In this Pro Tip I am going to give you ways that you can make the most of your range time even with limited ammunition and to do that we are going to incorporate dry fire into your training as well, so you can make every single shot count. We are going to incorporate a four to one principle, so for every four dry fire shots you get one live round. So you can make the most of your shooting. 

We are going to start out with some group shooting.

Using these snap caps with live ammo is a great way to improve trigger control, loading a round into a mag along with the snap caps simulates five shot groups.

Start with your dry fire shots on your target, focusing on smooth controlled trigger presses each time. Rack the round after the break and repeat. Your last shot will be your live fire shot. 

The benefit is that you’ve had all of that perfect practice leading up to your live fire shot. 

When you repeat this five times for a five-shot group, that means you have 20 shots of dry fire for five live rounds. 

This four to one ratio really helps build on the fundamentals because we’ve had 25 perfect trigger presses and it’s only cost us five rounds, which is phenomenal. 

Another option to look at to save money is going the 22 route. This is an M & P 22 compact and what I love about this pistol is that is syncs up perfectly with my nine millimeter Shield EZ. The controls are very-very similar, they are located in the same places, the only difference is the grip safety, but you're not going to notice it when you're shooting. So, same size and feel which is very important when you're learning how to shoot. Let’s shoot some 22. 

It's important to note we are shooting rim-fire so it’s not going to have the same recoil impulse, but you can still work on all those fundamentals, the sight alignment, the smooth trigger press, the gun handling skills for every single shot. 

I have one more option for you that’s even less expensive and that is air soft. Here I have a full size M & P frame that works just like a real firearm except it shoots air soft. The beauty of air soft is you don’t even have to have a range. As long as you have a safe environment like a barn, a garage, a basement, you can practice those skills and fundamentals to improve your shooting. 

Now I have a challenge for you. Dry fire isn’t as fun as live fire, we know it, but if you get 25 perfect trigger presses every day, I promise you, you will become a better shooter. So, give it a try and until next time be safe and have fun.