I recently moved to Northern Virginia and to obtain a concealed carry permit I had to take a training course. Part of the course was an hour of 1:1 instruction. This was my first time ever receiving professional firearm instruction and I found it fantastic. I'm pretty sure I could have taught at least 75% of the course but I picked some some good tweaks to my grip and stance.

During the 1:1 instruction, the instructor realized quickly that I had a lot of shooting experience so we moved on to more fun stuff. He set the target out to 7, 10, 12 yards and had the edge towards me, I was in ready position and the target would turn and face me for 2-3 seconds and I'd put two rounds in it. That was so much fun! I had never done that before.

So I'm trying to figure out some training goals for 2020. I'd like to do more of that, maybe 2 rounds in 2 seconds at 15 yards? Doing that from the hoslter in that time? Or being able to pass the FBI qualifications just for fun, since I have a few FBI buddies.

What handgun training goals would you suggest or good benchmarks? Also, do any of you have some training goals you could share for inspiration?

Thanks!

I think shooting the FBI qual would be a good idea in line with what you are wanting.

I'd save up for a 2-3 day training course with a top quality instructor, you'll have plenty to work on after that.

Shoot some uspsa and that will tell you the areas of your game to focus on fairly quick.

Different agency qualifications are good to work on and fun at the same time.
I shot the Ohio State Highway Patrol qualification a while ago and failed the 1st time. 2nd time I passed because I took what I failed on and learned from it.
Different drills downloaded from various sites are helpful also. Think Dot Torture and so on.
Also something that makes you move. I've watched a few Pat Mac videos on YouTube with him running. Don't know that my knee would take it but movement is good.
My personal goal is to shoot more. Moving to day shift here shortly should help with that. I have a group of friends that shoot a PPC match every Thursday night at a local indoor range. I've been there a few times if I was lucky enough to not be working.

quote:

Originally posted by matai:
do any of you have some training goals you could share for inspiration?

If you don't have training goals, you're not training.
I like USPSA because it is transparent, you do it in public, it is easy to compare shooters and results literally across the country, it tests a wide variety of skills, and at any one given match there are no do-overs. This year a number of shooting friends and folks I compete with made an M class. My training goal is to close the gap as much as I can, in rankings and match placements.

Some really good stuff up at the Sig Academy and especially the private class by Todd Rasa .... Force on Force classes....

Its a whole different world when there is a guy shooting at you.

I agree that shooting without goals is not training, that's what I'm trying to fix.

I shot Dot Torture last night, I did bad, but am super excited to now have a method for tracking progress. I can't remember the last time I shot weak hand double action, probably 5 years.

I have 4 kids under 6, including a newborn. USPSA just isn't an option for me right now. Going to the range one night a week is what I'm averaging.

Anything else similar to the dot torture you'd recommend? I was also thinking I'd do edge and face and tracking that progress as well.

quote:

Originally posted by matai:
I agree that shooting without goals is not training, that's what I'm trying to fix.

I shot Dot Torture last night, I did bad, but am super excited to now have a method for tracking progress. I can't remember the last time I shot weak hand double action, probably 5 years.

I have 4 kids under 6, including a newborn. USPSA just isn't an option for me right now. Going to the range one night a week is what I'm averaging.

Anything else similar to the dot torture you'd recommend? I was also thinking I'd do edge and face and tracking that progress as well.

http://pistol-training.com/drills

Shot a few drills from this site. Most are pretty fun and get you to do something you might not have done before.
Been a while since I've done Dot Torture also.

quote:

Originally posted by matai:
Anything else similar to the dot torture you'd recommend?

Check out Lucky gunner series on YouTube "Start shooting better". Lots of good info and different drills.

Consider attending a course at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, N.H. Some great instructors and a great facility.

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/Courses/

quote:

Originally posted by HayesGreener:
Consider attending a course at the Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, N.H. Some great instructors and a great facility.

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/Courses/

I'm kind of partial to these guys.

https://www.sigsaueracademy.co...stol-opspec-training

It takes time, effort and money (Uncle Sam isn't paying my ammo bill anymore, and it gets expensive!)

A lot can be done with dry firing.
Here's the rub- you gotta be honest with yourself! Where was the front sight when the trigger broke?

A shot timer helps. You don't need to spend $684 on a top of the line. There's a few shot timer apps for phones that are good. I used the Surefire one for years, then got a new phone, and it wouldn't work. I also have an app from "time on target" called "Survival" that gives you a few different options on shooting drills. The fbi course is one of them.

For Training:
If you're in Northern Virginia, run, don't walk to John Murphy of FPF Training: https://www.fpftraining.com/

Justified Defensive Concepts is good too: https://www.justifieddefensiveconcepts.com/

Goals:
Dry practice at least 3 times a week, approx. 20 minutes per session.

Live fire, around 100 rounds every month to verify your dry practice program.

I would also consider reading this book and understanding any and all of the major points. Knowing when and how (legally) to carry and use your gun is just as important. There is a tremendous amount of bad information out there on the subject. Many of the subtle points are state specific too.

The Law of Self Defense: The Indispensable Guide to the Armed Citizen 3rd Edition
https://www.amazon.com/Law-Sel...id=1575483341&sr=8-1