how much is enough? practice that is....

[Mr.Goodtimes]

the title implies my question. now i know you cant get too much practice, but, what is a good reasonable ammount for to shoot every month to stay proficient?

If i make it to the range once a month, and do some drills with 100 rds rifle and 200 rds pistol (actually shooting drills, not just go throw some groups down range from the bench) , would this be enough? i may be able to handel 200 rds rifle. im trying to hoard a little ammo though for a magpul dynamics class asap.

there is a monthly tactical carbine/pistol match about 45 min from my house in which you need about 150 rds of both rifle and pistol, i was thinking about doing this once a month with my dad and am thinking that may be a good way to spend my ammo.

im a college kid paying his way and paying bills and ammo at the prices that it is, as much as id like to blow a case of ammo a month, i cant afford it.

Cheers,

-Ryan

[Failure2Stop]

It isn't how much you shoot, but rather how you shoot it that makes a difference. There is a lot that people with tight budgets can get out of dry-fire for the low, low cost of your time.

Now, to be sure, there is much more that you get out of actual live-fire. The first step is the investment in building the fundamental base and a real understanding of how to practice. There are a whole lot of rounds fired each year that do nothing more than kill worms. If the shooter doesn't know how, why, or what to do to improve, he will benefit more by saving those 200 rounds a month for a few months and seeking quality instruction.

[Kimbo]

You can never practice enough. Shooting is a perishable skill. I'm in the same boat as you as a college student. When I was in the Marines, my first two years I was a shooting fool. My platoon would get an ammo allotment for a month that a battalion would get for a month. So needless to say we had a lot of shooting. Then when I pcs'd, I barely got any range time other than the yearly quals. Now I barely ever go shooting because of school and no time. Hopefully I can make it up this summer. I would say try to go as often as you can. Times are getting rough especially for ammo, you could always practice with snap caps for malfunc drills.

[Mr.Goodtimes]

thanks for the help so far guys! im def. savin up for some quality instruction. ive been a shooter my whole life, and my dad was a police officer for 20 years (a good one too). My dad knows how to shoot and, it's something he taught me. So, in that regard, I was taught well and am what i would consider a very proficient shooter. i would rate my self with travis haley or costa but, i would consider my self above average. Ive been a martial artist most of my life and learned a pretty strong combat mindset not only from my dad, but from my Jiu Jitsu instructor (he was a force recon marine, an excellent man that I have a ton of respect for)

I do a lot of drills when i go to the range, and run malfunction drills with snap caps at home.

Im not sure how much i would benefit from a magpul carbine 1 course though. it seems like pretty basic stuff that i already understand/am proficient with. i could be wrong... will the instructors ever allow you to take the 2 class if you dont have the 1? i feel like i would benefit the most from a more advanced class, and since i can only afford one, i would rather do the more advanced course. Id also be doing the course with my dad, and anything in a 1 level course would most likely be stuff he already knew.

[R Moran]

F2S hit the nail on the head, as usual, its quality not quantity.

Most LAV classes see comparatively few rounds actually go down range. Ken Hackathorn told a class how to make the best out of 100rds, which is what most people bring to the range. Paul Howe teaches that about 70% of your training should be dry fire.

Pat Rogers also teaches that your skills begin to degrade in about 7 days.

I believe 50 rounds once a week, is better the 200 rounds once a month.
But, life happens, so do the best ya can.
All to often I hear or see guys shoot 4,5 or more hundreds of rounds a session, most of it turns out to be "ballistic masturbation" as Pat calls it. Often thru multiple guns, with no real training plan or benefit.

Paul Howe, suggests you go to the range, and dry fire a bit, then shoot some standard drills, he has some specific ones. He then evaluates his performance on those drills, and trains on the skills that he appears the weakest in. Pretty disciplined stuff, or at least go to the range with a plan.

Bob

[R Moran]

Take the level one class, take multiple level one classes from different and the same instructors.

I've taken the same class from Pat Rogers a few times, the basic class from Gonzales, Vickers, Howe, and numerous other training venues, and I still would take the basic course from anyone that I have not trained with before.
There is always something to be gained.

Bob

[Mr.Goodtimes]

Ill keep up the dry firing, its actually something i love to do after a work out when im cooling down or what not or when im just bored (not often).

i do the best i can, and im gonna try and figure out a way to shoot a little bit more often. unfortunately the local range is expensive (35 bucks a month) and a 20min drive.

this is when i wish i had property... i could step out back and put some rounds down range a couple times a month... with out a range fee!

ill def look into a level one class!

[CaptainDooley]

I know that everyone recommends classes and I'm saving now to start taking some - but in the mean time, are there some common drills that I can start running to make improvement? I'm one of those guys that goes to the range and just sends bullets down range with little to no plan. One solution I suppose is to put all my ammo and range fee money into the pot for a class, but I don't want to stop shooting altogether until I can afford to go...

[Mr.Goodtimes]

I know that everyone recommends classes and I'm saving now to start taking some - but in the mean time, are there some common drills that I can start running to make improvement? I'm one of those guys that goes to the range and just sends bullets down range with little to no plan. One solution I suppose is to put all my ammo and range fee money into the pot for a class, but I don't want to stop shooting altogether until I can afford to go...

were in a similar boat.

[oregonshooter]

http://www.youtube.com/user/VikingTactics