The ammunition supply seems to be loosening up a bit. While I am hoping for a return to the good old days, ammunition will probably remain relatively expensive. Just the same, we must push forward with training. We must decide what our life is worth and perhaps make do with less ammunition for training time. However, that is not an excuse; we must master the art of training.
There are many drills to perform and while some are better than others, the problem we face remains the same. A study of dozens of personal-defense incidents confirms we will face one or two threats at relatively close range. We won’t have much time. Recreational shooting is fine, but we must be able to win a fight. Some skills are essential.
Whatever the handgun you choose, the problem will be the same. The .32 ACP pocket gun or .45 ACP house gun may be tasked with facing the same threat, and the actual threat is unpredictable. Speed to an accurate first shot matters most. You should have an understanding of what to do if the adversary interferes with the draw and how to fire at very close range.
Much of the mechanics may be practiced in dry fire. Time and money are precious, and you don’t want to waste your time. The problem to be solved in each drill should be realistic. These drills train the brain to a rapid response. They must be conducted often, as skills are perishable.
Practice the Draw
The first drill I perform on a daily basis is to present the firearm from concealed carry. The presentation leads to the firing stance. I practice a half dozen draws a day. The first one is the cold one, and the only one that counts. We all get better with time. If you make a mistake for real, you are going to be perforated by bullets or stabbed. Get it right the first time!
Practice the draw by shooting the elbow to the rear and coming from under the holster to scoop the handgun out of the holster as you execute the draw. Continue by driving the handgun toward the target. Get on target quickly. If the adversary is at intimate range, fire from the retention position. If at three yards or so, use one hand, at all ranges farther than three yards, use the two-hand hold.
The goal is consistency and avoiding mistakes. Don’t get the gun wrapped up in the covering garment as you draw. Be consistent and smooth, and speed will build. Some ranges do not allow concealed-carry draws. That is understandable. Practice this using dry fire as often as possible with a triple-checked unloaded firearm. You don’t have to pull the trigger, just get the firearm up and ready to fire.
Meat and Paper
On the range, practice getting the pistol on target quickly. Use the semi-auto slide or revolver cylinder for a rough aim at very close range. This is called meat and paper, with the handgun the meat and the target the paper. The outline of the handgun is against the target. If you see the flats of the slide or the long revolver cylinder you are not properly aligned. This isn’t point shooting, it is aiming, but you are using the handgun as a rough index over the target. This is very fast.
As the range is longer and the handgun isn’t surrounded by the target, concentrate on the front sight. Get the front sight on target quickly. Hold at the threat’s belt-buckle level and fire with the front sight as the primary aiming focus. When I see most folks firing in training, they seem to have the technical aspects of marksmanship squared away. The shortcoming is usually in dynamic implementation.
Longer Range Training
As the range becomes longer, slow down and use a more precise sight picture. At 10 yards, you should be able to fire five rounds in five seconds into a group smaller than five inches. Fire, allow the trigger to reset as the handgun rises in recoil, and then control the pistol and align the sights for an accurate shot. A string of fire is a series of rapid, but properly aimed, shots. Don’t fire unless you are sure of your target. Aim, fire, recover, fire.
An important drill that is overlooked by practically everyone practicing alone is to take cover. This is a stark difference between range drills and reality. You may practice in the home, dry fire, or on the range. An important decision when sprinting for cover is to decide whether to draw. The draw conflicts with movement. It is usually best to reach cover and then draw. Only very advanced shooters are able to effectively shoot on the move. So, if you are under fire, you should immediately sprint for the nearest cover (if possible/available).
A building, wall, vehicle, or freestanding structure may offer cover. You may get into a solid braced position and return fire, or you may simply remain behind cover and keep the pistol at ready. This isn’t the cinema and a win is living without bullet holes. Move to cover, draw the gun, and since it is a valuable skill, brace and fire from cover during practice.
Multiple Targets
Another skill that may be important is addressing multiple targets. If you are caught in the open and have more than one person firing at you, speed and finding cover is important. I draw and engage the target on the right first — I am right-handed. A left-handed person may engage the left-hand target and sweep right. As soon as possible, I am moving and moving toward the last target, the one I have not addressed.
I am hoping the concept of shielding will be valuable, moving to one side of the threats to decrease their ability to combine fire. As I move, I fire as accurately as possible to get body hits. I am not keeping score; I am building skill. However, if you miss during this drill, you need to work on marksmanship or slow down.
Training Instruction
Practice shooting skills often. If you can afford the time and money, get training. Many instructors have been to a lot of schools. Police and military instructors have real-world experience. A lot of folks know shooting and are good at it. An instructor that understands crazy is worth their weight in gold.
Do you train with your firearms? What types of training do you practice most? Let us know in the Comment section.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published in July of 2021. It has been completely revamped and updated for accuracy and clarity.
Another great article Bob. Thanks for all the great pointers and advice, they all help.
