How much do you practice?

[Gunscribe]

I have the time and cash to send 150 rounds downrange once a week with about one hour of range time.

I don't have any sort of dry-firing practice regimen.

I'm curious how much practice people are putting in, particularly folks who shoot in local matches.

-GS

[OldShooter]

Well according to my scores, I don't practice enough. I don't keep track, but I probably shoot once a week, not including competitions. And when I practice I try to work on the fundamentals, the number or rounds is not that important.

[oldkim]

How much practice.... is relative to how good you are. Is 3 boxes (150 rounds) good enough? Depends.

For someone new or needing to improve. I would definitely say no. If you are proficient then maybe.

What level do you want to be? A master? Then that's a simple no.

I'm in the middle and classify as a sharpshooter in IDPA just on the cuff of an expert. Maybe this year.

I'm not able to go every week but I do a good range session (4 hours or more) a month. I shoot about 400-500 rounds of center fire (lately its been 357Sig) and at least 1000 rounds of .22LR

You need trigger time with your practice.

[melchloboo]

What discipline are you talking about?

[darkgael]

Whatever discipline you are preparing for, matches are the best practice. Shoot as many as you can.
Pete

[Gunscribe]

i would like to shoot both bullseye and idpa at first. i suspect i'll take to one more than the other down the line.

does anyone out dry fire a significant amount as part of their practice regimen?

[Radioman]

Heres my normal cycle.

Week 1
1 day of practice minimum usually 2 days
Each day is 200 -22lr and 200 -250 9mm depending on handguns and 40 -.223
1 Pins Match one set with 22lr (35-40 rnds depending on how they fall) and one with 9mm (35 to 80 rnds depending on if I get them off the table in one shot)

Week 2
1 day of practice 200 -22lr and 200 -250 9mm depending on handguns
1 Pins Match as described above
1 IPSC Practice Match 3 scored stages with reruns for fun as time allows.

Once monthly 4 or 5 stage IPSC Special Qualifier Match

Thats the winter regiment. Once summer gets here its all up in the air. Summer around here gets REALLY busy.

Radio

[oldkim]

Your looking at Bullseye and IDPA? Hmm, both stress accuracy but that's pretty much where they part ways.

You want to be accurate but for IDPA (or USPSA) it's speed. The two disciplines are that.... two disciplines. Different positions and techniques.

From what I know of Bullseye your shooting one handed at ranges of 25-50yards. Accuracy is the focus - your score is based on it.

For IDPA or USPSA it's a factor of time and how accurate, you'll be faced with targets from in your face to about 10 yards, your shooting and moving for different scenarios. Your shooting two, strong hand only and weak hand only.

How much practice? Since your looking at two - might as well factor at least twice as much too.

Good luck and have fun.

[Ben Stoeger]

I practice every day.

[Gunscribe]

To be more specific about shooting both Bullseye AND IDPA:

I suspect I will start just shooting 900s with a 22. I am enjoying the Zen-like focus of exhaling, settling in to the target and slowly squeezing off a shot. I wish I had more time to put into it.

On the other hand, I imagine running and IDPA course could be plenty fun. Likely I will do that, too, with my 9mms and focus more on having fun than scoring high.

[oldkim]

Yes, do both. Shooting should be enjoyed. Both have their good sides. Have fun and enjoy.

[Wagonman]

Not enough

[Willie Lowman]

I used to shoot 100-200 rounds of .223 every weekend... Then I discovered practical pistol... So I shot 100-200 rounds of .40 every weekend... Then I went to the KCR shoot for the first time... After getting my Form 4 I shot 600 rounds of 9mm every weekend... Then the economy went tits up... So I do 20 minutes of dry fire, draw stroke, mag change practice three times a week and I shoot 100-200 rounds of whatever each month

[Dan The Sig Man]

Well I dont shoot matches yet, but for about the past 3 months I have been shooting 9mm Sig and .40 Glock each weekend. We usually shoot about 100 rounds per gun each (My wife and I). I would say on a normal sillouette target, I might have a total of 3-4 out of each 100 outside the 6"x6" square in the middle. I would love to shoot more, but right now, I am just shooting so that when I join the Highway Patrol, I will be ready for qualifications. I am also thinking about starting with my local club in the next month or so.

