Practice duration?

[nemesisenforcer]

When it comes to shooting to maintain or refine skill, do you infrequent long duration sessions, or shorter less lenghty/more frequent sessions? Which works for you?

[Walla2]

More frequent but shorter (2 hours or so) sessions.

[quilbilly]

Short but as often as the weather and work will allow.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Back in the 90's, when I was in Leagues (mondays were Rifle and thurdays were pistol). That was always a busy range, especially on weekends. I like to practice on a quiet range. So besides League shooting, I'd go to a small, quiet range for practice once a week. I'd bring both league guns and shoot a box of ammo in each of them...and usually bring a "FUN" gun as well, usually a milsurp, and blast away with that for an hour or so.

to my point, you aren't really specifying your goal...but let me tell you, joining a league really amps up your skill.

[nemesisenforcer]

I never consciously chose a certain method but just by default usually do frequent short sessions since i live close to a range and have free time upon occasion and can take friends out with me for fun plinking

[44man]

I have my own range down the hill. I can shoot all day But 3 shots can tell you a lot or just sight in.
It is quality over quantity.
Long ago a top archer said to go out, shoot one arrow a day. If it hit no more is needed. You shoot once for a deer, not 500 shots.

[tygar]

Depends. I just plain like to shoot. So I may do long sessions & usually shoot several different rifles + several handguns at a time.

The thing is if practicing for competition, bad practice is a bad practice & fatigue sets in & you will do harm to your skills by shooting when it's not working right. When shooting for "scores", shorter sessions, more frequently, work best.

For my personal protection practice at multiple targets I pump a lot of ammo out in a short time & usually continue for a longer session as itty bitty groups arn't the goal.

[Randy Bohannon]

2 hrs every other day, today was 3hrs to shoot 60 rounds of 45-70 B/P and get the brass back for a new bullet that is showing great promise.

[country gent]

When I was competing a lot of my practice was actually dry fire in the house. With the bolt gun 10 dummy rounds to also get the cadence and "rifle" down as well. With the M1A a quarter on the follower under the lips made cycling the action easier. I also did practice once a week with live ammo at a local range. A lot can be done and sometimes done better with the dry fire than live ammo.

[reddog81]

What's your definition of short and frequent vs long and infrequent? Most people would consider 2 hours at the range a very long time, however I'd guess most people on this board would think 2 hours is average while some would say 2 hours is short. I go to the range about twice a month. Some people would say that is very frequent while others go much more often. The answers you get from people on this board will be significantly different than your average gun owner.

[KCSO]

Have a safe place with no ammo in it at home and EVERY day for an hour point hold squeeze. I shot the deer on the calendar on the wall a million times before I saw him in the wild. For live fire practice shoot till you get tired or lose focus. When you are shooting you should see the muzzle flash when the gun goes off. When you get tired whenever it is quit for a while or give it up foe the day. When we shot trap on the farm we would shoot for an hour or two and when we could feel the recoil it was time to quit.

I still practice with wax loads in the shop 10 or so rounds every other day or so. 10 shots off hand for score at 50 feet standing up like a man. Or 10 shots draw and fire at a B27 size target at the same range point shooting. Just ten and each one is fired like it was the last bullet I would ever see.

[mold maker]

Many years ago i couldn't afford to shoot for long periods. I now have time ammo and arms, but not the ability.
I dry practice at home to keep muscle memory, but range time is sorely lacking. Even the thought process can be practiced without actually firing a shot. Shot placement, target background, and target ID always need practice. Accuracy and speed here makes up a little for range time firing rounds.

[JSnover]

To learn a new skill about an hour per lesson is considered optimal with short breaks every twenty minutes, a quick review after each break, this is coming from instructors in several different fields of expertise so I know it's a common practice but I don't know if it's an actual policy anywhere.
If I'm shooting to improve my decrepit skills I'll go for two to four hours sometimes but with enough breaks to keep my eyes and my mind fresh, until I'm satisfied or I run into an issue that can't be fixed at the bench.

[runfiverun]

if your trying to build or maintain a skill short durations more frequently is far better than a long session occasionally.
the more you can shoot the better.

for any type of competition long durations at consistently high levels is what wins.
in the clay shooting games like trap and skeet the first 100 straight only gets you into the play-off round.
generally you come back the next day and have to do it again to find out who is going to get a shot at the money. [nobody cares about the trophy]

so then you get to shoot against the others that also done it 2 day's in a row, sometimes the singles shoot-off will last for more than 500 rounds.
nothing like an 800+ round day lifting an 8.5 gun over and over to wear you out.

the real bonus is:
if you do well enough you get to go shoot-off in the other 2 disciplines too [handicap and doubles] so you can easily exceed 1-K rounds.[on the second day]
of course you only have to shoot each target with one shot [shrug]

[TCLouis]

Two things I try to make part of every serious shooting session and they are quotes . . .

Aim Small . . . Hit Small!

Using smaller target has helped me shoot better, the smallest target I can see at the range I am shooting

Practice does not make perfect, Perfect Practice makes Perfect!

When I start getting tired, I quit, any shooting after that point and I am just wasting ammo.

I am NOT a competitive shooter by any means.

[David2011]

LOL! Your comment hit home. I shoot competition but I'm not usually a competitive shooter either. My behind is kicked regularly.

David

[dale2242]

I prefer to shoot more often for shorter a length of time.....dale

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Shorter sessions, when you lose focus - quit. Recoil and/or muzzle blast are big factors. Quit before you develop bad habits. I put my lightweight (8lbs field ready) 300 Win Mag down after 6-8 shots with 180's at 3000, then I pick up a 308 with soft shooting boolits or some firearm that is just fun. Shooting IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN unless it is part of your job.

[Greg S]

For maintaining accuracy a box (50) or less a couple - 3 times per week is better than 100-4 once per week or two.

[waksupi]

Some of the best off hand practice you can get is to shoulder your firearm about ten times a day, to build muscle memory. No need to fire a round.