I went to the range today w/my nickel 442 and ran 100 rounds through it and my hand/wrist are both pretty sore. I put up a standard 8" paper plate and run it out to 3, 5 and 7 yards. Then I empty the gun as fast as possible, combat reload w/a speed loader and repeat. Time increases w/distance but your goal is to keep all 10 shots on the plate. I was able to do just that at all distances using mostly standard pressure loads w/some +P (my 442 is not +P rated) so my confidence is maintained w/my edc. This is something I try to do several times a year.

I'd be interested in hearing from others who practice w/their EDC, what do you do to keep your skill level up?

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Last year we shot almost every other weekend. I own some property so we set up a little area out back a couple hundred yards behind the house. I generally print some targets and put them up. The targets have 5 3" targets on them.

I generally slow shoot for most of a box, focusing on technique. We will sometimes compete, who can shoot closer to the bulls, tightest group, ect. Towards the end, I'll put a piece of paper up, load 5 rounds into each mag and do a draw, shoot, reload, shoot and see if I can keep all 10 rounds on the paper. We usually shoot at 7yds, but sometimes go out further.

We will also throw soda cans and water bottles (Depending on what we're drinking) out there to change up the target size, distance and angle. It's also fun to watch them jump.

This year, most of the people I've been shooting with, including myself, have been working 6 or 7 days a week, so we've only got to shoot about once a month. Hoping with weather warming up, that'll change and we can go back to shooting more regularly (But my pocket book hates that).

Friend of mine put one of these on his 642. Looks funky and awkward. But boy I tell ya, they work great.

DELTA GRIP? - HANDGUN GRIPS - Products

I only put 20 rounds through his gun but it was a breeze. No knuckle slap and the gun pointed naturally. Reduced felt recoil too.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Anyone who carries should practice with their carry gun a lot.

I practice controlled pairs from concealment. Never more than two shots in one event. My defense paradigm is to shoot a controlled pair, move and then assess the situation. It is my belief that the first two shots are the most important. They are the best representation of what will happen when defending yourself for real.

I practice from 3-15 yards, but mostly at 7 yards.

25 rounds a week is better than 100 rounds a month. 100 rounds a month is better than 400 rounds once a quarter. Any practice is better than no practice. Shooting is a perishable skill.

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Freedom isn't free.

I have Delta Grips on my 642 also. I agree they do look a little funny...you get used to it...but they do make a difference when shooting. Being able to get all 3 fingers on the grip makes a big difference for me. They're also thinner than the factory grips which makes them print less when I carry in my front pocket.

Fox

Like I have said before, these are carry a lot, shoot a little but you do have to practice with it once in awhile to keep your skills up with it.....

Practicing with your EDC is certainly very important. But, IMHO, there is something most people leave out when they practice. That is shooting with the weak hand. Make sure, should the need arise because of injury or whatever, that your weak hand can also get the job done.

Bob

e ,

I agree, weak hand. Plus prone, sitting and simulated recovery from a trip or fall.
Many will step back if startled tripping and ending up on the keaster.

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Have a blessed day ,
Bull

I agree. Weak hand shooting and one handed shooting is very important. I practice both every time I shoot. If you ever have to use your gun in a self defense situation there's a good chance you might be holding someone off with one hand while you fire with the other hand.

I can't practice prone, simulated recovery etc. because I use an indoor range...but if you can those are great too.

Fox

I shoot at a range where there are rarely people present, so I can simulate quite a few things. My 442 and Kel-Tec aren't exactly fun guns to shoot, but I typically shoot them (15-20 rds) every couple of weeks. It gives me a good reason to keep them clean. My 3914 gets shot at every range session, then the fun stuff comes out.

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Because of the metric system?

I only practice & shoot my model 60 EDC gun a couple times a year. However, I usually shoot at a local club match every weekend , about 8 or 9 months of the year. Probably about 100 to 200 rounds a match. Sometimes I shoot a auto ,, sometimes a revolver.

About once or twice a year the club has a CCW match and I use the model 60.. That is were I found out J frame HKS speed loaders aren't very good
( never had any problems with HKS in the L or N frames. but prefer Safariland )

If not I practice with 50 or 100 rounds a couple times a year, just to make sure I remember how it works..

