If it be having a busy lifestyle or demanding responsibilities, we all have our reasons and excuses on why we cannot go to the gun range as much as we would like too. This means that when we do have the availability in our schedules to get some much-needed training in, we have to prioritize how we choose to spend our time at the range. Here are five easy and effective ways you can make the most out of your sessions when you train with intent. 

5 Ways to Train With Intent

1. Set a Goal

One of the best things you can do for yourself before you go to the firing range is to set an objective you want to meet for the day. Personally speaking, I set goals for myself to accomplish on a daily basis, so why would I not apply the same mentality when going to the firing range? Establishing an objective is a great way to motivate you, increase your focus and hold you accountable.

I also like to set long-term goals and short-term goals to keep track of my shooting progress and keep me motivated. For those unaware, short-term goals are accomplishments that are achieved in a short time period such as a few months or a year, while long-term goals are accomplishments met in a longer time period such as three to five years. Keeping this in mind, I always try to make my shooting goals realistic and achievable. 

2. Keep a Schedule

Once you have an idea of a goal you want to meet, it is incredibly important you stick to those goals by putting certain plans into place. You can say you have a goal, but having an objective means nothing if you are not taking the designated steps to achieve them. An easy way to help accomplish your goals is by simply keeping a schedule of what you expect to work on for your day at the range.

Beforehand, I recommend making either a mental or physical note of three to five things you want to practice or focus on for the day and stick to your list. It may be tempting, but do not overwhelm yourself with a bunch of tasks that you know you will not have time to complete. Creating a timely schedule for yourself is one of the best ways to keep you on track and allows you to focus on all the goals you want to meet.

3. Helpful Tools

No matter how fast or well you can load a magazine, it is important to recognize that this task is one that will eat away your time at the range like no other. For newbies especially, loading your magazine is a task that can take a little longer to accomplish. To help save yourself time and energy, I recommend purchasing a magazine loader. For those unaware, a magazine loader, or also referred to as a speed loader, is a tool that is designed to help you feed your ammunition into the magazine. These tools are efficient, easy to use and make loading your magazine a breeze. 

4. Going Solo

Any person that shoots firearms will happily tell you that the gun range is a great place to either hang out with friends or make new ones. However, I find that on days when serious firearm training is involved, the notion of taking a friend with you is not the smartest idea. Personally speaking, I know that when I am spending time with my friends, the last thing I am thinking about is completing an objective. As fun as taking a companion with you at the gun range is, it unfortunately leads to having conversations which can affect your ability to focus on your training. Now I am not saying you can never bring a buddy with you to the gun range, but I am simply stating that to avoid unnecessary distractions you should travel to the range solo. 

5. Training at Home

It may be hard to hear, but all of your hard work, dedication, and commitment you put in at the firing range will mean nothing if you are not continuing your training at home. It is important that every shooter understands that home training is just as important and crucial as range training. And while the majority of us do not have a gun range floating around in our homes, we luckily have an easy way that we can bring the gun range to us in a manner that is safe and effective through the use of dry firing.

Dry firing is the act of stimulating a firearm discharging without the use of live ammunition and is completely safe to do. Many shooters will use dummy rounds, which are plastic ammunition that have no propellant or primer to allow them to discharge. The act of dry firing helps shooters improve their accuracy, sight alignment, and allows newbies to get comfortable with these tools. Nonetheless, when dry firing always check that your firearm is empty and follow the four rules of firearm safety. 

Final Shots

It is important to recognize that how you choose to spend your time at the range can make or break the effectiveness of your training. At the end of the day, if you want good results, you have to put in the effort. Making the most of your range time looks different for everyone, but I find that by simply setting realistic goals, keeping a schedule, using mag loaders, going to the range by myself and continuing my training at home are some of the best and easiest ways to become not just a better shooter, but one that prioritizes the importance of their training.