Edc range time, how much is too much?

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seabright60

seabright60

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When i get a new firearm I plan on carrying , ill shoot as many rounds as I need to until I feel like I am proficient and can add it to the rotation. Sometimes its not fun at all like the m and p 340 training with 158 grain 357 magnums was the worst. I still tend to shoot more rounds than most people when I go with all my carry firearms except that one. Alot of guys ive talked to shoot more often but less rounds so im trying to adopt the " stop when youre doing it right) mentality. Problem is I have to drive 45 mins to the outdoor range and a half hour to the indoor range so I cant go 3 times per week. .....Thoughts?
 
When I got my LTC I decided to try and go at least once a month. Usually the last Friday night. It worked at least for me.

Generally it’s one of my carry pistols and around 200rds per trip. Though I do mix it up a bit. Trying to plan ahead as well.

A shot timer, a planned drill and just old putting rounds through seems to work.
 
Since I haven’t changed my EDC in many years, I don’t have to break it in or learn to shoot it over and over again. I’ve always found it odd that folks talk about a ‘rotation’ of EDC’s. We all like to use our guns and most have more than one, but switching EDCs in a rotation seems like a bad idea.
 
Rpg said:
Since I haven’t changed my EDC in many years, I don’t have to break it in or learn to shoot it over and over again. I’ve always found it odd that folks talk about a ‘rotation’ of EDC’s. We all like to use our guns and most have more than one, but switching EDCs in a rotation seems like a bad idea.
Click to expand...

I have two that I carry at the same time allot. Shield plus and BG2.0

Admittedly the BG2.0 has gotten the bulk of the carry time.
 
Rpg said:
Since I haven’t changed my EDC in many years, I don’t have to break it in or learn to shoot it over and over again. I’ve always found it odd that folks talk about a ‘rotation’ of EDC’s. We all like to use our guns and most have more than one, but switching EDCs in a rotation seems like a bad
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I think that depends on whether or not a person goes to places that are completely different from a possible self defense probability aspect or not. I carry the shield plus only when im in a crowded area such as an outdoor festival in florida, if im with my 20 pound dog at a park with ponds everywhere or in my 55 and over community where theres coyotes and alligators I or in the woods bring my 686 plus with 180 grain hard cast , I always have my m and p 340 on me so technically thats my only edc and ill take the 327 pc 8 shot to work in the guardhouse and its in my bag with the 340 in my pants. I carry according to what I think I could need according to where I am. Etc.
 
With a long drive just to get to the range, I'd suggest making the most of each trip. Take your EDC handgun and only put as many rounds through it as you can comfortably shoot. In addition to your EDC, take along firearms that are more fun to shoot, like handguns chambered in 22 LR, 38 Special, 9mm, or 45 ACP ( I find steel frame Government Model size 1911's to be very enjoyable). It might also be helpful to use an understudy handgun for practice, so a S&W 43C or 317 would be good understudy revolvers for your 340.
 
I try to shoot the guns I EDC once a month, with the ammo I carry in them.

Sometimes it's easier, sometimes more work. I'm retired, so I go to the range throughout the week, to have it mostly to myself (5' car drive to get to).

Anything changes on how the guns feel or wrt carry ammo, they have to be tested again before continued carry, IMO. As an example, next time will be tomorrow, and it will be a little more work: (1) trying different magazines in my Colt Defender, (2) a new grip on my 325, and also the rear sight came loose and had to be Loctite'd and (3) a different guide rod and spring on the loaded SA 1911 to run Speer G2 (45 ACP, 230gr +P) through it for the first time, and as EDC ammo going forward.

WRT time & effort, the shooting usually takes an hour or two. The cleaning afterwards costs just as much. So tomorrow will be a full day affair.

The obvious way to save time on all of that would be to reduce the number of carry guns, but they all have their purpose :)
 
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ferider said:
I try to shoot the guns I EDC once a month, with the ammo I carry in them.

Sometimes it's easier, sometimes more work. I'm retired, so I go to the range throughout the week, to have it mostly to myself (5' car drive to get to).

Anything changes on how the guns feel or wrt carry ammo, they have to be tested again before continued carry, IMO. As an example, next time will be tomorrow, and it will be a little more work: (1) trying different magazines in my Colt Defender, (2) a new grip on my 325, and also the rear sight came loose and had to be Loctite'd and (3) a different guide rod and spring on the loaded SA 1911 to run Speer G2 (45 ACP, 230gr +P) through it for the first time, and as EDC ammo going forward.

WRT time & effort, the shooting usually takes an hour or two. The cleaning afterwards costs just as much. So tomorrow will be a full day affair.

