Cost Effective Training

Since about 2012 there has been a “scare” or a “shortage” of ammunition. No matter what your thoughts are on the reason for this ammo problem, we are still feeling the effects of this. If nothing else, it has put the cost of ammo a lot higher than it was, and has put limits on what stores will sell. Things have improved a lot but it is still difficult, in some places, to even find .22. This has caused many of us in the gun world to rethink our training and how we do that.
Some things that have come to light are not too surprising if you have been doing this training for some time.
Trigger time doesn’t always mean at the range.
Dry firing is something every shooter, concealed carry participant, or even hunter should do. Just about everything you do at the range you can do dry firing. It takes less time and resources (ammo). Make sure your weapon can handle dry firing, not all can. Check with the manufacturer.
Dry firing will help with your trigger press, sight alignment, grip and stance, and more. The one thing that is missing is recoil and target re-acquisition. Dry firing also works better with double action rather than Glock which needs a partial cycle or a 1911 that must be re cocked. If you are using your carry gun for dry fire you must be exceptionally safe. When you fire, ensure you are firing into a safe area. In other words, if you were to have a discharge, would it go somewhere safe? Always follow the 4 basic safety rules: 1. All Guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover (point at) anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. 4. Always be sure of your target and beyond.
I have one more rule. I call it Dry Fire Rule 5. Do not dry fire with ammunition in the room. If you follow this rule as you do the other 4, you will never have any problems. You say you dry fire in your gun room, or reloading room? Pick a room where you can be safe, but a room that has no ammunition in it. When you are done dry firing, put down your weapon and take a break. Leave the area or room. Get a drink, check your Facebook page, read this blog, watch TV, do something that is not gun related. You want to finish your training. Then reload your weapon and store it or holster it. Do not dry fire one more time. That is how accidental/negligent discharges happen.
When you dry fire, come up with a plan, and then work that plan the same every time.
These are the steps I take after adhering to 4+1 rules.
1. Clear the weapon, clear it again. Clear it again, both visual and putting your finger in the chamber to feel if there is a round there. If you do this training with a partner, have them verify your cleared weapon.
2. Remember rule 4. Point the weapon in a safe direction and proceed with your training.
It was mentioned above that you can work on trigger press, grip, stance (although this is not real important unless you want to compete, in my opinion), and sight alignment. You can also practice your drawstroke, weapon retention, and flashlight techniques. Many of these things can be practiced without pulling a trigger. If you have a training gun, often a blue gun, you can practice these things.
3. After your training, leave the area. Reload your weapon later.
Regardless of the way you use dry fire, do it safely and smart.

Consider practicing live fire with a cheaper caliber. If you carry a .45 it would not be cost effective to go through 50 to 100 rounds of an expensive round for practice. I think you should mix your rounds with a cheaper brand that you know your gun will shoot. Since you will carry a premium round, you should practice some with that round. You must decide what that mix would be. Also, there is some merit in practicing with a rim fire round. There are some quality .22 weapons and ammunition out there that would give you a lot of practice for pennies instead of dollars. The more your practice .22 resembles your carry weapon the better.
There are conversion kits out there for pistols that will allow .22 to be shot from a different caliber gun. The thing about these kits is that they are not considered a weapon on their own so they are easy to purchase. This is another alternative to more cost effective training. Again, practice with what you will carry. This will rotate your carry ammo and always keep fresh ammo in your carry weapon.
There are many kinds of practice ammo out there. Walmart may carry some of this. Winchester has it’s “white box” target ammo, and the Russian made Tulammo are two examples. There also is the internet for buying in bulk. One of my favorite sites for checking a variety of ammunition sites is gunbot.net (see blog 1/28/14 How do I love gunbot.net? Let me count the ways…). Buying in bulk is usually much cheaper per round than buying a box at a time. On gunbot.net it tells you what you will pay per round giving you an instant understanding of what you will save.
Reloading is an alternative that will not only save you money but can be very satisfying. If you want to go this route make sure you learn from someone who has been doing it for a while. Reloading incorrectly can be dangerous. Learn all you can. There are some good videos on youtube but always beware of bad or wrong information. Confirm what you learn with someone who reloads. Also, there are a lot of reloaders who sell their ammo. If you buy this ammo make sure you really trust the quality of the realoading. Talk with someone who has bought this ammo before to find out if there are any problems.
Don’t let ammunition availability or prices change the way you train. Find an alternative source of ammo so that you can continue to train. When this crunch first started I slowed down my frequency of training. I then re-evaluated my training program with more dry fire practice and a little less live fire. I didn’t slow down my training, just cut out some live fire that I did that went through ammo but really was training skills that I could do with dry fire. I also re-evaluated my storage of ammunition. I sold or traded ammo that I had from guns and calibers that I have since sold the guns. I also got rid of guns that shot calibers I was not storing and bought additional guns with those sales that shoot the calibers I want to store. I’ve stored ammunition for years and have rotated through it. I re-evaluated those stored calibers to have better control on what I could store and rotate (shoot). If you shoot a lot I think you will naturally have a store of ammunition. Be realistic in this storage and store your ammo safely. (see blog Storing Ammo 2/6/14)
With forethought and planning you can do some cost effective training to stay current and to improve your skill. Everyone should have a training plan and this plan can be manipulated to be more effective in cost, time, and how it will train you. With this plan you can find alternatives for training and for ammunition choice. Always plan with the 4 rules of gun safety +1 for dry fire strictly followed. Don’t let the ammo crunch or current times change your training plan. Remember you will always default to your training in a crisis. Training is necessary and, for me at least, is fun! There’s nothing like the smell of spent gunpowder on the range!
Semper Paratus
Burn