How Often Should You Train with Your Firearm?
“How often should I train with my firearms?” is a question that may not be asked as much as it should be. The old adage, “You get what you put in,” could not be any truer when it comes to time spent on the range. Skills can be built, but they can also be lost easily. Frequency and quality are very important when it comes to firearm training. Ensuring that you utilize your access to training to the best of your ability can ensure the successful building of skills. How often do you need to train to become “good”? Frequent training at the range can be a big help and a lot of fun!
One of the biggest misconceptions in the firearms community really is that a firearm is like a hammer. A simple tool, that can collect dust in the drawer until it is needed. This is not the case, nor could it be further from the truth. Think of a firearm, your defense handgun, etc, like a car. You know it needs regular cleaning (oil changes), and you also need to put miles on the odometer. Just like it’s bad for a car to sit in the driveway, never being started or driven, it’s not good for you as a shooter to minimize the amount of time spent training. So, blow off that dust, and head to the range for some consistent and quality training. If you want a little training on how to train at the range, sign up for a 1 on 1 private lesson with an instructor today!
Drills to Help you Frequently Train with your Gun at the Range
How to train on the range is actually more important than how often you shoot at the range. There are several popular drills and ways to better yourself when you frequently train with your firearm at the range. It’s important to use drills that can isolate particular skills instead of just plugging holes in paper. Dumping magazines, recreationally shooting, etc. can be a lot of fun, but when increasing the amount of time spent shooting, be sure to also be training with your firearm. The great news is this training is just as, if not more fun, as you watch yourself consistently build skills and witness self-improvement as you train on the range.
Skills are acquired only through dedicated practice. Using specific targets and set drills, you can efficiently target specific fundamental skills and hone them long term when you train on the range. An indoor range is ideal for isolation drills, like dot torture, failure drills, and reloads. Although indoor ranges often do not allow practice drawing from the holster, you can begin in the low ready position, and can still practice pressing to and presenting your firearm. This is very useful and a great way to train with your firearm at the range. Again, these drills can only benefit the shooter to the extent that the shooter trains. Frequent training at the range can optimize your productivity in shooting!
One of the more popular ways to train on the range is the Dot Torture drill. The Dot Torture drill is a drill that helps shooters practice multiple pistol skills while using only one target. Shooters do different drills on each dot and continue to practice the entire target until they can shoot it effectively in its entirety. Those targets can be found online, free to print! Working through drills like this, which require repetition help build your skills significantly as you train with your firearm on the range.
The Failure drill made popular in the US by Jeff Cooper is a simple drill that requires the shooter to press to and place two shots to the body and one to the head on the target. This drill can be adjusted greatly while training on the range. Using our programmable target systems, a shooter can practice with moving targets, which provide a limited presentation and require the shooter to fire rapidly and accurately simultaneously. Start by doing the drill on a static target, and once the groups get tight and the fundamentals are down, begin using a moving target too! Additionally, you can incorporate reloads into this drill. If your CCW firearm uses a small single stack magazine, practicing speed reloads under pressure and time constraints can help you get that skill sharpened as well. If you’re are asking, “How can I train at the range?” this is a great drill.
Isolate skills through repeated simple tasks, then when you are shooting in matches, at dynamic targets, etc, you will find that your accuracy and fundamentals are now like muscle memory. Spending time frequently training at the range and working to improve yourself can assist you in life-threatening situations! There are many drills out there, and many ways to train, whether it is on your own, or in one of our many programs! One way to gauge your skills is by going through a pistol qualification course. We have top-rate instructors who can put you through a qualification course to gauge where your skills lie and where they need to be. Contact us today to get in touch with one of our instructors!
Memberships to help you train frequently at the range
Our membership packages can assist you in your journey to increase the amount and quality of training completed. Starting at $29 a month, you can shoot with a guest as often as you would like. We understand that frequent training can be costly, but it doesn’t have to be. By becoming a member, you will save money! Memberships make your dollar go further. One of the other benefits of being a member of Frontier Justice is rapid access to our lanes. We understand that life is incredibly busy, and finding time to frequently train at the range can be hard. With a membership, you will enjoy a quick access line for members only! Additionally, members are the only patrons of Frontier Justice able to make reservations for lanes in advance online. By becoming a member, you not only save, but you also streamline the process. This enables you to increase the amount and quality of your training! Join our community today!