The obvious way to save time on all of that would be to reduce the number of carry guns, but they all have their purpose :)
Click to expand...
Im with you on the carry guns for different purposes.
 
From what I've read, recency beats one-time quantity. Shooting 50 rounds once a week is better than 200 rounds at a monthly session.

I tend to stick to one gun and practice with a twin or similar one. I live in a suburban area near a small city, and there's little crime here, so it's usually my Walther PPS M2 or a 3" K frame. I do travel a bit, and when I'm going to a larger urban area, or somewhere I'm not familiar with, I'll go with something larger, like a G19 or PX4. I'll switch before I leave, and make at least one range trip with the larger gun, doing drills with freestyle/SHO/WHO shooting and some 25 yard work, going through 50-100 rounds. I re-do this when I get home and switch back to the smaller gun. I'm retired, and it's not like going to the range is a sacrifice. ;)

I've been shooting long enough, with different trigger systems (TDA, DAO, SAO) and safeties, that just refreshing my memory works well.
 
It takes repetition to train muscles and actions. Once trained, if it is periodically exercised a few times a year that is good enough for me. I also shoot the specified course annually as well to maintain my Retired status to carry as a retired cop. I have several options from a .45 ACP N-framed revolver, to .45 ACP in many different platforms, 9mm, .38 special and even .380. Once properly trained I have not found a handgun I can't pick-up cold and shoot well enough to defend myself. It is technique, not the firearm that builds that confidence. I do think a lot of us use that excuse to go out and shoot more because we like to do it and I don't have a problem with that either. Your mileage may vary.
 
seabright60 said:
Alot of guys ive talked to shoot more often but less rounds so im trying to adopt the " stop when youre doing it right) mentality. Problem is I have to drive 45 mins to the outdoor range and a half hour to the indoor range so I cant go 3 times per week. .....Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I'm in this school of thought as well. Years back I switched from shooting multiple guns per range trip to one at a time. 120-150 rounds usually does it for me to feel like I'm consistently doing it right. Range is only 3 miles away.

If I had to travel 30-45 minutes I'd likely do it differently.
 
5.3 back road miles from my club range, average once a week all year long. Winter tends to be autoloader oriented. I reload multiple magazines in the truck, then step out and shoot.

Three carry guns that I qualify LEOSA with. 442, 340PD and a G42. I'll also shoot them another 3 or 4 times a year. The 340PD will come up again in July.

I have four other J frames that are range guns. Primary is a 640, the stainless steel is made for high mileage vs. the aluminum and Scandium frames. The others are a 22 magnum and a 317 & 63. The 63 gets the most shooting. So it breaks down too, Airweight, Air Lite carried a lot, shot a little. Stainless Steel, shot a lot, carried never.

The G42 is really tough and overbuilt for a .380 and I've run a lot of rounds through it in eleven years. It's developed a nice trigger. Noticeably better than my buddy who has fired a lot less rounds through his. Don't know how many will be too much with the Glock.
 
seabright60 said:
When i get a new firearm I plan on carrying , ill shoot as many rounds as I need to until I feel like I am proficient and can add it to the rotation. Sometimes its not fun at all like the m and p 340 training with 158 grain 357 magnums was the worst. I still tend to shoot more rounds than most people when I go with all my carry firearms except that one. Alot of guys ive talked to shoot more often but less rounds so im trying to adopt the " stop when youre doing it right) mentality. Problem is I have to drive 45 mins to the outdoor range and a half hour to the indoor range so I cant go 3 times per week. .....Thoughts?
Click to expand...
It’s not the number of rounds fired, but the quality fired. Train at realistic distances like 15 yards and under. Instinctive, multiple targets, low light, moving off the X, right hand and left hand only. Practice dry fire( safety, safety ).
 
Ideally, train as much as you can. It’s not just about going to the range. Unloading the gun, checking it twice, and conducting dry fire as well as drawing and reloading at home is practice and training. Getting into the gun games can be considered training if your primary goal is not to become a grand master but rather to develop, improve and maintain skills ( and you might accidentally become a grand master).

I’m not a big proponent of “muscle memory” as a process to develop. I am becoming a student of the Building Shooters model, which focuses on a training process designed to pass skills and information through your filter into the short term, then, with a rest cycle and further training, to imbed techniques into the procedural or declarative long term memory portions of the brain. This program is not approached with the “fire hose” method, but rather with block training. It a little slower, but more passes thru the filter and doesn’t get discarded. The end result is a better trained and prepared citizen.

