My wife and I each shoot 50 rounds of pistol a piece per range trip.  We try to go every single weekend, but sometimes life gets in the way of that and we only get out 2 or 3 times per month (never less than twice).  Main concern has been ammunition costs as I started building up all our range and tac/shooting gear (the hidden costs of firearms) .  Between holsters, cases, range bag, magazines, ear pro, glasses, target stands, and good outdoor clothing you can spend a pretty penny.  We're starting to get to a point though where we've got all the nice gear and I'm thinking of bumping up my round count to 75 rounds total per trip of pistol.  

What is your round count and how often do you make it to the range?

What do you feel is the minimum round count you'd need to improve not just maintain your shooting skills?

I try for 100-200 rds each trip, which is 1-2 times a month.  Sometimes I get a lot more trips and more rds.
But I reload and shoot 45acp, and spend about .12 per round.  9mm, almost too cheap to reload.
 Why are you not reloading?
IDPA and USPSA are good tools for improving skills, you just have to remember they are games.

Why am I not reloading?

Well, the cost of the equipment really is what has held me back and a lack of confidence that I could do it safely I suppose.  I shoot 9mm so I can get steel cased Tula pretty cheap, but I'd much rather be shooting brass.

What kind of initial investment do you need to do reloading right?

If you don't need high volume, a $300 RCBS rockchucker supreme set is great.  You can get a Lee kit cheaper, but I like the RCBS kit better, and face it, you're going to use that reloading setup for a lot of years to come, for a lot of ammo.

Even with expensive VihtaVuori powder, I only pay $0.13/round to shoot .45ACP, so the first 2,000 rounds paid for the equipment, and after that, it's been gravy.  When I see people pulling out brand-new boxes of ammo that cost them $20 or more at the range, I always feel bad for them.  

When you find out just how much more accurately you can produce ammo for your rifles, then reloading will be even more fun.  Being able to make ammo that shoots phenomenally well in your rifle, for about half of the cost (or less) than store-bought, it really sells you.

To get started in reloading from scratch, you would end up laying out about 750.00 to go progressive, a dillon SDB in 9mm.  You could knock it down to 450.00 by going single stage.  
But buying steel case at about .24 ea, thats gonna be a tough call.  I reload cause I like doing it, AND it lets me shoot more.   Mainly I like doing it.   I can reload 9mm for about .15 a shot, but powder is all going to my 45 loader, since i have a couple hundred pounds of lead bullets to use.
It is a pretty detail oriented hobby to get into loading.  And to get the prices more in line, you have to buy components in bulk, thus needing to store pounds of powder and many k of primers.   Some folks don't like that.

Reloading is not hard to learn, but I have been doing it for 40 years.   I have gotten a couple guys started with dillon SDBs and a 650.  They both still reload.

I wouldn't worry about reloading 9mm. I have a Dillon 650 with electronic case feeder, and even I don't reload 9mm. Don't even consider reloading pistol ammo on a single stage press.

Real solid advice.  You're right in that I need to narrow my focus instead of trying to do a little of everything, because I feel really stagnant when what I want to do is improve.  Kind of reminds me of how when you start seriously weight lifting you make all these gains and then "BANG" you hit this wall of stagnation before you learn how to push yourself through it to make more gains.  

Going to kick it up to 100 rounds  a range trip, which means my wife and I will be going through 300 to 600 rounds of 9mm a month....that stuff adds up. As long as steel cased stays where it is in price though I guess it's not that bad.  Luckily my range membership comes with free pistol and rifle lane use so that helps.   I have the Surefire App right now on my phone and it works ok, but I definitely need to invest in a real shot timer.  

Right on, my routine is basically the same. CSAT was the best money I've spent regarding firearms. In addition to practicing any failed standards, I always practice an additional skill: drawing and shooting, shooting on the move, and one handed shooting. I usually do about 200 rounds a trip, about once a month unfortunately.

 

Dry practice at the range is good too.  This can turn your 50 rounds live fire into a 100 round training trip.  

People that are having issues at the range, I suggest they go 5 rounds dry then 5 rounds live.  Their groups improve instantly.  

