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50 Rounds And A Cloud Of Dust

50 Rounds And A Cloud Of Dust

Even though ammunition is starting to show up at places like my employer and other inferior locations on the web, prices are still really high. Worse still, they are never going to get “back to normal.” Most ammo manufacturers used the empty shelves to sneak in price increases, so even if the supply chain was filled back in tomorrow, the cost of ammo would still be significantly higher than it was at the start of last year. 

As a result, my practice sessions have moved more towards dry fire, with live fire sessions used to validate technique and show areas of weakness. Better still, I’ve worked up a live-fire practice routine that only uses 50 rounds, but covers common drills like the Dot Torture, Mozambique and FAST drills. 

Each session goes like this: 

Reduced Round Count Federal Air Marshall Pistol Qualifier
This drill uses 16 rounds, and I shoot it cold, as it is meant to be shot. 

25 Round Dot Torture 
All the frustration and joy of the original, but with half the rounds used

Mozamibique / Failure to Stop
Shot at 7 yards, uses just three rounds. It’s a classic for a reason.

F.A.S.T. 
I’ve not shot this drill on a regular basis, but I’m going to start shooting it with every range trip.

All of this, if you do the math, comes out to exactly fifty rounds, yet in that fifty rounds, you’ve covered the draw, presentation to the target, transitions, reloads, strong hand and support hand shooting, volume of fire and precision shots, as well as trigger control galore. 

With just one box of ammo. Not bad.