This is not for speed or combat orientated pistol training. I was PM’ed by a member who has already been to a few courses and wanting to dial in a bit more on his accuracy, with a pistol at extended ranges 25+ yards. I am going to offer up some of my drills, some of my recommendations. As with anything there is always more than one way to skin the cat, so if you have some different opinions and or drills post them up if you feel so inclined to do so.
JAB Pistol Philosophy- There is two sides to pistol marksmanship training when it comes to accuracy:
1) Target Accuracy: being able to get as close as the pistol and ammunition combination will allow to POA/POI, under calm conditions or non-distracted environments.
2) Combat Accuracy: being able to PID a target and get effective hits point of aim/point of impact (POA/POI) within 4-6 inches (or the size of a fist/hand) while under physical and mental stress.
The difference being that one is conducted with distractions such as physical activity, mental problem solving, or some form of stress pushing the shooter out of their comfort zones. While the other is truly undistracted, and in the best conditions.
Example: shooting bull’s-eye at 25 yards (staying in the black) on a calm range with no outside influences would be “target accuracy” where if you were required to run a mile, do a math problem to figure out what firing point you were to fire from, and had someone yelling in your ear, than firing at the same 25yard bull’s-eye and being required to stay in the black 75-80% of the rounds fired, would be “combat accuracy”.
So I view this that you cannot develop one without the other, you have to be able to perform the “target accuracy” before you can begin to develop the “combat accuracy”. I see a lot of trainers who focus on the combat with shooters who really should be learning the target stuff first. A lot of this has to do with giving the customer what they want, target accuracy is not sexy and cool like combat accuracy is. It’s more fun to post pictures/videos of yourself running and gunning, than struggling to become the most accurate you and your equipment can possibly be on a bulls-eye 25yards away.
Drill One: Bullet Hole Drill (aka One Hole Drill)
Start at 3 yards and move back to 5, and then 7 yards.
5 round groups in a 1 inch diameter or as close to one knot hole as possible. Slow fire, one shot at a time, for 5 rounds. Once you have 2 consecutive shot groups in 1 inch or less, move back from 3 to 5 yards and so on, until you can do it twice in a row from 7 yards. Don’t cheat yourself, make sure you are shooting 1 inch or less, and trust me it will pay off in the next drill. I recommend just using index cards or printing paper for the target. Fire your first shot and use the bullet hole as your aiming point.
Drill Two: Bull’s-eye (use a 25 yards NRA pistol Bull’s-eye)
At 15 yards, slow fire two 5 round groups (5 rounds, reload and 5 more), stay at 15 yards until you are shooting 80 points or better. Once you can fire 80 points or better, two consecutive times, move to drill #3.
Drill Three: Call your shot (use a 50 yard NRA pistol bull’s-eye, requires a spotting scope)
At 25 yards and than at 50 yards, firing one round at a time fore a total of 5 rounds, close your eyes once the round is fired, mentally focusing on where the front sight was on the target when the shot was fired. Use a marker and target at your firing point to mark where you think your sight was when the shot was fired. After you have marked the marker, look through the spotting scope and confirm where the bullet actually impacted on the down range target. Mark with a different color on the (marker) target where the bullet actually impacted.
I like to use the clock method when judging (i.e. I called my sight at 10-o-clock in the 8 ring) when checking my target impact my shot should be +/- a ring and clock position (i.e. 9 to the 11-o-clock position between the 7 and 9 ring). The more you do it, the more specific you can get. But once you can call your shot +/- one ring and one clock position, move from 25 yards to 50. Once you can do it at 50, go to drill four.
Drill Four: Ball & Dummy (50 yard NRA Pistol Bull)
At 50 yards, mix 1 dummy round per 5 round magazines (try to mix it up and mix up your magazines so you don’t know where the dummy rounds are). Fire 5 round groups at the 50 yard bull’s-eye, calling the shot (one round at a time). You can use the marking system as in drill three, or you can simply fire, call and confirm. The idea is to treat every single round like it could be that dummy round. Once you hit the dummy round, you should be able to see any movement in your sights (anticipation, flinch, sights moved left/right, or up/down). If you have movement, dryfire until the movement goes away. Once the movement goes away for 5 consecutive dryfires, reload and fire another magazine. Repeat until you can hit the dummy round 2 magazines in a row without any movement in the sights.
In this drill you will find it very difficult to get rid of all movement in the sights. The two common reasons for the movement is anticipation of the recoil and trigger finger placement.
If you are noticing more left or right movement and not a flinch or anticipation, you should start changing the position of your trigger finger during dryfire until in goes away. Once it goes away, you should dryfire 10 to 15 without the movement times to confirm. Than reload and do it all over again. Do not pay much attention to the down range feedback. Tape/plug the holes, but the attention should be completely on getting rid of any movement influence to the sights when you hit the dummy round. Once you have fired 2 consecutive groups without movement in the sights, move to drill five.
Drill Five: Bull’s-eye 25 yards (use a 25 yard NRA Pistol Bull)
Fire two 5 round groups (slow fire 5 minutes per group/magazine) at 25 yards.
Standards: 85 points or better.
