Yes, I know. There are some grammatical issues with the title but, I can explain. The origin of this title has its own unique story. In 2016, entrepreneur, record executive, and rapper Birdman (Bryan Christopher Williams) coined the term, “Are You Finished or Are You Done?” during his now infamous rant on morning radio show, The Breakfast Club. My title is the gun enthusiast version of that term. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way let’s talk shop.
I have been a disciple to the way of the gun for over 18 years and I started out like most people do when dipping a toe into the 2A world. I was pretty clueless and I wanted a big gun in a big caliber. I first shot that big gun in the woods with a family member and I didn’t learn much about safety rules or the fundamentals of marksmanship. Over the next couple of years my idea of training was going to an indoor gun range and shooting up to 200 rounds (ammo was more affordable back then) shooting at paper targets. At this point I believed I was doing enough because I was putting time in on the range. What I did not know was that I was that my lack of guidance only yielded an experience that was liken to a hamster in a wheel. I was putting forth the effort but I was going nowhere. I was shooting but I was not training and I had effectively become trapped in the shooter’s twilight zone. This is the place where new shooters often land but there is another way. Time spent off the range can be value added with a plan. Here are a few things I did to improve my knowledge and skill behind the gun.
I supplemented my range time by reading about guns and fundamental skills in various publications, however, I didn’t really transition from shooting to training until I joined the military. My enlistment was the catalyst that exposed me to relevant training with firearms and what I learned can benefit new and experienced gun owners alike. Joining the military for good training is a little extreme so consider the following options:
- Learn the basic gun safety rules
- Put a lot of thought into what you want to learn
- Practice dry fire shooting at home with an unloaded gun.
- Find a credible instructor and attend a course
- Forget most of the gun information you received from films and television
Some gun owners struggle with finding the time to train due to a rotating work schedule or complications with finding a quality instructor-led training course. While there is no substitute for quality instructor-led training, you can use simple drills at home that translate to live fire exercises. When working dry fire and other various skill building drills keep one thing in mind: economy of motion. I have a colleague that is a right handed shooter but operates the AR-15 platform as a lefty. His process seems odd to most shooters but he makes it work and it works well. Your movement during any drill will be the make or break aspect of how smooth (slow is smooth, smooth is fast) you become in executing the drill and building the skill. Playing with different methods until you find a series of movements that works for you is the staple of refined movement and confidence building.
Effective training is one of the most important elements of gun ownership. We become better at something when we do it frequently and effectively. The challenge in this is finding a way to train that improves your overall performance while also reducing the time it takes to complete the action. I encourage you to continue gathering information that is value added to helping you reach your training goals. In the meantime, be safe and stay aware because Trouble Never Sends A Warning!
