How often do you practice?

[v-rog]

I'm curious to see how often most people go to the range and practice with their primary carry weapon?

I've been going to the range about once a week while I've been waiting for my CHL. I've managed to put around 900 rounds through the M & P. I might have to sell some more motorcycle parts to fund this bad habit...

[andy123]

I go twice a month. the first time I go i just practice shooting at the range. The second time my friend has a lot of land so we get to have fun. We will practice draws and other stuff like that. he watches me like a hawk to help me get better and the other way around.

[Middle Age Russ]

I agree with the old saying "Perfect practice makes perfect". Therefore, I think the type of practice is as important as the amount of practice. Some things you can practice well "cold" at home, such as drawing, dry firing for trigger control, basic reloading (with snap caps of course) and the like. Other things must be practiced "hot" on a range.

Keep in mind that standing in a static position practicing slow fire against a non-moving target is only perfect practice for static, slow fire against a static target -- not a likely scenario if things suddenly go sideways forcing you to react with deadly force. I think better practice is something that provides opportunities to draw and engage targets (either static or moving) while moving, using cover, and imposing some stress usually not felt on a static range. IDPA, certain structured classes, and even some informal sessions like andy123 alludes to can all be useful in this capacity. DA and I try to get out a couple of times a month, and probably go through 150-300 rounds each per month.

[G.A. Heath]

I try to make the range at least once a week, if not more often. However with temperatures being what they have been lately, no AC in my truck, a range in the middle of no where, and no one to serve as a range buddy in the event of an accident my range visits have fallen to one every 2 weeks and my practice drills are suffering as well.

[Weg]

I fire 20 rounds a week ( on my property ) through my carry gun, and get to the range about 4 times a year to do more extensive shooting sessions.

[CC Italian]

2-3 times a month. 600-750 rounds a month. I think I am going to start shooting more often less rounds. Hopefully 4-5 times a month and 150 per visit to the range.

[MMac]

I've been tending to go once or twice a week, but not always practicing with my primary carry weapon - I like to practice with my full size.

[Dave2]

A good friend of mine (he's registered here, but isn't active and I can't recall his screen name) and I used to go to the range every week. When he got his new job, he was too busy to go that often so we kinda fell out of the habit. It's probably been over a month since I've practiced with my carry gun. I was at the range yesterday, but I'd gone to test out a rifle, and I didn't have time to get to pistol practice before they closed.

[RockingRook]

I try to go once a week but that does not always happen. Probably once every two weeks would be my average.

Chuck

[Kirk]

I put several 100 round before I took the course and 2 days after I got my daily carry but haven't been back. No excuses I need to get back to the range.

[garcia946]

Once a week when possible if not twice a month at least

[steve817]

Was going once every two weeks. Then I started having issues with my elbow and dropped down to once a month. I'll shoot about 200 rounds when I do go.

[TDDude]

10 years ago, when I first started carrying, I would shoot about 1000 rounds a month. I worked close to a range and once or twice per week, I would pull in. The range was new and I was quite often the only one shooting so I was able to set multiple targets, draw & move and generally make up my own drills.

Well, I don’t work up there anymore, my kids are older (and busier), time is extremely short and I’m really only able to get out someplace once per month, if I’m lucky.

However, the muscle memory I gained by shooting 1000 rounds per month for a couple years is still with me. Now when I do go shooting, the first thing I do is to pull from at least a low ready position and run through a bunch of center of mass drills to make sure I haven’t picked up any bad habits and can still hit the X-ring when I need to.

Here’s a pic from my last session. Two mags, fairly quickly at 7 yards with one quick mag change. Previous to this, I hadn’t touched a trigger to shoot in at least two months.



The rest of my session includes several different drills. The one I like the most is filling the back of a silhouette with 2” circles, numbering them randomly, and then shooting the circles in numerical order. Then I might shoot even numbers, then odd numbers, then prime numbers, then backwards even numbers….. Whatever I can think up. There are a lot of creative drills that a shooter can do in an air conditioned room shooting at paper.

Someday, I’ll end up joining an IDPA club but with schedules and kids and budgets being what they are, not for a couple more years. Do you guys have any idea how much a couple young teenagers who happen to be top level swimmers eat????? You don’t wanna know.

The point of my story is not that I can do the “fist sized hole” thing because with real shooters going after a paper target, ragged holes aint no big deal. Rather at some point, we all need to get a little training and then take what we learned and drill, drill, drill. When that happens, muscle memory is then developed and will stay for years. In my case, I only need to shoot a few times a year to maintain a level that I’m happy with.

[texanron]

I'm trying to get back out to the range every other week again. I practice draws, mag changes and dry fires around the house daily.

[cougartex]

I usually practice twice a month, shooting 200-300 rounds each trip.