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Old February 6, 2016, 08:07 PM   #1
AL45
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How's your typical range session?

I am only able to shoot about once a month and it seems to always take a couple of magazines or cylinders before I began to shoot consistently. How many of you typically take a little warm up before you hit your stride?
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Old February 6, 2016, 08:08 PM   #2
TXAZ
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Yep, a little slow on the uptake, but after 5-10 rounds I'm good. Used to get to the range weekly, lately much less, but restarting for every other week, shooting 100-200 handgun rounds.
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Old February 6, 2016, 08:32 PM   #3
osbornk
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I try wander out to the back yard two or three times per week. It takes me a shot or two to adjust and I find my accuracy wander after 75-100 rounds. I shoot from my garage door so it's a very short trip.
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Old February 6, 2016, 09:40 PM   #4
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typically 2-3 5 shot groups, rifle or pistol
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Old February 6, 2016, 10:03 PM   #5
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My range is close. In the winter, I get out only a couple times a month. When the weather warms, I'm usually out there at least once a week.

I'm generally on my third cylinder full or so, when I start to line everything up and everything clicks together nice n smooth.
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Old February 6, 2016, 11:00 PM   #6
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If you want to learn how to shoot fast and accurately, get to your nearest competition match.
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Old February 7, 2016, 11:24 AM   #7
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Dry fire daily between range visits. Work on concentration on the front post and perfect sight alignment pointing at a blank wall. (Forces the mind to the sights).

Then work on smooth trigger break that keeps the sights still.


Just 5 min a day on each drill will probable give notable improvement in just a couple weeks.
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Old February 7, 2016, 02:16 PM   #8
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It takes me about 15 minutes of warm-up trigger time, for me to get in the groove.
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Old February 7, 2016, 02:45 PM   #9
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Yeah, I really need a bit of a warm up time too. Which bothers me a bit because if I ever need a gun in a self defense situation I doubt I'll get it.

Shrug.

One of Clancy's books (pretty sure it's 'Executive Orders') has an FBI agent that regularly goes to the range and shoots his 'for keeps' target first with no warm up at all. Sets up the target, does NOT check his carry gun, then shoots. Just like he might have to in real life. But it's a book, and he's an FBI guy.

You do the best you can and hope for the best...still sometimes I wonder if this quote applies to guns as well as parachutes...

'If at first you don't succeed, then don't take up skydiving.'
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Old February 7, 2016, 04:22 PM   #10
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I usually need a couple shots to settle down, but it's more when I'm switching between guns and calibers.
But mostly I have the opposite problem.
For me the crappy shooting comes later. I have to know when to stop and say that's it for the day or else I'm just practicing every one of my bad habits. My groove sets in after the first shot or two and then, depending on what I'm shooting, ends between 150 and 250 rounds.
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Old February 9, 2016, 10:28 PM   #11
Mike38
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I shoot handguns 3 to 4 times a month, 100 to 150 rounds per session. First I shoot the ammo in my carry pistol, for two reasons, to refreshen the ammo, and to make sure the pistol is working correctly. That's usually enough to get me "in the groove". Then shoot 20-30 rounds out of a snub nose .38 Special, mostly because I'm still trying to figure out how to shoot the darn thing. This is all at 5 yards. Then back the target out to 10 yards for some serious work with a 22/45, 60-70 rounds. Then depending on my mood that morning, out comes either my 92FS or M1911 for 50 rounds or so for some more serious shooting. Last couple magazines at 15 yards. About one hour time.

Outdoor rifle during the summer is usually a 3 to 4 hour session, all serious trying for those tiny groups at 100 yards, about once a month. Then end the day with some fun time blasting with an AK.
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Old February 9, 2016, 11:00 PM   #12
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I normally get to the range, do about 3 - 5 minutes of dry fire and then I'm ready to go hot. The dry fire gets me settled to my comfort level.