I don’t subscribe to the EDC rotation. I’ve got a number of handguns, but most are of two basic operating systems - DA revolvers and striker fired semis. My EDC is between a couple of 365 variants, both with flat triggers; or S&W Centennials. I will primarily carry a 642, but also have a an old 640 and 43C (which finally seems to work). The Js all have identical grips. Both 365s and Centennials fit the same holsters, respectively. The only wild card is a Beretta 21A Bobcat, but it was one of my first handguns purchases in the mid 1980s and I’ve shot it so much it’s manual of arms, sights, and trigger press are permanently engraved in my procedural memory. What I carry is based on the practicality of what I’m doing and not on seasonal whims. Both systems get equal attention during my training time.
 
VinnieL59 said:
It takes repetition to train muscles and actions. Once trained, if it is periodically exercised a few times a year that is good enough for me. I also shoot the specified course annually as well to maintain my Retired status to carry as a retired cop. I have several options from a .45 ACP N-framed revolver, to .45 ACP in many different platforms, 9mm, .38 special and even .380. Once properly trained I have not found a handgun I can't pick-up cold and shoot well enough to defend myself. It is technique, not the firearm that builds that confidence. I do think a lot of us use that excuse to go out and shoot more because we like to do it and I don't have a problem with that either. Your mileage may vary.
Click to expand...

walkin' trails said:
Ideally, train as much as you can. It’s not just about going to the range. Unloading the gun, checking it twice, and conducting dry fire as well as drawing and reloading at home is practice and training. Getting into the gun games can be considered training if your primary goal is not to become a grand master but rather to develop, improve and maintain skills ( and you might accidentally become a grand master).

I’m not a big proponent of “muscle memory” as a process to develop. I am becoming a student of the Building Shooters model, which focuses on a training process designed to pass skills and information through your filter into the short term, then, with a rest cycle and further training, to imbed techniques into the procedural or declarative long term memory portions of the brain. This program is not approached with the “fire hose” method, but rather with block training. It a little slower, but more passes thru the filter and doesn’t get discarded. The end result is a better trained and prepared citizen.

I don’t subscribe to the EDC rotation. I’ve got a number of handguns, but most are of two basic operating systems - DA revolvers and striker fired semis. My EDC is between a couple of 365 variants, both with flat triggers; or S&W Centennials. I will primarily carry a 642, but also have a an old 640 and 43C (which finally seems to work). The Js all have identical grips. Both 365s and Centennials fit the same holsters, respectively. The only wild card is a Beretta 21A Bobcat, but it was one of my first handguns purchases in the mid 1980s and I’ve shot it so much it’s manual of arms, sights, and trigger press are permanently engraved in my procedural memory. What I carry is based on the practicality of what I’m doing and not on seasonal whims. Both systems get equal attention during my training time.
Click to expand...
So im not sure what about an your stance on an edc rotation, you said you dont subscribe to a rotation and then named more guns in your rotation than I have in mine. Unless I misread what youre trying to convey.
 
I try to go to the range about every week. I usually shoot one of my two EDC guns and "some other" gun. Both EDC guns are S&W DA revolvers. Half of my other guns are also Smith revolvers, so that helps build familiarity but not yet contempt.

I've had my EDC guns for quite a while, and I don't remember my logic (if any) when it came to proving them. I just built trust with them over time and "a lot" of rounds using a variety of cartridges, to include my defense cartridges (Remington Golden Sabres).
 
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seabright60 said:
So im not sure what about a your stance on an edc rotation, you said you dont subscribe to a rotation and then named more guns in your rotation than I have in mine. Unless I misread what youre trying to convey.
Click to expand...
I guess what I was trying to convey was that I don’t have a whole shelf full of guns that I rotate. When I hear “EDC rotation” I think of the occasional commentor who carries the Kimber Compact 45 one month, switches to the Glock 33 for winter heavy clothing, then packs the Taurus G2, some form of revolver, then to a CZ 75, to another 1911, etc, etc.

For me, the P365s and the S&W Centennials are “types” (action types to be more specific ). I deal with two types of handguns despite having more than one of each type. Sometimes I may carry both. Sometimes I may lounge around the house with one or the other. Other times. I will carry one or the other depending on dress or activity. I don’t consider that to be a “rotation,” simply selecting the proper tool. I’m competent with both types.
 
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walkin' trails said:
I guess what I was trying to convey was that I don’t have a whole shelf full of guns that I rotate. When I hear “EDC rotation” I think of the occasional commentor who carries the Kimber Compact 45 one month, the switches to the Glock 33 for winter heavy clothing, then packs the Taurus G2, some form of revolver, then to a CZ 75, to another 1911, etc, etc.