There is one other comment here about using air guns to keep marksmanship sharp. Even if in practice you don’t go through with the moving/cover exercises, there is some value to just keeping your quick aiming sharp.
@rockit excellent point. I have airsoft version of glock 19 and M9. Both are very similar to the real ones and make excellent dry fire or live fire practice.
Pop cans in the backyard are a fun training exercise. You can set up your own gallery.
I buy “biodegradable ” airsoft BBs.
Dry fire practice is important. Since I moved last year, the shooting range options are more limited in my new area. (I do miss the wide open back in AZ)
Firing from cover is most definitely something folks don’t always practice. I use my vehicle most often. Firing from different angles and using weak side.
“The ammunition supply seems to be loosening up a bit.” “Much of the mechanics may be practiced in dry fire.” When ammunition is tight, or non-existent, and an alternative to dry fire, is; Using one of the popular clone copies of todays favorite handguns (Glock, Sig, Colt, etc), but in BB or pellet version. Many of these look, and handle, VERY much like it’s real version, pretty much the same weight, just maybe not quite the recoil, and in a case where something goes terribly wrong, accidentally, they are not usually lethal. Some even come apart much like their REAL counterpart. They tend to cost about the price of a few boxes of centerfire ammo, and once in hand, then add a bottle of 6,000 BB’s for around $12, and a box of 40 count CO2 cylinders for about $22, one can get in a WHOLE LOT of “wet fire” practice for under $35. Many hold the CO2, and the BBs in interchangeable magazines, to make them even more authentic. Another plus, when instructing someone, hearing protection isn’t really necessary, as they are not that loud, although eye protection should DEFINITELY be a requirement, as BB’s WILL ricochet.
They even make SBR versions that can legally be shipped to your front door, and it just may also include a “giggle switch”. :-). That switch will DEFINITELY put a giggle in you, and at a VERY affordable price compared to the real deal. 🙂
Great article, perhaps the best so far.
As a federal agent (now retired) we practiced draw, fire, seek cover, reload.
Thanks
John Everett
Your BEST article by a mile. As a federal agent (retired) our range instructors always drilled into us to practice..practice..practice. Draw, fire, seek cover. Fire until the threat is down. Reload and look around before leaving cover.
Again GREAT article.
Your BEST article by a mile. As a federal agent (retired) our range instructors always drilled into us to practice..practice..practice. Draw, fire, seek cover. Fire until the threat is down. Reload and look around before leaving cover.
Again GREAT article.
If you carry OWB and are wearing a jacket, it’s good to have some coins or stones in the outside pocket, to make it easier to sweep away when draw from concealment
I have to say that buying this .25 caliber rifle was a disaster. First the product was defective, it wouldn’t fill and I have years under my belt with PCPs , and I am a qualified scuba diver. So I know high pressure and tanks. Also after getting no help from the manufacturer, I took it apart myself. Holy spit was this Bullpup a disaster!! The seals were all rotted or knicked. Someone put super glue over parts that should never have glue on them. I found 6 .25 pellets lodged in the barrel just after where the plunger pushes the pellet from the magazine. It was clearly used and it was sold to me by a reputable company as brand new. And the sad thing is they never once tried to fix the problem. So with my 46,000,000 views on a very popular website I posted everything about the piece of spit I was sold and the company who sold it. Since then I took the parts from that disastrous pos and made my own pcp which blows that Walther reign out of the ionosphere. Reputable companies “piramid” should be Ashamed of themselves for selling me that piece of worthless spit. And they didn’t even honor the warranty. Unbelievable
I enjoyed reading your article. I personally practice dry fire exercise on a daily basis. I work nights and after the wife and children are gone before I lay down to sleep. I rehearse waking up to someone in my house. I believe that is when someone would break in, is during the day when they think no-one is at home. I also rehearse coming home to a break in and practice clearing my home. Obviously if this really happened I would back out and call 911 and let the police handle the situation, unless I heard my wife or child calling out due to the unthinkable happening. I also rehearse my draw from the concealed position, i.e. T-shirt or jacket covering the weapon depending on what time of year it is. All these exercises can be done in a matter of minutes each day. On range day, Saturday or Sunday, I always set up multiple targets at a variety of ranges usually 5, 7, and 10 yards and practice engaging all 3 targets with 2 shots in each. I know that many pistols today come without a safety, however if you practice drawing your firearm and it has a safe position you must also practice removing the safety during a dry fire exercise, if not you could be setting yourself up for failure and allowing the bad guy to win.
Excellent article, especially with respect to the draw. Thank you.
thanks for providing site.
The range I frequent will let you draw from a holster or concealment after getting a card to do so. My favorite drill is to run the target out to 7 yards, then hit the automatic return, and step off the “x” to fire three shots as the target is coming toward me. If I’m doing good, I will bring it in to 5 yards. Making it a bit more challenging.
Thanks for posting this. The stupid COVID-BS has allowed rust to accumulate.
Time to scrape it off.
Great article