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Some of my favorite practice drills

119K views 87 replies 53 participants last post by  GunBugBit 
#1 · (Edited)
I thought some of you might like to see my practice drills.
I usually practice them once a week. I am a firm believer in practicing standard exercises as the only way to eally get proficient with a hand gun. Any way here are some of my favorite drills.


1 shot draws

Draw and fire one shot taking care to follow through. Go no faster than you can get "A" hits

10 yards one target



2 shot draws

Draw and fire two shots taking care to follow through. The placement of the shots should be very close together. Go no faster than you can get "A" hits

12 yards one target



Failure drill

Old standard 2 to the body one to the head. The head shot should be fired on the muzzle rise & should like one continuous string. Bang Bang Bang not Bang Bang Bang

7 yards one target



Bill drill

six shots in 2 sec. It sounds easy but it takes a sub 1 sec. draw and .20 splits. Pretty darn hard to do consistently. I'll generally try 5-6 times and if I make it once I quit.

7 yards one target



Target acquisition drill A

3 targets 3 yards apart. 2 shots on the center 1 on each outside target and 2 more in the center. This drill makes you focus on sight alignment and should sound like one string. That is time between shots on one target should be the same as shots between targets.

10 yards 3 target



Target acquisition drill B

Same as A but 1 shot on the center 2 shots on each outside target and 1 more in the center. I find this drill harder to do correctly as I really want to fire 2 shots on the center target to start.

10 yards 3 target



"M" drill

Variation on above but the center target is at 5 yes. Start on the center target Fire 1 at the center 2 shots on each outside target and 1 more on the center. This is fired 3 times once facing downrange once facing right and once facing left.

5-10 yards 3 target



Low barricade drill

stand behind low barricade drop to kneeling and fire 2 shots at a different target from each position (right cover center cover and left cover)

12 yards 3 targets



Square drill

Hackathorn's famous drill. Make a square about 5 yards on a side. Start at any corner and fire two shots on each target while moving to the next corner. Keep going until you are back to the starting point. This is the best shooting while moving drill that there is. Keep your knees bent, and try not to forget where you are.

7-12 yards 3 target



Barrel Drill

Set up 3 barrels at 10 15 & 20 yards in a zigzag pattern. Fire 2 shots at each target from each barrel while kneeling. Using good cover. Wear Hatch knee pads if you are old like me.

10-20 yards 2 targets



Head Shots

fire 6 head shots on one target. If you are jerking the trigger this will "kill" you. "My gun shoots low left I'm not jerking the trigger" yea right!!

20 yards one target



Mike
 
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#80 ·
Want to be a 4 Weapon Combat Master?

Just as the title says.
I really do not remember where I found this, I would give credit to the author if I knew who they were.

4-Weapon
Combat Master

Could you pass these demanding tests?
1. Handgun Test
2. Submachine Gun Test
3. Shotgun Test
4. Rifle Test

The abilities of a Combat MasterTM must be based on the realistic use of each weapon in combat under realistic time frames. The targets used must accurately represent realistic incapacitation zones for human adversaries. The overwhelming emphasis, when assessing a Master's skills, is on realism... as a preparation for the ultimate of all reality-a gunfight!

A test of such skills is what Chuck Taylor has brought with the 4-Weapon Combat Master Course.

Make no mistake-this is a very difficult course, and anyone successfully completing it can truly be said to be a top gun and has every right to claim the title of "Master". The achievement of 4-Weapon Combat MasterTM is intended to be the toughest shooting challenge ever faced by the candidate. It is carefully designed to require every skill that a true Master should possess, such as skill with weaponry, mental and emotional control and flexibility. A candidate can go right to the very end and blow it in the blink of an eye because it is cleverly designed to get more difficult toward the end.

The course of fire itself requires the shooting of 160 rounds and consists of four separate stages for handgun, submachine gun, shotgun and rifle. Each stage must be successfully completed in proper order, with a score of 90 percent. A candidate may not attempt completion of any stage out of order, or until he satisfactorily completes the preceding stage. Thus, instant disqualification results upon failure to successfully negotiate any stage, and the course must then be attempted in its entirety at another time.

The target used is Taylor's own creation designed to approximate the incapacitation zones of a human adversary. These dimensions, incidentally were obtained by Taylor from discussions with forensic experts and by actually sitting in on autopsies!

Taylor's target is 24 inches high by 15.5 inches wide with a six-by-six-inch head on top. The center "X-ring" (chest area is 11 by 13 inches and the "Y-ring" (cranial area) is three by four inches. Scoring is relatively uncomplicated. Each X or Y-ring hit receives five points regardless of caliber. Non-center hits receive three points if a "major" caliber and only two points if a "minor" caliber, justly rewarding those shooting larger-caliber weapons. No one has aced aced the course.

