The Hard Truth I Wish I’d Learned Earlier in My Firearms Journey

Looking back on my years as a shooter and instructor, there’s one lesson I wish I had learned much earlier: just because you shoot a lot doesn’t mean you’re training. For years, I thought volume alone equaled progress. I’d head to the range, run rounds down the barrel, make some noise, and assume I was improving. The truth is, without intentional practice, I wasn’t building skills—I was just repeating habits. Sometimes, I was even reinforcing bad ones. The difference between “shooting” and “training” is focus. Training is purposeful. It’s guided by fundamentals, by repetition done correctly, and by pushing yourself beyond comfort with intent. Shooting without structure may be fun, but it won’t prepare you when skill and clarity matter most. If I had spent more time, earlier in my journey, with quality instructors who could guide and correct me, my skill level today would be sharper. That isn’t regret—it’s recognition. Because like anything in life, what we practice becomes permanent. Whether we practice the right way or the wrong way, repetition writes it into muscle memory. The lesson? Don’t confuse motion with progress. Don’t confuse noise with improvement. Seek out training. Seek out guidance. Don’t just shoot—train with purpose. That’s a lesson I carry with me now, both in firearms and in life. And it’s one I’ll pass down every chance I get.