When was the last time you did a little target practice?
For most firearm owners, the primary place where they get to shoot their guns is on a target range. These are businesses or clubs where you can take your firearms and practice shooting at targets. Ranges can “range” from indoor facilities where you fire at paper cutouts, to outdoor areas where you shoot at carefully placed targets. You can find these businesses all over Ontario, and there’s likely one nearer to you than you might think!
While many gun ranges rent out firearms and sell ammo, as a firearm collector, you probably want to take your own guns to shoot. If that’s the case, there are a few things that you’ll want to keep in mind when you’re heading to your next target practice:
What Firearms Do You Want to Take?
When heading to a shooting range, you should first decide on the kind of firearms you want to use. After all, firing a rifle and firing a handgun are two different (though related) experiences, and require different skill sets.
You should also make sure that you have the appropriate ammo to take with you to the firing range. While some ranges sell ammo, not all do. Few things are more irritating than showing up at a firing range with your chosen firearm but nothing to load into it.
If you’re storing your firearms in GTA Guns safe storage facility, make sure you give us a call to tell us you’re coming. That way, you’ll have no problems picking up your desired firearms (and dropping them off after your target practice).
Safely Transport Your Firearms to Target Practice
If you have a gun collection (maybe one that you built up with GTA Guns auctions), you’re probably going to want to use it at some point. Target practice is the perfect opportunity to take out your guns and see what they can do!
However, if you are taking your firearms to a gun range or another area where you can legally shoot at targets, you must take proper precautions to transport your guns safely.
Transporting non-restricted firearms isn’t difficult. You must make sure that the gun is unloaded and secured. If you’re also carrying ammunition, our advice would be to put it in a separate part of your vehicle (gun in the trunk, ammo upfront with you).
If you’re transporting restricted firearms, you must have an Authorization to Transport permit. The guns must be transported unloaded and be safely secured with a locking device, like a trigger lock, plus locked inside a difficult-to-break-into container. If you’re leaving your firearms in your vehicle for any length of time, they must be locked in the vehicle, entirely out of sight.
If you’re transporting a prohibited firearm to your target practice, you must have an Authorization to Transport permit. The firearm must be unloaded, it must be transported with a locking device, it must be put into a locked container.
Practice Makes Perfect
If you’ve just started building your firearm collection and don’t have much experience actually shooting your guns, then you’re in for a bit of a learning curve.
Firing a gun with any measure of accuracy is difficult and requires practice. You can’t just aim it at a target and pull the trigger. Your form, steadiness, grip, and trigger pull will all contribute to your ability to hit the target.
Having an expert check on your form and make corrections can put you on the fast-track to improving your aim… but this isn’t always necessary. Simply heading out to the target range regularly to practice will eventually help you build up your skill and hit your targets with ease.
Don’t Forget to Breathe
Have you ever found yourself holding your breath in a stressful situation? While this is a common stress response, it isn’t helpful when it comes to shooting your guns. Your blood pressure goes up, your anxiety builds, and your muscles tense up.
When you’re shooting, you want to be calm and have your muscles be just slightly tense, but not tight. If you’re holding your breath, there’s a good chance that you’ll tense up and throw off your aim.
Consciously practicing your breathing while you’re at target practice will drastically improve your aim and accuracy. If you can get it into your muscle memory to properly breathe in and out while you’re shooting, that’ll also kick in during higher stress situations like hunting.
Target practice is more than just a way to improve your skills with your firearms—it’s also a ton of fun! And if you need a place to store your firearms after shooting, or if you’re looking for a place to purchase new ones, GTA Guns is your one-stop-shop! If you’d like to learn more about GTA Guns Auctions, or any of our other services, please feel free to contact us. We work with firearms every day, and you can trust us to keep yours safe and in perfect condition!