How much practice to maintain a minimum skill level?

[Big Boomer]

It entirely depends on what you want to do.

Accuracy, speed, handling, both?

At one point I had 10 years off from shooting. I was pleasantly surprised when I started emptying brass that I could still hit a bullseye like I had been shooting all my life.

Even skeet shooting I was still excellent. I guess it's sort of like riding a bike. I may not be able to do the trick shooting like I used to but as far as the basics, putting it where it counts, I still had it.

I don't get out as much as I like, and mostly it has been because of the cost factor I must admit. A simple range trip used to run $100-200 for a day and going through quite a few guns. Now that same trip cost me about $500-$600. I have to save and reload a long time to get that amount again.

I am the type of guy that if I am going to the range, I am going to make a day of it and shoot thousands of rounds. I can't drive 3 hours to the land to go plink 100 rounds and go every week. It's very costly.

I buy more guns now and shoot less often...I can afford the guns more than the ammo! Buying the guns are the cheap part!

 

[nplant]

Look, if you can't afford to get out (for whatever reason), you can always set aside 20 minutes every other day and do dry practice. Just make sure you have no ammo anywhere around you, and have a safe area to point in at, and it's probably a good idea not to use any permanent fixtures in your home as your "target." The idea that you have to make noise to build skill is a myth. For me, the noisemaking is validation of good dry practice.

 

[tblt]

I shoot every 2 months

 

[ZombieHunter]

Depends what you define as minimum. And it will totally vary between person. Before Monday I hadn't shot in probably 3 months and after three or four shots had my rhythm back and was putting my rounds on target...had one on the paper but off target out of 100.

So yeah, save up and get a .22 if you need more trigger time and try to better define "minimum skill".

 

[Catherine]

Quote:

I was relieved to know that the rent-a-cops at the gates of my military post actually have to qualify once a month with their sidearms. I suppose that's some kind of DOD requirement. If I had guessed, I would have said maybe once or twice a year. (Seems to be enough for the actual soldiers around here.) grr.

~~~~~

You have 'rent a cops' at the GATES of your military post here in the USA?

Blackwater, Halliburton, KBR, or from what company?

Interesting to note on the qualifications for THEM, the rentals - NON MILITARY, versus the real military.

Military - they are making you or some of them qualify less and yet for civilians = NON military - they are making them qualify more.

Thanks for the information.

Catherine - I haven't been on any base since Clinton was in office - years ago.

 

[Gunsby_Blazen]

Minimum skill level?? Practice??
I call all this fun, go have some fun!

And for self defense, I think thats the kind of like a thing that happens naturally when it happens. If you considered yourself a fairly good shot before, your not going to loose your ability at close ranges. Does that make sense???

 

[Catherine]

I think that it depends on the individual.

I would think once a month - bare minimum. Many rounds. Perfect practice as much as you can.

When I FIRST started to get into self defense, the shooting sports and buying my own guns not using his guns... back in 1998... I used to shoot several hundred rounds in 1 week. I used various calibers too - 9mm, 38special, 357Magnum, 45Colt aka long colt, 22LR and later on when I was given a S&W Model 29 - old one - 44Specials and 44Magnums. Sometimes I went to the range twice a week even if was a long drive. Later on when I joined the Sportsman's Club, in another county that was only about 11 to 15 miles away from my house, I went more often.

I can't imagine CCW permit people not practicing once a month or once a week or every 2 weeks. I would think once a WEEK but I could be mistaken. Again - I think that it depends on the Individual and his/her SKILL level along with them being a Newbie or Not.

Catherine

 

[Snapping Twig]

Keep an iron in the fire, drill on the basics, you'll be OK.

 

[papajohn]

I think as I get older I have to practice more to maintain the same level of competance. I shot competitively in my 20's, recreationally in my 30's, now I try to get at least 100 rounds from my assorted handguns a week, after rifle time is over. Bowling pins are still what I consider the best speed drill at 7 yards, but we also shoot clay pigeons on the berm at 50 yards as a standard drill, and they don't last long. I figure if I can hit a four-inch clay at 50 yards with some frequency, anything closer than that is in serious jeopardy!

Papajohn

 

[loop]

Like several posted before me, there is no easy answer. It depends on your ability, skills and goals.

I do know I reload about 1,000 rounds a month .45 ACP. I go through 150 to 200 rounds in two matches each month and don't tend to shoot the week of a match. That means I'm practicing with around 400 rounds in the weeks where I have no competition.

I also shoot around 15 to 20 other calibers, but irregularly so I really don't keep track of them.

Right now I have a blister on my trigger finger about a quarter-inch in diameter. I know I went through at least 150 rounds after it started.

I don't find much need for practice with rifles. They eye never seems to go away. Having good rifles helps.

Shotguns are a different story. Before bird season I shoot a round of sporting clays to get back on track.

I believe competition, IDPA, IPSC or even Bull's Eye, is the best way to improve your shooting. It's one thing to shoot against yourself or your friends. It is another thing to try to shoot to win.

I also find that when the pressure of competition is off, I do not shoot as well. I think having a couple dozen other shooters watching what you do adds a lot of mental pressure. When you find you no longer think about the other people present and are comfortable with it you become a much better shot - particularly under pressure.

The other thing about shooting a lot is it becomes very automatic. I had my first jam in six matches at our last shoot. The string included four targets with three rounds each to COM. Even with the jam and a mag reload I completed the COF in 9.4 seconds with all hits to COM. That's draw, fire three shots to COM, reload, clear a jam, for 12 shots. You have to put in a fair amount of range time to be able to handle that without getting flustered.

What is "enough" range time for you may not be "enough" for me and what is "enough" for me may be "too much" for you.

Establish your goals and your ability to spend your time and money and your training regimen so they establish a nexus. That will be enough.