Important Lessons: Practicing with Firearms

While many Americans may be running out to purchase handguns, it’s important that gun owners learn to effectively use these weapons. Some people say that learning to use a gun is easy and if the moment arises, they’ll fire shots. However, the stark reality is that practice makes perfect, which means it’s vital that gun owners regularly use their weapons. This is especially true for gun owners that practice concealed carry, as there is nothing more irresponsible than weapons in untrained hands.

When stressful situations arise, such as home invasions or personal assaults, people react based on instincts, which is why it’s important to have fluid knowledge about how guns’ work and fire. In critical, life-saving situations, gun owners don’t want to regret not knowing how to properly handle or discharge their weapons.

Effective aim and accuracy requires advanced practice. Gun owners need to routinely make time for consistent practice, which helps ensure gun skills are polished and up-to-date. When purchasing guns, it’s good to follow these gun safety and practice steps:

• Instruction – Take the necessary time to read owners’ manuals. Consider hiring instructors or ask educated shooters to teach effective shooting habits. Bad habits are difficult to break, so it’s best to start shooting with proper stance, posture and grip. Many local communities sponsor shooting classes, which feature excellent instruction for gun handling and shooting techniques.
• Dry-Fire – This type of practice involves practicing with an unloaded gun. Never pull the trigger unless the weapon is aimed in a safe direction. Dry fire is essential for repetitive drawing motions, which come in handy for self-defense and concealed carry situations. Always follow gun safety rules when dry firing weapons.
• Live Practice – This involves practicing with a gun target or at a shooting range. To help improve accuracy, it’s recommended that gun owners shoot live rounds monthly, with a minimum of 50 rounds per practice session. Generally, it is more cost efficient to use standard ammunition for practice rounds, relying on defense rounds for concealed carry and home invasion precautions.

Experienced gun owners know the importance of safely handling firearms, safe and quick reloading techniques, accurate and quick shooting, how to draw from a holster, shooting at multiple targets, one-handed shooting for emergency situations, how to aim and hit moving targets and even how to shoot in low-light conditions.

Jumping Targets offers an online catalog of steel shooting targets. These targets are designed for everyday use and are made of durable AR500 steel. Made to last several years, these quality targets accurately deflect and ricochet bullets at precise 20-degree angles, which makes them extremely safe for regular shooting practice.