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.
