Winter Weather Firearm Training Near Cincinnati
The holidays are over, it’s a new year, and you are thinking about getting back to your normal firearm training. The challenge is how do you train in the winter?
Here in southern Ohio the weather can be unpredictable in January and February. Polar Vortexes one week and unseasonably warm the next. You have to be prepared for everything and flexible with your plans.
If you have a local indoor range by you then you won’t have to worry about the weather outside. You will have to figure out how to integrate into your training with good techniques if your range allows it. Such as drawing from your holster, shooting around barriers, and rapid firing. Around the Cincinnati area the policies differ from range to range and differ on time of day. Some run shooting leagues (I.e. IDPA) which give you the ability to train in a more dynamic way at an indoor range but at other times you are required to firing slowly in your shooting booth. Here are some things you’ll need to bring for indoor shooting:
– Wrap around eyes glasses
– Electronic hearing protection (foam plugs and regular ear muffs will work but electronic are helpful)
– Ammunition or plan to buy it at the range
– Loaded magazines because loading at the range wastes times
– Holster (if allowed)
– Firearm
Outdoors ranges are more plentiful both public shooting ranges and private ones at clubs. If you are planning to be outdoors you need to be prepared for the weather. Here’s our list of things to take with you:
– Shooting gloves because normal gloves don’t work and cold hands are not fun
– Appropriate clothing (hat, coat, shoes, long pants) for being outdoors for an extended amount of time
– Wrap around eyes glasses to protect against ricochets
– Electronic hearing protection (foam plugs and regular ear muffs will work but electronic are helpful)
– Hand warmers because cold hands aren’t comfortable even with gloves
To find ranges check out this link Gun Ranges in Ohio
No matter if you are heading to an indoor range or an outdoor range don’t miss an opportunity to train with the clothing you wear in colder weather. Remember you may be forced to defend yourself against a criminal at any time and you want to make sure you can access your firearm no matter what clothing you have on.
