Gun Digest’s 10 Best Shooting Drills And Firearms Training Posts

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Get trigger time with these shooting drills and employ the rock-solid training techniques and you’re certain to see your groups shrink and your skills improve.

What Are The Top Shooting Drills And Training Advice:

• Follow Through
• AR-15 Shooting Drills
• Defensive Handgun Drills
• Failure Drill
• Practicing Handgun Fundamentals
• Dry-Running The AR-15
• Shadowland Drill
• What To Practice With A Defensive Handgun
• Drawing A Handgun
• Handgun Training Myths

Unlike riding a bike, marksmanship isn’t something that sticks with you for a lifetime. Certainly, it’s possible to learn and retain the fundamentals—breath control, trigger discipline and the like. But without regular training these foundational elements evaporate. This why renowned Marine Corps sniper Carlos Hathcock called marksmanship a deteriorating skill. Use it or lose it.

Put in these terms, firearms training takes on a new sense of urgency. Range time and shooting drills are a must, it doesn’t matter if you put a rifle or shotgun to your shoulder or a pistol in your hand. And we’re here to help get you on track to make the most of your next time behind the trigger with 10 of Gun Digest’s best shooting drills and training tips and techniques. Consistently send rounds down range with these drills and employ these experts' solid advice and you’re certain to see your groups shrink and your marksmanship improve.

1. Video: Practicing Follow Through For Faster Pistol Shooting

Want to shoot fast and accurately? Work on your follow-through.

2. 5 AR-15 Drills To Master Your Rifle

More than just shooting off a bench rest, these AR-15 drills are meant to help you improve the handling of your rifle, along with your marksmanship.

3. 6 Defensive Handgun Drills You Need To Run

Here are six handgun drills that are certain to get you closer to mastering the art of the pistol.

4. Video: Perfecting A Self-Defense Classic: The Failure Drill

Developed by Col. Jeff Cooper, the failure drill prepares you for defensive shooting situations where a center mass shot doesn't do the job.

5. 7 Critical Aspects of Pistol Shooting

These seven fundamentals of handgun training apply whether you’re boning up with your self-defense pistol, plinking with a .22 or practicing for a match.

6. Dry-Run Drills to Master the AR

Whether you’re new to the AR or are getting acclimated to a brand new rifle, deliberate and mindful dry runs will jump-start command of the carbine.

7. Video: Challenge Your Handgun Skills With The Shadowland Drill

Richard Mann’s Shadowland Drill sharpens important handgun skills in a single course of fire.

8. What Things Do You Need To Practice With Your Defensive Pistol?

Effective handgun shooting drills are designed to provide practice for the tasks most likely required in an actual defensive shooting. What, then, are the things we need to practice?

9. Video: Practicing Your Draw Without Unholstering Your Handgun

You can still sharpen the majority of your draw stroke even at ranges that don’t allow you to pull from your holster.

10. 7 Defensive Handgun Training Myths

There are many myths out there when it comes to proper defensive handgun training techniques. Here, seven of the most common are debunked.

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