HOW TO START A TRAINING REGIMEN

HOW TO START A TRAINING REGIMEN 

In 2019, Jack Wilson used his concealed handgun to stop a bad guy in a church. Reportedly, the head shot that saved the congregation was taken at about 50 feet. More recently, Elisjsha Dicken saved more citizens when he took out a shooter in a mall at a reported 40 yards. As a result of instances like these, many have taken a page out of Jeff Cooper's book and created training drills to replicate these real-world scenarios.

There's nothing wrong with this, especially since the shots taken in both instances were a bit farther than what's commonly associated with civilian shootings. However, conducting these drills aren't the best way to train with your defensive handgun.

IT'S ABOUT THE BASICS

 Yeah, I guess it's cool to say you "did the drill and maybe even shot as well or better than the "Good Samaritan" the drill has been named after. However, the only way you're going to be good enough to perform the drill to standard is by executing the basics of shooting. And, as boring as it might sound, the basics are what you should be practicing.

What are the basics of the defensive handgun? Well, it always starts with safety, and it always ends with proper maintenance and care of your firearm. If you can't handle a firearm safely, and if your firearm isn't in good working order, it might not matter how well you can shoot.

Next, you have gun handling and marksmanship. These are the skills you need to practice and master to be successful in a gun fight. Tactics matter, too, but they should only be addressed once you have a solid shooting foundation to work from.

MAKE A PLAN

 Haphazardness isn't a plan. Just going to the range and banging away, while it might be fun, is not how you get better. The best way to get better is to start with a notebook or logbook that allows you to schedule your training and keep track of your progress. A logbook