Q: Where I live, the weather won’t allow me to shoot for at least two more months. Is there any kind of meaningful drill or practice I can do inside until I’m able to go to the range again?
A: When snowed in for the winter months, there are a couple of indoor drills you use to improve your gun handling skills and endurance in competition.
1) Mount drills: With your shotgun in your hands, simulate mounting and moving your shotgun to an imaginary left-to-right, then right-to-left, crossing targets while keeping your eyes on the imaginary target in front of you. Use a laser device to give yourself something to focus on and avoid looking at the bead or barrel (I like the Laser Shooter from Robert Louis Company).
2) High-repetition weight training – If you aren’t already training with weights, go to your local sporting goods store and pick up a 4-foot padded weight bar, between 15 lbs. and 25 lbs. (depending on how adventurous you are).
I perform four types of exercises with mine: 1) overhead/military press, 2) curls, 3) right-handed mount, and 4) left-handed mount. For the mount exercises (#3 and #4), I execute “dynamic” lifts instead of “static” lifts, rotating my body right-to-left and left-to-right as I raise the bar from my waist to my cheek, just as I would if I were engaging crossing targets. Work your way up to 25 reps, then 50.
If you aren’t already in a workout routine, these exercises will have you ready to compete when the snow melts.