This can turn your 50 rounds live fire into a 100 (50 rounds live with 50 dry presses) round training trip.

Same. Kinda.



I do 5 dry fires to 1 live.



HUGE improvements in my shooting since I started doing this.
 

You're blowing my mind, because that's so simple and yet so damn smart.  I am going to do that this weekend.  Thanks Brother.

Do you have a range close by that's cost effective?  Is it just the limited time factor keeping you from doing more range trips? I ask, because it doesn't sound like you're happy with going just once a month.

For me, once a month wouldn't cut it for improvement.  If I go a whole month in-between shooting I feel like I'm fighting just to maintain.

Certainly not satisfied with going every month or so. No time before or after work during the week, and weekends are spent doing the stuff I couldn't do during the week and right now hunting.

 

How did this work out for you?

TOTAL DRY PRACTICE can be done at home too:

I mean ABSOLUTELY NO AMMO any where near you, the weapon, in mags, pockets etc.  Weapon and ammo totally separate, ammo locked in another room away from you.

Use a post it note for a target on a wall that can stop a round or will go to an outside safe area.  You will not find this in most apartment or condo building.  If you have a gun safe you can use that as your temporary target holder.  DO NOT use a permanent feature of your residence (light switch, family photo, antiquities, etc)

Do 10 to 15 minutes a night or sight alignment, sight picture, and trigger control.  Capture your trigger to the rear run the slide to reset the internal action of the weapon, then reset the trigger.  You will see the sights dip, etc.  If you are going against a shot timer you will slowly start making the times you want.

Worked out really well especially for my wife.

We hit our outdoor range this past Sunday with a nice temp of about 32 degrees.  My wife was shooting 3x5" notebook cards at 7 yards and I was shooting 1" circle stickers at 7 yards to start.  Whenever we had a miss we'd talk about it, do some dry fire, and then go again with live ammo.  It made a difference and we were both pretty happy with it.  Due to the temp and the fact that I wanted to get in some carbine work with my BCM we didn't do more than 50 rounds of pistol each before I did 100 rounds out of my AR (wife by that time was in the car keeping warm).  For outdoor range this winter I can tell we're going to have up the winter clothing/gear or end up going to the indoor range more.  My wife picked out and I bought her a nice pair of Northface boots that should help. I was actually pretty good the whole time temp wise other than my face so thinking of picking up a balaclava.

I have to be more disciplined and start doing dryfire every night.  I mean no excuse for not doing dry fire at home every night for at least 10 minutes right?  I've got a safe place picked out in my basement for doing it (worse case scenario if there was an ND it would hit the concrete basement wall and ricochet) I'm always pretty careful OCD about making sure the pistol is unloaded (I'll check it like 3 times before I pull the trigger).  Thinking about maybe purchasing some snap caps and looking at some drills I can maybe work in with those.

Definitely need a shot timer.  Been so busy buying all this other ancillary stuff for the range that I haven't gotten to that one yet, but we definitely need one. This is one expensive hobby.  

My wife is at about 500 rounds now through her pistol and seeing her progress and go from missing paper to now having nice groups and bulls eyeing the targets have been REALLY satisfying for me and of course her.  Going shooting weekly definitely has helped us reach a comfort and confidence level.

Snap Caps not need those at this stage.

Malfunction clearances are:
Type 1 (click no bang) and Type 2 (brass high or stove pipe) are tap the magazine, rack the slide and flip the weapon to the ejection port, hands back on weapon, decide to shoot/or not.

Set up: Empty chamber no magazine. Type 1: Point in, press trigger; Click; fix it.  Type 2: Point in, press trigger; Click; Look for brass high, use your imagination, fix it

Type 3 Dead trigger (bass low)  Point in, press trigger; Click; Look for brass low, use your imagination; Check belt for second magazine (if none you will be using the mag you have in the weapon so save it); Lock slide to rear; strip the magazine out to ground or retention; rack slide 3 times; insert mag; rack slide; hands back on weapon, decide to shoot/or not.

