Rough draft in progress…please send comments my way!
Gear
Shot timer: A shot timer is a must for both live- and
dry-fire practice. Timers will have two modes of operation:
standard and par. In standard mode, the buzzer sounds a
start signal and the timer then records the times at which
shots are fired using an internal microphone. In par mode,
the buzzer sounds twice: once as a start signal and a
second time as a stop signal. It records shot times the
same way as in standard mode. Par mode is particularly
useful for dry-fire practice. Say that you’re working on
your draw. You set the par time to a value that you know
you can make and then ratchet down the time during your
practice session. I’ve been using a PACT Club Timer 3 for over a decade,
and it’s still going strong. There are also iPhone
shot timer apps, and ones may exist for Android as
well.
Notebook and pen: It’s hard to track progress if you’re not
recording the times off the shot timer for standard drills.
Electronic ear muffs: Electronic ear muffs are a revelation
if you’ve never used them. They amplify quiet sounds and
cut out loud ones. This lets you easily hear range commands
and the sound of a start buzzer while muffling subsequent
shots. I’m using a Peltor 7s, which works well enough, but
would recommend springing for a Pro Ears model. They have clearer sound
and muffle loud sounds instead of cutting them off. Be
sure to keep an extra battery in your shooting bag
should you accidentally store the muffs in the on
position. Electronic muffs are also great for working
with power tools.
Eye protection: I buy cheap, clear glasses from Lab Safety Supply or Home Depot. Cheap
tinted glasses lack anti-reflective coatings. This,
coupled with the lower contrast from the tinting,
complicates getting a good sight picture.
Dummy rounds: These are invaluable for dry-fire practice at
home and setting up malfunction drills at the range. I buy
mine from S. T. Action Pro. They stock a wide
range of rounds and couldn’t be friendlier.
Holster: My friend Mike Benedict fantastic kydex holsters
and magazine pouches. You can order online at his web site. I particularly like his
A10 model and have one or two for each
of my pistols. Other holsters that look good include
the Comp-Tac belt
holster and models
from Raven
Concealment.
Targets: The Target Barn stocks all kinds of
cardboard and paper targets and pasters. I order my
cardboard IDPA targets and tan pasters from them.
Stapler: I have an old PowerShot 5700 that works like a charm.
I left it in a friend’s car by accident and bought a
new one. The current version is cheaply constructed
and jams frequently. I was very happy when I got back
my old one.
Shooting Mat: Midway’s shooting mat is inexpensive, well
constructed, and rolls out to make a comfortable
shooting surface. It’s a must-have for shooting prone.
Rifle case: Midway’s Pro Series Tactical Rifle Gun Cases
work beautifully for protecting a scoped rifle. The
35” case will just fit an AR-15 with a 16” barrel and
a collapsable stock.
Spotting scope: It’s easy to drop big money on a spotting
scope. I’ve been using an Orion Apex 102 mounted to a camera
tripod. The stock eyepiece gives 52x magnification and
resolves .223 bullet holes at 300 yards if mirage is
not too heavy. This is about the largest practical
magnification for this scope. I tried a 12 mm eyepiece
and the image merely grew bigger and dimmer without
resolving any additional detail. A pricy refractor
will offer higher contrast than this scope’s
catadioptric system.
Books
Practical Shooting: Beyond
Fundamentals: This is hands down the best book on
shooting ever written. It's not so much a book about
stance and trigger control, although it does cover
those things, as about the mental side of shooting.
These sections will likely sound like complete
gibberish the first time you read them as they’re
trying to describe a mental state or experience. It’s
hard to grasp such concepts without first getting a
glimpse of them. Imagine trying to describe the
sensation of blasting down an open road in a
convertible with the top down. Read, go to the range,
then read and shoot some more. Eventually, the ideas
will start to crystalize and change not only how you
shoot, but how you experience life. The parts of the
book that are hardest to understand on first read are
the ones that will pay off the most in the long run in
developing pistol shooting skills. Note that is book
is entirely geared toward hitting targets quickly and
accurately—it’s not a gunfighting book.
Tactical Pistol Shooting: This
book provides a quick overview of pistol fundamentals
such as stance, reloading, clearing malfunctions,
single-handed operation, low-light techniques, and using
cover. The text is clear and to the point and supported
with helpful pictures that walk the reader through
everything step by step. It’s an excellent complement to
Practical Shooting, Beyond Fundamentals.
In the Gravest Extreme: The Role of the
Firearm in Personal Protection: This book covers
the legal aspects of using firearms in self defense.
The hardware sections are long out of date, which is
expected since it was originally published in 1980.
The Modern Technique of the Pistol:
This book codifies the Modern Technique taught by Jeff
Cooper, which consists of marksmanship, gunhandling,
and mindset. The Weaver stance taught in this book is
obsolete, but the material on mindset and many of the
marksmanship and gunhandling concepts remain valid.
The book is available at a reasonable price from the
Gunsite Pro Shop.
Green Eyes and Black Rifles: This is a
soup-to-nuts guide on running an AR-15. It includes
sections on weapon selection, zeroing, reloading, shooting
positions, malfunction clearance, shooting on the move,
cleaning, and maintenance.
Jim Owen's
books: These books provide an excellent
introduction to configuring, shooting, and maintaining a
service rifle. The book on sight alignment and trigger
control is particularly good.
The Rifle Shooter: This is the
graduate-level text on high-power rifle shooting.
Videos
The Art of the Dynamic Handgun: The
filming and production of this four-DVD puts you in
the middle of a pistol class consisting of two
excellent instructors and students at varying skill
levels. The video and production values are first
rate—the camera runs with the shooters like you’d
expect in a Hollywood film. You see not only the
instructors demonstrating the techniques but them
diagnosing and correcting problems in the students’
execution of them. The instructors start with the
fundamentals and finish by putting the students into
scenarios where they need to solve complex problems.
The fundamentals include the hows and whys of drawing,
aiming, firing and reloading a pistol. The instruction
then gets into clearing malfunctions, shooting from
different positions, shooting on the move, and
single-handed operation. The dynamic portion refers to
dealing with unplanned events. For example, your
stance or grip on the pistol may not be perfect, but
you need to drive on and get your hits. The sections
on concealed carry discuss different pistol placements
(e.g., hip, small of the back, and purse), cover
garments, and mindset. It even includes a section of
outtakes. You can watch a trailer here.
The Art of the Tactical Carbine: These
three DVDs put you in the middle of an introductory
carbine class that begins with basic weapon
manipulation and progresses through basic team
tactics. Everything about he handgun video applies to
this one. One potential critique is that the videos
have a strong Coast Guard influence that can throw
people already familiar with running carbines. Even
so, it’s a must-have. You can watch a trailer here and a live-fire drill here.
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Last edit: 10 July 2009