If you are not getting in that 80-90 points range, than go back through the drills all over again. Each drill should take a range session, take your time and build it slow and solid. Once you have hit 85 points or better two consecutive times in a row, push the process until you are 90 points, and than so on. Generally speaking 85 points in a very hard achievement in itself, but doable and the best way to move forward on the rest.
More to follow later….
JAB Pistol Philosophy- There is two sides to pistol marksmanship training when it comes to accuracy:
1) Target Accuracy: being able to get as close as the pistol and ammunition combination will allow to POA/POI, under calm conditions or non-distracted environments.
2) Combat Accuracy: being able to PID a target and get effective hits point of aim/point of impact (POA/POI) within 4-6 inches (or the size of a fist/hand) while under physical and mental stress.
The difference being that one is conducted with distractions such as physical activity, mental problem solving, or some form of stress pushing the shooter out of their comfort zones. While the other is truly undistracted, and in the best conditions.
Example: shooting bull’s-eye at 25 yards (staying in the black) on a calm range with no outside influences would be “target accuracy” where if you were required to run a mile, do a math problem to figure out what firing point you were to fire from, and had someone yelling in your ear, than firing at the same 25yard bull’s-eye and being required to stay in the black 75-80% of the rounds fired, would be “combat accuracy”.
So I view this that you cannot develop one without the other, you have to be able to perform the “target accuracy” before you can begin to develop the “combat accuracy”. I see a lot of trainers who focus on the combat with shooters who really should be learning the target stuff first. A lot of this has to do with giving the customer what they want, target accuracy is not sexy and cool like combat accuracy is. It’s more fun to post pictures/videos of yourself running and gunning, than struggling to become the most accurate you and your equipment can possibly be on a bulls-eye 25yards away.
Drill One: Bullet Hole Drill (aka One Hole Drill)
Start at 3 yards and move back to 5, and then 7 yards.
5 round groups in a 1 inch diameter or as close to one knot hole as possible. Slow fire, one shot at a time, for 5 rounds. Once you have 2 consecutive shot groups in 1 inch or less, move back from 3 to 5 yards and so on, until you can do it twice in a row from 7 yards. Don’t cheat yourself, make sure you are shooting 1 inch or less, and trust me it will pay off in the next drill. I recommend just using index cards or printing paper for the target. Fire your first shot and use the bullet hole as your aiming point.
Drill Two: Bull’s-eye (use a 25 yards NRA pistol Bull’s-eye)
At 15 yards, slow fire two 5 round groups (5 rounds, reload and 5 more), stay at 15 yards until you are shooting 80 points or better. Once you can fire 80 points or better, two consecutive times, move to drill #3.
Drill Three: Call your shot (use a 50 yard NRA pistol bull’s-eye, requires a spotting scope)
At 25 yards and than at 50 yards, firing one round at a time fore a total of 5 rounds, close your eyes once the round is fired, mentally focusing on where the front sight was on the target when the shot was fired. Use a marker and target at your firing point to mark where you think your sight was when the shot was fired. After you have marked the marker, look through the spotting scope and confirm where the bullet actually impacted on the down range target. Mark with a different color on the (marker) target where the bullet actually impacted.
I like to use the clock method when judging (i.e. I called my sight at 10-o-clock in the 8 ring) when checking my target impact my shot should be +/- a ring and clock position (i.e. 9 to the 11-o-clock position between the 7 and 9 ring). The more you do it, the more specific you can get. But once you can call your shot +/- one ring and one clock position, move from 25 yards to 50. Once you can do it at 50, go to drill four.
Drill Four: Ball & Dummy (50 yard NRA Pistol Bull)
At 50 yards, mix 1 dummy round per 5 round magazines (try to mix it up and mix up your magazines so you don’t know where the dummy rounds are). Fire 5 round groups at the 50 yard bull’s-eye, calling the shot (one round at a time). You can use the marking system as in drill three, or you can simply fire, call and confirm. The idea is to treat every single round like it could be that dummy round. Once you hit the dummy round, you should be able to see any movement in your sights (anticipation, flinch, sights moved left/right, or up/down). If you have movement, dryfire until the movement goes away. Once the movement goes away for 5 consecutive dryfires, reload and fire another magazine. Repeat until you can hit the dummy round 2 magazines in a row without any movement in the sights.
In this drill you will find it very difficult to get rid of all movement in the sights. The two common reasons for the movement is anticipation of the recoil and trigger finger placement.
If you are noticing more left or right movement and not a flinch or anticipation, you should start changing the position of your trigger finger during dryfire until in goes away. Once it goes away, you should dryfire 10 to 15 without the movement times to confirm. Than reload and do it all over again. Do not pay much attention to the down range feedback. Tape/plug the holes, but the attention should be completely on getting rid of any movement influence to the sights when you hit the dummy round. Once you have fired 2 consecutive groups without movement in the sights, move to drill five.
Drill Five: Bull’s-eye 25 yards (use a 25 yard NRA Pistol Bull)
Fire two 5 round groups (slow fire 5 minutes per group/magazine) at 25 yards.
Standards: 85 points or better.
If you are not getting in that 80-90 points range, than go back through the drills all over again. Each drill should take a range session, take your time and build it slow and solid. Once you have hit 85 points or better two consecutive times in a row, push the process until you are 90 points, and than so on. Generally speaking 85 points in a very hard achievement in itself, but doable and the best way to move forward on the rest.
More to follow later….
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