Since the pandemic started, US COVID hotspot conditions have really cramped my ability to go out and practice at the range or with others. Between threat of disease and high cost/low availability of ammo, I'm not going out to the range near as often as I would like. Most ranges and gun stores I've been to since lockdowns began have been full of folks being way more casual about covid precautions than I would like. Memorably, I went into my LGS a few months into the pandemic, **after ** mandatory citywide mask wearing was in effect, and no staff member was masked up.
So obviously firearms skills require practice to maintain, so my question to you is how have you been practicing under these circumstances? Do you have some favorite dry fire drills? Something else you do/study at home? Private range? Public land? Or do you feel comfortable going to public ranges in your area? Are you taking any special precautions? Or are you staying home, playing Tarkov and eating chips instead?
I've been doing dry fire pistol drills, practicing drawing from a holster, doing an unhealthy amount of online window shopping for AR parts (consumerism is a sickness, but one I can't shake right now) and watching a ton of gun youtubers (inrangetv, forgotten weapons, also garand thumb and carry trainer even though I find them fairly annoying). I've also been trying to study up on more first aid skills, my last first aid course was a few years ago so I've been watching/reading some to catch up and also expand my bleeding control skills which weren't really covered extensively in my Wilderness First Responder training.
Snap caps are one of the best investments for practice. I've been practicing drawing from common but unexpected situations. Like sitting in a car seat. Carrying a bag on your side. How not to carry a bag so that you can reach the holster. Weighing realistic scenarios (Is shooting a .380 through auto glass a bad idea? Is carrying a mouse gun pointless in this outfit?) is important. And first aid considerations now that I can practice them.
Airsoft. I've got a KWA LM4 which is marketed as an AR-15 police training tool. Mostly steel, simulated recoil from gas, and breaks down very similarly. And ammo is fractions of a penny. Initial investment can be steep (couple hundred for a quality rifle) but you save so much over the long term. And I shoot in my backyard without alarming neighbors. Strongly recommend.
I'm doing wildly irresponsible shit with airsoft guns in the basement.
new eyeballs are expensive so you should practice a lot before you try doing Ocelot's revolver trick with real pistols.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRk33QL_Fjo