For me, the P365s and the S&W Centennials are “types” (action types to be more specific ). I deal with two types of handguns despite having more than one of each type. Sometimes I may carry both. Sometimes I may lounge around the house with one or the other. Other times. I will carry one or the other depending on dress or activity. I don’t consider that to be a “rotation,” simply selecting the proper tool. I’m competent with both types.
Click to expand...
Ah, ok so I carry an m and p 340 always and rotate between my 2 other 357 magnums ,327 pc 2 legged areas and 686 plus 4 legged areas with 180 grain hardcast. Ill occasionally carry my shield plus In a crowded area such as an outdoor festival here in florida. Im adding a 69 combat 2.75 inch 44 magnum to my collection soon and my plan is to carry that in certain situations also once I put 500 rounds through it ill make the call based on how I perform with it. I feel like when it comes to revolvers If I can shoot 158 grain 357 magnums out of the 340 that I can handle anything else , that thing was the most painful training phase ever but I like to pocket carry it all the time. Its a no excuse gun ,it fits anywhere.
 
ferider said:
I try to shoot the guns I EDC once a month, with the ammo I carry in them.

Sometimes it's easier, sometimes more work. I'm retired, so I go to the range throughout the week, to have it mostly to myself (5' car drive to get to).

Anything changes on how the guns feel or wrt carry ammo, they have to be tested again before continued carry, IMO. As an example, next time will be tomorrow, and it will be a little more work: (1) trying different magazines in my Colt Defender, (2) a new grip on my 325, and also the rear sight came loose and had to be Loctite'd and (3) a different guide rod and spring on the loaded SA 1911 to run Speer G2 (45 ACP, 230gr +P) through it for the first time, and as EDC ammo going forward.

WRT time & effort, the shooting usually takes an hour or two. The cleaning afterwards costs just as much. So tomorrow will be a full day affair.

The obvious way to save time on all of that would be to reduce the number of carry guns, but they all have their purpose :)
Click to expand...

Like this, just came back, about 200 rounds.

i-QLL7fWB-X2.jpg


i-SCGCjzd-X2.jpg


Next range trip will be in June.
 
When your monthly expenditure for ammo starts to catch up with your house note you might need to slow down a bit . Till then , your good as far as I'm concerned. I am fortunate since I can step out either door of my house and shoot all I want anytime I want .
 
Eddie Southgate said:
When your monthly expenditure for ammo starts to catch up with your house note you might need to slow down a bit . Till then , your good as far as I'm concerned. I am fortunate since I can step out either door of my house and shoot all I want anytime I want .
Click to expand...
My ammo is expensive for sure , 357 magnum,44 magnum / special carry rounds are alot but the 500 magnum underwoods are ridiculous lol, I only shoot that thing once every 10 range visits because the guys there like it and it cracks everyone up because I have absolutely no reason to have it i just wanted it.
 
Better to have a 500, and not need it, than to ........ 😜

At indoor ranges, where the sign states, no loaded concealed carry allowed, the last thing I do after other gun chores, is pull my EDC, from my pocket, and do two mag dumps, at 10 yards, reload the mags, insert one, chamber a round, and leave.

Trap can cost 500-600 a month. 🎯
 
Try this range drill next time and when all the tootsie pop heads are missing...go home...
Start with 10 and as you get better increase to 20 or 30

Using Tootsie Roll Pops as handgun targets is an excellent, highly visual way to practice precision marksmanship. When struck by a handgun round, the hard candy shatters into a satisfying “sugar cloud,” providing instant feedback.

Setting Up the Targets
Mounting: Push the paper lollipop sticks into a block of floral foam, a piece of cardboard, or secure them using clothespins on a target stand. You can also just tape the sticks to the target paper leaving the heads showing.

Start at 5 to 10 yards for handguns to ensure you are consistently hitting a 1-inch target, then push back further to increase the difficulty.
 
seabright60 said:
So im not sure what about an your stance on an edc rotation, you said you dont subscribe to a rotation and then named more guns in your rotation than I have in mine. Unless I misread what youre trying to convey.
Click to expand...
He seems to be like me. I just carry whatever trips my trigger that day, knowing I'm competent to shoot it . . .
 
Do you carry full .357 Magnums? Normally I say to train with a load similar to what you carry, but if you do carry them, I think I'd train with .38s and fire some .357s at the end to make sure lessons are learned. If you can only make it once a month I'd surely make the most of the range time. And firing .357s for an hour can be taxing. I reload so I can load similar rounds to my defense ammo using coated bullets, similar weight and velocity to my SD stuff. I stick to 9mm and stout .38 Specials. No problems training, but I found out that I REALLY needed to get back to basic because my shooting got pathetic, downright scary. I'm back up to about minimum but I still need to improve.
 
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