Dry Fire
Dry fire is arguably the best way to stay on top of your training. The best professional shooters in the world will tell you that even though they shoot regularly, they still dry fire consistently. It's an important and valuable practice that most of us don't do often enough.
The best part about dry fire? It is free. You don't need to buy anything extra. It's nice to dry fire at a target instead of a blank wall, but even those can be found online and printed at home.
You can dry fire just about anywhere, too, even with limited space. As long as you have a safe direction to point and follow the other safety rules, you're good to go. It doesn't have to be time-consuming, either. Ten minutes a day is all you need if you're doing it consistently.
Related: What is Dry Fire Practice and Why Does it Matter?
Since it's a hot-button topic online, let's dispel the myth of dry fire damaging pistols. It's true that dry fire may cause issues with rimfire pistols, but it's been proven safe with modern, quality striker-fired pistols. If you're concerned, use snap caps to absorb the impact. They're good to have around anyway for things like training malfunctions.
Laser Training
Although you don't need to buy anything extra, there are many training aids available that can make dry fire more effective. If you're working on building a habit, there's no harm in making it a little more fun, too.
Laser rounds are a relatively inexpensive one-time investment that can be useful. Simply insert the laser round into the chamber, aim, and press. The laser round sends a beam out of the barrel, showing you where your shot would hit. This visual component adds helpful feedback, especially for beginner shooters.
A system like Mantis Laser Academy improves upon this by adding paper smart targets and a free app to track feedback and progress. When the laser hits the smart target, the app "reads" your shots, giving you feedback in different forms. Over time, you can see how you've improved and where you need more work.
Related Review: Mantis Laser Academy Delivers Dry-Fire Fun and Results
It's simple to set up and use. Hang a target, open the app, set your phone or tablet up on a tripod to view the target, dry fire, and view your feedback on the app. Mantis sells the system as a kit that includes everything, including a tripod, or you can buy the parts a la carte.
Other Dry Fire Training Aids
There are tons of other types of training aids available these days. You can find anything from CO2 cartridges that simulate recoil to virtual reality setups that bring the range to your living room. Of course, these are more expensive, but the benefits can outweigh the costs.
For years, I've used the Mantis X10 Elite for pistol dry fire. It easily mounts on your rail or magazine and works in both dry and live fire and in conjunction with the above laser system.
The MantisX collects thousands of data points to analyze your shots and give real-time feedback. When connected to the free app, you can access shot timers, free shooting, and drills and track your progress over time. The BlackbeardX works similarly for rifles, and I've found that helpful as well.
This year, I've been using the new Ace VR app with my Meta Quest 3 for virtual reality training. It sounds like a gimmick, but I consider it valuable after several months of testing. Plus, it's the most fun dry fire I've ever done.
Related: Ace Virtual Shooting Brings Immersive Training to Your Living Room
As I said above, you don't need to buy anything for dry fire, but a training aid may make it more effective and even fun. Remember, these are all one-time investments because you can use the product repeatedly. I think of these in terms of how many rounds I have "fired" and what that equates to in terms of ammo saved.
Intentional Range Time
So, now that you're dry firing regularly, it's time to confirm the skills at the range. And as much as I love a good mag dump, it's important to be intentional with your ammo and time. You can do a few things to get the most out of every range trip.
Keeping a journal is the best way to track your progress at the range. You can buy one that provides fields to fill in or write what you want in a blank notebook. If I really want to get the most out of a range session, I write my objective before getting there, which keeps me on track.
Reading books and articles and watching videos is another way to improve your training and skills. It's passive and indirect, but I've learned many things about shooting this way. Just remember, you have to practice what you've learned to make it count.
Taking Classes
On the surface, taking a class sounds expensive and time-consuming, but hear me out. Working with a good instructor for a day is often more valuable than several solo range trips. Especially if you've been struggling to fix something for a while, a good instructor can assess what you're doing and show you how to correct it quickly.
Every class I take, I leave with at least one way to improve my shooting. Cutting to the chase instead of searching for a solution on my own has proved well worth the price of admission and ammo.
Low Round Count Drills
Remember a few years ago when ammo was scarce, and the thought of sending 50 rounds downrange seemed lavish? Me too. I did a lot of low round count drills then, and I still do because back in my day, 9mm was only 10 cents a round.
Drills like Dot Torture, 10-10-10, and iHack only require a few rounds each. Not only do you save ammo, but you get to work on specific things that will make you a better shooter. You can find details about these drills and others online and even print the targets for free.
I've also purchased packs of drill targets. Each has a specific purpose, and you can choose depending on the performance metric you want to practice. I keep them in my target portfolio for range trips when I need extra guidance.
Conclusion
It's no secret that shooting is a perishable skill. If we want to be ready in the event of a defensive situation, we have to train continuously. Life indeed gets in the way, but thankfully, there are actionable things we can do to keep our skills sharp without going to the range every week.
