Training at home-where to start?

[Grendelshooter]

I’ve recently decided I want to get better with a pistol and don’t quite know where to start.
I’m no stranger to them, I’m just not really very good.
I have a regular military background-8 years 11C and did two tours in Iraq.
I know how to make a bullet hit the target, but I’m way out of practice.

Going to a course is unfortunately not an option-several small children and lots of animals mean I can’t really leave for very long at all, but I can shoot for a few minutes every day.

I live in the middle of nowhere-we own 40 wooded acres and are surrounded by many hundreds more. Nearest neighbor is more than a mile and a half away and across a river, so I have pretty clear fires in all directions outside of our property.

In my head there are 2 things I don’t know how to address-range design and drills to run.
I’d like to have a respectable general purpose range that’s more dynamic than a traditional lane-something I can build barriers on and start doing shoot houses again.
Off the top of my head I see a 30-50 meter square range with one side butted up against a hill for a backstop. Would that be enough space?

And drills…man, where to start?

[MegademiC]

Look up Ben Stoegers stuff on youtube and instagram (also check out practical shooting training group).

Dry fire the fundamentals. 90% of pistol improvement is dry fire.
1. Practice pulling the trigger without moving the sights (a red dot helps)
2. Practice draws how you will carry the gun (concealed or an exposed holster)
3. Practice reloads
A. The reload itself
B. Find your slow spots amd isolate that (grabbing the mag consistently, inserting it, releasing the slide, obtaining the grip post-reload)
3. Practice running - full out sprinting- with a gun in-hand
4. Practice getting a gun up and having a sight picture as you get into position
5. Practice keeping your hips low as you get into position and shoot

Hit the range to test raw accuracy, reloads, draws, and shooting getting into positions. Once you got it, start blending them. Mix in doubles drills and bill drills.

Then get Ben Stoegers book skills and drills.



Start with the fundamentals and keep practicing them. It all comes back to that. Attending a uspsa match 1x per month would really help too. Just getting used to running around with a gun in front of people is a greatly underestimated thing IMO.

[everready73]

Just look on youtube for training drills. There are a ton of them

I do dot torture and the 5x5x5 drill most times i shoot. You can make dot torture more challenging by starting at 3 yards and moving back as you progress

There are online targets you can print out for these online for free

Dry fire, as stated above, is really important as well for draw and trigger pull. You can buy dry fire targets

A shot timer is a valuable tool. Practice drawing and firing and work on your time. tons of things you can use a timer for improving your shooting

[ndmiller]

Look up Ben Stoegers stuff on youtube and instagram (also check out practical shooting training group).

Dry fire the fundamentals. 90% of pistol improvement is dry fire.
1. Practice pulling the trigger without moving the sights (a red dot helps)
2. Practice draws how you will carry the gun (concealed or an exposed holster)
3. Practice reloads
A. The reload itself
B. Find your slow spots amd isolate that (grabbing the mag consistently, inserting it, releasing the slide, obtaining the grip post-reload)
3. Practice running - full out sprinting- with a gun in-hand
4. Practice getting a gun up and having a sight picture as you get into position
5. Practice keeping your hips low as you get into position and shoot

Hit the range to test raw accuracy, reloads, draws, and shooting getting into positions. Once you got it, start blending them. Mix in doubles drills and bill drills.

Then get Ben Stoegers book skills and drills.



Start with the fundamentals and keep practicing them. It all comes back to that. Attending a uspsa match 1x per month would really help too. Just getting used to running around with a gun in front of people is a greatly underestimated thing IMO.

+1. There is a lot you can do with a pistol, holster, a few mags and some dummy rounds that would translate very well to actual live fire range work.

[Grendelshooter]

Yeah I need a holster and some gear first
Seriously It’s humbling when I think of how much I’ve ignored pistol skills.
I’ve got kitted out ARs, plate carriers, lvl 4 plates high cut ballistic helmets, thermal scopes and night vision…but I don’t have a holster for any of my pistols.

I’m susing through options now, but leaning towards hsgi padded belts. Having a bit of trouble finding a holster for my G48 mos but I’m sure there’s something out there.

Thanks much for the advice, as soon as the rain stops I’m going out to start setting up a range and get this going.

