Pistol Drills with low rounds count

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  • YoungMilsurpGuy

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    436
    43
    Crown Point
    Ok, so like you guys might of seen from my posts before, Im a broke college student who is getting into competition and defensive pistol craft.

    I have shot two USPSA matches and two Three gun matches. Given the election, I have bought about 300 rounds of 9mm and I figure that might be all I can get for the next several months. What I am wondering is is there any drills that can be run with a pistol with a limited rounds count to be able to train.

    I have access to a outdoor range, both bullseye and IPSC targets and target stands and the ability to create my own courses of fire. I figure as a start lots of dry fire is not a bad thing, as is doing more dynamic drills like the el presidente, but would you guys have anything of a similar kind?

    Also I figure integrating PT to both get more in shape and to stress inoculate and simulate the adrenaline dump of a fight. I figure a real test of how good your weapon manipulation is when your heart is hammering away at 150bpm, and if you have better cardio as well supposedly you are better able to handle stress dumps as well.


    And if everything goes to hell price wise or poltically I can just fall back to relying on shotgun for most defensive uses since shotgun shells are comparatively cheap, plentiful, domestically produced (so for the most part not as hurt by import bans), and very unlikely to be banned, but its alot less flexible of a weapons system
     

    BehindBlueI's

    Grandmaster
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    Oct 3, 2012
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    Dot torture is a pretty reasonable drill and takes 50 rounds.

    pistol-training.com » Dot Torture

    Stress inoculation and adrenaline/cardio are related but different. Simunitions with pain penalties (ie, not so padded up that if you get hit it doesn't hurt) is, IMO, the best stress inoculation outside of real life events. It's not so much the adrenaline as the mental strain of trying to observe, think, plan, execute, etc. all at the same time. Just breathing hard doesn't simulate that, although still a worthwhile skill to have.
     

    rvb

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Jan 14, 2009
    6,396
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    IN (a refugee from MD)
    Dryfire.
    Dryfire some more.
    Then even more dryfire.
    cost = $0.

    The things you need to do on the range are recoil control related, and vision related (helping you to see the sights in recoil).
    Accellerator drill. Bill drill. Timing drills. Garcia dot drill (better use of limited ammo than dot torture, IMO).
    Those drills will go through the ammo quickly, but are best use of actual recoil vs a bunch of draws and reloads etc you can do in your living room.

    Then a few el prez to see how the dryfire is working (12 rounds incorporating draws, transitions, reloads) when you put it all together.

    -rvb
     

    sgreen3

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    51   0   0
    Jan 19, 2011
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    Scottsburg,In
    I do a bit of transition drills between rifle and pistol as well as loading down mags when doing Run-N-Gun to force mags changes under stress. As of late I've been shooting the V-tac boards at my range with the pistols, makes for an interesting course of fire. Its always a plus training with your heart rate up, being able to calm yourself in a stressful situation is a huge advantage.
     

    YoungMilsurpGuy

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    436
    43
    Crown Point
    Set up you course and use an airsoft for technique and discipline.

    Dryfire.
    Dryfire some more.
    Then even more dryfire.
    cost = $0.

    The things you need to do on the range are recoil control related, and vision related (helping you to see the sights in recoil).
    Accellerator drill. Bill drill. Timing drills. Garcia dot drill (better use of limited ammo than dot torture, IMO).
    Those drills will go through the ammo quickly, but are best use of actual recoil vs a bunch of draws and reloads etc you can do in your living room.

    Then a few el prez to see how the dryfire is working (12 rounds incorporating draws, transitions, reloads) when you put it all together.

    -rvb

    Both seem like really reasonable things to do, hell don't they make really good airsoft gun copies of most firearms these days? I can see airsoft guns being used for force on force stuff and to practice weapon handling in a safe manner, while el presidente drills and limited live fire and competition can be used to ensure what you are doing with dryfire and airsoft guns is working
     

    rvb

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Jan 14, 2009
    6,396
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    IN (a refugee from MD)
    I'm not a fan of airsoft for training, especially if you aren't ALSO shooting a lot of real ammo. Control/timing is radically different. The $ for the airsoft equipment is better spent on more ammo, IMO...

    :twocents:

    -rvb
     

    Sniper 79

    Master
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    19   0   0
    Oct 7, 2012
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    Hold off on shooting and focus on school.

    Save your money. BUILD your ammo stash and get into hand loading.

    Practice drawing and pop one round off on a single steel target. Practice popping a round or two off and reloading.
     

    rvb

    Grandmaster
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    4   0   0
    Jan 14, 2009
    6,396
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    IN (a refugee from MD)
    Hold off on shooting and focus on school.

    Save your money. BUILD your ammo stash and get into hand loading.

    You can't "focus on school" every waking hour. I started shooting (but not yet competing) while in undergrad. I remember making my first "bulk" 500 round purchase, thinking how awesome I was going to get shooting 50 rounds/week for the next 10 weeks. :) 20-30 minutes of dryfire 4-5 times per week can fit in any schedule.

    I was already competing when I went to grad school. I shot fewer matches and got in less practice, but I still dryfired several times per week, got in live fire most weeks, and the occasional match...

    just don't let it impact the schooling...

    -rvb
     

    YoungMilsurpGuy

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    436
    43
    Crown Point
    You can't "focus on school" every waking hour. I started shooting (but not yet competing) while in undergrad. I remember making my first "bulk" 500 round purchase, thinking how awesome I was going to get shooting 50 rounds/week for the next 10 weeks. :) 20-30 minutes of dryfire 4-5 times per week can fit in any schedule.

