[Adam Helmer]

We all know practice makes perfect, or some such, but do CCW folks practice and how? I ask this question because a local friend just got his CCW license and called me on the phone to ask, "Can I buy ammo in less quantity than a case?" I told him a case was usually a thousand rounds and yes, he could buy a box of fifty rounds. "No", he said, "I only want six rounds." (He has a .38 Special revolver.) I told him to buy several boxes of 50 rounds each and to shoot them in his CCW piece!

I have seen this mentality before when it comes to new gun owners. I was the only shooter on my rural NH range some years ago on a Saturday morning when a new club member showed up with a S&W Model 29 6-inch .44 Magnum and his first box of factory .44M rounds. He had no target or ear muffs. I put up a target for him at 50 feet and offered him the use of my ear muffs. He declined my muffs as he told me, "I am only going to fire six rounds." Well, he did fire his 6 rounds, sans ear protection, and left the range. A week later he told me his ears "rang" for 3 days and he stayed home from work.

I shoot just about everyday on my backyard 25-yard range at bullseye targets and B-27 silhouettes. Once a month I try to shoot the local IDPA (Combat) match. I advise my handgun students to shoot at least weekly to "stay grooved" with their CCW handguns.

How do other CCW folks stay grooved?

Adam