Get the most from outdoor shooting

• Beau Doboszenski, Owner/Lead Instructor

• Originally published June 13th, 2019

Shooting outside can be an enjoyable part of summertime, but for many shooters those outdoor range sessions become a repetitive ammo-wasting bore.

Here are three ways to take advantage of outdoor shooting to further your skills in ways you can’t practice on an indoor range.

1.     Keep up or push your standards with distance

Many shooters go outside to shoot steel or big silhouettes. Watch out, since this can lead to lower standards and relaxed accuracy! The steel will go ding no matter where you hit it, so shooters may be less concerned with groups they can identify on paper targets as long as the steel dinged. Consider if you have a full silhouette of steel and one shot dinged in the shoulder and the other at the belly button - in this case, your shot group was terrible. This can be remedied by shooting smaller steel, or by keeping the steel freshly painted so you can see impacts.

As a bonus, shooting outside can help you to push your standards. My indoor shooting range is limited to 17 yards, while at a recent outdoor shooting range I shot targets at 20, 25, and 50 yards keeping the same standard of accuracy. I also looked to see if I could keep consistent first shot on target times from 5 to 25 yards. At 5 yards I was on in 1 second, and at 25 yards I was on in 1.25 seconds. Simple adjustments like these can really make that outdoor shooting experience more valuable.

2.     Be more dynamic

So many indoor ranges force shooters to be stuck in a lane. Find yourself alone on a 25 or 50 yard outdoor shooting range and you can suddenly be mobile.

If you have the opportunity to be mobile, start by trying to work linearly. Think closing to targets or backing away. You’re trying to get used to how the body moves your firearm and sights while walking. Keep your knees bent to allow your lower body to absorb the shock of each step.

Then work linearly left and right. Use your upper body like a turret, and find your limit when you move toward the support side vs. the primary side, as they will be different.

Then set up an irregular course of movement using cones, markings in the dirt, or flags. Start slowly and be disciplined about your shot placement. Then as you’re able, speed up. If you can keep up a half speed walk or a moderate run, you’re doing awesome.

By taking advantage of the entire space, you can get out of the static mindset and into the dynamic mindset of a real encounter.

3.     Try an awkward position

Use the outdoor space in ways you often can’t use an indoor range. Set up a barrel or a barricade and shoot around it. Lay on the ground prone, supine, or on your side. If you have a slotted barricade, back up 10 to 15 feet and try shooting through the slots to the target. Simulate shooting while you’re in your car by bringing a folding chair to the range and shooting over your left or right sides, or drawing forward with your back to the chair as if you’re stuck behind the wheel.

The world can be an awkward and constricting place, where bad guys are looking to get you while you’re in your most vulnerable position - maybe as you’re sitting in your car, or after you’ve fallen down. Just because you are in an awkward place doesn’t mean that you’re defenseless, and practicing from these positions will make you more confident.

By manipulating these three elements of your training, you can have a summer’s worth of variety in your outdoor shooting. Just remember to start slow and maintain proper muzzle and trigger finger awareness.