A Little Variety in Your Practice

by
posted on December 18, 2014
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wilson2015_fs.jpg (36)

The vast majority of your defensive practice time is best spent working on a smooth, quick draw and placing a pair of shots into the vital zone of the target. Delivering quick hits—no spraying & praying—to the bad guy will solve most of the defensive problems that the armed citizen has to face. However, once in a while, it is a good idea to change your practice up just a bit to deal with other possible scenarios and to avoid boredom.

Take a chair and card table to the range and practice drawing and engaging targets from a seated position. This would be much like the situations that one might encounter at work or in a restaurant. This is also a good time to practice the same drills, but drawing with your weak hand. You do have a holster that you can access with your weak hand, don't you? And don't cheat, just wear your standard concealed-carry rig and covering garments.

Speaking of shooting from a seated position, when was the last time you practiced some pistol presentations while seated in your car with the seat belt fastened? However, you might want to practice these drills with dummy ammo and dry-firing, as spouses tend to get really upset with bullet holes in the family car. In a carjacking it is very possible that you will be attacked from the driver's side of the car and you may need to exit out the passenger door—away from the threat. Can you do this in your car? Have you actually tried to get over the console and out the other door?

My thought is not to try to make a contest out of these drills. It is a better idea to make it a study session. Get several of your shooting buddies together and set up some of these scenarios. Set up the problems and then discuss the best ways to deal with them. It helps you to imagine real-world problems that you may have to face. It helps you to understand your own limitations and to figure out way to deal with that, too. And it tends to break some of the boredom connected with regular square-range practice.

Use your imagination, realistically.

Latest

Luth-AR MCA 22 Chassis
Luth-AR MCA 22 Chassis

First Look: Luth-AR MCA 22 Chassis for Ruger 10/22 Rifle

Luth-AR's Modular Chassis Assembly can help transform your 10/22 into a long-range rimfire rifle.

CZ to Supply Pistols to the German Army

Germany's Bundeswehr will be equipped with CZ P-10 C OR pistols.

I Carry Spotlight: 2025 In Review

Here are the five most-popular "I Carry" videos from 2025.

First Look: Magpul Full-Size Grip for Ruger RXM Pistol

Magpul releases a full-size polymer grip for the Ruger RXM striker-fired 9 mm pistol.

First Look: Ruger Red Label III Shotgun

Ruger brings back a classic over/under shotgun in a new line.

First Look: Taurus Raging Hunter in 350 Legend

Taurus now offers a six-round, extra-large-frame revolver for the straight-walled 350 Legend cartridge.

Interests



Get the best of Shooting Illustrated delivered to your inbox.