As winner of the latest book giveaway, blog reader “BluRaven” may soon pose a much greater threat to sparrows everywhere.
If you didn't win the book, here are a few drills from Chapter 9 to help you practice your shooting efficiently and safely. Treat going to the range like going to the gym; pick a focus, then do just that and go home. Progression is a key, but do not progress faster than you can perform correctly.
Shooting drills for practice from Tactical Pistol Shooting 2nd Edition (presented in the order of progression):
1. Dry Firing Practice: The use of dummy cartridges, dummy weapons and/or dummy magazines to practice new techniques or for warm-up exercises.
2. Ball-and-Dummy Drill: The practice technique of loading a dummy round into the chamber or within a loaded magazine by the coach so the shooter will see if they are performing proper fundamentals. If shooter anticipates the blast or recoil, they will pull the pistol and interrupt sight placement.
3. Slow-aimed Fire: Fundamental marksmanship practice to utilize all the fundamentals and have the bullet go where desired by the shooter.
4. Presentation Position Three to Four Drill: This drill is essential to learn to break the shot at the point of full extension and hit your desired target. This drill must be mastered to progress in speed or accuracy with whatever type of automatic pistol you use.
5. Controlled Pairs: The practice of attaining two well-aimed and well-placed shots from the holster or position three to build confidence or practice shots of distance and/or small targets.
6. Double Taps: Practicing to attain the rapid succession of shots and maintain your desired accuracy. Emphasize proper focus on the sights and minimal movement of the trigger.
7. Drawing From a Holster: The proper four-step draw sequence is one of the foundations for further progress. This technique must be learned correctly and remain consistent for further progress.
8. Rhythm Drill: This drill is to practice trigger control and recoil management and leads to speeding up on multiple targets by smoothing out a cadence of shots. They must be a set of shots at a steady rhythm, depending on the designated target or targets.
For more detailed instruction on these, and more training drills, including a kneeling drill, prone drill, supine drill, high barricade, low barricade, weapon retention, shooting from a vehicle, shooting and reloading while wounded, and more – 26 in all! – get your copy of Tactical Pistol Shooting 2nd Edition from the Gun Digest Store today.
Get free standard U.S. shipping on your order by using promo code INSIDEGDB. Promo code fine print: Items which ship directly from the manufacturer do not qualify for free shipping.
Jeff Cooper's Defensive Pistolcraft Tape Series, originally produced in 1986, offers a unique look at the core concepts that are the foundation of modern pistolcraft. This four-volume series is now available in a single collection on DVD:
- Volume 1: Defensive Pistol Handling covers Cooper's five elements of practical shooting and the four safety rules of firearm use.
- Volume 2: Pistol Readiness and Marksmanship offers the viewer instruction in making your pistol ready for defensive use, dry-firing and shooting positions. This volume also features Louis Awerbuck teaching loading techniques, malfunction clearance and “reading your target.”
- Volume 3: Mindset is perhaps the most important of the four volumes. In it Jeff Cooper discusses the “problem of doing it,” defines the “color code system” and discusses the conditions of firearm readiness.
- Volume 4: Ammo: Power of the Pistol covers pistol caliber, ammunition choice and stopping power.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to check the Inside Gun Digest Books blog often for more chances to win great Gun Digest books.
