Minimum Practice

[lrb111]

I found that they make some pretty realistic acting C02 pistols now. I had one fashioned after a Walther, that I liked. (son, snatched it.) Even had a decent recoil, and would shoot 18 bbs before reloading the magazine.

I would set metal coffee cans with their lids on, on their sides. That makes for a plastic pass through target and bb trap. It gives a target about the same as an IDPA center I would set several, in different set-ups, then run scenarios.

I suppose one could even do this inside a garage, or similar location by placing the cans in front of a slanted piece of plywood to deflect the misses to the floor.

I( know how ya'll think, so if you are already thinking about setting up "bad guys" around your home for a house clearing exercise, and you are caught by your SO... you are on your own..

[Mike1951]

I found that they make some pretty realistic acting C02 pistols now. I had one fashioned after a Walther, that I liked. (son, snatched it.) Even had a decent recoil, and would shoot 18 bbs before reloading the magazine.

Make sure you handle whatever you are considering buying. I ordered one of the Colt trademarked, Italian made (I think) 1911's only to find the grip much thicker due to the CO2 cartridge. As a result, it is NOTHING like a real 1911.

I made up some wax bullets years ago. IIRC, I used a small amount of powder, made a cardboard wad and inserted it into the case, and topped it off with paraffin. I found they would still put a dent about 3/16"-1/4" deep into plywood.

Speer makes plastic practice cases and bullets in .38 Spcl. You put the bullet in the case and insert a primer with your fingers. They are reusable, so velocity is minimal.

Unless I overlooked it, I didn't see any mention of dry fire practice, which can be very productive.

It goes without saying to follow all safety precautions and allow no ammo nearby.

[CompVest]

I( know how ya'll think, so if you are already thinking about setting up "bad guys" around your home for a house clearing exercise, and you are caught by your SO... you are on your own..

Been there! By the way try spraying your targets with spray adhesive, so you don't have to pick up the plastic pellets.

[fm2]

I would suggest shooting 50 rounds at least once every three months. That's a bare minimum to have any kind of proficiency.
Dry firing is an excellent training aid.

I highly recommend the dry fire kit sold here:
http://www.firearms-safety.info/

I would very much like to hear more of your experience and practice with this kit -- here in this thread or in a new one if you prefer.

Anything would be appreciated, from a sentence or two, to an full review....

Thanks

I'll start a new thread.

[Roshi]

Only you can determine what is enough for you to maintain your skill level.

Other thoughts I have for you are to see who else shoots at the range and see if you can car pool.

Do consider an airsoft gun the same as your carry gun but be sure to buy one that is quality and if you practice reloads, I recommend you make sure you get one that uses realistic mags and locks the slide back after the last shot. You can find a great Glock 19 air soft package at www.emersonknives.com and "green gas' is available fairly cheaply on eBay.

My personal experience is that once a month is enough for me but I try to get to the range twice a month. I've also found that the way to get off skill plateaus is to take some formal training or shoot in competition once a month.

[Lodge2004]

I used to shoot with various groups on a weekly basis and had a lot of fun. Time and money became very limited so I had to focus on alternative practice methods.

Based on my experience over the last year+, I have completely changed my thought process and now view live fire as merely an opportunity to validate my training. I'd feel differenty if my skills were degrading, however, the opposite has proven true and I'm now leaning more towards Gabe Suarez's comment..."The more you shoot, the worse shot you become".

Dry fire is an essential part of any practice routine and, in my opinion, is where you should spend the lions share of your time/effort. In less than 20 minutes per day you can easily execute 100+ perfect repetitions of whatever you need to work on (presentation, reload, malfunction clearance, etc...). It doesn't cost a dime and consumes a limited amount of your time.