How to Train on the Range
How to Train at the Range: Courses, Programs, and Drills
A question that is not asked as often as it should be is “what drills can I do to build useful firearms skills when I am at the range?”. While going to the firing range to just have fun is great, you need to make it a point to come to the range with a purpose. When you come to train at the range, come with a certain skill in mind that you would like to improve on. This is valuable time that, when used correctly, will help you build skills that could save your life one day.
Training and target practice can consist of many things, static targets, moving targets, specific drills, and many other things! The range facilities at Frontier Justice are perfect for your needs, no matter what way you like to train on the range!
If your preference is to train on the range alone, come in today and get a lane, it’s that easy! If you haven’t trained on our range before, visit www.fjwaiver.com and complete our online waiver! Whether you are looking to sight in an optic or practice your pistol or rifle skills, join us today to train at the range! Our dynamic target systems also allow you to train in a variety of ways! Moving targets can be used to help you press out, quickly acquire your target, and shoot with both eyes open as well. These programs and drills help you train on the range by giving you limited amounts of time to acquire a sight picture and fire, which can help sharpen reflexes, reaction times, and tight groups under pressure.
Drills to Help You Train at the Range
There are several popular drills and ways to better yourself 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 such as ours is ideal for isolation drills, like dot torture, failure drills, and reloads. Although our range does 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 at the range.
One of the more popular ways to train on the range is the Dot Torture drill, which is a target system and 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 on the range.
The Failure drill, made popular in the US by Jeff Cooper, is a simple drill, which 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.
Think of drills such as these as the Karate Kid approach! 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 training at the range and working to improve yourself can assist you in life-threatening situations and can be a lot of fun too! There are many drills out there, and many ways to train, whether it is on your own, or in one of our many programs!
Leagues to Sharpen Skills
If you would rather learn with a team, and with a competitive spirit, train on our range in a league! When in season, our leagues shoot every Tuesday night, in teams of four, with a variety of different games and challenges to test a shooter’s competency and skills. Working together as a team, with dynamic and varying games keeps shooters on their toes and allows for a fun and new experience each time you join us on the range! Training can certainly be repetition and drills to hone particular skills, but our leagues are a great, fun way to train at the range! If you are looking for more information on Leagues, go the Contact Us page on our website and an instructor will contact you with information. Contact the Range Check-in counter today to sign-up for the next league! If you don’t have a team, don’t worry–we can certainly help connect you to members of our FJ family!
Formal Training: Classes that Teach You How to Train on the Range
Sometimes you might prefer real structure and education with your training on the range. Frontier Justice offers a variety of classes that can help you on your educational journey! If you are just starting out, your training on the range could be through a Basic Pistol Skills I Class or a Concealed Carry Class! Both courses give you ample time in the classroom to learn technical skills and give you the opportunity to train.
Pistol Skills II allows you more time on the range, using barricades and movement to hone skills taught further. Courses such as this are smaller in number and give shooters more one on one instruction time. This class can assist shooters with multiple target acquisition and can provide unique ways for shooters to practice critical skills.
No matter how you decide to train on the range, join us at Frontier Justice. Our instructors and staff are excited and proud to be a part of your journey. Sign up for a class, league or just come on in and grab a lane. We are ready to see you and help answer the question of how you can train at the range!
Firearm owners should practice often and shooting can be expensive. We have memberships that allow you to shoot as much as you want for free. Just pay your monthly or yearly fee and you can shoot every single day if you would like. Check out our Memberships today!
