Targets don’t lie

I watch people blow through thousands of rounds of ammo on the range, without ever moving the meter on their skill development. 

So much is going wrong. There’s no knowledge of basic shooting fundamentals. No concept of what good shooting actually looks like. No curiosity about why their shots are all over the paper. Poor target selection. Optics aren’t zeroed. No idea if rounds will go where they want them to go. Never inquiring into how to improve. Ultimately, no plan. And completely unproductive. Unless the only objective was to make expensive holes in paper.

If you’re limited to shooting at an indoor range, you still have a ton of opportunity to develop a plan, set training priorities and work on achieving progress goals. A good place to start is to focus on developing accuracy and speed while increasing distance. I recommend getting a good shot timer so you can measure your progress with speed, based on real data. “You can’t improve if you don’t measure.”

Set your baseline

If you’ve never tested or measured your skills, you’ll need to set a baseline. Start conservatively. Put your target at 5 yards. From concealment or an extended low ready, slow fire, shoot 5 rounds in a 3-4” group. Repeat at least three times.

What’s your target look like? Do you understand what you should be looking for? Do you know how to assess your target? Use your target as a diagnostic to inform where you need to put in work.

You should be able to shoot small groups. If you can’t understand why you aren’t able to shoot a small group (fist sized) at a close distance like 5 yards, use this as an opportunity to get some coaching from a trained instructor. Pushing the target to farther distances will only amplify whatever you’re doing incorrectly.

Make it repeatable

Once you’re getting 3” groups consistently, get good at knowing what you are doing right, so that it’s repeatable. Then start measuring speed. What’s your time? Repeat. And repeat again. Are the times consistent? This is your new baseline. Now try pushing yourself to go faster. Keep measuring. As you go faster, are groups opening up? Learn what this is telling you.

Make it more difficult

When you’re getting 3” groups consistently, and the skills are accessible on-demand, at your baseline for distance and speed, you’ll want to make it more difficult by increasing distance and increasing time constraints incrementally. Remember, as you start pushing distance and speed, your groups may open up a bit, but set goals to keep rounds in fist-sized groups. Hold yourself accountable. 

Test and validate

Remember, it’s accuracy + speed + distance. Always test and validate your shooting. Use your targets as diagnostic tools, not insta bragging. Set goals for small groups, shooting them more aggressively. This will directly impact your defensive shooting skills, improving your draw, target acquisition, grip and trigger press.

A few things to consider:

1. Not all paper targets serve well here. Go with something like the Official IDPA/USPSA paper target that you can score.

2. Take pictures of your targets so you can compare your accuracy over time, keeping track of distance and par times.

3. When you’re at the range, look for the good shooters. Ask them questions. I’ve never met a shooter who doesn’t want to share learnings and help someone improve.

Targets don’t lie. Ultimately, you want to be able to call your shots with a near 100% accuracy. Learn from your mistakes. Look for a mentor or trainer. Be willing to change the way you do things. And put in the practice, making sure it is productive and that every round counts.