NSSF GunsiteLike most, my life is full of good intentions. This coming year, I’m going to do all sorts of wonderful and productive things like lose weight, get in shape and watch less TV—except for the 27 shows I just have to DVR.

Joking aside, and even if the promises to myself I take seriously fall off the self-improvement wagon, I am going to do a better job of practicing with my self-defense guns. Really, I am. Here are some of the things I’m considering adding to my “must do with guns in 2015″ list.

Dry-Fire Practice

Last month I wrote about safe dry-fire practice, so I won’t review the whole process here. Still, remember that safety is always the first consideration, so be sure to rigorously follow all of procedures outlined in that article.

There’s a reason tat dry-fire practice is first on my resolution list: It’s the most effective way to become a more accurate and consistent shooter, bar none. When you learn to properly control a handgun trigger through dry-fire and program those habits into your brain, you’ll find your performance at the range improves immensely.

Given that you can achieve meaningful dry-fire practice in less than a few minutes a day, I’m going to aim for four practice sessions per week. I’ll also take them seriously, so I won’t be sitting at my desk carelessly repeating trigger presses, I’ll be focusing on the entire process of sight picture, smooth trigger press and follow through (which includes a second sight picture). I want to burn these habits into my brain through repetition so deeply that not even a 24-hour reality TV binge can dislodge them.

Read the rest at the National Shooting Sports Foundation First Shots!

IMPROVE YOUR SHOOTING!

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