The spirit of the exercise is realism, so only those using weapons and gear suited for anti-personnel deployment need apply (no trick competition-oriented equipment allowed.) All drills begin from a standing position, with the handgun holstered or long guns held at port arms.

Stage One - Handgun
The first stage is shot with the handgun. Beginning with the Standard Drills of two shots each, the candidate faces a single Taylor Advanced Combat target. The first exercise is the Speed Rock close-quarters emergency technique: two shots, one second. Next is the Step back, involving a draw and fire two as the candidate steps back from the target-also one second. Following this are standard two-shot drills from three meters in one second, five meters in 1.2 seconds, seven meters in 1.3 seconds, 10 meters in 1.8 seconds, 15 meters in 2.3 seconds, 25 meters in 2.8 seconds and 50 meters in six seconds.
Dextrous handling of his weapons is the hallmark of a Master, and that is just what is required to successfully negotiate the Ambidextrous Drill. The shooter engages three targets at seven meters (having loaded only three rounds in the magazine) and, shooting to slide-lock, executes an emergency reload. Transferring the handgun to the weak hand, the shooter re-engages the three targets again-all under six seconds!

The ability to hit small targets at close range is very necessary because a small target may sometimes be all we have available to shoot. With this in mind, the course requires head shots at seven meters in 1.5 seconds, and at 10 meters in two seconds. The difficulty of pulling this off really hits home when we remember that the Y-ring (cranial cavity) is only three by four inches small! If the candidate has managed to complete the foregoing with at least 180 points from a possible 200, he may then proceed to stage two.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stage Two- Submachine Gun
Stage Two involves one of Chuck's favorite weapons- the submachine gun. The starting position for the SMG (as for the shotgun and rifle) is Rhodesian Ready, and the weapon must be loaded with the safety on.
The candidate begins with shoulder-fired pairs on a single target at 50 meters in three seconds, 40 meters in 2.7 seconds, 30 meters in 2.5 seconds, 25 meters in 1.8 seconds, 15 meters in 1.5 seconds and 10 meters in one second.

Taylor originated the Underarm Assault position for close-range reactive shooting. The candidate uses that position to fire two-round bursts (weapons set on full-auto) at seven meters in one second, five meters in 0.8 seconds and three meters in 0.5 seconds!

As with the Handgun Stage, multiple targets are engaged, but in the SMG stage, they are spread further apart and must be hit with a burst of two shots. The distance is seven meters and the time is 2.5 seconds for three targets. Trigger control is paramount during the testing with the submachine gun. Additional shots fired beyond the two-shot burst requirement are penalized full value.

Head shots are next in 1.5 and two seconds, respectively. The final portion of the SMG Stage is a demonstration of reloading skills. Unlike shooting-range based IPSC speed-loading drills, Taylor's reloading methods do not needlessly abandon magazines. When it comes time to recharge the weapon on far-flung battlefields far away from supply lines or neighborhood gun stores, you will need those magazines or you will soon be out of the fight. Taylor teaches a version of the Tactical Reload for long guns that is both quick and efficient. At 10 meters the candidate must utilize that technique twice in a "shoot two, reload, shoot two" exercise... time available is only five seconds.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stage Three - Shotgun
Stage Three deals with the shotgun. The starting positions and loading/safety rules are the same as for the SMG. The candidate uses buckshot and a single target at seven meters. Firing position is the Underarm Assault position and the time available is one second (repeated five times). Targets at 10 meters, 15 meters and 25 meters are shot in 1.2 seconds, 1.5 seconds, and 1.8 seconds, respectively and from the shoulder. Each one of these shotgun exercises is repeated 10 times!

Multiple targets are engaged at seven meters, again from the Underarm Assault position. The targets are spaced as they were for the SMG Stage (two meters apart center to center) and the candidate gets 1.5 seconds for two targets and two seconds for three targets. The time frames for the Shotgun Stage are not as tight as for the other weapons.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Stage Four - Rifle
The starting position, loading, safety, etc., are the same as for the SMG and Shotgun stages. The candidate begins with head shots at 25 meters in two seconds-repeated five times. Following this are body shots at 50 meters, 100 meters and 150 meters in 1.5 seconds, four seconds and five seconds, respectively. Each of these exercises is repeated five times.
Multiple targets are next at a distance of 50 meters. Two targets are engaged in three seconds. Three targets are engaged in 3.5 seconds. Finally, four targets are engaged in four seconds. with an iron-sighted rifle, shooting a full-powered cartridge, there is no room for error as you can blow the entire course right at this stage!
As you can see, completing this course is no "walk in the park". Doing so requires the skills of a Master and the use of practical fighting weapons. Only five men in the world have achieved this "Holy Grail" of combat shooting. To maintain the integrity of the 4-Weapon Combat Master..TM credential, applicants must complete the course of fire under the direct observation and supervision of Chuck Taylor (the original 4-Weapon Combat MasterTM) and at least one other 4-Weapon Combat MasterTM as a witness.
 
