Best Shooting Distance for Concealed Carry Training

Anyone who carries a gun should commit to regular target practice. Putting in a few hours of practice each month will help ensure that you take accurate aim so you can hit your target without hurting innocent people in the area. When you practice, though, you might wonder about the best concealed carry shooting distance.

There isn't a specific distance that will make you a more accurate shooter in all circumstances. Instead, use the following tips to improve your safety.

Don't Base Your Training on What You've Seen in Movies

Movies and television shows rarely depict firearms accurately. How many times have you seen an armed person press their gun against the back of someone's head? Aside from the ethical problem of shooting someone point blank, you lose a lot of control when you get too close to an attacker. If you're within arm's reach, you're too close. A properly trained person could take your gun and use it against you.

(While this doesn't have anything to do with shooting distance, please don't hold your gun sideways! Learn how to hold a handgun for maximum accuracy. Better control over your gun makes everyone safer.)

Practice at Various Concealed Carry Shooting Distances

In the real world, you might have to defend yourself from attackers at various distances. It makes sense, therefore, to practice at a variety of concealed carry shooting distances.

Start at Six Feet and Slowly Increase the Distance

Six feet is as close as you should ever get to someone threatening your life. If you're a beginner who hasn't logged many hours of shooting practice, start at six feet. An indoor range will make it easy for you to set your target at a specific distance.

You might object here because indoor target ranges offer ideal shooting environments. That's part of the point. You need to perfect your basic skills before you can add complicating factors.

Once you can hit your target reliably at six feet, move it back to seven feet. When you're comfortable with seven, move it back to eight. Continue this process until you can hit your target at least 90% of the time at 10 feet.

How long will it take you to reach 10 feet? That depends on a lot of things, including the amount of time you commit to practicing, your natural skill, and the type of gun you own. Don't put a time constraint on yourself. You can move the target back to seven feet once you can shoot it reliably at six feet. It could take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months for you to reach 10 feet.

Move Outside for a More Realistic Experience

When hitting your target at 10 feet feels easy, move to an outside range that offers a more realistic experience. When you move outside, you will need to contend with changes in lighting, temperature, wind, and other factors that make targeting more difficult.

It's unlikely that you will ever need to defend yourself against someone standing over 10 feet away. Still, most people find that they like to continue challenging themselves by moving the target farther away. If more distance keeps you interested in practicing, feel free to push your limits. The most important thing is that you log target practice every couple of weeks.

Incorporate Moving Targets Into Your Shooting Practice

If your area has a practice range with moving targets, take advantage of the opportunity. Targets don't stand still in the real world. They run, duck behind obstacles, and fire back at you.

Incorporating moving targets into your concealed carry training will help you become more adaptable. For an even more useful practice session, use moving targets that represent aggressors and innocent bystanders. The most effective defenders can make split-second decisions in the field. Don't assume that you can make those kinds of decisions until you have been through plenty of training. Too much unearned confidence will get someone hurt.

Start Your Concealed Carry Shooting Practice With a Holstered Gun

No matter what concealed carry shooting distance you're at, you need to replicate real-world scenarios as accurately as possible. Even when practicing at an indoor range, begin with your gun holstered.

Learning to unholster your weapon quickly and point it at your target while maintaining accuracy takes a lot of training. If you always start your practice sessions with a drawn gun, you will miss a critical part of the training process. When it comes time to protect yourself or others in the real world, you might discover that you don't have the precision you thought.

After firing a few rounds, put your weapon back in the holster. Draw, fire, holster, and repeat.

You can also practice drawing your gun when you're away from the shooting range. Make sure your gun doesn't have any ammunition in it. Then, you can use dry fire shooting to get better at drawing your gun and targeting a spot on your wall.

Get a Rounded Holster That Fits Your Body, Gun, and Concerns

Finding the right concealed carry shooting distance for your level of experience should make you a more effective gun owner.

The type of concealed carry holster you use could also influence your effectiveness. At Rounded, we make concealed carry holsters designed to meet the features and dimensions of specific models.

We also make a variety of concealed carry holster styles, including:

• IWB holsters
• Tuckable IWB holsters
• OWB holsters
• OWB paddle holsters
• Athletic wear holsters
• Weapon mounted light holsters

We manufacture all of our holsters in the United States from high-quality materials like Kydex, leather, and black oxide steel.

Find the right holster for you and your gun. Then, you can get the most out of every practice session as you get comfortable targeting objects at various distances.

Purchase a Rounded holster today!