My training buddies had our regular monthly get together this past weekend. We have a standing appointment at a local outdoor range to use the most out of the way pit every 4th Saturday.
What we are seeing is that this group of folks is getting better, collectively, and progressing in pounding these mechanics into our lizard brains. By pounding these mechanics in there, you free up your higher brain to do other things. When you can swap mags effortlessly, run your weapon without thought you are getting to the point where falling back to your lowest level of training isn’t a bad thing at all.
I called a couple of guys who lament their never doing any training and invited them to come shoot. They couldn’t….
One buddy wanted to check it out, he drove 2.5 hours one way to do so…
Desire to actually train is not something all have.
I see it all the time. Guys who carry a handgun semi regularly, own a few rifles they never touch and think they will just magically be John Wick when their world goes to crap in .0027 seconds one day.
Don’t tell me you took a class back in 2015, that stuff is gone if you haven’t been practicing it regularly.
You. Won’t. Be. Ready. If. You. Do. Not. Regularly. Train.
I don’t mean square range plinking. I mean practicing the real mechanics of real life weapon manipulation in a somewhat stressful environment. Buy a shot timer and use it. Do some drills, run them over and over until you get it right. Then run them some more.
No, it isn’t the same as someone shooting back, but any stress added is good medicine. Make it competitive. Talk smack to each other. Encourage each other. Talk about how to improve.
Go shoot a few matches of your choice. Don’t worry about the game aspect, use it as useful trigger time. Watch the fast guys, learn how to be fast.
Get out there and off the couch. Let the lawn go. Find a couple of guys who want to get better and get to work.
Carrying a gun does not make you a gun fighter.
Tick. Tock.
