Triangle Tactical Podcast and Blog on Guns, Gear, and Competition Shooting
I found myself reading a Reddit /r/CCW thread this afternoon that brought up a great question regarding concealed carry for those who don’t have the budget to shoot and train a lot. The thread creator was asking about living paycheck to paycheck as it relates to concealed carry, and specifically this question:
2: do you experienced gun enthusiasts look down on people who carry in my current situation? Would you see me as a liability or an asset? On the outside looking in I can see how someone would criticize me for not having enough trigger time, I completely understand that.
I’ve witnessed this on multiple occasions over the years of being involved with different online communities. There’s a small strain of folks who take firearms training classes as a hobby, who are very vocal about getting training with [Insert former Seal Team Delta Ranger X]. Most of these instructors are well respected shooters who have a lot of accomplishments, but the problem is that classes are expensive and when you factor in time off work, ammo, travel expenses, tuition fees, etc, training is out of the realm of financial possibility for many self defense minded people.
The first rule of a gun fight is to have a gun. This means carrying it with you wherever you go.
The fact is that armed citizens tend to do a pretty good job neutralizing bad guys no matter their level of training. If all you have is a gun, enough training to be safe with it, and the credentials to carry it, you should. If you get the money down the road for training or competition, you should. Don’t let a lack of tacticool whiz-bang training keep you from carrying. I didn’t.
I am in that Boat and there is more of us than wish to admit it . Don`t talk us down step up to the plate and offer help , not money or ammo to go shoot . I really lost at this point , looking for ideas
As a substitute for expensive training, I compete in a local scenario shooting “league.” (They keep score, but only to tell me I finished last.) $15 entry fee, $60 ammo, $7 gas, and a Sunday morning is all it costs. At the very least I have practiced clearing cover garments, drawing without shooting myself in the foot, using cover and concealment, and more. The local IDPA, bless their hearts, is a little too serious for me. Maybe yours will be more welcoming. (One important thing I learned in a bad-guy-holding-hostage scenario: I ain’t Clint Eastwood. Not sure what I’d do in such a situation, but taking a 30-foot head shot is NOT a choice.)
Dry fire exercises is all I can recommend. Just like anything it comes down to the basics. Without those everything else is useless.
Unless you’re shooting for sport/competition, hunting, or just plain pleasure, training is overrated. A minimum is advised, and necessary, BUT…..
As Lucas indicated, practicing gun safety doesn’t cost anything but your time. Same with dry fire, which is critical to ingrain proper sight picture and trigger control into muscle memory. Gaining enough proficiency to place rounds COM with reliability doesn’t cost much, and dry fire will keep that skill current.
You don’t need to win Camp Perry. All you need is to be able to hit a relatively large close target COM, and once the initial investment is made and dry fire practice is maintained, doing so will become second nature.