As defensive carriers, one of our responsibilities is remaining proficient enough with our firearms that we can safely employ them in defense of ourselves, our families, and the defenseless. But how do we know if we’re any good? How do we get better? How can we maximize our time on the range so that we’re improving and aren’t just burning through ammo (or, more accurately, “money”)?
This brings me to the art of goal setting. Goals, if they are to be achieved, need to meet certain criteria and be structured in a way that we know when we’ve crossed the finish line. They need to be attainable, measurable, and constrained with a deadline. That way, we can better put together a plan to achieve them. What does this look like for the developing shooter (and we’re all developing shooters, if you aren’t in the process of developing your skills, then you’re actively losing them)?
There are two types of goals for the shooter: accuracy goals and speed goals. A shooter can only work on one of the two aspects at any given moment. If I’m working on accuracy, then I’m not concerned with how fast I’m being accurate, and, conversely, if I’m working on developing my speed, then I allow my constraints on accuracy to loosen up (provided the rounds are still impacting a safe backstop).
For a new shooter, developing fundamentals, the goal might be structured something like this, “Within four weeks (28 days), I will be able to shoot a group of 20 rounds at a paper plate from 10 yards and have 90% (18 out of 20) be on the plate.” This goal is achievable, capable of being measured (by both group-size and number of rounds), and has a clear deadline. It allows you to go to the range and practice your marksmanship. The last thing we’d want to be is inaccurate when using a firearm to defend ourselves (every bullet you fire has two things attached – your name and a lawyer). You could easily put together a range plan to work on this.
As you progress, you could increase distance or shrink the groups size, adjusting a variable to make the task harder, thus improving your skill. This process could continue indefinitely.
When considering defensive applications, or competition, we do need to pay attention to speed. If you are unable to present your firearm, under stress, in a reasonable amount of time, then you might become a victim while your gun is still in the holster.
This brings me to the “tools” aspect of this article. Every shooter would benefit from owning a shot timer. These devices tell how quickly you can complete various tasks. They will give you a loud “BEEP” indicating a start, then record the shots you fire, giving you an exact time from beep to the shot or shots fired.
The other thing these devices will do is provide a par time. You can set them so that you are provided with a first beep (the “Go” signal) and a second beep (the “Stop” signal). This is highly useful for dry-fire practice. Dry-fire is the practicing of gun manipulations without ammo in the gun. MAKE SURE YOU ALWAYS CONFIRM THE GUN IS UNLOADED AND ABIDE BY THE UNIVERSAL FIREARM SAFETY RULES DURING DRY-FIRE. I like to have my wife confirm that a gun is unloaded before I begin my own dry-fire practice. An extra set of eyes to ensure safety is always a good decision.
In my own practice, for instance, one of the uses I have for a shot timer is to time how long it takes me to get my gun out of my holster and make an accurate shot on a target. During dry-fire, I use the par-time function to practice the draw and presentation, using a target taped to a wall, a sticky note, or a light switch as something at which to aim. Then, at the range during live-fire practice, I confirm what I practiced during dry-fire.
A goal for this type of practice might look something like this, “Within four weeks I will be able to draw my gun and place a hit on a paper plate at 5 yards within three seconds.” As you progress on your journey, you can alter variables to increase your skill – shrinking the target, increasing the distance, or decreasing your time.
There are many different shot timers out there, ranging from the low $100’s to upwards of $250. The more expensive, the more features. My first shot timer is still around, though I have invested in a more feature rich platform since. It still works well and is easy to use. If I was purchasing my first one today, I would purchase the PACT Club Timer III or the Shooter’s Global (SG) Go. Links can be found under the images. We get no money from these links; they’re simply provided out of convenience. I highly recommend including one in your range bag as you seek to increase your skills.
Set good goals, increase your skills, and be ready to protect those you love.
