How do you practice?


A

A.Quigley

New member
I'm a member of a local club plus we have a public range close by. I shoot a defensive pistol match once a month and also try to get in some practice time in between.
I see folks at both places drawing from holsters or just sitting at a bench and shooting for groups, then holster and leave. I've yet to see anyone practice drawing from concealment.
That's the only way I practice. Even during the defensive pistol, IDPA type match, match I use a long tailled shirt just like I normally wear over my pistol.
Just curious if others that carry concealed practice at all and how you do it.
 

I try to practice the way I hopefully will never have to use it. To me, what is the point of just shooting a target without working on drawing from concealment wearing what I would normally be wearing and doing what I normally would have to do to get a shot off in a self defense situation. Personally, I'm not in it for the competition aspect.
 
Point firearm at target. Squeeze trigger. Repeat until ammo exhausted.

That pretty much sums it up for me!

Actually I practice quickly raising my pistol and double-tapping at ranges of 10-25 feet. That covers about 90% of it. I'll also do some offhand stuff every once in a while as well as shooting from the hip. 150+ rounds each trip to the range, 2 times per month on average with pistols. Rifles/shotguns are about once a month.
 
I do a little bit of everything when I get to practice (which isn't nearly as often as I'd like). That's probably why I end up going through about 2-300 rounds (sometimes more) every time I go to the range. Instinctive shooting from the hip, aimed fire after drawing from concealment, shooting on the move, long range (50 and 100 yard) plinking (nothing yells, 'You flinched!' like a bullet aimed at a small 100 yard target hitting the ground about 10 yards short)and multiple target drills. Some drills are done 1 handed, others are done 2 handed. Most of the time, I also do at least some work off hand as well. I like doing things in progression. Like my draw and fire drills. I start with drawing and firing 1 round and reholstering. I figure if I can get the first round off quickly and hit where I want it to (verifying that I have proper grip, sight alignment and trigger press), the follow up shots are going to be easier. Once I do a mag's worth or so of that (and actually hitting where I want to), I go to drawing and shooting 2 or 3 rounds on a target. After a little of that, I move to multiple targets (normally only 2 but sometimes I work up to 3). When shooting multiple targets, I work both left to right AND right to left equally. When I use 3 targets, I also sometimes work from the center out or, if they are staggered at slightly different ranges, I work closest to furthest or vice versa some as well. You will revert back to training under stress and I make it a point not to ingrain any habits like a automatically going left to right or right to left.

Bear in mind, these range trips are knocking the rust off things I've already learned, so I mix things up to spend some time on everything. When I learned each technique, I devoted whole range trips (multiple) to solely working on that one facet of shooting. For example, it took me about a year to get decent shooting off hand using a 1 hand hold- and that was shooting 2 rounds weak hand for every 1 round I shot with my dominant hand.
 
Every winter we clear a spot in the basement good enough for practice in a gym mat for all those falling, rolling and drawing from conceal and unconcealed positions exercizes. And we do practice often separately as time permit. I can't do it this winter because I had just had a knee operation last Monday and will need more than a month to recuperate so perhaps just perfecting my targets this time around.
 
In overland park we have a practicle shooters club that meets monthly with senerios set up to shoot in. sometimes its an,office diner bus etc. its fun and a great way to sharpen draw fire and discrecion on shoot dont shoot senerios. Not all targets are BG.
 
I shoot in my dress clothes because I hit the range on the way home from work. However, I don't get to practice drawing from concealment because it's an indoor range and they frown upon that.

At home I try to practice unholstering when possible (unloaded of course)
 
I haven't tried the falling, rolling and drawing. Might have to do some of that, unloaded of course. I try the do a lot of shooting on the move and for the past year have been working on shooting with my weak hand. I also shoot cowboy action matches and have been shooting double duelist to get better with my weak hand. (double duelist just means shooting each gun with one hand, left gun left hand right gun right hand)
Want to get busy working with my carbine but haven't as of yet.
 
2-3 times a week with S&W 317 (J Frame .22) in my garage range (Bullet trap) at 7-15 Feet. This is my "envelope" for what I consider a true SD environment where I live. Once every two weeks at Indoor range with 642 (.38 Spcls) 7-21 feet. I can keep all 5 in a 5" circle, shooting very fast, so I feel confident carrying my EDC. My main worry here is the typical "meth head" trying to mug me for drug money. I long ago decided that if I run into one of the IPSC MS13 scenarios of 5 gang bangers in the parking lot with AK-47s and hostages that I am going to run, hide,surrender or all of the above. This is based btw on 6 years experience in real combat areas (SEA).
 
