You already know that preparing for a real-life gunfight isn’t like shooting at the range… but if you learned a gun training drill, say, ten years ago, I gotta wonder if it would be obsolete now.
See, a long time ago, I remember reading an article from someone asking a kind of weird question:
“When did cops on television start using two hands?”
It’s true: As firearms training evolved, so did the way actors pretended with their guns while trying to be “realistic” on camera!
And that got me to thinking about how training changes (or doesn’t change) over time.
Training Changes… But Sometimes It Doesn’t
Waaaay back in 2013, I wrote an article on this cheap, easy “stress drill” you can do with a training weapon.
Since we’re going through an ammo shortage right now (I talked about this in a recent video on our YouTube channel, in fact), I thought I’d share that drill with you again – because it still works great.
(In other words, firearms training may evolve, but this drill is more relevant now than ever.)
Here’s what I said then about the fact that real-life gunfight training isn’t like “square-range” shooting.
You should give it a shot now, and it won’t cost you a single, precious, worth-its-weight-in-gold round:
My 2013 Thoughts On A “Mental Stress” Gunfight Drill
The mental stress you’ll experience when your life is on the line is a survival aspect you can’t ignore – but one that few gun-owners know how to add to their training.
You see, in a real gunfight, you’re not only going to have to shoot to stop your attacker, but you’re also going to have to think of other things like…
- What’s your best escape route?
- Is your family in a safe location?
- Should I move to another location for better cover?
- Are there other attackers in your home?
- How many rounds do I have left?
Juggling all of these mental decisions at the same time as you’re shooting is extremely challenging – especially when your heart is pumping, right?
Add Realism To Your Training With This No-Ammo Drill
Sure, you can sign up for an expensive gun course that will add more realism to your training.
But here’s a simple way you can simulate “mental stress” in your firearms training, submitted by one of our subscribers, Steve from Trempealeau, WI…
- Go ahead and equip yourself with a training weapon (laser, airsoft, or other) and a set of targets.
- Now, as you’re engaging each target, have a training partner shout out math equations for you to answer while shooting. They should be relatively easy to answer (like “72 divided by 9!” instead of “the square root of 289”)
- This can be done at the range using live fire, but I tried this at home as a dry-fire exercise from behind a chair and it worked way better.
Alternate your angle of shooting (left side of chair, right side, over the top) with each target engagement and math problem.
What’s The Point?
The purpose of the questions is to force you to engage different parts of your brain while you’re executing the physical task of shooting.
This is a LOT harder than you might think and will help you realize the dangers of becoming fixed on any one task while defending your life.
But as you can see, this is a simple thing you can add to your training program that will make you much better prepared for a real-life gunfight… all WITHOUT firing a live round!
How Are You Training During The Ammo Shortage?
(And Do You Think This Drill Holds Up A Decade Later?)
Please Give Us Your Feedback Below…
