Firearms Training and Practice - Focusing on skills, not gear.

[Pretend To Imagine]

Like the title says discuss training and practice.

I’ve taken a few classes, the most valuable being force on force.

I meet with a group that gets together monthly to shoot practical drills. 200-400 rounds per month between pistol and rifle.

Luckily I have access to facilities that let you draw from holster, move and shoot, and have ranges out to 800 yards or more.

I do dry practice as often as possible and have targets set up. I probably do 10-15 minutes 3 times a week.

I’ve done competitions in the past, and it is a good way to be able to move and shoot if you have no other options.

I use the same firearms I carry and practical rifles. No gamer stuff. I want to be proficient with what I’d use.

 

[Justtocheck]

I've said this before. If you own a pistol, get a Bluegun equivalent that fits your holster. If you can, get it weighted like a loaded one. But the regular ones weigh like an unloaded one, so it's not much of a difference. They are polyurethane made and extremely tough. I know many people talk about using a training barrel or a laser cap. My philosophy is my gun is for shooting. I don't want to fuck with it more than necessary. With a Bluegun, you can train indoors without having a firearm out (even if inactivated), so that makes practice more relaxing.

People don't like to train when they are uncomfortable. It's cool to do a standing draw, but being athletic is important. Draw while leaning form one side out of cover, the other side, kneeling, with one hand, (left and right), two hands, with sights and point shooting. For blueguns, press the trigger and hold it. It helps for not anticipating recoil. You'll see your groups tighten.

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

I've said this before. If you own a pistol, get a Bluegun equivalent that fits your holster. If you can, get it weighted like a loaded one. But the regular ones weigh like an unloaded one, so it's not much of a difference. They are polyurethane made and extremely tough. I know many people talk about using a training barrel or a laser cap. My philosophy is my gun is for shooting. I don't want to fuck with it more than necessary. With a Bluegun, you can train indoors without having a firearm out (even if inactivated), so that makes practice more relaxing.

People don't like to train when they are uncomfortable. It's cool to do a standing draw, but being athletic is important. Draw while leaning form one side out of cover, the other side, kneeling, with one hand, (left and right), two hands, with sights and point shooting. For blueguns, press the trigger and hold it. It helps for not anticipating recoil. You'll see your groups tighten.

I just use my actual gun for dry practice so I can get trigger manipulation. My trigger still moves after gun is fired, but if you have a Glock you can use a cable tie to hold the slide out of battery so your trigger will still move.

Blue gun would also be impractical if you run an optic.

 

[High Level Rad Waste]

I've said this before. If you own a pistol, get a Bluegun equivalent that fits your holster.

I have two mags filled with snapcaps that I've written all over for around the house. I just make training days their own thing and stick to basic gun safety.

 

[Justtocheck]

I have two mags filled with snapcaps that I've written all over for around the house. I just make training days their own thing and stick to basic gun safety.

I just use my actual gun for dry practice so I can get trigger manipulation. My trigger still moves after gun is fired, but if you have a Glock you can use a cable tie to hold the slide out of battery so your trigger will still move.

Blue gun would also be impractical if you run an optic.

Yeah, I gotcha. I'm a bit paranoid, so I like to keep the functioning machine and the ammo separate from the training. I really, really don't want to be the guy who shot his leg or put a round in his drywall. Though, there are blueguns that can take optics, but if you use your piece to dryfire, then I guess that's cool too.

Speaking of training, for point shooting I used to use the pectoral as my anchor, now I'm trying hip. It's faster, but still a bit unsure about the safety with the garment. I carry at 3 O'clock with a jacket. I don't like foul draws.

 

[Club Sandwich]

blue guns are urethane molding around a steel skeleton. it was a popular thing to get a lead slug or slugs that equal out to 120 grams and drill a blind hole to epoxy the slugs into where a magazine should sit. the alternative is a blue gun that has the removable magazines (which cost more, but are still cheap overall, around $50-60 for common models).

 

[Lord of the Large Pants]

What are everybody's thoughts on airsoft for training? Both target shooting and vaguely simulated shooting at other people.

