The Talisman or Tool article I wrote for Tactical Wire made the point that many incidents every year are resolved by folks with no training at all. In the discussion about it, valid points were raised about people who would like to improve their skills but have limited resources to do so. Here's another article I wrote that addresses one approach to getting more competent, especially for newcomers to the calling.

Building a Sequential Training System

When someone first decides to acquire a firearm, a natural question is, “How do I learn to use it and what do I learn to do?”

There are many options available to a new shooter. The least viable option is the lucky charm option, which consists of buying a gun, never firing it, never practicing or training, and hoping for the best. The majority of new shooters will elect to limit themselves to shooting alone on a very sporadic basis, perhaps annually. Others will seek some initial training (perhaps because training is legally mandated) and then afterwards shoot a little bit on an occasional basis. None of these options is likely to create competence, and therefore confidence, with a firearm.

As with any physical skill, there is a progression that we have to go through to achieve competence. This progression takes time, requires a commitment of personal resources, and necessitates considering what a person’s ultimate goals are. While many people have achieved a degree of competency just by shooting on their own, following a program that is based on intermediate performance objectives can speed the process and reduce the resources required.
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