Building skills?

[joelh]

I have had a CCW for about a year and since that time, have shot about once a week. Typically about 50 shots with a 9mm or .38 and about another 50 with a .22.

My accuracy is fair at 10 to 15 yards. Groups are nothing to write home about.

I feel that I am not improving much as a shooter, sometimes just wasting ammo.

I have signed up for a defensive handgun class this weekend, billed as a next step to a CCW class. I think it involves shooting from cover and more movement shooting skills rather than static shooting.

Past this class, what are other steps that I should take to develop? I am considering an IDPA prep class and looking into trying my hand at it.

 

[Grey Morel]

The reason you are not developing has something to do with your form, not how much you are shooting.

Something you are doing is inconsistent - be it trigger pull, grip, breathing, heeling, or whatever.

It is likely that NONE of that will be addressed in those classes unless you seek individual assistance - a defensive instructor couldn't care less about your groups so long as you are hitting the target consistently, because groups don't count for squat in a real world shooting.

 

[yeti]

Dry fire, dry fire, dry fire. You can pretty much practice everything just short of actually firing a shot and recoil recovery.

 

[Sam1911]

You would probably greatly benefit from some personal instruction. Your defensive shooting class is one part of that -- teaching you to "run" the gun, work around cover, shoot from various positions and while moving, etc.

A handgun marksmanship class would teach you the other part of the skill set you seem to be needing. Grip, stance, trigger control, sight picture, follow-through, etc. all are points you could undoubtedly improve, and which will help shrink your groups.

IDPA is a great way to develop and reinforce good gun-handling skills and to practice many of the fundamentals of "practical" shooting (cover, movement, etc.). The accuracy component will not be stressed nearly as much.

However, I can't recommend highly enough that you get involved with your local IDPA club and attend their practice sessions. There you can pick the brains of some fantastic shooters, and get plenty of friendly coaching (for free!) from guys & ladies who know what they're doing. They'll teach you the "game" if that interest you, but they'll also know how to help you improve your accuracy and fundamentals. Further, the "old hands" around your local club also probably know a thing or two about real defensive shooting -- as well as being able to give you names and recommendations for local instructors who could help you more directly.

 

[bikerdoc]

pick the brains of some fantastic shooters, and get plenty of friendly coaching (for free!) from guys & ladies who know what they're doing. They'll teach you the "game" if that interest you, but they'll also know how to help you improve your accuracy and fundamentals.

Great advice. Most shooters are more than willing to help and many are passing on stuff the learnred from classes they took. Also read and study anthing you can on the subject.

You are on the right track, keep it up. You will get better.

 

[Al Thompson]

I feel that I am not improving much as a shooter, sometimes just wasting ammo.

Sounds to me like some good coaching would be a huge benefit. I took my first formal shooting course at 49 years of age and learned things I didn't know. This made big improvements in my shooting, even after 30 + years of shooting.

 

[Cop Bob]

All good advise... Dry Firing is a great way to improve your trigger control skills..

Do a youtube search on the subject and you will see lenty of examples... One with a revolver was posted by a member here (sorry I don;t remember his handle) and it is an excellent revolver drill, involves the use of a Quarter balanced near the front sight.. that one was taught to me when I first started.

Another frill that I use with semi autos, is with a pencil down the barrel, rick out a tiny spot on the wall, stand with the muzzle just 2" or so from the wall and dry fire at the fine point.. the pencil will pop out placing a small mark on the wall under your point of aim... see how tight your "pencil groups" can get..

I would start all this after finding you a really good coach... a competitive shooter preferably... Good coaches are sometimes difficult to find..

You may want to look into joining a local club with a competitive program going in the style that you wich to become proficient in, or best fits your needs...

But be warned... it's an addictive drug... but man it's fun..!

 

[Hk Dan]

I'll second what Sam said. If you want to know your weak points in defensive shooting, IDPA will help you figure them out. It'll give you a chance to shoot in ways that you can't duplicate on your own at a square range. It'll put you in situations that will get you to think about what you'd do if it was real, for blood. Go shoot IDPA. For one thing it will change your practice sessions! You'll see where youre weak and target them, and you'll shoot a LOT more than 50 rounds a week (which isn't even a good maintenance volume)

 

[Japle]

Compete.

Go for IDPA or Steel Challenge.

The first time you shoot the "Smoke & Hope" stage in Steel Challenge and find yourself completely missing an 18"X24" plate at 9 yds you'll begin to understand the skills it takes to survive a gunfight.

You'll never know whether you're any good until you compete. The combination of stress and the help you get from other shooters will make you a better shooter.

Compete.

 

[9mmepiphany]

I would recommend getting instruction in Shooting rather than Defensive Handgun.

If you are not putting your shots where you intend them to go, you'll never know if a new defensive technique is working correctly for you. You's get a lot more out of a tactics class if you can already shoot without thinking about it.

You might ask, "What level should you be shooting at?"

I would think an acceptable level of shooting ability would be:
1. < 2" groups at 5-7 yards in slow fire...I actually recommend shooting a series of 1" squares for 6-8 shots, only 1 shot per square
2. 4-5 rounds per second into 6" at 5-7 yards
3. < 1.5 second draws, to first accurate shot, on a signal from concealment
4. < 2 second magazine changes, from last shot to next accurate shot, from concealment

Practice and dryfire are great for improving your shooting, if you are practicing the correct techniques...if not, you are likely ingraining bad habits

 

[joelh]

Thanks for the reality check. My groups are probably double what you have indicated. I will seek out some individual instruction. I live in central NC. Any particular recommendations?

 

[Sam1911]

From our sticky thread on trainers:

North Carolina

Charlotte, NC - Defensive Concepts North Carolina - http://www.defensiveconceptsnc.com/ (091018)

Fayetteville, NC - Kyle Lamb, Viking Tactics - http://www.vikingtactics.com/instruction.html

Fayetteville, NC - Larry Vickers, Vickers Tactical - http://www.vickerstactical.com/Train...8Schedule.aspx

Lumberton, NC - Donald K. Allen, NRA Pistol & NC CCH Instructor - [email protected] (090809)

Matthews, NC - Tom Iradi, Eagle Rock Training Systems - http://www.eaglerockts.com/Home.html

Moyock, NC - US Training Center - http://www.ustraining.com/new/index.asp (090925)

Waxhaw, NC - Integrated Self Defense - http://www.isdnc.org/ (091110)

 

[Frank Ettin]

I agree completely with those who have recommended getting instruction. Improvement is not only a matter of how much you practice but also how and what you practice. Good instruction helps you learn how and what to practice.

There's a saying, "Practice doesn't make perfect; perfect practice make perfect." When you practice, you want to think about and pay attention to what you're doing. And "practice make permanent." So you want to sure that you are practicing proper technique, otherwise you become an expert at poor technique.

 

[9mmepiphany]

Here's a good one in Nebo NC next month

http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/451105858/m/7030033632

 

[longshot7.62x51]

One of the best tricks that helped me the most was "ball & dummy drills" this consisted of one or two snap caps loaded into the magizne with the ammo. since i didn't know when the snap cap would come up it would show the me and my trainer what i was doing wrong. i.e antipiciting recoil, poor posture, poor trigger squize and the like. this also had the added benifet of training me on imeadite action should the pistol fail to fire. (granted this is one trick that helped me.) but it sounds like you fire enough to maybe benifet from it

PS always keep you basic load sepreat then doing this as a snap cap will not kill your target.