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Interesting question, Glenn.
I have no formal training, but it is only because I do not have the financial resources right now. I certainly see the benefit of training for surprise situations, but I don't feel that I'm necessarily missing out. When I get a job after school there will be more time and importantly money for training classes, but in the interim, I have found ways to incorporate a more dynamic element into my personal practice. For instance, I shoot trap with a pump gun calling from the hip with a round in the stock cuff and attempt to load that round and hit the bird before it hits the ground. It was near impossible at first, but I have since gotten the hang of doing it rather regularly. My record so far with this technique is 19/25.
I've also gotten into the habit of shooting my revolver starting with a full cylinder and reloading every two or three bullets, trying to master the elusive art of keeping the revolver gassed at all times. After a few hundred embarrassments, I began to see results. I've also practiced dummy reloads at home with empty shells, which is harder to do than with real round-nosed bullets, making the transition to the real thing even easier.
The culmination of these little adjustments, at no extra cost to me, were some serious improvements when we held a no-holds barred practice session on private land. Slug changes with the shotgun became effortless, as did full and partial reloads with the revolver. It also helps your confidence, which is one of the more important survival tools.
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