Whether you are starving for ammo or you are sitting on a large stockpile, you are probably wondering how to get the most out of your ammunition purchases. Most of us, once we get ammo in our hands, are afraid to use it because we’re not sure when it can be replaced.
While most ammo dealers have bare shelves, we are seeing an occasional ray of hope here and there. Just like things stabilized after the last election, this too shall likely pass.
In the meantime, just how do we get the best return on our ammo investment, and still stay proficient with our defensive firearms? Here are some suggestions:
DRY FIRE DRILLS. Dry fire is a great way to practice your weapons manipulation skills without expending any ammo. You can practice drawing the gun, re holstering, trigger control and sight alignment in the comfort of your own home.
Safety when dry firing is just as important when live firing your gun. Gun safety rules are not suspended when a gun is “unloaded.” Check your gun before starting to make sure it’s clear, and then have someone else verify it for you. Practice your dry-firing against a safe backstop (such as a basement wall) and don’t have any live ammo in the room with you when you are practicing.
AIRSOFT/BLUE GUNS. Like dry-fire, this can be done just about anywhere. Depending on your gun, a Blue Gun replica from Ring’s Manufacturing can be had for around $40. Airsoft is a bit pricier but most replicas run around $150-$200. (We at QSI have a good friend in the Airsoft business, for his contact info send us an email).
While these guns don’t offer the exact same feel as the real thing, they are great for scenario-based practice, such as scanning, drawing/re holstering, retention and disarms. Airsoft guns have the added advantage of being able to fire a plastic pellet, and can be used for trigger control and sight alignment practice.
PLAN YOUR RANGE TIME. Never go to the shooting range without a plan. Think about what you want to practice, and what drills you can do to practice those skills. While it’s fun to blast away at the target, in today’s market it makes sense to get the most you can out of each shot you fire.
In our next post, we’ll talk about some drills you can do at the range that will polish your skills without using a ton of ammo.