Old cop; we subscribe to the same EDC practice regimine. I do about the same with my 642, and stay competent and confident with the "J"

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John

i dont yet carry but i make sure that each range visit every 2-4 weeks or so that in addition to playing with my .22's I also go thru 50-150 rounds in my M&P 9's (a compact as well as now a full size).
I do that not only to build consistency and familiarity but to continue improving with said 9's. And frankly i really enjoy shooting them so any practice is not a chore but more like a hobby for me. Main thing i'll be adding would be holster work and more defensive style shooting down the road.

But on point, i cant imagine carrying and not practicing with that firearm. Just my .02 of course.

I practice nearly every week. 2-hand. 1-hand. Weak hand. Standing, kneeling, sitting. Just about any way I can think of. Only thing I'm missing, is draw and shoot practice. My range doesn't allow that. No drawing from holsters. No simulated drawing from holsters. So, my drawing practice is dry-fire, at home. Still looking for a place where draw and shoot is permitted.

The range I go to is also where the DHS officers train at and many times I'll stand back behind the glass & watch how they do it, the distance, and I'll mimic what they're doing. Recently I've been practicing shooting 3-5-7 yards strong hand, then weak hand, then two handed grip.

Also my range has weekly defensive competition matches where we get together and use our EDC's (mine is a Shield 40) and time ourselves at multiple quick shots at center of mass & head. Whoever gets the fastest timed shots with the highest score wins..

I used to go 3 boxes fmj in my 6906 4X a year plus a mag of 12 SD ammo for a total of 624 rds/ yr. I have cut back to 2 boxes 3X/ yr plus 12 rds SD ammo(changing once a year has no greater failure rate, I never chamber a round more than once in a rotation,2/3 are never chambered until firing). This is at 5 and 7 yds. Just enough to be competent without overconfidence. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I shoot my EDC more than anything else. I may take one other gun and run 20-30 rounds but most of my shooting is my EDC. I shoot strong, weak and two hand from 7-25+ yards. I would shoot closer but I'm normally shooting plates and splatter is painful. I shoot a few into paper from 0-7. In the beginning while cold I always draw and shoot from concealment. I'm lucky to have a range and schedule that normally allows me to shoot alone and anyway I want.

Hey Old Cop...good to see that you are still doing "qualification" stuff, too bad a lot of us retired LEO's don't do the same, even though they still carry daily. My carry regime is pretty much the same as yours when practicing. Also do some dry fire stuff at home. Be safe and keep up the good work.

On a B-27-Q target (1/2 size man silhouette) at 7 yds. I pocket draw and point shoot by placing the butt of the gun on my lowest rib bone (seems to be my natural POA) and fire 2 shots. Not all shots are COM, but someplace on paper there is a hole. I am using a 640 Centennial w/full house .357 loads. Been doing this drill for 7 yrs.

Because of limited resources, I use some interesting training ideas that I've picked up along the way.

My range doesn't allow shooting at multiple targets so I'll use either 3"x5" or 4"x6" adhesive mailing labels at different heights across my target.

I like to use 8.5"x11" sheets of paper, especially when I'm working on speed.

Negative targets can also be useful from time to time. I cut out a 8.5"x11" hole in the COM area of a silhouette target. Get the rounds in the hole. It keeps me from trying to look for bullet holes in the target as I'm shooting. I first read about this idea from Michael DeBethencourt's website.

I recently shot at a range with programmable turning targets which was a great exercise in reaction shooting, especially since I don't have a shot timer.

Sometimes I do squats before firing a sequence to get my heart and respiration rate up. I considered doing push-ups, but (1) I don't want to freak out the range officers by lying on the ground and (2) they might not appreciate where the muzzle of my holstered gun would end up pointing.

I try to move "off the x" when drawing at the range, but the lane dividers limit that option.

I always try to do some strong-hand-only shooting, especially when drawing at close range. I don't do as much weak-hand-only shooting as I should, though.

I also work in some reloading because JHP are a little more difficult to reload than FMJ-profile dummy rounds.

Everything else I do at home using dummy rounds and dry-fire practice. I've practiced falling down and drawing my gun then getting back up. I practice some basic empty-hand techniques to create space so I can draw. I practice reloading techniques in awkward positions (ever tried fishing a speed strip out of your pocket while crouching behind low cover?).

