practice

[preachnhunt]

I have been reading for some time here about how aim/shot placement is the most important thing in self defense as opposed to caliber, bullet weight ,brand of gun etc. The answer is "practice practice practice" I know.
Here's the question. How much practice is enough for the average person to achieve a reasonable proficiency? It seems like some here are advocating 300-400 shots a week. How much do you Really practice?

 

[kentucky_Dave]

The amount of practice really depends on the person.
A person who is a "Natural" will require a lot less practice.

You are developing muscle memory, hand eye coordination, and repetition to the point that it becomes instinctive to acquire and accurately engage the target area.
The number of rounds required really depends on how the person shooting can handle the weapon.
Make sense?

You cannot simply quantify the number of rounds because each person will be different.
Accuracy comes from controlled repetition, not shooting a large volume of rounds all over the paper.

And to really add a twist...
regardless of how much one practices, the effective use of any weapon is delivered by a person who remains calm and collected when confronted.
(as much as possible, obviously).

To answer your question...
I like to run at least 50 rounds a week through whatever weapon I choose to keep with me at that time.
A new gun will cost me a lot of ammo, until I am confident in it and can effectively place my rounds where I want them every time.

 

[3KillerBs]

I don't know how to define adequate. I wasn't able to go to the range last week, but this week's goals are to keep all the shots in the black of a B-8 shot one-handed at 25 yards and to shoot the spots out of some playing cards two-handed at 10-15 yards.

We thought the latter sounded like fun and a whole deck of playing cards is only 99 cents while B-8 targets are 2 for 25 cents at the range.

 

[loop]

I never shoot as practice per se, but I do shoot about 1,000 rounds a month of .45 acp. I only know this because of how long reloading components last me.

I shoot competitions twice a month that average between 60 and 100 rounds. So the remainder comes in other outings.

How much is enough? I know I could do better if I shot more, but I'm happy with the amount of range time I get now.

I know compared to the top competitive shooters my range time is seriously lacking. OTOH, I don't care if shoot as well as the top 10 USPSA shooters in the world.

My guess is that to be adequate the average person should shoot 100 to 200 rounds twice a month.

There is a drawback to putting a lot of rounds downrange - I become apathetic about hitting the target. The plus side is that when I want to hit the target, like in competition or hunting, I rarely miss. Been many years since I had to shoot a person who was shooting back and practice habits were, um, different then. Can't say how well I'd do now. I suspect better than I did back then, but only because I shoot a lot more now.

 

[Wildfire]

targets.

Hey There:
The type of targets that you shoot at could help. Get some IPSC styled targets and use them for your practice. In selfdefence little bulls eyes are usually not present. Stage them at different places and differnet ranges.
No need in getting way out there. 5 to 15 yards is more in the selfdefence range.
Learn to shoot with both hands. You never know when that might be needed.
Learn to shoot while moving also. You will not be just standing around in a SD deal. You may be trying to get out of dodge. Learn to shoot from standing , walking , fast walking toward and away from the targets. Even side to side.
Get down low and every where in between. This will teach you where you may be good and not so good so you can avoid certain moves if ever needed.
Be safe and have fun with it but be somewhat serious too.

 

[BrianB]

I read somewhere that solid, disciplined dry practice can correct a lot of errors, and is reasonably priced.

My personal experience is that it really helps my range experience.

 

[10-Ring]

I asked a similar question several days ago. What I'm finding is that if you have built up your muscle memory, it doesn't take alot to revive a skill level but, if you haven't paid your dues & developed that skill base, no amount of practice is not enough

 

[preachnhunt]

Thanks, All of your replies give me a good place to start

 

[preachnhunt]

One other related question. Can I practice a lot with a .22 and then switch to my carry gun and shoot fewer bullets to save $ or should I pick a carry gun and stick to it?

 

[Ifishsum]

The basics of good shooting are the same whether it's a .22 or a .50BMG, so yes, you can get good with a .22 and it will help you. There are important differences between types of guns that must also be learned however, for instance shooting double action revolvers or DAO autoloaders that can only be done by practicing with those types of weapons.

