So you OC/CC, now how many rounds are you putting down range to keep proficient?

[THE REAL CAPTAIN JACK]

I shoot on my personal gun range twice a week 200 to 500 rounds at a time. I also reload my own practice ammo. Static shooting and motion drills with motorized targets in good guy/bad guy scenarios.

 

[cluznar]

After putting my first 200 rounds through my two carry guns within a week, I now shoot 50 rounds through each every other month.

:dirol:

 

[Clovis Man]

I shoot 50 or so rounds when I have ammo! Currently, I have 100 rounds of my own handloads, and a couple of boxes of factory ammo, so I will probably shoot some tomorrow.

 

[GlassWolf]

I put as many as I can afford and happen to find (these days) downrange, as often as possible. I did just buy another 1,000 rounds of 9mm and another 1050 rounds of .22LR.

 

[manawela]

Carried a gun on my hip for 34 years, started with a blued 38 fixed sight to a blued adjustable sight to a stainless 38 and finally to a SW 9mm, but it was never more to me then a tool. This particular one kept me safe, a screw driver keeps my stuff from falling apart. Now that I'm retired, I shoot even less then when I was on the department, but the point is. I know how to shoot, I know how to aim. Ammo is too expensive to be going to the range every month or week. I go to the range when I get a new gun, to familiarize myself with it, make sure it works and zero in. I am doing good if I hit the range once a year, but I keep myself familiar with my firearms with a little dry fire practice here and there, loading and unloading, draw and reholster, etc. You need to keep familiar with your tool to be able to use it right.

 

[Warrior1256]

I shoot monthly, number of rounds vary.

 

[88keys]

50-60 rounds every 2 weeks, just because I enjoy it.

 

[GlassWolf]

Carried a gun on my hip for 34 years, started with a blued 38 fixed sight to a blued adjustable sight to a stainless 38 and finally to a SW 9mm, but it was never more to me then a tool. This particular one kept me safe, a screw driver keeps my stuff from falling apart. Now that I'm retired, I shoot even less then when I was on the department, but the point is. I know how to shoot, I know how to aim. Ammo is too expensive to be going to the range every month or week. I go to the range when I get a new gun, to familiarize myself with it, make sure it works and zero in. I am doing good if I hit the range once a year, but I keep myself familiar with my firearms with a little dry fire practice here and there, loading and unloading, draw and reholster, etc. You need to keep familiar with your tool to be able to use it right.

Firearms proficiency is a perishable skill. If you don't practice consistantly and regularly (like weekly or monthly, not yearly if at all) you will never improve, and likely will lose any skills you developed in the past. Just playing with the gun all the time, and dry firing it doesn't really help you in regards to actually being able to hit your mark with the firearm. All you're doing is building muscle memory for draw speed and location, really.

 

[manawela]

I dont disagree that getting to the range more often wont benefit my marksmanship (slightly). The problem is, the cost in materials and time, doesnt balance out in my book. Even in the deparment,I only shot once a year at qualification, which included tactical live fire scenarios which showed me, I may not have have gotten my pistol master pin, but I was never that far off from the guy who got it who did spend half his free time at the range. Also, like I said I know how to aim, making sure you practice site acquiration and proper trigger pull are accomplished easily with dry fire and the smoke, sound, smell and recoil added in will not improve my perfomance enough in my book to warrant; 1. the extra expense and 2. Depleting my stock. Also, with most PD's, studies have shown the typical shooting scenario is up close, where you dont have time to use your sights. Half of the qualifaction run in my PD was point and shoot, no sights. The first 2 distances were 2 and 7 yards, one handed, only at 12 and 25 yards did we use sights. By all means if you have the time and bankbook to allow you to shoot often, especially if it's a recreation for you by all means go for it. I dont disagree it is a benefit, I just question if the benefit balances out the losses.

 

[GlassWolf]

Yeah time and money are always the sticking spots. I feel ya on that one. It just scares me when people buy a gun and assume that's all they have to do to be "safe." Police aren't an exception only shooting once per year. This is how we get so, so many accidental officer involved shootings of collateral civilians. Just having a uniform doesn't make someone a better shot than a civilian who shoots every week at a private range, for example, but this is the image the mass media wants people to believe when they push anti-gun agendas and claim that only the police should be armed.

Anyway, proficient is proficient, and if you are proficient with the training and practice you can get in, that's what matters. For everyone else though, just don't assume that having a gun, or using it unloaded in your bedroom in front of a mirror will make, or keep you proficient. The only way to learn is training, and the only way to maintain that training is practice.
Gotta build muscle memory.

 

[benq]

I run through an array of dry fire practices several times a week lasting no more than 15 minutes. I also visit the range once every two months, going through 25- 50 rounds depending on how well I'm shooting. A few times a year I try my hand at IDPA matches. It's a good way to break the monotony of dry fire and range trips.

I carry in condition 2, so I practice DA shots a lot.

 

[jtg452]

A range trip for me is 200 rounds minimum for all my carry guns, at least once a month- more often if I can pull the scheduling. On the range trips, I regularly practice off hand and strong hand, one handed and two handed with all guns in my normal carry rotation and throw in at least 50 rounds of instinctive firing from the hip with both hands with the primary carry gun to keep the rust from sitting in. If I'm going to prepare for a competition, then add the ammo I'm firing for that practice session to the total. I shoot on a private club range that has 50 yard deep bays set up for shooting on the move (lateral, forward and backward if you have the bay to yourself or there's a group that wants to practice that way) and multiple target drills along with a bay where we can shoot out to 350yards where you can shoot your rifles or stretch out your handgun shooting. Most of my shooting nowadays is on steel and/or reactive targets (gongs, falling plates, knockdowns,...). I run dry fire drills with each of my carry guns at least once a week. Good thing I reload and cast bullets or I'd never afford to get to shoot even half as much as I do.