Ammo availability is getting better all the time, but it got expensive during the pandemic, and it hasn’t seemed to have dropped much in price, even with more of it available. Even reloading supplies are pricey. If you want to practice, you either have to be independently wealthy, or one of the people sitting on a stockpile of hoarded ammo.
Or you can do some dry-fire training. There are quite a few dry-fire training tutorials on YouTube that can help you work on your fundamental shooting skills without using up any expensive or rare live ammunition, and those are good alternatives. It’s never a bad idea to brush up on the basics.
But if you want a bit more feedback, there are some options out there. Several companies make laser dry-fire training systems that can be used with your own firearms, making the practice more effective, since you’re using the gun you actually carry instead of a simulation.
Some of those companies are iTarget, Mantis, G-Sight, LaserLyte, LaserHit and Strikeman. I got a Strikeman system a while back. It was about $100, and it came with a .45 caliber laser bullet. I also ordered a .40 caliber laser cartridge and a .223 for $59 each.
I’ve already practiced with that system with my guns for hours, and I’m seeing improvement in my shooting. I just load the cartridge in an unloaded gun of the appropriate caliber, and I can practice right in my house. The system works with my phone, and it keeps track of my progress. Last time I went out to the shooting range, after practicing for a while with the Strikeman system, I was already shooting much better than my previous range session.
I should have gotten this system years ago. It saves money, I can practice as often as I like, and best of all, I don’t have to clean my guns when I’m done.
