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.
My
primary reasons for owning guns are (1) defensive purposes and (2) recreational shooting (not just plinking at distant targets, but defensive-style shooting at closer ranges, which is fun).
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.
VERY good choice. As others have mentioned, start with light .38 loads for practice, to get the basics down. You can move up to .357 later.
Work on the basics first - sight alignment (when about to shoot, transition from focusing on the target to focusing on the front sight, and make sure the rears are aligned with the front). Keep adding pressure to the trigger until the gun discharges; the alternative, yanking the trigger when the front sight is perfectly in position, will yank your shots away from the point of aim.
The most important thing anybody ever told me about shooting was the
four rules of gun safety:
(1) The gun is always loaded (or, Always treat a gun as if it is loaded).
(2) Never allow the muzzle to point in an unsafe direction (even when dry-firing, aim at something that would safety stop a bullet--a bedroom exterior wall that is brick on the other side, for example).
(3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to actually fire.
(4) Always be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
The second most important thing that anybody ever passed along to me was this mantra:
Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.
Good shooting is zen, not frenetic. Concentrate on the front sight and a smooth trigger squeeze, and you'll learn to shoot well. As the muscle memory develops, speed will come.
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.
Right now, I go to the range a couple times a month, and typically shoot 50-100 rounds with the 9mm. Much more than 100, and it becomes less helpful, IMHO. And that's with an 8+1 semiauto; 50-60 rounds per range session with a revolver would be plenty, methinks.
Ideas: Staple 6 playing cards (or 3x5 cards) to the target at 5 yards, and shoot each card with one shot COM.
Start from a low ready position, and practice raising the gun, getting a sight picture, and shooting one round at a card. Repeat.
Double tap 3 cards, reload, double tap the other 3.
Etc.
Make it fun. Because even though you are primarily in this for the defensive utility, you'll shoot more (and shoot better) if you enjoy it.
One more thing--go get some of those Silencio foam earplugs from Wal-Mart, AND a set of earmuffs that you find comfortable. When shooting,
wear them both. It will improve your shooting, if you are starting out; you'd be surprised how much perceived recoil (especially from a handgun) is a result of the muzzle blast, not the physical recoil of the gun. When the RO calls a cold range to go check targets or whatever, pull the muffs off so you can hear other people talk, but leave the plugs in.
Do you practice with snap caps, dry firing?
Yes. Just triple-check the gun to ensure it's unloaded, EVERY TIME YOU PICK IT UP, and still treat it as if loaded (don't point it at anything that couldn't safely stop a bullet).
How much ammo do you keep or store at home per gun?
Depends on the gun, but I like to have at least a couple hundred rounds per gun, minimum, in case I can't buy any for a while; that way, I don't run short if I want to go to the range a couple of times. I also like to have a "ready reserve" of two to four loaded magazines. If I owned a revolver, I'd probably keep two or three loaded speedloaders or moon clips, in addition to boxed ammo.
get one... even if you R one (or soon may be)
