Why do you go to the gun range?

Firearm Training
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This seems to be a silly question but in reality, what have you just done? Let’s say you spent an hour at the range and fired off 150 rounds. It was fun and you hit the target. Then this is when I ask you, “what did you learn?”
Did you run a drill? Why did you run that drill? What did you learn from that drill? What steps do you need to take to fix it? Did the drill help you improve? What did you see?
Nothing worse than spending money and time and not getting anything out of it!

Your grip is the number one problem when shooting. A bad grip will not give you the control you need when shooting. Do you have a secure hold of the gun?
Trigger pull is another problem when shooting. Having your finger in the wrong spot will throw your round either to the left of right. Not isolating your finger pull will throw your round off too. Then there is using your sights properly. This means using your sight picture and sight alignment. You need to focus on the front sight and place it into the center of the target with the front and rear sights aligned with equal space between the back sights.

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There are many drills that a person can use at the range, and they have their purpose.
Torture dot drill - The Dot Torture Drill is a marksmanship drill that forces you to focus on trigger control.

Bill Drill - performed for both accuracy and time. Your goal should be six accurate shots in under four seconds. Complete it in under two, and you probably have superhuman powers. It works on your draw speed, sight tracking, trigger control, and recoil control.

10-10-10 drill - ten rounds, ten seconds, at ten yards. This drill works on accuracy, concentration, and basic shooting skills.

Shooting and Moving Multidirectional Live Fire Drill: This drill helps you practice shooting while moving in different directions.

Shoot Two-Load Two: This drill helps you practice reloading.

Mozambique or failure to stop drill: Two rounds in the chest and one in the head in 2.5 seconds from the low ready. It works with your speed, accuracy, shot placement, and transitions.

Vertical line drill - Draw a line on a target and your goal is to hit the line every time. This drill will work with your gun control such as your grip, finger pull, and sight alignment- sight picture.

Another thing to do is go to a class and get some training. While you are in the class pay attention to the drills that you do and why they are teaching you this drill. That way you can do this drill on your own time at the range and improve upon your skill set. In a class you should get some positive feedback on your performance and see for yourself areas you should work on.

Ther are a lot of drills out there that work on different aspects of shooting and when you go to the range have goals that push you to improve your skills because that is why you should be going to the range for anyway.

Drills are an excellent way to build your skills and test yourself. They shake up a normal range trip and can help you hone those skills to a razor’s edge. Also, they happen to be challenging and a lot of fun, too. Put a few of these into your training rotation and let me know how they flow. What drills have you done? What did you see? What did you do about it? Are you seeing any improvement?

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I’ve said this before but maybe it’s worth repeating. Find a range that has competitive shooting. Drills are wonderful, and just when you think you’re the best there is, you shoot your first competition, get rated, and to your amazement you just ranked “novice”! It took me 3 years to make “master”. I realized very quickly that my definition of good, when compared to the ones I was up against, sucked! That’s when I I started to shoot 3 competitions a month. You may be better than most, but 2nd place against the best is still a toe tag. That’s why I went to the range; develop skills, see how I ranked against others, feel the adrenaline, and to learn mistakes, if not here, could cost you everything.

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And people should not be afraid to go to shooting competitions. Everybody there are there to compete, but it is a friendly competition, and people will assist and help you to improve. If a person wants, just go to one to observe how things are performed and what they do. I am sure you will enjoy it a lot!

Thanks Robert for dropping that advice, I hope more people would get involved.

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I go to the range and put a few dozen holes in sheets of cardboard marked with a bingo marker. My aim is simple proficiency - does the gun go “bang” when I pull the tirgger, does it operate as expected, does it put holes in the target where I am aiming. That’s it. A couple times a week I practice the draw / presentation and that makes up 80% of my training. About the only time I do “drills” is in a class, or with other shooters on the range doing the same to pass the time and socialize.

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The worst is when people go to the range not knowing what to do (other than make holes in paper).

I’m a huge fan of dry firing. The best and faster way to improve shooting skills is to attend classes, remember all the drills and repeat them dry at home. Not 30 minutes on weekends… 5 minutes every day. There’s no need to be tired. It must be fun and pleasure.
Then attend the same class one more time to compare your skills.
Always ask Instructor if you are doing drills correctly and if he / she sees improvements. You need a feedback.

I know there are a lot of dynamic drills that require multiple shots and checking the accuracy… but these days it so easy and cheap to buy and use any simulation system. Make your house your private range without any limitations.

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The only reason I go to the gun range is competition. Unless my wife wants to go because she is afraid of starting a fire. We live rurally and I have my own ranges.

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Great article as I have been doing this for a while now.

The funny (not so funny thing) is that I get told I am practicing wrong about once a month.

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I just like punching holes in paper!

Maybe I will hear a gong ring?

sarcasm

Seriously, I could use a few more training drills to use with my EDC at the indoor range, but I do frequently train the “Mozambique” drill.

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That’s why feedback is so important.
Never trust yourself in shooting skills while practicing.

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That’s why we use AR500 targets, now, we have these for distance. :sunglasses:

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Unless you are journaling your training you are wasting time, money and ammo.

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I have a plan each time I go out, and so far it’ is paying off. :+1:

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I also keep copies of my targets to validate and see my improvements or even my decline in accuracy and problematic shooting sessions.

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I typically shoot drills (many of the ones @Todd30 listed above). I “journal” by taking pictures of my targets. I also usually take videos of myself shooting. Sometimes you don’t know what you are actually doing until you see yourself doing it. So my range gear includes a tripod and phone mount for the tripod. I know when to go to the range when I am likely to get the range to myself. Usually first thing on a Saturday morning. Rifle range usually has people there, but I can almost always snag a pistol range for myself. My local range limited membership so we don’t get overcrowded.

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Therapy. Focus. Relaxation. I generally have an empty range, whether at the club or park… the club has an open pistol area, paved, so it’s good for drawing and movement. Last visit was 100 rounds of .22lr, Glock 17 conversion, 50 draws while retreating and 50 double taps from a belly band holster which I rarely use but found to be much better than expected. The rifle range is pretty hilly, being WV and all, so primarily offhand or bench from the firing line. The park is open fields for both pistol and rifle, so if solo, I run and gun, using the 25,50, and 75 yard backstops as barricades with an AR or AK…hot days, and being 65, I’m finding 1 mag is sometimes enough. I learned more when I moved more and shot less, so try to adhere to that style. I also find it more fun, though my knees hate me lol. Draw and move with pistol, and usually finish up with some bench rest shooting to cool down… sweat like crazy and makes me wonder about donning my helmet and armor should shtf. Getting old, dang, but incentive to keep doing the weights, hikes and bicycle.
Some time spent tinkering as well at times. I have my proven guns, as well as some I’ve been adjusting a bit. Always learning.
Tomorrow will be pistol, typical draw and move, but I think rifle will simply be checking out my .308 win and .300wm bolt guns . Haven’t shot them in awhile, and I’ll be on the hill. Milk and bread on the way home, 'cuz I’m a good husband lol.

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I go because I like the smell. :grimacing:

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Pre-CCW days, I was just “plinking.”
Now, it’s about proficiency.

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The last time I went I took a brand new 12GA to shot for the first time. What did I learn? I learned that I had to hold the bead about an inch below the targets to hit them. I learned that my shot gun worked much better on the 95 96 97 98 99 and 100 rounds than it did on 1 2 3 4…

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