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Some More Ideas for the Public Range

One of these is not like the other...When I first started practicing with the pistol at the public range, one of the better articles that I bumped into was written by Midwest Training Group then-director Andy Kemp: Drills for the Public Range. Andy's article covers a lot of common-sense basics that can be practiced at the public range and is good medicine for developing a lot of skills. I've put a lot of his ideas into practice while learning and, while I'm nowhere near the same league as Andy as a shooter, I'd like to offer some additional insights that may help develop skills.

Maximize the role of a .22

Wow, ammunition is expensive there days! Worse still, it seems like things are only going to get a worse for a while. With that in mind, I, like many other folks am saving my "real ammunition" for course-based training and matches. The good news is that while the price of .22 has gone up, it is still inexpensive compared to "real ammunition". Several online dealers sell lots of 500 at prices that most folks can justify - ~$20-$30.00

So, right now, you're thinking how this could possible help with shooting larger, "real" bullets. The answer is finding drills that focus on alignment and trigger control and not recoil management. This is the same idea as working on dry-fire drills at home, but with the added bonus of shot validation from actually shooting.

Envision, for a moment, the draw-stroke: the goal is to get the weapon into low-ready and extend into the sight plane. If your range doesn't allow you to work on the draw stroke, simply start from low ready and extend into that first shot. 

Another possible alternative is working the roll from position sul into a shot.

Ok, so you might be asking, "What are some other drills that focus on alignment and first-shot placement?" Here are a few more examples:
  • Grab the weapon from the bench and break a shot. Work on quickly firing using coarse aim and fine aim by varying target distance and size.
  • Continuous alternation from strong-hand to weak-hand, firing one shot until the magazine is empty.
  • Use the target below and shoot the large target then force an accurate shot on one of the smaller targets. (And the reverse.)

Plan the Work, then Work the Plan

This sounds so simple, but it seems that a lot of people hit the range and just shoot close targets of turn into machines that excel at spitting out once fired brass. Now, I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that, and if that is your cup of tea, then it's a free country and you can do as you please. 

However, if you want to develop/refine certain skills, then you have to consciously change your approach. This involves assessing your skills, choosing a plan of action that'll further your skill-level and a repeat of this process after you've recognized that attained what you initially set out to train for. 



Posted 11:13PM Sep 22, 2008 by MCSA