After you have learned the Four Firearm Safety Rules, learned how to properly clear, load and unload the firearm and have practiced dry firing, then you can head to the range. Ideally, you will first go shooting with a person who is knowledgeable. This does not mean going out to shoot with your old Uncle Joe or your buddy who has a “Come and Take Em” sticker on their back windshield. Maybe they are fine shooters but you won’t know until you see what they are capable of. If at all possible, you should be finding an Instructor or attending a shooting course that is being conducted by a qualified person.
If you aren’t going to attend a course or can’t go with a qualified person then don’t worry, you can still effectively shoot at the range. When you begin to shoot at the range for the first time, you can use the cardboard backer and a simple target as shown below. I highly recommend putting the target out at 3-5 yards when you first start. There are a lot of people who will say start out with the target at 25 yards. In my opinion, not only is it harder to assess your shots at that distance (whether you are accurately shooting) but you will not be shooting at those distances with a pistol. If you are shooting at those distances as an average citizen, something has gone terribly wrong and/or you are most likely doing something illegal.
Drill 1
With the target at 3-5 yards, properly load the pistol, put yourself in a solid shooting stance, bring the pistol up to proper sight picture and get ready to squeeze the trigger. Follow the instructions below:
Say to yourself:
One Thousand One, then pull the trigger
One Thousand Two, then pull the trigger
One Thousand Three, then pull the trigger
One Thousand Four, then pull the trigger
One Thousand Five, then pull the trigger
You now have shot five rounds at a slow and controlled tempo. All of your shots should have landed within your designated target (hopefully within the 9-inch circle in the center of the target).
If you have any shots outside of the designated target area then repeat the drill and figure out why you missed. Was your grip wrong? Were you focusing on the sights properly? You should be able to accurately place all five shots on target before you move on to the next drill.
Drill 2
After you have mastered the first drill (which may only take 10-15 rounds) then move on to Drill 2. You will follow the same setup procedures and follow the rhythm below:
Say to yourself:
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5
You will fire on the number and pause on the word ‘and.’ This speeds up the tempo from the first drill. Once again, all of your rounds should be on target. If they are not, then reassess the drill and figure out what went wrong. Again, complete this drill until you are accurately shooting it repeatedly.
Drill 3
Finally, once you have mastered Drill 1 and Drill 2 effectively then move onto a faster tempo. Once again, follow all of the procedures and this time, shoot the string of rounds back to back to back.
Say to yourself:
1,2,3,4,5
Pull the trigger on each number. At this point you are firing rapidly. Assess your accuracy with this speed and repeat as necessary.
I typically open with all three of these drills each time I shoot. I can quickly fire 15 rounds and assess my needs. Since I have shot more frequently, I will usually use a 4-inch target to challenge myself. To adjust the difficulty of the drills, you can change the size of the target and/or change the distance. You shouldn’t do this drill much past 15 yards though if your goal is home defense.
Good luck at the range and be safe!
Stay safe. Stay practical. Stay educated.
-Pat
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