Today on the Iron Sights Podcast After Dark, I’m sitting down with Billy Barton — a Grand Master USPSA shooter, high-level competitor, and the owner of SpecTrain | Firearms Training. Billy has been on my short list for a long time, and after a few missed connections, we finally made it happen here in California.

What makes Billy interesting is not a military or law enforcement background — it’s his process. He’s a shooter who went all-in, became highly competitive in a short period of time, and then naturally transitioned into coaching and instruction. In this conversation, we dig into how he trains, how he thinks about skill development, how he prepares for competition, and how he approaches teaching shooters at every level.

This episode is especially valuable if you’re deep into your shooting journey — whether you’re competing, instructing, or trying to figure out how to train smarter instead of just doing more reps. Billy breaks down the systems, habits, and decision-making that actually move the needle. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but there is a formula, and Billy does a great job laying it out.

If shooting performance matters to you, grab a notebook. Billy doesn’t waste words, and there’s a lot here worth unpacking. Sit back and enjoy this After Dark episode with Billy Barton of Spectrain on the Iron Sights Podcast.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

04:54 Billy's Background

06:22 Competition

22:28 Spec Train

39:23 Fundamentals

41:31 Structure

42:19 Dry Fire

44:24 Hard Lessons

49:15 2026 Plans

59:57 Consistency

01:09:40 Skills

01:18:08 Modes

01:21:58 Evolution

01:38:26 Coaching

02:02:43 LE & Competition

02:13:12 Closing

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