have one hand working.

 

[indie]

^ good to know. because i was originally estimating 100 rounds per hour maybe.

im going to start looking into instruction.


i also want to be able to load my revolver in the dark using snap caps, I will practice practice practice.

 

[Bobo]

I used to be a bullseye target shooter - lost interest.
I now have one handgun and have it for concealed carry and home defense purposes only.

How often do you shoot/go to the range?
Once or twice a month.

How many rounds do you usually use in a trip? How long do you shoot?
When I first got the gun I shot 100 -200 rounds per session. Once I felt confident and comfortable with the gun I dropped to 50 -100 rounds per session. I'm at the range about 1 to 1-1/2 hrs. per session.

Do you practice with snap caps, dry firing?
Almost daily. I shoot a lot more total "rounds" dry-fire at home than I do live-fire at the range.

How much ammo do you keep or store at home per gun?
I order by the case when I find it on sale. Right now I have about 600 rounds of range ammo and 300 rounds of defense ammo on hand.

 

[indie]

thanks bobo. That sounds like more of what i expected. Reassuring.

i'm thinking of when i get my CCW maybe moving up to a 3" ruger sp101 for dual purpose carry and defense.

 

[Limeyfellow]

For learning to shoot you might want to pick up a .22 revolver too. They are rather cheap (second hand for under a $100) and allows you to fire bricks of ammo for a fraction of the cost, learn the basics etc without needing a new mortgage, helps prevent a flinch while you learn, gain good targetting and practice.

Then when you got that down practice with some .38 special to keep it up and finally with .357 magnum rounds last and use mostly this as a defensive load rather than your main practicing round.

 

[Jim Watson]

Practice is good. Training is very good.
I seldom hear any mention of evaluation by the "defense only" shooters.
Do you record time and score when you practice?
Do you have some means to be sure you are still using the techniques you were exposed to in that class some time ago?
Nice if you could afford the time and money, and keep up the interest for an annual trip to Thunder ranch.

Competition does not teach or even reinforce tactics, but it will darn sure make sure you can hit the target when called upon. Look into your local IDPA or IPSC club and put on a little stress with a timer and scorecard. The social contact will keep you coming back, too.