If you want to become trained in shooting a firearm then you should know that there’s a lot of things that you need to know. You have to make sure that you have a good understanding of the gun you are using, and you also need to make sure that you are proficient in understanding the mechanics of your weapon too. If you want to go from being a novice to a decent beginner, then this will take around 40 hours with a handgun, and 1500 rounds You will have a lot of dry fire practice here as well, so that you can expand on your foundation of knowledge.

Training Explained

If you took a Concealed Carry class, then you will usually get around 9 hours of practical shooting with instruction. You will also get two hours of training which is dedicated to gun safety. The rest of the class will be dedicated to gun handling, marksmanship and a course of fire. You will also spend a few hours learning how to load up guns, how to unload them and also learn more about gun safety in general. This will help you to reach that beginner status, and it will separate you from a novice.

Defining “Decent”

Decent for some people means being able to hit a man-sized target from a blind draw under your clothing at around 7 yards. It’s also being able to hit three rounds in under 4 seconds.  Some define decent as being able to drop and then reload the magazine by feel. For a rifle, you may need to hit a 12-inch circle at around 400 yards, if you are prone. By these standards, you may be able to classify yourself as decent. Shooting a rifle with accuracy is way easier than using a pistol. Most people who have never been able to fire a gun before can learn how to shoot a rifle in less than a day. They can do so with accuracy and shoot their targets with pride. If you learn how to shoot a rifle, then this will most likely stick with you. If you learn how to shoot a pistol and then don’t pick one up for quite some time, then you may find that you go rusty and that you start to regress.

With this in mind, you need to know that some guns are easier to master than others and that sometimes if you are able to get proficient in one, that doesn’t mean that you will continue to be proficient in it if you do not keep up with all of the right training. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you go on a training course or if you simply take the time to practice your shooting at a range because it is more than easy for you to progress your skills if you put in the right amount of time and effort.

The time it will take you to become proficient will depend on your overall adaptability, reaction time and your determination. Everyone is different, but everyone can learn.