Practice-Practice-Practice

[SI2011]

I have a new gun coming out of the DROS hold, a Ruger 22/45. I have some targets, a brick of ammo, and an Ultimate "Clip"Loader.

My question, do you guys have a practice protocol, or do you just throw as much lead down range as possible?

What I mean is that, for example, when I was on the swim team in h.s., we didn't just jump in the pool and swim 7,500 yards straight. We did drills, worked on technique, and changed up distances and breathing patterns.

Is there anything you do when shooting that is similar?

[Turo]

Any time I shoot I'm practicing trigger control, grip, stance, breathing, etc. But when I shoot, my main objective is fun. So I may feel like screwing around and blowing through 2 or 300 rounds without any regard to the fundamentals, but I usually start seriously working on them when I start missing the target .

But yes, when I work on stuff, I work on controlled pairs, going from low ready to firing 2-3 rounds, and mag changes. That's all mostly pistol stuff for defensive calibers. When I shoot .22lr pistols, I like to bench them and hit gongs out around 100 yards just to show off . With rifles, I generally don't work on those types of shooting, because I'm trying to master pistols first. By the time I get a nice AR or AK, I'll have pistol shooting down and will transition to rifles, working on techniques and that type of shooting.

[RandyD]

You are on the right track, create a practice program. You did not say if want to practice for accuracy or some type of action shooting. My suggestion is to find a book on your area of interest, and read it as a beginning. All shooting activities have the element of accuracy, so that could be your starting point.

[Librarian]

I usually do centerfire pistols for 'work', .22 for fun after.

Since it sounds like this might be a first gun, I'd recommend a class. Can't see where you are (no location in user profile) but something like NRA Basic Pistol is a good start. It's pretty hard to describe shooting skills, even in a video, but that often turns out to be simple to show in person. (I'm more of a 'consumer' than a 'teacher' of handgun info.)

[SI2011]

You are on the right track, create a practice program. You did not say if want to practice for accuracy or some type of action shooting. My suggestion is to find a book on your area of interest, and read it as a beginning. All shooting activities have the element of accuracy, so that could be your starting point.

I'm going to be doing most of my shooting at the local indoor range, so accuracy is my program goal.

[SoCal Bob]

Just a heads up on the Ultimate "clip" Loader. Some .22's have a waxy coating that can build up inside the loader. If rounds start hanging up then you may need to take it apart and clean it. Overall it is a great time saver.

Enjoy

[CaliforniaLiberal]

Just a heads up on the Ultimate "clip" Loader. Some .22's have a waxy coating that can build up inside the loader. If rounds start hanging up then you may need to take it apart and clean it. Overall it is a great time saver.

Enjoy

QFT

A light shot of lube in the Loader can help. You have to hold it at the right angle and bounce it a little. Maybe tweak the adjusting screws. Once you get the hang of it, you can load a mag in 5 seconds.

[as_rocketman]

I have a new gun coming out of the DROS hold, a Ruger 22/45. I have some targets, a brick of ammo, and an Ultimate "Clip"Loader.

My question, do you guys have a practice protocol, or do you just throw as much lead down range as possible?

What I mean is that, for example, when I was on the swim team in h.s., we didn't just jump in the pool and swim 7,500 yards straight. We did drills, worked on technique, and changed up distances and breathing patterns.

Is there anything you do when shooting that is similar?

Yup.

Take a class. Learn the fundamentals.

Keep a log book. Never go to the range without a plan.

Always try to shoot with a friend. Watch your friend shoot, have your friend watch you. If you don't have a shooting buddy, find one. Maybe at a class.

Before I go to the range, every time, I dig out my log book and read it over. I figure out what I did right or wrong last time with that firearm, and plan to work intensively on one or two things. Maybe last time my breathing was good, my stance was good, but my trigger control was lousy. Maybe I was flinching last time. Maybe I wasn't sure about my zero and need to get that sorted out first. Maybe my sitting position felt cramped and I couldn't get my NPOA. Whatever it is, I'll work on those and see what results I get on the target.

Above all, be honest with yourself. Don't get discouraged. Persist.

[9mmepiphany]

As an evaluation tool I like to have students shoot into 1" dots from about 5-7 yards, but only one shot per dot. I have them do this with everything form a 9mm to a .45ACp. By not shooting a group, you really see what you are doing when the shot goes off. A group tends to mask grip pressure and trigger management flaws...the goal is to do it correctly each time.

I would think with a .22lr pistol like the 22/45, you could shoot into 1/2" dots.

Depending on how you're shooting, you could dedicate a session to trigger or grip.

The Bump Drill works for some folks to discover how much pressure you can put on a trigger without letting the shot off...more applicable to action shooting than target.

There is also learning to release the trigger just to reset before prepping the trigger again

There are a number of things to practice, but the first thing you should learn is how to do each correctly, before putting a lot of practice into something less than optimal

[fiddletown]

A good NRA Basic Handgun class would be a good place to start. It will give you a good start on the fundamentals.

A couple of things about practice. First, practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Second, practice makes permanent. So, if your practice consists of doing things wrong over and over, you will become an expert at doing things poorly.

The thing about instruction is that it can teach you what to practice and how to practice it.

...There are a number of things to practice, but the first thing you should learn is how to do each correctly,...

Well put. And then, once you've learned how to perform the basic skills correctly, when you practice you can concentrate on doing each thing correctly. And that will help you reach the point of being able to do each thing correctly on demand. But the first step is still learning to do things correctly.

[RandyD]

If you wanting to shoot accurately, then make dry firing at home each day a part of your practice. In dry firing, focus on breaking the shot as your sights are moving towards the center of your target, and focus on not disturbing your sight alignment and sight picture during trigger pull and during the follow through after the hammer falls.

[russ69]

My question, do you guys have a practice protocol, or do you just throw as much lead down range as possible?

No, quality not quantity. Sight alignment and focus on the front sight, the keys to good shooting.

[HighLander51]

First you have to learn how to shoot a pistol, the fundamentals, stance, grip, sight picture and trigger control. Take at least a basic and intermediate handgun class, then go find a Steel Challenge near you. The 22/45 is the perfect entry gun for .22LR. And many local clubs run .22LR matches only, great for practice.