What is your practice regimen (or recommendations)?

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Greg Bell

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Guys,

Give me some recommendations on a firearms practice regimen. I practice with pistol and rifle regularly. My focus is self-defense, not formal competition (although I do compete for fun).

Anyway, here is what I do now.

1. 50 rounds pistol @ 25 yards. Straightforward target practice at bullseye.0
2. 100 rounds @ 25 yards Mozambiques from draw.
3. 50 rounds @ 25 yards two targets. One shot each in head.

Rifle...

1. 20 rounds prone @ 100 yards (irons)
2. 20 rounds rice paddy @ 100 yards.
3. 20 rounds standing @ 100 yards.
4. 20 rounds standing and rice paddy with buddy calling which target to hit (out of three).

That is what I try to do (some variations always crop up).

What do you guys suggest?
 
The targets from Fred's M14 Stocks are good, clean fun. I recommend "Fred's 24M Target Combo" for $26. The AQT targets are just fun to shoot, and having the timer running adds some stress and excitement to the fun.
 
I think you should (if possible) move some of your pistol targets considerably closer (perhaps 7 yards). 25 yards is great but since most self defense situations happen close I think it makes sense to practice at least a little bit for close, fast shooting.

Same goes for some of your rifle drills. Use several targets spread apart and close, shoot them on the move or turn and engage them.

You could also practice transitions from your rifle to your pistol so you don't stand around looking like an idiot if your primary weapon goes down.

Just a few thoughts,
Orville
 
I'd agree with the previous post.
Train for handgun at a closer range. 7 yards seems like a good number. Maybe even try pushing away from a target and doing a draw, point, fire type drill to sharpen your response time with a loaded weapon.

Rifle: you may want to try using some random yardages. No static yardages for which you can use a mil-dot scope to do everything for you. Place targets below 100 meters and up to 200 in random distance away. You could even use the system you already have of numbering them and calling out a number. using uneven and random distances can help you with your targets of opportunity.

I train with handgun from 1 to 20 meters. I try to shoot once a week, and I use my subconcious to determine how much. Sometimes I just like to go in and throw my wheelgun up at the target and fire one imperative shot just to see how I do. I then use the extra time to ponder on where and why the shot landed where it did.
With rifles, I use the method described above. I place targets at random distances and practice, not only shooting, but rangefinding without any gizmos besides my eyes.
 
Target practise is great, and the more often you practise, the better. HOWEVER, most practise is done with paper targets of some sort, at fixed distances, and you are usually well-rested and fairly comfortable when you shoot.

I no longer go to "formal" shooting ranges for you are quite limited as to how you can practise. Instead, I go out to remote areas in the desert where I can shoot at paper targets, reactive targets, "dummy" targets such as old clothing filled with some sort of stuffing, over-ripe fruits and vegetables, water balloons, "jury-rigged" moving targets (home-made), etc.

I also throw in some "realism" of sorts, by running a bit to get the adrenaline pumping before shooting, drink some coffee before shooting, and low-visibility (dusk) and total dark shooting.

While it's impossible to add TRUE realism in practise, the above-mentioned things add a BIT more to the practise sessions than the "same place, same thing" way of using formal gun ranges. Just be sure to adhere to a few rules EXTRA, such as not running WITH your firearm unless it is secured in a holster, and make sure that the range is clear during low-visibility shooting. Also, be sure to pick up your trash before leaving!

Lastly, I have seen gang members practising their "drive-by" shooting in one particular remote spot.
They were all drinking beer, then they'd line up the empty bottles near the dirt road, hop in their car and shoot at the bottles from the moving vehicle. If you happen to see anything like that, it's time to LEAVE!
 
Work on multiple targets at 7 to 12 yards or so.

Do some fast rifle work under 25 yards, and stretch the rifle stuff out to 300 or so. Any reasonable rifle caliber shouldn't require much or any zero change out to that distance.

Screw around a little bit. Try shooting some bowling pins, etc.

The more stuff you do with your gun, the better you will know the gun, and the more it will come to resemble an extension of your will.
 
Low light. Others have said that.

Have somebody else load your mags for you. Give them some snap caps and tell them to randomly add those to the mags. There are many things you need to practice, not just the ability to hit a target.
 
As I am already a good shot.....

I shoot whatever I want to that day, and when I get tired, I stop. No amount of practice will improve your shooting when you are tired........by tired, I am referring to being mentally tired from trying to shoot well......chris3
 
ball3006 -- not sure I agree with that one. Whether it's true or not, I believe the old concept that the body/mind interface works best when tired. Not to the point of exhaustion, but when pushed beyond the usual stopping point. Maybe I just listened to my old sensei too much, but it works for me.

It's like the last time I took my wife out shooting -- first I shot the '03A3, then the subguns, then the pistol, and finally went to shooting off twigs with a .22. Maybe I'm too philosophical about it, but I believe that some of the fundamentals of hitting a target are within that "mind/no mind" boundary, and trying too hard just doesn't cut it.

This is just me, I'm sure others have differing opinions.
 
being able to shoot well, why you are cold, tired, sick and sore. Is one of the thing's that sperates people in eltie unit's from us.


Chris
 
100 yards is probably too far for rifle training. 25 yards for pistol certainly is.

Move those targets in from contact - 2-3 feet, out to no more than 7 yards. If you're training for citizen defensive tactics, this is the range things will happen to you. Nobody is going to try to mug you from across the street. Things that happen, will happen within arms reach out to a few strides away.


I don't know your experience level, but learning to move off the line of force, 360 checks, TRB malfunction drills, drawing from the holster, learning how to stack and deal with multiple aggressors, etc. make useful drills.


