By Andrea Stump
TWAW Chapter Leader
Sterling, Colorado
My last article focused on range practice ideas for beginners. Today let’s talk about some ideas for those who have a little more experience on the range.
Once you have solid fundamentals it’s important to start speeding things up and practicing under more challenging and stressful conditions. Being able to apply your skills under high stress situations is ultimately the key to being proficient at self-defense.
One of our biggest goals should be to fire fast and accurately. One idea for this is the 5×5 drill. Draw a 5-inch circle target and place it 5 yards away. Load your gun with 5 rounds and set a timer for 5 seconds. Your goal is to shoot all 5 rounds within the target in under 5 seconds. A similar drill is the failure to stop drill. Make a target with an 8-inch circle and a 3×5 inch box a few inches above the circle. Load your gun with 3 rounds and set a timer for 3 seconds. Your goal is to place 2 shots in the circle and then 1 in the box in under 3 seconds.
Another idea is to get your heart rate elevated prior to shooting in order to mimic increased adrenaline during a real-life encounter. For example, do a few jumping jacks or squats before firing. If you have a friend with you, do an exercise until they say fire. This drill will help with shooting under pressure and with your reaction time.
It’s also a good idea to practice shooting with one hand, using both your dominant and non-dominant hand. Nothing will make you feel more uncoordinated than shooting with your non-dominant hand! These are important skills to practice as you never know what could happen in a real-life scenario; you could have an injured hand, be restrained, etc.
Practicing gun malfunctions and how to manage them is also very helpful. My next article will discuss different types of malfunctions and how to clear them. You need to know how to operate your firearm in all scenarios; you never know when something is not going to work like it should!
If you’d like more ideas, the internet has an abundance of resources. There are even “playing card” decks that have a different drill on each card, which keeps your practicing interesting. Ultimately there are an infinite number of ways to practice at the range. Just choose the drills that are most relevant to your needs and your skill level.
To find out more about shooting drills, personal safety, gun ownership, and other methods of self-defense, please join us for The Well Armed Women (TWAW) Sterling chapter meeting on August 21st from 9 am to 11 am at Logan County Shooting Sports complex, 12515 Highway 61/2nd Amendment Way off Highway 61 Sterling, CO. Come join us for a fun morning on the range!
TWAW Shooting Chapters exists to educate and empower women in a safe and non-threatening environment for their effective and responsible self-defense with a firearm. Prospective members are welcome to attend their first meeting before joining. If you would like to become a member, you can join online at www.twawshootingchapters.org. Women over 18 interested in learning more can contact Jennifer Everhart at twawsterling@gmail.com or visit TWAW Shooting Chapters, Inc. website at www.twawshootingchapters.org. You can also like us on Facebook @twawsterlingcolorado or stop by Boondocks Army Surplus at 324 N 4th Street in Sterling and pick up a flyer.