If you want to have some real fun, try doing weak-hand-only reloads with a snub and dummy rounds.

Whenever I practice something, I try to visualize a scenario and respond accordingly. Some scenarios end up with me not having to fire.

I should note that I don't do everything mentioned every time. Most of my time is spent getting my gun out quickly and getting rounds on target. But I try to work in other skills periodically.

Edit: I guess I should mention that I do all this with the 642 I carry.

I try and shoot about every week, winter snow normally being the only exception. I ride my ATV a couple of miles away from the cabin and shoot. I use the cardboard bottoms from cases of water as target backing, they are clipped onto 1/4" wooden dowels of different lengths. The dowels are sharpened on one end and driven into the soft ground & are set at different distances. The clips are wooden clothes pins that are glues as well zip-tied onto the dowels. If the dowels suffer damage they are easy enough to shorten and re-use with a new clothes pin. BTW, SWMBO still works Fire Camp assignments in the summer so I have a nearly endless supply of water bottle case bottoms.

For actual targets I use an assortment of computer printed 8x11 paper targets or sometimes just paperplates with a 1" target dot as a aiming point. I normally shoot my carry pistols including the Bodyguard, but sometimes it is good to just plink with a 22 ..... ;o) Normally I will shoot 4 reloads worth from my larger EDC revolvers & 2 from the Bodyguard. About twice a year I also shoot 5 mags from my Model 59, which serves as my easychair/car gun. I also a perform a bunch dry fire drills with the EDC guns several times a week. Shooting skills are definitely the most perishable of my skills.

The best way to train with my NAA .22 Mini is to practice drawing and cocking it, not so much shooting.

Other than that I try to shoot my carry revolvers as much as possible.

With the exception of my two N frames, all of my revolvers are potential carry guns, and they all get shot on a regular basis.

Now that I'm retired, for the last time, I try and shoot twice a month. My norm is, run "B-11" target out 3 yards fire 5 or 6 rounds D/A as fast as I can, reload quickly and repeat. Do this drill 2 -3 times. Next, move target out to 5 yards, repeat drill. Then move target out to 7 yards repeat drill. Finally set target at 10 yards fire 6 rounds check for grouping reload and shoot again. My goal it to keep all my shots in a 5" total grouping, which I'm able to do most days, with 38 Special +P ammo.

I finish up shooting 25 - 30 rounds of full .357 Magnum ammo at 7 yards. With this ammo my groups open up by several inches. But still most if not all will be human center of mass.

I generally shoot about 100 - 125 rounds total.

I confess to rarely ever practicing defensive or combat type shooting
with my primary carry gun, a mod 37 S&W. Since I live in the country
just about all of my handgun shooting is done in my back yard. I have
a variety of guns, both revolvers and autoloaders and I can shoot any
time I want, weather permitting. So I see no need to wear out my 37
doing a bunch of defensive drill shooting which in my opinion is more
representative of competition shooting than an actual self defense
scenaro. Others will disagree I'm sure but I'm comfortable with my
own habits.

I try to set aside fifty rounds a month for my 442. 3,5, and 7 yards mostly with weak hand and one hand work at the end of the session.

My training distances are the same as yours, except I use a standard B-27 target, aiming to stay inside the 9-ring. I can do this out to 15 yards...no problem.

However, as yesterdays "force on force" training confirmed, in actual self-defense situations the sights are not always used - it's point and shoot. (I used my sights in only 1 out of 10 scenarios). Therefore, I practice point shooting as well, strong hand, and weak.

I get to the range 1 or 2 times per month.

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Stay protected my friends.

About the same as yours. 642 gets at least 50rds a month with regular dry fire practice at home and the 4516 or 64 get 100rds every other range trip or once a month. Targets are the good old paper plates or paper targets with "bad guys" on them. Distance is 3' to 15 yards with some out at 25 yards every so often.

ContinentalOp, I'll have to try a cutout target next time.

Took my 642 to the range today. I decided to go to a range with programmable turning targets so I could get in some reactive shooting.

