Ive been doing quite a bit of reading and watching youtube etc, as handguns in general are my weakest firearm type.
I really only started investing time in them about two (maybe 3) years ago ... what ranges do you guys usually shoot at?
I believe range practice should be deliberate instead of just blasting at single stationary target that becomes more of a waste of ammunition.
I got into shooting as an extension of my martial arts weapons training from teenage years to my twenties after my stint in the Army which led to USPSA match shooting. My martial arts masters told us that use of weapons is an extension of our hands/arms to project power at greater distances and both of my 4th and 8th degree master/grandmaster encouraged the students to consider incorporating firearms training as "Best of martial arts masters cannot move faster than bullet fired by a proficient shooter ... And when you get old, your reaction time and strength of punches/kicks will decline but you can still pull the trigger just as fast."
This is why I also learned to point shoot as I believe in having options in life and practicing to be able to shoot without the use of gun sights or eye sights under defensive gun fight or low/no light conditions is good to have under my belt -
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/trigger-control.834737/page-2#post-11244660
Point shooting practice at 5-7 yards:
When I teach/share point shooting with others, I have them imagine holding a very long barreled pistol with 5 to 7 yard long barrel that extends out to target to where they could literally "poke" the point of aim (POA) with the muzzle. Once this "sight alignment" is established and synchronized with "natural point of aim", pulling/pressing the trigger without moving the front sight/pistol as discussed in detail in this "Trigger Control" thread, bullet hole/point of impact (POI) WILL appear at POA consistently -
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/trigger-control.834737/page-2#post-11245649
So I teach my students to start their range session practice by initially establishing/verifying natural point of aim (eyes closed) at 5 yards and point shoot (eyes open) at multiple targets placed at 5-7 yards using Jerry Miculek's fast draw to bang technique -
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/trigger-control.834737/page-2#post-11245640
Among different range practice drills, I believe this fast and multiple target point shooting drill is perhaps the most significant shooting you can do at the range as it may just save your life by being able to draw and fire then place follow up shots on target before your threat gets off the first shot. And why point shoot at multiple targets? Well, life is not fair and you may have to engage multiple threats, fast.
Sighted point shooting practice at 10-15 yards:
Once they have mastered point shooting at 7 yards (Placing all fast shots in 4" groups around POA), I have them move copy paper targets further by 1 yard until they can place all shots at 10-15 yards. For greater precision shooting, I have them look past the front sight (POA clear and front sight fuzzy). Once proficient, I have them cut the copy paper target in half then quarter (Practicing with smaller targets help you shoot better and 1/4 copy paper targets are smaller than head shots
).
Target shooting for groups at 25 yards:
Since retirement, I no longer shoot matches and now primarily practice sighted/unsighted point shooting out to 15 yards. But for load development and accuracy testing, I will test most accurate loads determined at 15 yards out to 25 yards resting hands on sandbag/box or using pistol rest. (Increasingly aided by optics, especially 50-100 yard PCC accuracy testing)
With glaucoma and touch of cataract wearing progressive glasses, I am surprised (actually shocked) to still produce around 2" groups at 25 yards like this recent group ... Thank goodness arthritis hasn't set in too bad ... Yet.