Set up: lock slide to rear, no magazine needed.

Emergency Reload: Lock slide to rear, index new mag from your belt; eject depleted mag; insert new mag; drop the slide into battery.

Tactical Reload: Check for a mag on your belt; old mag out; mew mag in.  Butterfly or One in One Out whatever works for you.

Speed Reload: Get new mag; eject mag from weapon to the ground; new mag in the weapon.

All can be done without a snap cap.

For me 200-250rds a month between a practice day and a match day every month. It is just enough to maintain and build a little.
When I was shooting 300 to 500 rds a month between events I had a good amount of improvement.
There will be a point that you will plateau with what: time, funds, and facilities are available for you to train, and that's fine. Unless funds and time are limitless, your still in the top .0001 percent with what you are doing.

Make the most of your ammo and time, if your physically able, find a local idpa or gun club that has matches, get off the static range.

An excellent way to practice at home for almost nothing is Airsoft. Invest in a $100 gas blow back pistol of the same design your real one is. Grab a free cardboard box, and work on your sight alignment, trigger control, reset, breath, stance, grip, and arm strength for $5 worth of gas and bb's.
Do this 30 mins every day for a week then go to the range, and you will see a huge improvement!

Dry fire practice is also excellent at home and at the range.

Just REMEMBER after dry firing or airsofting, put your guns away and dont handle or relaod the real ones till some time passes!

Also check out freedom munitions for great value 9mm

Yup, I'm definitely learning that shooting is like weight training where you do eventually reach these walls/plateaus and man you've got to start getting real creative/smart to break through them.  As winter hits around here and temps are dipping into the 20s I'm noticing our range is a lot more empty on the weekends.  Been investing a lot into good winter clothing, but wow if you want winter clothing that allows for athletic movement while protecting you from the cold you're going to pay a pretty penny for that stuff or go the GI Joe route of using mil surplus (most likely a mix).  Winter shooting definitely separates the casual shooter from the serious one.  Shooting outdoors with gloves and thicker coats also brings a whole new dynamic to it all and frankly I don't expect to make serious gains during the winter months.  

I took advantage of the Black Friday week sales going on and purchased some more ammo. Looks like the trend has been that ammo is coming down in price now anyways so hopefully that stays true.  When I can relax off buying all the ancillary gear I'm going to make a push to get ahead of the game by trying to do a serious multi-thousands of rounds bulk purchase.

Recent unpleasantness throughout the nation certainly helps motivate me though to keep pushing.

Im digging everything you said, especially the link and your two skill idea... smart.  I need to get a shot timer app for phone great idea.  Any suggestions?

 The only thing I would say different is, I love reloading pistol.  A pound of powder goes super crazy far, especially if your used to reloading rifle only.  I reload 45acp, 38 and 357 all on my single stage.  Of course if I did not reload pistol I would not be able to shoot and store as much as I do, and that goes for both rifle and pistol.  Im sure pistol reloading is much easier with a progressive.  I think reloading my 38 is the most economical of any of them... thats probobly obvious due to powder weight.

 I dont shoot or reload 9mm but I have picked up more 9mm range brass than any other caliber.  It literally is laying all over the place at my middle of the desert range.  I was almost considereing buying a 9mm just because I have so much brass sitting in containers waiting to be worked up.... haha actually will probobly traid it for my needed stuff someday. But its not a bad excuse for getting a new pistol.

I usually pick two weapons per trip, and probobly shoot 100 to 150 per trip for my 45 pistol and150-200 for AR15.  Less with the revolvers.  I also tend to load only 10 rounds per magazine for the AR.  Lets me practice mag changes more often.  Also as everyone said home practice is free and helps getting that sweet trigger pull everytime.

 

Since 2008, I've had my own range(s) in my "back 40" (actually 80 acres). I shoot several times a week. Sometimes just short zeroing/ammo test trips, sometimes couple hundred rounds. I don't keep track, but I probably shoot about 7,000 rounds a year. Yes, I reload. Dillon 550x2.

Awsome thanks i downloaded the surefire, I will play with it on my next range trip.