Target Practice

[Street Rat]

I am getting ready to get my CCW, so I am thinking that practice would be a little more important now. I have been shooting guns most of my life, at the river or the gun range whenever I could get together with my dad to go during the week and that maybe twice a year. How sad.

Right now when I go shooting I take several guns and just aim and shoot. Meaning, I will take a shot, relax a couple seconds, sight in the target and shoot again.

My question is what is everyone elses routine? How many rounds do you shoot per gun? How often do you go to the range? I'm not a rich guy so I can't afford to go every week, but I would like to start going about once a month. I saw a guy on tv with a revolver shoot and hit 6 targets in about 2-3 seconds. That was impressive.

 

[C-grunt]

I go to the range about twice a month and take two guns...a Glock 23 and a Walther P22. I usually shoot about 1-2 hundred rounds through the Glock and about 2-3 hundred rounds through the .22.

I start off shooting for groups at 7 yards, then 10 yards, then 15 yards, and finally 25 yards. Once I am satisfied with these groups, I start my double tap and faliure to stop drills at 7 yards.

 

[nbkky71]

Yes, practice is very important. You'll need to become proficient at learning how to draw and shoot from concealed carry. Practice will improve your speed and accuracy.

To start with, you can practice your techniques at home. Just be sure that your weapon is UNLOADED first. There are companies that make inert (usually blue) training magazines that simulate the weight of a loaded mag. Start slow...speed will come later.

I try to get in a good, live-fire practice session at once a week. Lately it's been every two weeks with the way my schedule is. I don't carry daily, but when I do it's a Sig P228 in a Don Hume Waistband Clip-On IWB holster.

Whatever weapon and holster you choose, you will need to practice, practice and practice some more. The responsibility of concealed carry far outweighs the benefits.

 

[Shawn Dodson]

90% of your training can be performed at home using dry-fire, dummy rounds and your imagination.

Present from concealed and dry-fire, taking time to develop the nuances of your techniques. Pay attention to economy of movement, moving off the line of attack, and acquiring your front sight as it rises into your line of sight between you and your aimpoint. Present from concealed immediately into a retention position or a "compressed ready" position.

Use dummy rounds to practice clearing stoppages and manipulations (tap, roll & rack; combat reload; clearing double-feed).

Practice kneeling/going prone behind cover. Practice turns & pivots. Practice movement techniques such as slicing the pie and position SUL. Practice flashlight techniques. If you have a garage, practice presenting from concealed while sitting in various seating positions. If you don't have a garage, find a remote location where you can perform such training using a red or blue dummy gun training aid (same model as yours).

When I go to the range I have a training plan all drawn up before I go so I can focus my live fire time on developing my weaknesses. I fire a cold skills assessment drill first, firing dry all my battle-carry ammo loaded in my battle-carry magazines. The results may or may not require a change to my training plan.

I made my own targets on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of paper, which I use to work on various skills. One target has twelve 2" circles that I engage at 3, 5, 7 and 10 yards, under various time limits to balance speed and accuracy.

Other targets consist of 4", 6" and 8" circles. My personal performance goal is to keep 80% of my hits in a 4" group, with 100% of my hits in a 6" circle, between 3-25 yds. The closer the distance the more sloppy my sight alignment can be to achieve quick, effective hits. Farther distances require a higher quality sight alignment.

I also use several IPSC cardboard targets at various distances, from contact to 50 yds, to practice engaging multiple targets.

Cheers!

 

[Street Rat]

Dang!! That is alot of information, but information that I will definitley consider and I appreciate. I understand that it is a great responsibility. Things could go way wrong in the wrong situation. I have been tossing the idea of getting a CCW for a while now and know that the possibility of having to actually use a weapon is very small, but I could not believe what it would feel like if something did happen to me or a loved one and I had no way of being protected.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

[FTF]

Man, compared to Shawn I'm a boy scout lol.

I go to the range every week... I mainly go to play with my long-guns, but I usually put 100 rounds through my primary carry and practice handguns to get my training on.

I usually start with 2 mags of slow fire in my practice handgun... deliberately aiming and focusing on trigger control, then 2 more mags of rapid fire... focusing mainly on sight alignment which is my problem with rapid fire.

For my carry weapon it's kind of the same... it's only 7 rounds so I do like 2 mags of slow fire, then I load 3 rounds and do mozambique drills (two to the body, one to the head). I focus mainly on drawing, taking off safe while presenting and concentrating on the head shot, my trigger control on that 3rd shot is horrible. I finish with shooting off a mag one handed as I figure assuming a correct weaver stance in a gunfight may not always be possible.

My only suggestion is, that if you do self-defense or whatever drills, that you are always mindful where you sweep your weapon and how you take your weapon off safety...

My practice gun is a 9mm, my carry is a .45. Obviously, the 9mm is cheaper to shoot. The same principles apply as far as trigger control, sight alignment with either gun... so it's not horribly expensive to practice. I have quite a few guns but those are my favorites. Actually, practicing with the 9mm makes my first shot the 1911 that much better... that stupid first DA pull!

Have fun! Get your CCW. You don't have to carry it all the time if you don't want to, but that time you WANT to, you will be able to... that's why it's worth it.