Guns: Quarantine Training

Due to current events, Shoot Straight's indoor range is almost always full on the weekends, so I haven't been able to shoot as often as I should. With all the lockdowns and ammo shortages, I feel like there are a lot of people out there in the same boat, so here are a few options for firearms training that don't require burning powder:

The Dry Fire Primer - Competition shooter and writer Annette Evans put together one of the best (and only) books on dry fire training out there, aptly titled The Dry Fire Primer. This is a comprehensive manual, covering everything from setting up your own dry fire "dojo" (no ammo allowed, natch), to constructing drills, to integrating live fire into your training. If you subscribe to the adage that "perfect practice makes perfect," this book is well worth a few bucks.

LaserLyte Laser Trainers - To be honest, I find some of LaserLyte's reactive target products to be a tad gimmicky, but their base laser training cartridges function well. Just chamber the training cartridge inside your favorite firearm, and it'll emit a momentary pulse of laser light every time the hammer falls. My friends and I set up an impromptu dry fire shooting range in a basement by hanging a target and painting it with the laser; we could see if we were jerking the trigger by how much "smear" was on the laser dot.

Thunder Ranch USB Training Archives - I have access to excellent training locally, but one of my bucket list items was always to visit Gunsite or Thunder Ranch to take a class. While that's obviously not in the cards right now, Thunder Ranch is still offering Clint Smith's digital courses on USB thumb drives. If you know anything about Clint Smith, you know what to expect - salty, no-BS advice with a health dose of l-o-g-i-c.