Local range doesn't allow drawing from holster and shooting. I practice my drawing at home with snap caps and target shooting at the range.
 
I suspect most of us have exactly the same limitations.

I do the range firing and home drawing and "dry" firing also.

Best I can do, under the circumstances.

GG
 
I concentrate on the basics, breath control, trigger squeeze and sight alignment. I also practice my draw but I make it a point to practice it right not fast. I also make it point to continue the draw if I make a mistake because I don't want to get into the habit of stopping and starting over.

I used to have a security job where circumstance allowed me to walk the fenceline all night practicing my draw by the numbers ( I was waaaay out in a rural area where no one could see me). I practiced drawing probably 100 times a night. One night I startled a deer that was laying by the fence, it took off running and my gun appeared in my hand like magic. Practice doing it right and speed will come
 
Tucker's Mom said:
Every winter we clear a spot in the basement good enough for practice in a gym mat for all those falling, rolling and drawing from conceal and unconcealed positions exercizes. And we do practice often separately as time permit. I can't do it this winter because I had just had a knee operation last Monday and will need more than a month to recuperate so perhaps just perfecting my targets this time around.
Click to expand...

No basements here in SW Florida. Praying for a speedy and complete recovery with the repaired knee.
 
T Mom: I had my Rt Knee replaced last Winter. ABOVE ALL do NOT slack off on the rehab exercises.

In my preliminary research to getting mine done, the single common determinant of those who regretted getting the job done against those who swore they should have gotten it done earlier is the follow up rehab work. (... and it IS work!)

Just sayin'.

GG
 
Thanks guys...I know you love me as much as I do you too...<g> I am OK...the specialist I went to wanted to blame it on my practice falling in the basement. Ha! He reckoned I must have hit it with my gun...LOL...Naaahhh...I hurt myself gardening and rollerblading. Seriously I am glad I had it done. I was walking on the first day and was out of my crutch on the third day. Rehab is bad...too cold to get out of the house for something I can do at home in the warmth of our simple gym downstairs. First snow today too and getting worst by the end of this week...but you are right, GG -- rehab exercises is a b*t*h but it gotta be done. Sticking with it. I hate pain pills so I don't take them.
 
Tuckers Mom... Sorry to hear about the knee! OUCH! Had ankle surgery a while ago. Took 18 months to get comfortable with it.

Any rate... I practice similarly to OP. IDPA when I can. IPSC if I can make two a month. On other days during practice, I work on the draw and two or three in the target.

Slow, deliberate, smooth and accurate equals fast.

I do dry fire quite a bit at home. I try to run a couple of mags off hand at the range. Fortunately I am ambidextrous. We did an 18 shot IDPA drill and I shot better lefty than right. Guy behind me couldn't believe I shot better (more accurate, but not quite as fast) with my off hand. Less bad habits in the left hand. Frustrating.
 
I also make a point of firing w/out my Perscription glasses every range trip (I always wear my safety glasses)and I get my heart rate up before I start shooting and practice shooting after a 100 yard dash to simulate the effects of adrenalin
 
Tucker's Mom said:
Every winter we clear a spot in the basement good enough for practice in a gym mat for all those falling, rolling and drawing from conceal and unconcealed positions exercizes. And we do practice often separately as time permit. I can't do it this winter because I had just had a knee operation last Monday and will need more than a month to recuperate so perhaps just perfecting my targets this time around.
Click to expand...

YOU SHOOT IN YOUR BSMT?......Awesome!
 
snatale42 said:
YOU SHOOT IN YOUR BSMT?......Awesome!
Click to expand...
Why not? We love our basement practice...!!! Every Christmas we have a (1, singular) common gift for one another -- like last Christmas it was our youngest son's turn to buy that one gift for the whole family. He bought a bullet stopper and target. then the boys set it up right at the end of the basement. It's not big huge, but just enough to target practice with a 22. It's a little bit cramp there right now but eldest son (the most successful of our sons) said that he will help clear up some more space because he will travel with his family 8K miles to be with us, he doesn't have enough money to buy us a gift. Stinkyhead is having a house built somewhere in the boonies so we will forgive him...LOL ...anyway, practicing on moves and falls and hiding in corners are done more on the basement than anywhere in the house. We shoot at the range more, but with winter and me? fuggedaboutits! I am not prepared to stand in the cold and wait my turn while the boys shoot. They do. My loss.
 
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