Current Events > Shooting 100 rounds each time I go to the range... is that a lot?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'm spending like $20 each time for my 100 round 9mm Winchester ammo every time I go to the range.

It seriously does not feel like I'm shooting 100 rounds, but the box is empty! So... is that a lot?
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No. It's not a lot until you buy ammo by the crate. At least by US standards.
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doesn't seem like at lot to me
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what do you mean by a lot?

would i do that? no

should you do it? if you enjoy it

I'm new to the shooting sport, so I'm not sure if this is a lot or not. I've been going once a week for the past three weeks, and I've been blowing through the 100ct box every time I go. It really does not feel like I'm firing that much...
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Not at all.

Some self defense courses have you burn through one thousand rounds per day.
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hell no. thats about what i shoot and i know guys who go through 500+ every single weekend.

GregShmedley posted...

But it also depends on how well you shoot those 100.

So with my gun, a S&W M&P Shield 2.0 9mm, I keep shooting a little bottom left (2" to the bottom left at a distance of 20 feet). I know this is because I am jerking the trigger or tightening my hand too much, and I'm trying to work on it (this gun has such a skinny handle!).

When I use my wife's gun, a 357 mag single action revolver (with a much beefier handle), I hit within the bullseye though!
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Are you only at the range for like 10 minutes?
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100 rounds isn't a lot. However, if you are looking for proficiency most shooting technique can be practiced without shooting any rounds. Look up dry firing drills. Get muscle memory down. Profit.

I shoot 100 rounds every time I go to the range. And by "the range", I mean your mom. And by "rounds", I'm not talking about bullets.
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GregShmedley posted...

Just keep and eye out on your finger placement and how you are gripping. Your best bet is to take a class or a one-on-one training session with an instructor to go over your grip and how you are taking your shots. You can read graphs and watch YT videos and practice yourself, of course, but it's always good to have an opinion from someone who is trained. Practice is useless if you are practicing the wrong techniques.

Your gun might be to small, as well. Look into getting a grip sleeve and possibly a pinky extension.

You're also shooting your wife's revolver better due to having such a light trigger pull versus your stock Shield. Those couple pounds make a difference and because your finger is doing less work, your less likely to effect your grip on the gun.

Yup! We both took an introductory NRA basic pistol course to get familiar with the techniques. Interesting thing is when I shot under supervision with the instructor, I fixed my error after a few rounds. By myself, however, it takes at least a couple magazines before I can reliably shoot within the bullseye.

I have done dry firing and I can see that I do move the gun a bit when I pull the trigger, so I need to work on bettering that.

daftpunk_mk5 posted...

Are you only at the range for like 10 minutes?

We're there for about 1-2 hours typically. I try dry firing and such in between magazines.
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Sometimes that's all I'll shoot out of a particular gun when I go to the range. I usually take 5 or so guns when I go though.
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I rent out the range for about an hour and go through 150 rounds of 45 Federal Champion. It's pretty cheap and pretty accurate for what I'm doing
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You need to try a different 9 mm pistol, sounds like your grip is not thick enough and yes it does matter.

Rent a different 9mm at the range and see if it handles better.
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RiKuToTheMiGhtY posted...

Rent a different 9mm at the range and see if it handles better.

The instructor handed me his full-sized M&P 9mm, and I reliably hit the bullseye with it, so I do believe it is the gun. However, I do want to get better at this Shield, because I don't want to carry a gun that I cannot shoot reliably well with.
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Definitely not, I generally get closer to 200, especially if I am trying out new firearms.
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You need to sell or trade the m&p shield for a gun that fits your hand properly, that m&p shield is not working for you and it is a bad idea to rely on or keep a gun that does not fit well or feel comfortable in your hand.
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I had that same problem when I first bought my Glock 43. Subcompacts are difficult to handle for beginners. It's doable. Took me some practice to finally get to the point where I can shoot fairly rapidly without jerking. I recommend using snapcaps (the quality matters, don't get crappy plastic ones).

What you want to do is randomly insert a few snapcaps in when loading the magazine (have your wife do it for you, so you won't know the order). Load up the magazine and see if you're jerking it when it gets to the snapcaps.
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