Individual Development Area (Poll)

[Wes Janson]

In this question, you are really asking two questions, rather than restating one. Therefore, it is tracking two variables.

For instance, I may place more value on "X" -- and my "inventory" of "X" may be sufficient. In my overall plan, I still may recognize that something that I don't value as highly-- say "Y"-- is sorely lacking. My focus may well be to get "Y" up to speed even though I value it less.

No, I deliberately phrased it that way because the goal is to ask what ONE area you would pick as the first to be addressed. It may be the area you lack the most, or it may be the one you place the most value on.

My view is that training and practice are seperate things. I'll explain.

I grew up with some sort of firearm in my hands. I'd HATE to know how much practice I've had in my lifetime of shooting. Upon getting a new platform, I can get to the basics of proficiency with it in a few minutes. They really aren't that hard to figure out, and aiming hasn't really changed from what we knew as kids.

I view practice as getting used to the actual firing of the weapon. This entails loading, safety concerns, aiming, learning its recoil and limitations, and cleaning the firearm. This is the basics of that firearms usage.

Training is a whole different ball of wax. Depending on the training, you'll learn to push the limitations of the firearm and of yourself using it. You'll learn methods of handling the firearm in various conditions that you probably haven't considered or had need to consider as of yet. You may learn to shoot distances or courses where you can gain some useful skills.

I'd disagree. Practice is informal, but it doesn't mean it's unstructured. Slapping a mag into a weapon and dumping it downrange rapidly isn't going to be particularly beneficial, but you'll still gain some very slight familiarity/proficiency with the firearm. On the other hand, there's nothing preventing one from going out to the range alone and setting up a strenuous practice session. Practice won't teach you everything that training will, but if you take a shooter who expends 50,000 rounds of ammo per year at the range, and one who has only shot 500 rounds in a training course, I imagine they're both going to exhibit higher levels of performance (depending on the instructor, etc) than before. The catch is, it's going to be much faster to have someone standing there telling you how to correct your mistakes, and showing you the proper way to do things, rather than figuring them out on your own.

 

[Guitargod1985]

This really is a tough one.

I value official training very much, but have had none. The reality is that I feel constrained by both my financial situation and by current politics to buy as many "evil" guns as possible as quickly as I can.

Honestly, if I had a few thousand dollars I would probably end up getting more guns instead of going to GunSite or some place. Gun Site will be there for a while, whereas that shiny FAL may not be available for long.

Once I'm done with college and making big bucks (I hope), perhaps I will be more inclined to seek out some training.