Then I'll put an average of 200 rounds down range practicing slow fire. I also do some speed shooting and weak hand drills. Weak hand is the hardest so I make myself do 30 rounds at least.
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Old February 10, 2016, 06:34 AM   #13
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summer months 3 or 4 times a week, winter months 1 or 2 times a week. I prefer out doors but depending on the temperature and snow depth am forced indoors.
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Old February 10, 2016, 08:31 PM   #14
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It's amazing how fast you can build up a little rust. Luckily I tend to shoot once a week. But I feel it in the first 5-10 rds if I don't shoot for a month or so.
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Old February 10, 2016, 09:22 PM   #15
darkgael
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Practice

Accurate shooting is a perishable skill. Frequent and proper practice is necessary.
I shoot indoors at 50 ft twice a week...50 rounds per session. I start with slow fire on an NRA B2 target. At least 20 rounds.... Maybe all 50. The rest are shot in strings of five - rapid fire.
Weekends are shot outdoors at 25 to 50 yards. Same drill.
At least once a month in nice weather, I will shoot 20-40 rounds of .223 prone slow fire at 100/200 yards...Colt AR.
Practice makes perfect. No. Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect.
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Old February 10, 2016, 10:16 PM   #16
Slimjim9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DaleA
One of Clancy's books (pretty sure it's 'Executive Orders') has an FBI agent that regularly goes to the range and shoots his 'for keeps' target first with no warm up at all. Sets up the target, does NOT check his carry gun, then shoots. Just like he might have to in real life. But it's a book, and he's an FBI guy.
I have done that. More than once. And I'm not an FBI guy. Not all the time and I can't draw from the holster at my range, but yeah, I've taken my first five shots from the low ready with my LCR. The last time I did that I had gone probably 4-6 weeks without shooting that gun at all and the result was, um, "less than ideal". Since then I've made it a point to get a few cylinders through it most sessions even if it's just standard pressure range ammo.
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Old February 10, 2016, 10:51 PM   #17
Nick_C_S
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My "normal"

I live only three miles from my range; so I usually get out about once a week. A little more in the summer; a little less in the winter.

My typical session is about 150 to 200 rounds. Sometimes a little more.

I usually bring only one gun. I rather like cleaning guns, but one a week is plenty Sometimes I'll bring two. Rarely I'll bring three.
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Old February 11, 2016, 09:40 AM   #18
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The Magic word today is "Airguns."
Even Sig is promoting their line of airguns for daily practice.
It works, too.
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Old February 11, 2016, 10:23 AM   #19
Bartholomew Roberts
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For pistol? I usually like to start with the basics: grip, sight picture, trigger control. I'll try for a nice, tiny group or to shoot out the X. I keep my eye glued to the front sight and make sure it is recoiling straight up and straight down.

Once I've warmed up a bit, I'll start working on draw, multiple targets, shooting at speed, weak hand, strong hand, shooting while moving. Whatever I have planned on working on. Sometimes I'll start cold with no warm up just to assess what my "cold bore" skill level is. A lot depends on the rules of whatever range I happen to be using at the time. Here in the city, you can either drive for awhile to a good range or drive nearby and barely be able to practice even basic fundamentals.

The important part for me though is the "warm-down." A lot of times, especially when you are trying to push yourself on speed, it is easy to get sloppy with the fundamentals. So while I may skip the warm-up, I never skip the warm-down at the end of the session (which is the same, work on the fundamentals). The warm down not only serves to reinforce good fundamentals; but it can be useful in reestablishing confidence after some of the disappointing range sessions where your skills weren't where you wanted them to be.
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Old February 11, 2016, 11:37 AM   #20
Branko
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Quote:
Accurate shooting is a perishable skill. Frequent and proper practice is necessary.
Perishable to a degree. Once someone has learned really well, they'll lose some of the edge but they'll be able to shoot well even after not doing it for years, and they'll be able to bring themselves back to speed pretty quick. Of course if you want to reliably shoot the 10 ring or straight Xs at 25 yards then you need constant practice, but shooting Xs at 25 yards with a handgun is beyond merely 'good'. Most hunters I know don't practice all that much between seasons, yet they bring home the bacon regularly with a rifle. 60-70 years ago, shooting rarely was the norm rather then the exception, and everything worked.