Square range training will only get you so far. I'm convinced that to progress to the next level, one must experience some good force on force training. GOOD force on force training can be enlightening; poor FoF is not much more than tag, and has zero training value.
 
You need way more variety in your practice.

Pistol: Bill Drills. Starting from the holster, draw and fire six shots into the A-zone of an IPSC target (or the -0 zone of an IDPA target, or into an 8.5x11" piece of typing paper if you're on the cheap.) They all have to hit the A-zone, or the run doesn't count. Start at around five yards. When you can make 6 A's in 2.0 seconds consistently, move farther out.

Bill Drills are like bench presses for shooting. Nothing else is as good for teaching trigger control, acceptable sight picture, and high-speed weapon handling. Bill Drills are versatile, so mix them up - start from surrender position, strong-hand only, weak-hand only, while moving, throw in a reload, different distances, whatever. Figure out what you do poorly, and practice it until you do it well.

Multiple targets. Three pieces of typing paper, five yards out and say 3' between them. Draw and fire two rounds on each target. Again, you can mix this one up as much as you like.

Square drills. Good for practicing movement - lay out four shooting boxes in a square, maybe ten feet apart. Put three targets about five yards from the square. While moving between the boxes, fire two rounds into each target. Alternately, fire two rounds into each target, then move to the next box as quickly as possible, and repeat.

More later.

- Chris
 
Try to add organized competition. The ongoing effort to best your fellow competitors will drive all sorts of useful learning. Start with basic servicable tools, then focus on the process of making _yourself_ better, rather than your tools. When you get the skills you need, then you can use that skillset to frame the proper contemplation of upgrading or improving the tools.

You are far better off spending a month dry firing your basic sidearm and firing $100 worth of ammo than you are spending $500 on "upgrades" to the gun. Trigger press is the heart of marksmanship. Once you understand it, you might then get a decent trigger job done. You are even better advised to spend part of the ammo budget on coaching from someone who actually knows what they are doing, and can prove it.

You can fire 500 rounds a weekend and teach yourself a terrible jerk, and then "correct" it with a high-tech gizmo sight that is aimed off just enough to put your six-inch-at-ten-yard jerk back in the general area of the A zone.
 
Completely off topic: All this time, I thought you were someone else that I know. If you ever want to meet another Greg Bell who likes to shoot, let me know. :)
 
Competitive shooting, while not perfect is a good way to apply some outside pressure on yourself. Shooting with other's and allowing an atmosphere where they can heckle or "rattle" you out of your comfort zone.

Move while (or "and then") shooting. Practice this.

Gun fight's aren't quite like golf. They have yelling, distraction, Murphy, and adrenaline.
 
In wheelgunslinger suggested a push awayfrom target for close practice. It is just the thing I was told about this week.
A friend went to a range where the owner had put a duffle bag full of saw dust on a rope. He hung it from a tree limb, (20 feet). He loved it. Bag had some "body weight" and it charged back. Sounded great to me so I'm already looking at my place to set one up for myself. Can't wait to try it.
Mark.
ps: I'll take a roll of duct tape. I hope the bag will need repair after a few runs.
 
Shanghai Drill of 1920

Mr Bell:

Here is a description of a drill from the Shanghai police and the famous Fairbairn.

It's from yesteryear, and requires a facility you may only find paid for by taxes, however, the concept is facinating, and perhaps you could improvise, or simulate in the field somehow.

It would be a civilian's dream come true to train on a course like this.

  • one string of four shots: stationary target at eighteen feet. "Low, ready stance;" raise, fire, lower firearm
  • one string of four shots: four succesive bobbing targets at eighteen feet range; engage each at appearance, left to right.
  • four strings of one shot each: running target; advancing towards you from eighteen feet.
  • one string of one shot: advancing target from twelve feet distance; draw, chamber a round (they were issued revolvers, so use this as a semiauto tactical reload situation), fire.
  • four strings of one shot each: stationary target at twentyseven feet; fired from cover.
  • one string of three shots each: multiple targets under low illumination; shooter decides order of engagement.

I hope I have this right. If any contributor would care to correct, or express this drill more clearly, please do so.

Jim
 
RANGE2.jpg

RANGE.jpg


Like this?

Most all of the stuff I have read does use automatic handguns. They cover reloading and malfunction clearance with dummy rounds.
 
Drills anyone?

I ran into this page a while ago.

It lists the standards for:

Federal Air Marshal Tactical Pistol Course (TPC)
ASAA Combat Master Handgun Qualification
Accelerated Pairs
Failure Drill (also known as the Mozambique)
Reload Drills
Simple IPSC Drill
Malfunction Drills
Bill Drill (after Bill Wilson)
Tueller Drill (after Sgt. Dennis Tueller)
Wounded Shooter Drills
Stressfire
IDPA classifier
FBI qualifier
InSights Training Center Standards
Gunsite Standards
LFI Standards
Farnam Drill (after John Farnam)
El Presidente and Variations
Bullseye National Match
Miscellaneous Accuracy and Slowfire Tricks
Dummy Round Drill

Some fun stuff and some great drills.
 
"say not, 'i am an apostle of paul', or, 'i am an apostle of peter', but, 'i am an apostle of christ'"

handle your gun and shoot it till it is an extension of your person. till it is like your right hand. don't stop till it feels like a part of you. shoot often, and shoot straight. you are not ready to carry it until you know it like the backside of your ass.
 
CCW Pistol Rx

Once a month

5 rounds from draw at 2 feet backing up (group needs to be fist sized or better) X 5 "Sully's Bad Breath drill"

5 rounds from draw at 30 feet while moving (backwards, forwards, to either side, you pick) x 9

10 "Mozambiques" from draw at 30 feet (5 pelvic 5 head if you want to change things up)

I like to start slow and work on form then add a little speed toward the end of each set of drills.
 
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