 

[Taser Confetti]

What are everybody's thoughts on airsoft for training? Both target shooting and vaguely simulated shooting at other people.

It could help you practice unit tactics/room clearing etc if everyone in your crew is taking it equally serious I suppose. Like Dollar General brand Simunitions.

To be fair I'm not a fan of .22LR firearms like the G44 and the couple M4 clones like M&P 15-22. I believe dealing with the recoil is an integral part of the training.

 

[Boney]

I think I've found my home. Thanks bros.

 

[Boney]

I've said this before. If you own a pistol, get a Bluegun equivalent that fits your holster. If you can, get it weighted like a loaded one. But the regular ones weigh like an unloaded one, so it's not much of a difference. They are polyurethane made and extremely tough. I know many people talk about using a training barrel or a laser cap. My philosophy is my gun is for shooting. I don't want to fuck with it more than necessary. With a Bluegun, you can train indoors without having a firearm out (even if inactivated), so that makes practice more relaxing.

People don't like to train when they are uncomfortable. It's cool to do a standing draw, but being athletic is important. Draw while leaning form one side out of cover, the other side, kneeling, with one hand, (left and right), two hands, with sights and point shooting. For blueguns, press the trigger and hold it. It helps for not anticipating recoil. You'll see your groups tighten.

Blue gun training good, but not sure I can agree with the logic.

What are everybody's thoughts on airsoft for training? Both target shooting and vaguely simulated shooting at other people.

Slightly useful for some tactile skills, slightly useful for moving and communicating with heart rate up, abysmal for "simulated gun fight" and shooting fundamentals. Do not train by doing airsoft. Train while doing airsoft.

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

For those of you using an optic on your pistol, what has been useful for proper indexing and maintaining target focus? It was a difficult switch for me after 20+ years of shooting irons.

I had heard to imagine putting the back of the slide in front of your nose from Aaron Cowan, and this was somewhat useful.

What helped me the most was imagining a small spot where I want the bullets to go and fitting the pistol to my hand from Ben Stoeger.

I also saw a video about the angle of your elbow during the draw and that does seem to make a difference. I think it was Baer Solutions.

 

[El President Camacho]

I just use my actual gun for dry practice so I can get trigger manipulation. My trigger still moves after gun is fired, but if you have a Glock you can use a cable tie to hold the slide out of battery so your trigger will still move.

Blue gun would also be impractical if you run an optic.

Yeah, I gotcha. I'm a bit paranoid, so I like to keep the functioning machine and the ammo separate from the training. I really, really don't want to be the guy who shot his leg or put a round in his drywall. Though, there are blueguns that can take optics, but if you use your piece to dryfire, then I guess that's cool too.

Speaking of training, for point shooting I used to use the pectoral as my anchor, now I'm trying hip. It's faster, but still a bit unsure about the safety with the garment. I carry at 3 O'clock with a jacket. I don't like foul draws.

Snap caps to run the standard malfunction drill's is s.o.p but for training when someone get's a hold of your gun and you have to fight them off the Blue Gat is where it's at.

 

[Boney]

For those of you using an optic on your pistol, what has been useful for proper indexing and maintaining target focus? It was a difficult switch for me after 20+ years of shooting irons.

I had heard to imagine putting the back of the slide in front of your nose from Aaron Cowan, and this was somewhat useful.

What helped me the most was imagining a small spot where I want the bullets to go and fitting the pistol to my hand from Ben Stoeger.

I also saw a video about the angle of your elbow during the draw and that does seem to make a difference. I think it was Baer Solutions.

Get some painters tape, cover the front of the optic. This will force you to keep target focus and overlay the dot on your target.

I have done so much occluded shooting and dryfire at this point I don't always bother taking the tape off when I'm done and carry it like that.

Improvment will come quickly and it will instill good habits. Not to mention all that time spent finding the dot and presentation is critical practice as well.

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

Get some painters tape, cover the front of the optic. This will force you to keep target focus and overlay the dot on your target.

I have done so much occluded shooting and dryfire at this point I don't always bother taking the tape off when I'm done and carry it like that.