[ndmiller]

Just over a decade ago I was was shooting all pistol/shotgun (pump) and had never held a rifle in my hand. Joined here, read a lot, tried to avoid filling the house with junk buys and just got started. Now I can confidently shoot and manipulate a bolt or semi in a few calibers, but pistol is still my main discipline. Get a a quality moderately priced belt & holster, remove all the ammo from the area and just get started. In no time muscle memory will take over more and more and you can add some complexity.

[ViniVidivici]

Look up Ben Stoegers stuff on youtube and instagram (also check out practical shooting training group).

Dry fire the fundamentals. 90% of pistol improvement is dry fire.
1. Practice pulling the trigger without moving the sights (a red dot helps)
2. Practice draws how you will carry the gun (concealed or an exposed holster)
3. Practice reloads
A. The reload itself
B. Find your slow spots amd isolate that (grabbing the mag consistently, inserting it, releasing the slide, obtaining the grip post-reload)
3. Practice running - full out sprinting- with a gun in-hand
4. Practice getting a gun up and having a sight picture as you get into position
5. Practice keeping your hips low as you get into position and shoot

Hit the range to test raw accuracy, reloads, draws, and shooting getting into positions. Once you got it, start blending them. Mix in doubles drills and bill drills.

Then get Ben Stoegers book skills and drills.



Start with the fundamentals and keep practicing them. It all comes back to that. Attending a uspsa match 1x per month would really help too. Just getting used to running around with a gun in front of people is a greatly underestimated thing IMO.

This, every single bit of it.

Also, www.pistol-forum.com is an outstanding resource for all things pistol.

Particularly in the Drills, Practice and Test area, and Drill of the Week. Lot of good drills over there to learn. I bought a notebook and copied a ton of drills into it, it goes to the range with me.

Standardized drills will show you what aspects of handling and shooting you need to work on. Then you isolate and train those, and go back to the drill to register improvement.

Know this: you are in a PRIME situation to vastly improve your skills. Even 20 rounds a week every week, doing highly productive sessions, is FAR more beneficial than once or twice a year going out and doing a marathon 500 round session.

As far as holsters, see if Safariland makes an ALS to ride on your bat-belt.

Don't you carry outside the home? Tenicor and JMCK make great holsters for concealment.

The dry training to develop and maintain muscle-memory is first and foremost.

[Grendelshooter]

This, every single bit of it.

Also, www.pistol-forum.com is an outstanding resource for all things pistol.

Particularly in the Drills, Practice and Test area, and Drill of the Week. Lot of good drills over there to learn. I bought a notebook and copied a ton of drills into it, it goes to the range with me.

Standardized drills will show you what aspects of handling and shooting you need to work on. Then you isolate and train those, and go back to the drill to register improvement.

Know this: you are in a PRIME situation to vastly improve your skills. Even 20 rounds a week every week, doing highly productive sessions, is FAR more beneficial than once or twice a year going out and doing a marathon 500 round session.

As far as holsters, see if Safariland makes an ALS to ride on your bat-belt.

Don't you carry outside the home? Tenicor and JMCK make great holsters for concealment.

The dry training to develop and maintain muscle-memory is first and foremost.

Thank you, I’ll check pistol forums out.

I actually don’t carry out and about. Can’t carry at work (federal) and I’ve never really felt the need otherwise except for predator control and I take a rifle for that.

[ViniVidivici]

Roger. I live with a G19 on. HA!

Even if you don't have the need to regularly, good to have the tools in the toolbox. A holster, mag pouch, and belt combo that're trained with, adjusted, and vetted, that you can throw on when needed, that's just part of the whole craft.

Also, consider an optic for your primary pistol. WHOLE bunch of discussion on that, but it's been a game changer for me, in many ways.

Been shooting pistols for 30 years, been running an optic for less than 1, and it's a huge evolution.

[ViniVidivici]

Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself, belay that on the optic.

Don't pile on too much at once.

Transitioning to a pistol optic was easy for me, because I'd been training hard for some years, and was well-grounded in the fundamentals.

Folks who aren't in that place already, report great difficulty transitioning, as it's not quite as simple and intuitive as putting a RDS on a rifle.