 

[lions]

it take roughly 3000 repetitions to develop muscle memory

 

[CWL]

Now that you've achieved quantity, you now need quality.

Start budgeting for, and take self-defense pistol training (NOT safety training).

It's like any martial art, first you stretch to build flexibility, then you learn the punches, kicks & combos.

 

[Okiecruffler]

And don't forget to practice for out of the ordinary situations. Shoot weak handed, practice clearing drills. And make sure you're comfortable with the pistol you're using.

I usually run at least 500rds thru my 45 each month and a few hundred 357's, but I've never thought of it as practice. Practice is what my mom used to make me do on the violin, shooting should be fun.

 

[GRIZ22]

it take roughly 3000 repetitions to develop muscle memory
__________________


That's the low side, I've read 3000-5000.

More important than the quantity of ammunition expended is the quality of the practice. Shoot more than 200rds an hour and I think you're just throwing lead downrange.

One other related question. Can I practice a lot with a .22 and then switch to my carry gun and shoot fewer bullets to save $ or should I pick a carry gun and stick to it?

It would seem to work but it doesn't. Back in the revolver days several LE agencies tried teaching with K frame 22s before going to 38s or 357s. They found that new shooters had to get used to the recoil and wound up spending a lot more time and money and did away with the 22s. The one exception I've found is using an airsoft gun to practice point shooting if you are already pretty well skilled with your SD gun. It works better if you find an airsoft that's the same configuration as your carry gun. It's also cheaper than any 22.

No need in getting way out there. 5 to 15 yards is more in the selfdefence range.


I'd do some 25 yd shooting. If you learn to hit the target with speed and accuracy at 25 yds the closer stuff is really easy. I routinely shoot out to 50 yards (even with a 2" J frame) just to know I can do. I'll even do some 100 yd shooting with a handgun once in a while.

 

[Ponytail]

I recently purchased a Kimber Ultra Carry in 45 and a Ruger 22/45. I have been using the 22 to practice the fundamentals of marksmanship (sight picture, breathing, trigger squeeze, steady aim, shooting stance). The 22 also has a longer barrel so it allowed me to be more successful early on (it's more forgiving).

I then moved on to the 45 and was able to transfer the skills learned on the smaller caliber weapon and shoot with precision and accuracy on the larger caliber. The fundamentals don't change just because the gun changes so I think it is practical to have both. Yes, I had to adjust to a bigger "kick" and a different "balance" and sights but that was all I had to learn. I was able to put my 22 down and pick up the 45 and put a 3 shot group into a 3" target at 25 ft during the same range session (see picture).

FWIW, I chose the Ruger 22/45 because it has a grip similar to a 1911 style 45.

PS - Never mind the .22 holes, they belong to my husband who was having an "off" day.

 

[Wildfire]

Good shooting.

Hey there:
That is good shooting for a Kimber Ultra Carry.
Not that they can not shoot like that, just saying that this is a good group.
At 25 yards .
I have fired countless rounds in IPSC shooting. and other. The use of a .22 for anyone let alone a beginer is fine. Shooting is shooting.
If you are a competition shooter you would maybe want to stick to the gun that you would normally use.
But I see no harm in useing a .22 for some fun and practice.

 

[Pat-inCO]

I read somewhere that solid, disciplined dry practice can correct a lot of errors, and is reasonably priced.

My personal experience is that it really helps my range experience.

That is exactly what Gabe Suarez recommends in his book "Tactical Pistol Marksmanship". I've been working on that for almost a month (over 1K dry fire) and it seems to be helping - a LOT. We'll see how much it does for me when I get to the point he recommends (over 8K).

and is reasonably priced.

Needs to say "and it is very reasonably priced!"

 

[TestPilot]

It depends on variety of factors. For initial skill development, it will take more training time than just skill maintenance.

It also depends on quality of training and the shooter's aptitude. Shooting thousands of rounds does not mean anything if the shooter is keep doing the wrong thing.

Also, how good do you want to be? Are you just fine with hitting the general center area of a torso size target hung a few meters away with in few seconds, or do you want to be able to utilize a pistol's full potential, such as shooting 25m or beyond and making good center mass shots at moving targets? It all depends on those.