When it comes to choosing a range format that benefits your training, should you utilize indoor or outdoor options? Should you utilize both options?
In this post, I’ll be diving into these options further and conclude with my recommendation to enhance your training. However, this post isn’t a a blueprint to build your own private indoor or outdoor range.
Indoor Range
While an indoor range typically offers controlled temperatures, protection from the weather elements and convenience, it has drawbacks. One of these drawbacks, according to pg. 247 of Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals by Michael Martin, “when shooters know that the only targets they’ll need to engage are to their front (regardless of whether or not they’re practicing a “scan” after shots are fired), they’ll build that knowledge into their neural pathways, which can result in self-inflicted “tunnel vision” during an actual violent attack.” Other drawbacks can include drill and ammunition limitations.
Outdoor Range
When I refer to outdoor ranges, I’m not referring to public ranges that have individual lanes like you would find in a typical indoor range. Instead, I’m referring to open fields and wooded areas. I personally prefer outdoor ranges because it “allows shooters to participate in greater tactical training freedom with up to 180 degrees of firing mobility with multiple firing stations, a greater range of distance, vehicle scenarios, and terrain-based scenarios with less limitations on ammunition.”
When I conduct drills at an outdoor range, I will warn the students ahead of time to come prepared – not just in terms of their equipment but also with their attire. Snow, rain or shine, it’s important to dress appropriately as I don’t believe in utilizing a type of weather covering because it’s not as realistic as potentially being involved in a defensive situation. As the saying goes, “If it ain’t raining, it ain’t training.”
Drills
Depending on the rules of the individual range, some drills that you can use include…
- Ten-to-the-One
- Shoot Small / Miss Small
- Colored Numbers
- Push Your Limit
- Tap and Rack
- Lights Out
- Laser
Some of these drills such as the Colored Numbers Drill do require an instructor to be present. Another drill you can do alone is to take an 8×11″ piece of paper, fold it long ways repeatedly, and hang that paper on the hanger and send it out 3 – 5 yards to shoot with your handgun at to improve your accuracy.
My Recommendation
I hope this post has provided you with some insight and direction on which range option would best fit your training needs. My personal recommendation is to locate an outdoor firing range and/or an indoor range that offers the ability for ballistic doors that can allow vehicles to enter the range for training scenarios, lighting to be adjusted to simulate daylight and low light situations, sound effects to be played over the loud speakers to induce stress or simulate a combat environment, and bullet traps that allow for increased flexibility in shooting across firing lanes or at moving targets.
To further add, I recommend purchasing the SD Universal Kit, Training Projectiles and Full-Size Target Tent from Byrna, as well as, participating in paintball, IDPA / USPSA / 3-Gun and reality-based virtual simulations to induce stress, develop situational awareness and simulate a combat environment. Plus, an up-and-coming company that I own private equity in due to belief in its training benefits is Level Up Live.
To learn more about our courses, click here. If you’d like to discuss this topic in further detail – whether you agree or disagree with my position, or you’d like to discuss different drills – you can message me directly on Minnect and Smeeple.
