Basic Handgun Range Drills

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  • illini40

    Sharpshooter
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    Hey INGO,

    What are some basic handgun drills that I can work in while at the range? Or a good source to find drills?

    I consider myself fairly new to handguns, and I want to spend my range time effectively to improve my accuracy and efficiency.

    Please note: I am not looking for drills that draw from a holster.
     

    KG1

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    If you can't draw, save your ammo and dry fire. Dry fire is a good exercise to increase accuracy.
    You can practice your draw while doing this as well. Take advantage of every opportunity to practice. Just make sure that great care is taken to separate live ammo far away from any non range practice.

    I think we might be straying from the original intent of the thread. Sorry OP.
     

    sloughfoot

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    I would practice on hitting what you are aiming at. You do this by focusing on the front sight. Control the trigger with a smooth press to the rear while keeping the sights aligned and the front sight in focus with the top of the front sight on the spot you want to hit. Follow through with the shot and learn to call your shot based on where the front sight is when the shot goes off.

    Surprise break is a total fallacy. Make the gun go off precisely when every thing is aligned. Make it go off when you want it to go off.

    Surprise break is taught to beginner shooters to avoid the flinch. I prefer a more shooter controlled break of the trigger. I prefer that the shooter be in total control. Surprise break says the gun goes off when it wants to. Not when you want it to. Be the master of your handgun, not it's slave. Control the ride, don't be just along for the ride.

    Learn your trigger. Know exactly how it feels that milli-second before it lets the hammer go.

    Unless you can call your shots, you won't know what you are doing wrong.

    You have probably seen the hundreds of "what am I doing wrong" posts on gun forums. These questions would not need to be asked if the ability to call the shot had been learned.

    I suggest a basic handgun class to be coached on handgun shooting techniques.

    EDIT TO ADD.....

    Dry fire. Thousands and thousands of times. A light switch in a room in your house makes a dandy target. First focus on the plate, then later on the switch itself.
     
    Last edited:

    wtburnette

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    I agree that dry fire is great practice for trigger control and accuracy. At the range, make sure you're shooting with the proper grip and stance and try hitting what you're aiming at. I usually start friends or family who are new at a really close distance so they can easily gauge what POA = what POI. Practice slow fire and breathing to get your accuracy where you want it and gradually take your target further back as you gain proficiency. Once you have accuracy with slow fire, you can add double taps and faster fire for muzzle control, getting back on target. You can also do one handed shooting, strong hand / weak hand. For IDPA, I try doing some pushout drills doing double taps to the body and one to the head. The more you go to the range and the more you dry fire, the better you'll become.

    *disclaimer, I'm relatively new to shooting as well, having only started shooting at the range since October. The above is what I did and my accuracy is greatly improved from when I started.
     

    HoosierXDm

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    Great tips - I'm brand new to gun ownership. In fact, I had never fired a gun until last week. So, these tips are great. Obviously, I'll be taking classes, etc. But, these drills will become part of my training routine. Does anyone have anymore?
     

    FireBirdDS

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    If you plan on carrying, drawstroke practice is a must. However if you're not yet comfortable practicing drawing from concealment with your pistol (or your range won't allow, as most don't), that's understandable. Buy a Bluegun of the pistol you have and practice the 4-step drawstroke in your basement or bedroom. You'd be surprised how much relevant practice can happen without sending any rounds down the range.
     

    KG1

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    If you plan on carrying, drawstroke practice is a must. However if you're not yet comfortable practicing drawing from concealment with your pistol (or your range won't allow, as most don't), that's understandable. Buy a Bluegun of the pistol you have and practice the 4-step drawstroke in your basement or bedroom. You'd be surprised how much relevant practice can happen without sending any rounds down the range.
    That last sentence is so true especially with the prices of ammunition.

    Make the most out of your range time when it counts by practicing non range fundamentals whenever you can.
     

    derrickgoins

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    quote_icon.png
    Originally Posted by FireBirdDS

    Buy a Bluegun of the pistol you have and practice the 4-step drawstroke in your basement or bedroom.


    Co-signed ^^^^^. Some of the best advice I've been given was to get a blue gun of my carry gun. You can work draw stroke, retention, etc without having to make a range trip to do it.
     
    Last edited:

    illini40

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    I would practice on hitting what you are aiming at. You do this by focusing on the front sight. Control the trigger with a smooth press to the rear while keeping the sights aligned and the front sight in focus with the top of the front sight on the spot you want to hit. Follow through with the shot and learn to call your shot based on where the front sight is when the shot goes off.

    Surprise break is a total fallacy. Make the gun go off precisely when every thing is aligned. Make it go off when you want it to go off.

    Surprise break is taught to beginner shooters to avoid the flinch. I prefer a more shooter controlled break of the trigger. I prefer that the shooter be in total control. Surprise break says the gun goes off when it wants to. Not when you want it to. Be the master of your handgun, not it's slave. Control the ride, don't be just along for the ride.

    Learn your trigger. Know exactly how it feels that milli-second before it lets the hammer go.

    Unless you can call your shots, you won't know what you are doing wrong.

    You have probably seen the hundreds of "what am I doing wrong" posts on gun forums. These questions would not need to be asked if the ability to call the shot had been learned.

    I suggest a basic handgun class to be coached on handgun shooting techniques.

    EDIT TO ADD.....

    Dry fire. Thousands and thousands of times. A light switch in a room in your house makes a dandy target. First focus on the plate, then later on the switch itself.

    Thanks for all of the detail - great stuff.

    Two questions. They may be silly, but I just want to make sure I am following.

    1) What goes into "calling your shot"? Do you mean just simply trying to say for example "low left" after pulling the trigger based on what I felt before the shot was fired?:dunno:
    2) Dry Firing - my only dry firing has just been to test the trigger pull on a gun. So, for dry firing for practice, what should I be focusing on? What should I try to get out of it?
     

    Huntinfool

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    The Dot Drill can be practiced eithr live fire or dry fire. but you only can see the results at the range.

    The drill is to start with your target about 3 yards away. site a one very specific point on the target. slowy squeeze off rounds or dry-fire, with no need for speed. Try to get as small as group into that point on the target as you can. Repeating the same proper shooting forum each time. the object is that with lots of practice you should be able to put 5 shots into the target and cover them with a small coin.

    yes it take skill, which is learned through repeat practice. You only move back to shooting at more yards, once you can place all rounds in a clover-leaf

    Hope that explains the drill, in an understandable way.
     

    MCgrease08

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    Check YouTube for videos about dry firing, range drills, etc. There is tons of info there.

    [video=youtube_share;0PY7k7z3cMo]http://youtu.be/0PY7k7z3cMo[/video]
     

    KG1

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    Loading.

    Malfunctions.

    Presentations (if range will allow).

    One handed manipulations and shooting.
    All good ones. For any Semi Auto carriers the second suggestion is a key one to practice along with the last. Better know what to do other than just throwing it at the bad guy.
     

    RobbyMaQ

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    I would really recommend a beginner training session with someone. I know INGO member Coach offers them, as I am sure other trainers here do as well.

    These trainers will give you a wealth of information, and more importantly, will give you immediate feedback, providing answers to many questions you may have.
    After a session with them, you will know what you need to practice, as well as how to practice it... what to look for when practicing, etc...

    My wife and I did a training session, my wife was entirely new to firearms, and I was very wet behind the ears myself. We basically were just looking for assurance that we were handling and shooting safely. We were drawing from the holster, aiming at the target, and scoring hits immediately. We got so much more out of that session when you consider we took the newfound knowledge and applied it to our range & practice times.
     
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