[RickB]

I used to shoot a match every Friday, and a match every Sunday, and that was all the range time I could afford. I did a bit of dryfire to practice specific skills that I'd identify as sub-par (reloads, for example), but didn't really have a practice regimen. After I got married and the price of ammo doubled, I didn't go to the range as often, so started doing more dryfire to make up for it. It's still often not any sort of schedule or drill, but just sort of reacquainting myself prior to a match; otherwise, I'd be showing up for a match without having handled my gun for a week, or two. Last night, as I surfed this website, I was snapping away at smilies and other targets of opportunity, reloading, etc., for maybe a half hour. I'll try to do that every evening for the rest of the week, so I don't feel rusty when I get to the match on Sunday.

[Steviewonder1]

In the 90's when I worked at and Taught at a Gun Range near Atlanta, Ga., I warmed up on the range daily (50-100 Rounds) before going in to Sell to the Public, while doing Open Carry, fully loaded. Now I shoot 1-2 times a week at my local membership range, especially just before a local match. I also re-load all my match ammo and switch to carry the DPX series of ammo after swapping over from the Hydro brand in mid last year. Get your stocks of Social Ammo UP now while you can.

[Dan The Sig Man]

Now this might sound like a stupid question and may make me look a little inexperienced as a shooter, but... Now when you guys are talking about Dry Firing... What exactly are you talking about? I always thought that firing a pistol without ammo in it would hurt the firing pin... Is this not the case? Can someone kind of explain how you are preforming this act, maybe it would help me in learning of the motions for IDPA and USPSA. thank you

[NGIB]

Using snap caps will prevent dry fire damage...

[Willie Lowman]

Dry fire hurting the firing pin goes back to the old SAA type revolvers where the firing pin was part of the hammer. The shock of it falling repeatedly on empty chambers would crack it and the pin would break off. It was taken for granted that it was something that you just don't do.

I can't speak for the guns of yesteryear that we all love, It will probably hurt old shotguns, rifles, Triple Lock S&Ws... I don't know. I do know that most NEW guns will not be hurt by dry fire.

To take down a Glock you have to dry fire it (release the sear)
I had a IMI Baby Eagle .40 once. The manual recommended dry fire to get used to the trigger pull/break.
I own a Ruger Redhawk that has been dry fired 3,000+ (?) times. The trigger is smooth as glass from that wear. Sure, I am putting "miles" on my gun but I have a homemade trigger job that cost me nothing.

Some manufactures don't recommend dryfire. (Beretta comes to mind)

You could call Sig and ask them what they think...

[Dan The Sig Man]

Willie thank you very much. that really explains it. What about Glock 23? I know that Glock does say to dry fire so you can take it apart, but what about OVER AND OVER for practice? If something were to be broke from doing the dry fire, I am scared that Glock or even Sig would not cover under the warrenty. I cant afford another $1000 to replace my P229, or another $675 to replace the G23 that is really my wifes.

[Gunscribe]

There is a lot of disagreement over whether dry firing can damage the firing pin -- and whether using Snap Caps does anything to prevent the damage.

I use snap caps. I dry fire a moderate amount. I have not had any damage to my pistols or revolver.

What the heck, I say just get a set of Snap Caps to calm your worries.

[teeroux]

Since i joined my club and started casting/reloading i fire at least 500 rd. every 2 weeks. Usually a trip to the range will consist of practice with one of my long-guns and then target pistols and then drills with defense pistols.

[Casimer]

I'm only about 10min drive time from my local range, so it's convenient for me to drop by when I have the time. The number of days weekly depends on the weather, and my work schedule.

For BE I have a standard 50 round session that I shoot w/ a 1911 - 20 vs 30 shots between 50 and 25yds. But I mix these up, depending on what I need to practice. If I'm shooting a 22, it's easy to extend this to 100 rounds.

For HP I'll shoot about 80 rounds of 223 on a reduced NMC course.

I've found that I get more out of my practice if I reduce the number of shots. It forces me to concentrate on what I'm trying to achieve.

[TEDDY]

cassimer is more on the right. to much firing tires you out and also you dont consentrate for each shot.I shoot 50 rds or 38 and 50 of 45acp max.I have fired competition 900s and by the end I go home and sleep.a standard bullseye match at 50 ft and 30 rds is tiring to.because of the stress. what kind of scores do you get???can you get score of 50 out of 50.what do you get??at 50 yrds a 45 out of 50??can you hit a ram at 200 yrds every time.
silouette shooters can.we are talking pistols.

[Dan The Sig Man]

Well saturday the Wife and I went to the Range and I went through 100 rounds of 9mm in my Sig and about 30 .40 through our Glock 23. She shot 75 rounds 9mm with her Sig P239, and about 50 rounds in the G23. We did both freestyle, and single handed. Lets just say that my wife scares me how good she is, She never misses a 6x6 middle on a silo target.