Chris Sajnog reached out to us here at The WON before his book, Navy SEAL Shooting, was published this past August. It sounds a little ominous and maybe intimidating, but instantly Sajnog put me to rest with his conversational, yet authoritative, approach to teaching gun skills.
Background on Chris Sajnog: Retired Navy SEAL master firearms instructor, Neural –Pathway Training expert, Disabled Veteran Small Business owner, Chris Sajnog is one of the most respected firearms trainers in the world.
Here are 5 ways from the book that I’ve immediately adopted so that I can shoot more like a Navy SEAL. I highlighted the book as I read it, so that I could come back to it and refresh my memory and also, let you know how meaningful it was to me.
(Chris Sajnog photo)
Love for the people in our lives is the reason true warriors train.
Because “motion comes from emotion,” Sajnog believes that you will train for either competition shooting or personal defensive shooting based on love. You will love the sport of shooting or you will love the idea of being able to defend yourself, your friends and family. Once you realize that your need to learn to shoot well stems from this love, it’s easy to justify to yourself and others the time and expense required to be a better shooter.
NAVY SEAL Shooting is available at Amazon, in print or Kindle editions.
You must have a training plan, and stick to it.
Sajnog urges you to discover your weakest areas of shooting and hone in on training to make yourself a better shooter faster. Don’t waste time doing the easy drills that either come naturally or that you are already good at doing. That means, you must set goals.
(Chris Sajnog photo)
Dry weapons training is essential.
You’re probably familiar with the term “dry-fire,” where you safely practice pulling the trigger at a target without any live loads in the gun. Sajnog calls it “dry weapons training,” because it includes not only firing the firearm, but also holstering it and unholstering it, drawing and any other skills that will accompany the need for you to fire a dry gun. When people ask why it’s important to dry-fire, Sajnog – in typical fashion – gives this answer:
Patience, young Jedi. Think about it: when you dry-fire, you can practice all these skills you normally work on live fire (minus recoil management) without going to the range and paying for targets, ammo, range time and these days, gas.
He analogizes dry-firing with drills, such as professional sports teams run, in order to become proficient at the overall skillset.
(Chris Sajnog photo)
If the gun doesn’t fit, you’re not going to hit.
Throughout the book, Sajnog includes photos that support his training techniques. How to grip the gun is an essential must-accomplish goal for any shooter. He recommends a 2-handed technique for a handgun, and tells folks not to worry about the 60/40 (strong hand/weak hand) ratio, and to concentrate on dropping the threat and pointing your thumbs at the target. “I’ve found that the more things you have pointed at your target, the better chance you have at hitting it.”
(Chris Sajnog photo)
Meditation increases your ability to focus.
This chapter surprised me. I’ve long suspected that meditation would benefit me in so many ways, but never thought about shooting-related rewards from the practice. Sajnog admits this might be too “touchy-feely” for some of us.
To be a great shooter you must reach a state where you are not separate from the gun; you’re no longer just this person back there trying to control it. The gun, the target, your vision, and your whole body become one.
I’m up to about 5 minutes a day of meditation, and it’s tough – especially for me, because I like to get moving as soon as my feet hit the floor each morning. I can see benefits already, though, even in my shooting … I’m able to block out the world around me more and reach out to the target with my mind’s eye, and not just the front site on the gun that I’m using at the time. I’ll keep working on it.
Of course the book is full of other tips and tactics – really too numerous to mention. Check out the reviews at Amazon and if you or a friend or family member will commit to further training, this is the book to buy.
Order Navy SEAL Shooting. Paperback — $26.97 (Amazon Prime) and Kindle — $19.97
Chris Sajnog will be offering exclusive tips, based on his training experience, for The WON. Check it out here.
Publisher/Editor Barbara Baird is a freelance writer in hunting, shooting and outdoor markets. Her bylines are found at several top hunting and shooting publications. She also is a travel writer, and you can follow her at https://www.ozarkian.com. View all posts by Barbara Baird