Improvment will come quickly and it will instill good habits. Not to mention all that time spent finding the dot and presentation is critical practice as well.

I forgot to mention that I do practice occlusion. It definitely helps with target focus.

I’m pretty comfortable with my current presentations with the pistol. It was a long road to get to where I’m at.

 

[Boney]

I’m pretty comfortable with my current presentations with the pistol. It was a long road to get to where I’m at.

WRONG! If there is one thing literally no one is good enough at its presentation.

It sounds like you've actually got a pretty good grasp on your personal training objectives. I would just recommend putting it all together every dry fire session. Start every drill from the holster and keep the tape on throughout.

 

[Procrastinhater]

Best advice I can give anyone is get into 3 Gun.
You dont have to be competition level to have fun and its a great way to learn skills you just cant get plinking static targets.
Fire and movement, rapid target aquisition, quick shots from the draw, quick reloads, changing between weapons, and firing under stress and all weather conditions.
Its also a great place to meet people in the hobby and learn from some of the best shooters on the planet.

 

[Justtocheck]

Snap caps to run the standard malfunction drill's is s.o.p but for training when someone get's a hold of your gun and you have to fight them off the Blue Gat is where it's at.

Bluegun Chuds, we can't stop winning! A retard in NSW (AKA the fucking Navy SEALs) decided that it would be a good idea to play CQB while dry firing. A retard left a round in the chamber and the RSO didn't check because he's a lazy fuck. Somebody got shot in the shoulder. Huh... perhaps a bluegun would deliver 95% of the benefits and 0% of the risk of such training.

But for realz, this is my fear and why I keep the ammo and the working gun separate from my training tools. Complacency is a bitch and creeps up on you when you least expect it. If it can happen to a SEAL, it can happen to anyone.

What are everybody's thoughts on airsoft for training? Both target shooting and vaguely simulated shooting at other people.

Imagine you have an ice pick, a thick and sharp one. You grab a person and you stab them through the heart and abdomen with it and then you punch a hole through the skull with it. It's nasty and gnarly and brutal. Well, that's what a gun basically allows you to do from a distance.

What I'd be worried about airsoft, is that you lose sight of the brutality of what you'd actually be doing with the machine. Because it feels like a gun, weighs like a gun, looks exactly like a gun, but it's really a toy. Now, many people use it to practice to supplement their gun skills and save on ammo. I can't comment on it. But my main concern with it is that the "toy" like quality of airsoft "guns" makes you forget how brutal a gunfight is, and if it happens, it might be a shock to the system. But as a tool, if you keep your emotions on check and compartmentalized, I think it could work somewhat. I have no experience with it though.

 

[El President Camacho]

Bluegun Chuds, we can't stop winning!

If they only knew how many times 300 confirmed kills Spec ops (mall ninja) meme shot themselves or students

Let's recap the basics
1:

Always Keep Firearm Pointed in a Safe direction​

2:

Treat All Guns as Though They are Loaded​

3:

Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger until You are Ready to Shoot​

4:

Always Be Sure of Your Target and What’s Beyond It​

I don't care how many times someone has loaded or checked all your mags, one fuck up is all it takes. Minimizing risk used to be common sense

 

[Pretend To Imagine]

WRONG! If there is one thing literally no one is good enough at its presentation.

It sounds like you've actually got a pretty good grasp on your personal training objectives. I would just recommend putting it all together every dry fire session. Start every drill from the holster and keep the tape on throughout.

I’m not saying I’m gonna stop trying to be better. I mean that I am comfortable actually carrying with an optic and can consistently present the pistol and have the dot on target

 

[El President Camacho]

Here's my routine if haven't been to the range in minute. I train with 22.s that are the same as my primaries; simple as. Always good to go on shoty and rifle but on carry pistol I'll always have to work on hand grip, trigger control and recoil anticipation (many such cases). I lost the link and the website might be dead but these diagnosis target's work wonders if you set your ego aside. Just search free diagnosis target's and print them out. Always be safe but try to make it fun so you get more out of your training.