I’ve written on this before. However, I think I’d like to expand a bit and so we have a new article. For the purposes of this piece I’m going to define “training” as learning from someone else and “practice” as going out on your own to work on what you learned.
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Training is great.
That’s what I said at first and I still mean it. I think you should get as much training as you can afford. Not only do you get to learn new things but you get to hang out with people who share at least some of your world view. And you get to have your techniques and skills checked out by a professional. Third party feedback is always a useful thing, especially if your trainer is competent and not one of those “my way is the only right way” yahoos.
There are some good internet places to learn things, of course. One of my personal favorites is Paul Harrell. He’s very much in the “do what’s right for you” mold. Also a little old school. Fires rifles offhand with open sights. Shoots pistols Weaver stance.
PDN is another resource. They can, from time to time, fit into the “only one way to do it right” category but if you ignore or skip over that part they have good information.
USCCA has some training resources. They do legal insurance for people involved in shootings, as well; I know next to nothing about that. I like some of their training stuff and their concealed carry reciprocity map is an outstanding resource.
Practice is better.
So you’ve gone to the class, hung out with some cool people, and learned some stuff. Now you have to make it stick. That means practice. If you wish to retain what you learned you must work on it. All of these skills are perishable: they don’t stick around forever. We all know that you never forget how to ride a bike. That’s not how firearms skills work. You do forget.
Look, pulling a trigger isn’t the world’s most complex task. Pulling a trigger while keeping a good sight picture and making sure your stance is good and that there’s nothing important behind your target all while under stress and with an elevated heart and respiratory rate is both complex and difficult.
You serve yourself by internalizing as much of that as you can. You must clear your cover garment without thinking. Your stance and grip should be automatic. Your eyes need to instinctively look for the sights.
You get all that with practice.
Where to practice.
This is where it gets tricky. The nice thing about training environments is that they’re set up to let you do all the things you want: draw, move, shoot rapidly, etc. Ranges are different. Some will allow you to draw but not all. Some allow rapid fire; some don’t. Since you’re in a little box “getting off the X” isn’t really one of your options.
I’m fortunate in that I can just go to a couple places I know in the desert and shoot. If I go early enough I’m usually all alone. So I can draw, move, shoot rapidly, etc. I can even run around a bit to get my heart and respiratory rate up. I can’t simulate the mental stress of a real shooting but I can certainly do the physical part
If you can find a place to go do whatever you want then you need to take advantage of that. Federal land, state land, a friend’s land with a good backdrop, whatever is allowed by local laws. That kind of practice is priceless.
I make sure I have a first aid kit and plenty of water with me when I do this, by the way. As I said; I’m alone. If something goes sideways I have to deal with it alone. I try to always keep that in mind and avoid frustration or impatience since those led to errors. And, perhaps, a hole in a chronograph.
You can do some things at home. Drawing from concealment is the most obvious example. It’s free, which has come in handy over the last year or so. Just unload the gun and practice drawing. At first you want to really focus but after a while you can do it while watching TV or web surfing or whatever. Just make sure you focus back in from time to time in order to ensure that no bad habits have crept in.
Dry fire is your friend.
While you’re at home you can also work on sights and trigger control. Unload the gun, pick a target (I use electrical outlets and wall switches a lot) and pull the trigger while keeping the sights the way you want them.
After you’re confident in those skills mix in the draw. Draw, aim, and dry fire in one smooth motion. Repeat. This will help develop the muscle memory you need when under stress.
At the range.
Do whatever you’re allowed to do. If you have one of the good ranges where you can draw and rapidly fire several rounds, do so. If you can’t draw but can rapid fire then do that to work on your recoil management. If you can’t draw and can only fire one round a second, well, do the best you can to make sure each of those rounds goes where you want them. You have plenty of time for each shot.
I’ve seen one range where you had to be observed by one of their employees for a bit in order to get permission to draw. If that’s the case at your range then do that. It’s worth it.
Conclusion
As I said at the top, I’m all for training. Training without practice is a waste of time and money. Once you learn the skills and techniques you must practice to keep them sharp. Right after the training is the critical time. I try to get several days of some time in over the first two weeks after my class is over. After that, well, it depends.
I happen to work from home now. So drawing and dry firing is available to me pretty much all day. That means I practice daily. Not all of you have that luxury so I can only suggest finding as much time as you can whenever you can. It will only help ensure your skills are sharp if you ever need them.
