No matter who we are, or how many years of shooting we have under our belts, we train to achieve ones personal goals. One must continue an upwards progression and meet the milestones that have been set in order to realistically improve upon your current skill set.
Whether you’re looking to improve upon on your marksmanship skills, physical fitness, or any other area in which you want to challenge yourself in….one must set goals, and continually re-evaluate said goals. Goals will continuously evolve as life changes course. Whether it’s age, health, a new job, or growing ones family, we must adjust & be able to adapt along the way. Listed below are a few tips specifically aimed at setting goals for obtaining the level of skill in shooting that one wants to achieve. Setting goals help us in planning a training day, and allows us to get the most out of the time we have on the range.
- What are you training for? Does your job require you to carry a gun or do you carry as a form of self defense to protect you and your family from harms way? Or is it as simple that you enjoy shooting and just want to improve upon your skills?
- What do you realistically want to accomplish and in what time frame? Keep in mind serious shooters or professionals have millions of rounds and years behind them. Be honest with yourself and where you are in your abilities. I do not want to discourage you from setting big goals, however at the same time set some smaller goals along the way. These smaller goals work as stepping stones to your overall end result that you wish to achieve. One can tend to fall short due to unrealistic planning. We must build upon the fundamentals and maintain proficiency in the basics to help achieve greatness.
- How much time and money are you willing to put toward achieving the goals you set? These are things will continuously change due to the fluctuating cost of ammo and life in general.
- Do you know the proper fundamentals of shooting? Pistol or Rifle? If not, LEARN! Again, we must build upon the fundamentals and maintain proficiency in the basics to help achieve the goal that you set for yourself.
Planning a Training day can be as simple or complicated as you wish to make it. As long as you have set realistic goals it’s easy to plan. For instance: My current goal in terms of pistol marksmanship is to break 660 on the 700 Point Pistol Aggregate. When I first started my journey to achieve this goal, I was stuck on shooting a 558. I tried four different times with two different pistols and in kit, but I couldn’t seem to get those last few points. My goal has since moved from 620, 630, 640, 650 and now 660 over the past three and a half years on this particular test. To assist me in planning my current training days, I have based my exercises off of evaluations made by my fellow instructors. I currently need to work on my timed strong hand only shooting (SHO). This is where I am dropping more than what consider an expectable amount of points. I plan a few extra strings a day as well as dry firing with my strong hand. Here are some items to assist you in planning a successful training day:
- Based off your goals what do need to work more on marksmanship or Speed/CQB style shooting?
- Which needs more focus to help achieve current goals? Pistol, rifle, or a mixture of both?
- Set standards and hold yourself accountable.
- Always write down your training day goals and what you plan on accomplishing that day.
- Start with marksmanship first. Specifically pistol marksmanship. This requires more concentration and you will get better results before mental fatigue strikes. Speed will come eventually come on it’s own. Once you have mastered the basics, speed will come with repetition. However, remember that every hit needs to count. When you find yourself getting frustrated, stop what you are doing. Continuing will only create or bring out current bad habits, which will only set you back in trying to achieve your goals.
- Follow your plan. However, if you’re shooting awesome keep at it. As a good friend of mine, JD, says: “Burn in Good Reps”. For example, If my plan is to shoot 5 strings of slow fire on bulls eyes from 25 yards, and I am crushing it, then I keep going. Burn in those good repetitions of perfect shooting.
- Score and record each round and string of fire. Score Score Scrore. That’s the diffidence between training and shooting. Use a notebook to record your score for future reference, so you are able to track your long term progress.
- Use a timer and use it every training day. Record times and hold yourself accountable to your personal and/or team standards.
Once you have completed your training, take time to reflect and evaluate. How did you do? What could you have done different? Not just in terms of shooting, but also in time management or efficiency on the range. Did you destroy & conquer a small goal? This is the perfect time to re-evaluate or adjust your goals and the steps needed to help achieve and reach your final destination.
By addressing these items addressed and continuously evaluating them you will not only become a more experienced shooter but you are also going to build your confidence and achieve your goals. Remember, if you “carry” it’s your responsibility to not only be as safe as possible with your firearm, but to remember you are also responsible for every round fired. Make your hits count by putting them where they need to go with as much speed and efficiency as you can.
David Borresen - Director of Training
The Range Complex | TRC
About David:
David has taught thousands of Military Servicemen and Law Enforcement Professionals full-time since 2010. David has multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of US interest, with his most recent deployment being in 2014. David is both former Military Service Member & Law Enforcement Officer. He is a graduate of Campbell University with a B.S. in Social Science with concentration in Criminal Justice. David has been competing in USPS pistol and pistol/carbine competitions since 2005. He continues to find passion on the range teaching students of all skill level.
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| David Borresen |
