I am self taught when it comes to shooting.  No real 'formal' instruction to speak of,  just me and some collage friends with guns.  There is a rifle training center close to me but as a collage student funds are tight and with the semester starting up time is also an issue.  I was thinking about buying a MAGPUL DVD to watch then try some of what is shown on there.  Question is, does that really work as well as a formal class?  Will I be blowing the little ammo money I have away on a DVD?  Or is it ass good as I hear?

I was also thinking about buying some sort of laser training system for both my rifle and pistol so I can train without using ammo.  What system do y'all use?

Thanks,

B62stew

DVD's are not training, and dry firing and laser systems aren't training they are practice, you aren't learning anything new.

I would highly recommend attending structured formal training from as many reputable people as you can when you can.

Remember this, generally speaking good training is very very expensive. For a 3 day class from some instructors it can cost you more than  2000$ depending on the type of ammo you shoot.

Save your money and attend handgun training if it's a toss up between rifle/ handgun......generally speaking it's what you will most likely defend yourself with.

So you're a "collage" student, huh?

Start shooting matches, they're fairly cheap and will help you identify places you need to improve. Plus the older guys will give you tips on how to improve.

College*



Dry fire and lasers are good but to really get to the next level you need to have a pro standing next to you, pushing you, under stress, with 25 other rifles going off down the line. He will expose weaknesses in your game you never knew about, and will give you tips and improvements which will make you so much better.

TAMU?

Training courses are an investment, not a cost.

To further explain:

Once you go to a class, you will have a solid foundation in which to conduct further practice (range sessions/dry-fire/etc).

After taking a good class, your range sessions will have structure and purpose, thus, you'll shoot less ammo and waste no time.
Those two factors alone, will reduce your costs.

BOTTOM LINE:

I was once a "poor college student" and understand your situation. However, being poor is no excuse.

Save your pennies (you know where the extra money is leaking to: women/beer/etc). Find the closest one-day carbine class in your area and start saving for that class. Temporarily eliminate that 'frivolous leakage' and before you know it, you'll have the cash you need.

Ammo, eye/ear-pro, some magazines, and, an open mind are all you need to take that first formal training class. These things are attainable, even for 'poor college students.'


You have to make it a priority, otherwise, it won't happen.

I'm going to disagree with the prevailing wisdom in this thread. You can get some good info and even some skills from watching videos. You aren't going to get really good from just watching videos and practicing but you can get some basic stuff down like mag changes, clearing malfunctions, basic drills to practice. Also a lot of the stuff you will go over in a class can be covered in a video. For example "Height over bore", at close range when you shoot a target there is a difference between where your sights are aimed and where your bullet will actually strike. You can learn about that from a video and then demonstrate it for yourself at your local range.

See what you can find on youtube and similar sites, learn some basic simple techniques and practice them. Then when you can afford it go to a class, you will already have some basic skills and will be able to pick up more of the advanced stuff being taught. At least that is what has worked for me in the past. You will definitely learn more from taking a good class and you get to see what works for other people but that doesn't mean you can't pick up a few things from vids and discussion boards like this.

Videos, books, even the internet can provide very good basic information.  However, you really need to go out with a gun/rifle in hand and shoot real ammo at targets, etc.  The sounds, the adrenalin that kicks in all makes a difference in how well you shoot or learn.  

Save up money, buy ammo for your gun at the lowest costs you can. Look and wait for deals.  Then sign up for a known good class.   Guns in hand are better than any non guns in hand training.

Make sure you go to a good one.  I went to a local handgun class that was great, and then I went to a local defensive carbine class that wasn't as great as it could have been.  Almost too basic, but it was accessible to even crappier students/shooters.

Basically I'd wait and save longer to go to a class taught by some of the bigger names than to go to a local less well known guy.

Like everyone else has stated, practice is practice. Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect.... If you don't have a good foundation your just putting lead down range. Just like college, you get what you pay for, and you get out of it what you put in. Save up, and pay attention when you go. Keep an open mind.

Beware the man that only has 9 posts in 13+ years, for he likely knows how to use them.

I've spent good money on a number of classes. Primarily pistol and tactical rifle. The chief benefits (to me) of formal training is immediate feedback and introduction to techniques/drills I take home with me. You really don't want to develop bad habits.  I will confirm that good instruction is worth every penny, but I don't discount what I accomplish on my own. 1 good class can give me a "syllabus" for 20 range sessions.  Supplementing a good class or 3, with other training media is not folly. My range sessions are always pre-planned. My results are measured. Tight budget or not, range time should be efficient and goal oriented.

Keep dry firing, using lasers, etc. If you have the time, its better time spent than many other activities. Muscle memory is a huge component of shooting.