#84 ·
Here are a few comments from a match director's perspective (this year marks 20 years of running matches in different disciplines). I have CAS, IDPA, USPSA, NRA High-Power and even GSSF (can you believe it?) matches under my belt. Ultimately, though, we created our own discipline (that's a whole different story), and that's where I've been focused for a good number of yeas now. All this to say that I've seen lots and lots of shooters come to my firing line.

My view is that matches are good for a few things, including:
- perfecting you draw (and even your re-holstering)
- clearing malfunctions
- moving safely with a gun in your hand (DQs are good teaching aids)
- shooting & reloading under a bit more pressure than you would while on your own, shooting at static paper
- gaining intimate familiarity with the workings of your firearm under actual use

That's about it. Unfortunately, the games have become nothing more than equipment races. Ever-lighter triggers, tricked out guns, etc. (even in cowboy action), all focused on driving speed, speed, speed. To think that a modern day match is training you for anything other than the things mentioned above is not only foolish, but quite dangerous. Case in point: at a recent match held solely for, everyday carry compacts and sub-compacts (Shield's, Bodyguards, 238s, 938s, snubbies, etc.), two things became evident very early on - 1. folks are conditioned to, and spoiled by, their tricked out game guns, and 2. folks don't seem to practice under pressure as much with their actual carry gun. It proved to be an eye-opener for many of the participants, who by the way, are active competitors.

From my point of view, games are good for some things, but can also give a false sense of security, if you're not careful. I don't believe that gun games should ever be promoted as, or confused with, actual training. They may give you a leg up when you actually train (gun handling and such), but in and of themselves, games are not training you for any real world scenario. Unless, of course, Earth were to be invaded by large, silhouette-shaped aliens made of cardboard with marked scoring zones. In that case, we're golden!!!!!!!
 
#85 ·
Some of the best training I was fortunate enough to partake in was with a gent from the SAS and some of his cohorts of similar outfits. our department took part in mutually beneficial training. we shared our tactics from a police force point of view to aid them in assimilating into a area policing force(sorting good from bad with minimal collateral damage) and in return they demonstrated their building clearing styles as well as how they keep accuracy on the move sharp.
we used abandoned buildings and frange rnds. Targets were cardboard over metal plates. shapes, colors, numbers and words were put on the targets. before we started our entries we were given instructions on targets that each member could shoot. IE I had any red triangle with an even number on it target was a tennis ball size circle. distances could be from 5 feet to 20 yards. hostage targets also intermingled. to warm up we had the HK targets with the numbered circled on the left and right sides. our weapons were MP-5s with SEF groups and our personal sidearms the drill would be 3 rnds in the number called within three seconds. their motto...SMOOTH IS SPEED..FAST IS SLOW. now I don't have that luxury now but I still do the numbered circle drills called out by friends as well as the colored shape number etc. varies distances Sorry for the lengthy reply
 
#86 ·
Oh and the Crazy Brits did reload/failure drills whilst the instructor fired 10 round bursts between them......our department forbid that for us law dogs...not sure wether I was sad or relieved:confused:
 
#87 · (Edited)
Sub one second draws from the holster with a good hit

In my prime (mid thirties) I was an avid USPSA shooter. Before the advent of the STI and SVI hi-cap pistols, the single stack 1911 in .38 super was very popular, and the rounds had to make a 170 power factor to make Major....the PF is now 165.

A sub one second draw from the holster with a good hit was all relevant to the distance of the target......With my hands relaxed at my side, I could draw and fire a good shot on a 7 yard USPSA target with a sub one second draw.....and my holster position was more toward an appendix position rather than behind my strong side hip bone. I could "point shoot" the target, not needing a good sight picture at that distance, since I had trained for many years to index the gun on the target the same way from the draw using my natural point of aim...… Now if I needed to shoot a first shot on a smaller target or even a very tight shot, I had to slow down to get a "flash sight picture" to be able to make the shot..... my draw to the first shot might be in the 1.25-1.35 second range at a 7-10 yard target.:) Some people had a slower draw because they would wait until the shot timer buzzer stopped buzzing.....so they inadvertently started moving their hands at the end of the buzzer.....I would always ask the SO to place the shot timer close to my ear, and I would react and get my hands moving at the very start of the shot timer buzzer sound. Some shot timers had a longer buzzer sound duration than others......:eek:

Now for concealed carry, the draw to the first shot is much slower, since time is needed to move the cover garment, and access the gun. I usually carry my concealed firearm on the side of my body, and behind the hip bone. :)
 
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