However, shooting is fun and nowadays we can afford to practice regularly, and that is good.

Quote:
The Magic word today is "Airguns."
Even Sig is promoting their line of airguns for daily practice.
It works, too.
Yes, this is a great thing for practice. I set my mini-range in the attic, 7 yards, a few cardboard sheets and stack of papers as a backstop and using post-it stickers for targets Inexpensive, can do it whenever I want to, and I just put the backstop away when I'm done.

Last edited by Branko; February 11, 2016 at 11:44 AM.
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Old February 11, 2016, 04:47 PM   #21
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Quote:
One of Clancy's books (pretty sure it's 'Executive Orders') has an FBI agent that regularly goes to the range and shoots his 'for keeps' target first with no warm up at all.
I think there is quite a bit of value at looking critically at your first target and the first five or ten rounds. I try to ask myself what those first rounds tell me about my technique. Looking at them critically can tell me what needs work, how consistent I am, what might have degenerated since my last shooting session. (I envy you that get to go once or more each week; my schedule only allows me to go shooting once a month or so.) On days that I improve during a session, it is often because of what I learned about myself by thinking about those first few shots. And as implied by Mr. Clancy, it is probably a better indicator of how you will do in a real situation than those targets in the middle of a session that cause us to take pictures to post online.
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Old February 11, 2016, 07:38 PM   #22
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It takes a bit to calm down and start grouping well. I sometimes get the "range jitters" as they're know. I get over excited and this can lower performance early on at the range. Once I settle down and settle in, I go into my "spirit zone" where my chi realigns with my Yin Yang sign and it's all smooth sailing from there.

Unless there's that guy with his SBR AR-15 with the freakin' giant muzzle break kicking thunderous fireballs downrange two feet away right next to me! LOL!
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Old February 11, 2016, 09:06 PM   #23
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Typical handgun session? All the following are approximates. If I find that some facet needs more work, I may add to one phase.

50rnds warmup, shooting for accuracy and practicing marksmanship fundamentals with .22LR, starting at 7yrds backing it out to 25yrds in increments (7, 10, 15, 20, 25yrds).

300rnds of 9mm on average (primarily 9mm, though sometimes another caliber, but mostly I shoot 9mm and primarily through my CZ SP01)

--first 50rnds for accuracy at varying distances out to 25yrds (shot strong hand, weak hand, and freestyle).

--Next 50rnds going from holstered on single targets at varying distances out to 25yrds (freestyle/strong only/transition to weak hand).

--Next 50rnds from holstered on 2-3 targets at varying distances out to 25yrds (same free/strong/weak).

--Next 150rnds from holstered, various stages with up to 15 targets, shooting on the move, shooting around barriers, reloading, freestyle/strong/weak on targets of varying distances.

Then I do 50rnds at defensive ranges with carry pistol (CZ P07 also in 9mm).

Lastly, 10rnds shot freestyle for accuracy at 25yrds with the .22LR again.

Repeat 2-3 times per month.

Some times there is some rifle or shotgun training (usually 1-2 times per month, about 300rnds rifle and/or 100rnds shotgun), where pistol will get used for approx 100rnds.

Plus at least one time per month doing precision rifle training (about 30-50rnds), where no handguns are shot. Warm up is done with a .22LR trainer for 20rnds prior to working with the centerfire rifle.

I use the .22LR to warm up, but at this point it's more about getting my mind clear of everything else going on in my life/the world and getting ready to tackle my training plan than it is to settle my shooting.

And yes, I do reload.
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Old February 12, 2016, 11:57 PM   #24
Overkill777
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Interesting, my first magazine or cylinder is usually my best group. I start getting jumpy after that.
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Old February 13, 2016, 12:39 AM   #25
Model12Win
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I'm just the opposite. My jumpiness goes down the more I shoot, until my hands start to wear out then I shake.
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