This was the first exercise I did, no warm-ups. The drill: 2 rounds in 2 seconds at 2 yards, from concealment. The targets were set to turn from edge to face, hold for 2 seconds, then go back to edge. I did 5 strings, 3 strings 2-handed followed by 2 strings strong-hand only, for a total of 10 rounds. Ammo was Speer Lawman 158gr TMJ +P.



That one shot on the right in the 7-ring was the 2nd shot of the 1st string as the target was turning away. I got a little better with each successive string. Except for that shot in the 7-ring all the shots would've been covered by a 8.5"x11" sheet of paper.

I have four snubnose revolvers I practice with every two weeks at the range...
• Two J frame 38 Specials
• One J frame 357 Magnum
• One K frame 357 Magnum

I can keep all shots on an 8" paper plate out to 50 ft. I am ready and confident of my abilities.

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David
CW3 USA (Ret) 1968-1990

I regularly shoot paper targets, possums, stumps, and other various targets of opportunity with my Ruger LCP. Pocket draws and mag changes are incorporated into these impromptu practice sessions.

love my J frames and my LCP. that said... my new 640 pro is not even on my EDC list. i have gone back to the olden days of yore... i have given my glocks up, even my k/l frames are no longer my go to. i am now trusting my life and the lives of my family, to, (gasp!) a Springfield Armory TRP. i have been doing work as often as i can with all my 1911's, only. i only practice shooting on the move. i try to cause malfunctions to practice. my brother in-law and i load mags for each other. we try to jam the other up. i am trusting my training and feel for the 1911 only now. i do only carry a 1911 as primary now with my LCP as pocket carry back up. targets won't stand still to let me shoot them, as i too will be on the move if it ever happens, thats what i practice.

I have an abandoned house on property. I set up body sized cardboard with a heart sized bullseye set up in various locations at different heights.

Then I draw from concealed, shooting from the hip quick draw to two hand unloads.

My bug is weak hand so I also practice with great results.

I ain't playin'..

I try to shoot in the winter 3 out of 4 weeks at an indoor range just practicing accuracy. Once we get warmer I shoot out side each week on my property .

Sometimes will just shoot a couple of 17 rd mags concentrating on only one drill each practice time. I have found it helps to go over the drill you will be doing the night before in your mind, and doing it dry firing inside for 15 to 20 minutes .

Shooting for time at multiple targets is probably my favorite drill, next would be the same drills only while moving.

I try to shoot 200 rounds a month on an average. Some months might be 300+ others only 50, all according to weather and my schedule and whether we are traveling.

It has been interesting reading what everyone does to maintain skill levels. This morning I'm going to the range w/a group of retirees in our community who share similar interests, although I'll be the only LEO. My M&P .380, 442 (EDC) and Gen. II Glock 23 (former service weapon) will go with me. First time out with this group, should be fun.

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Old Cop
LEO (Ret.)

Have range adjacent to shop....Shoot almost daily.

Lots of point shooting and front sight press and squeeze.

I like N frames and 1911s for EDC.


.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

Try to do a monthly IDPA match with my EDC snubby 640 revolver. Sure I'm not competitive, but I have fun, learn a lot and get to put 100-120 rounds downfield in some interesting scenarios. Trying to supplement that with a few trips to the range in between but not happening as often as I'd like.

I have property where I am able to shoot so I'm at a big advantage over others. I can set up multiple targets at differing range and shoot on the move. Training much more real then one standing shooting at a bench at a range. Also shooting from the ground, laying prone, sitting, kneeling, any position you care to get into ..

Shooting on the move is much different, and must add can be a lot of fun. But it will show one just how good of a shot they are under more realistic conditions one might have under a self defense situation. Your not going to be standing facing the BG blazing away at you, you will be moving for cover just as fast as you can !

My indoor range time I don't consider CC Training. Its target practice to me the only training there is trigger control.

When I shoot I practice 1 drill each time doing it multiple times. I never shoot the same number of shots each time I perform the drill sometimes 2 shots others 3 or 4 all according to the scenario I have in my head. I believe this will keep me from just emptying my weapon in a SD situation when not needed. If I practiced doing that I may well do the same in real life. What you train for will be your reaction if it ever does happen .

I go to all the LEOSA qualification shoots they put on which is twice a year. LEOSA only requires re-certing once a year but they don't care if I go to both so I do! Plus I go several times a year with my family.