RANGELESS PRACTICE

Competency with a defensive handgun is a perishable skill. You need to practice on a regular basis to improve or just remain proficient. That takes time and money, and time and money are the two things most of us have the least. For many, a trip to the range can consume a half or full day, and with range fees and ammunition, it can cost a hundred bucks or more. What might surprise you, especially if you’re a new shooter, is that you can practice the most important of those perishable skills at home, without ammunition.

Typically, this type of practice is called dry practice or dry-fire practice, meaning, it’s practice without ammunition. Too often shooters don’t give dry practice the credit it deserves. This is probably partly because dry practice is boring, but mostly because dry practice is boring. However, just because it’s boring does not mean it’s not helpful. In fact, almost every athletic endeavor—shooting is an athletic endeavor—can be improved