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I bought a SIRT training pistol. It turned out to be a great decision, but for unexpected reasons. First, it taught me to shoot with two eyes open, pointing and shooting - and do so very comfortably. Second, it taught me to shoot in low light.
Let me start by saying I do formal training, but this post is about what I learned from "informal" training. That is, sitting in an easy chair and pulling the trigger as often as I want, whenever I want, and in whatever light conditions I want.
I leave my SIRT pistol next to a recliner that I use for watching TV. Most nights, as I sit there, I will grab the SIRT and shoot targets scattered about the room such as lamps, door knobs, pictures on the wall, etc. (I don't point the training pistol at anyone or in an unsafe direction...I handle it like a real gun.) My recliner-chair-training takes a few minutes and is easy to do during commercials or if a TV show doesn't require a lot of concentration. Over and over, I can draw, point and shoot, keep two eyes open, and do so with the lights on or off.
As a fairly new shooter, my initial inclination was to shoot with one eye closed. However, since I can fire the SIRT over and over with instant feedback as to accuracy, I learned to shoot with two eyes open. I focus on the target, the front sight become slightly blurry and I pull the trigger. Now, when I shoot with my Glock, two eyes open and focusing on the target is natural. Plus, the grouping of shots is much more consistent. I never think about closing one eye because it doesn't feel natural.
Also, I will occasionally turn down the lights and practice the same ritual in low light settings. Draw, point and shoot, two eyes open...in low light. After hundreds or thousands of draws in that setting, learning to quickly acquire a target in low light feels comfortable as well. (As an aside, I am using the SIRT to try shooting from the hip, from a partial draw position that isn't fully extended and with my left (non-shooting) hand. I haven't tried these actions outdoors with my Glock, so I don't know if the SIRT will help or not. My guess is it will help.)
The SIRT doesn't help with learning to handle recoil, reloads, etc. However, if you want to learn to shoot with two eyes open, point and shoot, and learn to acquire a target in low light settings, it has worked great for me. Again, you can train in any room, at any time, in any light, and fire as often as you want to with instant feedback on accuracy.
Let me start by saying I do formal training, but this post is about what I learned from "informal" training. That is, sitting in an easy chair and pulling the trigger as often as I want, whenever I want, and in whatever light conditions I want.
I leave my SIRT pistol next to a recliner that I use for watching TV. Most nights, as I sit there, I will grab the SIRT and shoot targets scattered about the room such as lamps, door knobs, pictures on the wall, etc. (I don't point the training pistol at anyone or in an unsafe direction...I handle it like a real gun.) My recliner-chair-training takes a few minutes and is easy to do during commercials or if a TV show doesn't require a lot of concentration. Over and over, I can draw, point and shoot, keep two eyes open, and do so with the lights on or off.
As a fairly new shooter, my initial inclination was to shoot with one eye closed. However, since I can fire the SIRT over and over with instant feedback as to accuracy, I learned to shoot with two eyes open. I focus on the target, the front sight become slightly blurry and I pull the trigger. Now, when I shoot with my Glock, two eyes open and focusing on the target is natural. Plus, the grouping of shots is much more consistent. I never think about closing one eye because it doesn't feel natural.
Also, I will occasionally turn down the lights and practice the same ritual in low light settings. Draw, point and shoot, two eyes open...in low light. After hundreds or thousands of draws in that setting, learning to quickly acquire a target in low light feels comfortable as well. (As an aside, I am using the SIRT to try shooting from the hip, from a partial draw position that isn't fully extended and with my left (non-shooting) hand. I haven't tried these actions outdoors with my Glock, so I don't know if the SIRT will help or not. My guess is it will help.)
The SIRT doesn't help with learning to handle recoil, reloads, etc. However, if you want to learn to shoot with two eyes open, point and shoot, and learn to acquire a target in low light settings, it has worked great for me. Again, you can train in any room, at any time, in any light, and fire as often as you want to with instant feedback on accuracy.
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