    I was already competing when I went to grad school. I shot fewer matches and got in less practice, but I still dryfired several times per week, got in live fire most weeks, and the occasional match...

    just don't let it impact the schooling...

    -rvb

    Lol, well Im a senior at IU that is now only taking my required residency classes, I have 3 classes this semester, and two next semester and I will have graduated, and I am single with no kids and plan on working straight out of undergrad so I will at least for a few years have some disposable income to go out and compete.

    After graduation, honestly, I just plan on getting a new service pistol, weather a FN Hi-power or a CZ-75, a stock 5.45 AK with a decent optic, and then just getting an ammo stockpile together, shooting maybe once a week and doing a match or two a month and maybe a training class or two. And probably a bare bones double barrel to shoot trap+Skeet with.


    Honnestly, I would rather just have 3 or 4 guns that I can run really well and shoot alot then a whole collection of oddball calibers that sit in the safe that I have to spend time reloading for. Nor do I want to sink money into expensive and esoteric stuff like open class USPSA or Three gun or extreme long range shooting. IF there was any kind of match I would want to focus on it would probably be Tatical or action 2 gun.

    And Truth be told, even with the new and fancy open ARs, if you had a good quality AK-74 with a good optic, trigger, muzzle break and a 45 round RPK mag it probably be competative with the race guns, but still be in the tac-optics division with standard magazines
     

    jrh84

    Sharpshooter
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    3   0   0
    Jun 9, 2009
    364
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    Columbus
    I was in the same boat that you're in when I was still in school. I HAD to have a 1911, but I knew I couldn't afford to shoot unless I reloaded or had a .22 conversion kit. I skimped a little and went with a Taurus vs. a Para, and got a $100 Lee single stage and a Kimber .22 kit. I was able to shoot a cheaper gun 2X as much as I would have been able to otherwise, and I became a much better shooter because of it.

    Buying an inexpensive single stage press will pay for itself in a few hundred rounds of ammo, especially if you're shooting .45. A standalone .22 or conversion kit pays for itself, too. .22 isn't $0.04/rnd anymore, but it's still cheaper than any other centerfire ammo, and is great practice.

    Dry fire is great, and free. .22 is great, cheap(er), and is always good to mix in to make sure you don't develop a flinch. I don't care who you are, if you shoot centerfire handguns, you develop a flinch. A .22 and dry firing helps keep it at bay.

    Sounds like you should put the bug in Santa's ear that you've been a good boy and you'd like some ammo or a reloading press this year for Christmas!
     

    Glocktard

    Marksman
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    8   1   0
    Feb 19, 2016
    183
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    Central
    Dot torture is a pretty reasonable drill and takes 50 rounds.

    pistol-training.com » Dot Torture

    Stress inoculation and adrenaline/cardio are related but different. Simunitions with pain penalties (ie, not so padded up that if you get hit it doesn't hurt) is, IMO, the best stress inoculation outside of real life events. It's not so much the adrenaline as the mental strain of trying to observe, think, plan, execute, etc. all at the same time. Just breathing hard doesn't simulate that, although still a worthwhile skill to have.

    This is one of my favorites!
     

    Kirk Freeman

    Grandmaster
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    8   0   0
    Mar 9, 2008
    47,969
    113
    Lafayette, Indiana
    What I am wondering is is there any drills that can be run with a pistol with a limited rounds count to be able to train.

    Malfunction drills, dry practice, drawing, drawing from positions of distress, incorporating exercise (burpees, Rifle 10 drills, etc.), all of these take no shooting.

    I just plan on getting a new service pistol, weather a FN Hi-power or a CZ-75, a stock 5.45 AK with a decent optic

    Service pistol? What service do you contemplate joining? The British Army in 1991? Why do you want a P-35 and then join the Service?

    Who uses a CZ?

    Honnestly, I would rather just have 3 or 4 guns that I can run really well and shoot alot then a whole collection of oddball calibers that sit in the safe that I have to spend time reloading for.

    You don't want oddball calibers but you want a .22 AK?

    Dude, I am confused.

    Buy a Glock 19. Dry practice, practice drawing (Blue Gun is even better). Get some mags. Go to school.

    Screw all the special snowflake guns and focus on software. It's all that matters.
     

    riverman67

    Master
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    2   0   0
    Jan 16, 2009
    4,105
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    Morgan County
    As already mentioned
    DRYFIRE! It really sucks and it really works
    Steve Anderson , Ben Stoeger and others have multiple books on the subject.
    It's free, and it works.
    You mentioned PT mixed in with the dryfire
    Check out Andersons call it and leave it drill
     

    worddoer

    Master
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    42   0   1
    Jul 25, 2011
    1,664
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    Wells County
    Dot torture is a pretty reasonable drill and takes 50 rounds.

    pistol-training.com » Dot Torture

    Stress inoculation and adrenaline/cardio are related but different. Simunitions with pain penalties (ie, not so padded up that if you get hit it doesn't hurt) is, IMO, the best stress inoculation outside of real life events. It's not so much the adrenaline as the mental strain of trying to observe, think, plan, execute, etc. all at the same time. Just breathing hard doesn't simulate that, although still a worthwhile skill to have.

    That right there.....^^^^^^^^^^ +1

    Very good drill. Works on many things with a nominal amount of rounds.
     
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