“Whether you plan to compete or not, incorporating a time into your training can have a huge impact.  The first and most obvious benefit to using a timer is establishing your limits and a way to measure success.  The focus of any good training program should be steady, measurable, consistent results.  Start with the basics.  Hold your rifle at the low ready, lift and fire 1 round on an index card at 25 yards for time.  From there, add multiple targets for time. T hen incorporate reloads in between targets and movement.  You can design just about any timed drill you want.  Just be sure to log your training and focus on relevant drills that allow you to improve.  Another way a timer helps your training is by initiating a stress response and time compression.  You’d be surprised how quickly your skills can turn to crap when that stupid beeper goes off.  Just talk to a shooter who’s spent any amount of time competing and I’m sure they have stories of blacking out and abandoning stage plans all because of a little beep.  The more you induce stressors in your training, the more inoculated you become.  This allows you to better access your skills when it counts.”

-Jason Gady