We like to think that there is a natural progression between owning a gun and wanting to take training in order to improve your performance. The numbers, however, tell us that just isn’t so.
In 2016, Karl Rehn of KR Training ran the numbers for his home state of Texas and showed that only 1% of gun owners get any training beyond the bare minimum.
This is true across every type of shooting sport. When it comes to defensive pistol practice, part of the reason why this gap exists is because the majority of training drills require some sort of range where you can move around and draw from the holster. Finding such a range and using it regularly is one of the signs you’re committed to becoming more adept with your defensive pistol.
However, those types of ranges can be hard to find, especially if you live in a city. At best, you usually have an hour drive to your closest outdoor range. At worst, it’s just not an option for you.
However, you may only have is access to an indoor “bowling alley” range where you have a lane to yourself (or you and a friend). These sorts of ranges rarely allow you to draw from a holster and make it impossible to do any sort of movement while practicing.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t sharpen your skills in that kind of environment. Here are a few easy to shoot drills that can be done within the confines of an indoor range to build your skill with your pistol of choice.
First, a note about gear: These drills require some sort of shot timer, but because they all use par times, almost any smartphone shot timer app will work.
The Test
Also known as The Hackathorn Test, this drill is deceptively easy. Ten rounds shot in ten seconds or less from ten yards, shot from low ready into a NRA B-8 target.
Where things get interesting, however, is that passing this test is 80 points or above. This drill helps you work on trigger management and recoil control under the artificial stress of a shot timer.
2.5 Second Standards
Bryan Eastridge of American Fighting Revolver created this drill, and while the course of fire description talks about shooting from the holster, Eastridge says that shooting this drill from low ready is also acceptable.
As the name implies, each string has 2.5 second par time, although the distance and target size may vary. This isn’t a pass/fail drill. Rather, it helps you figure out your ability to execute an action on demand and expose failure points in your marksmanship skills.
Target: USPSA or IDPA cardboard target or similar
Time: All strings have a 2.5 second par time.
Start Signal: Audible (shot timer)
String One – Distance: 25 yards, draw and fire one round to the head box. Use the entire head box.
String Two – Distance: 15 yards, draw and fire two rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone of your silhouette.
String Three – Distance: 10 yards, draw and fire three rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone
String Four – Distance: 7 yards, draw and fire two rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone and then one round to the head box
String Five – Distance: 5 yards, from the low ready, fire three rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone and then one round to the head box
String Five – Distance: 5 yards, from the low ready, fire two rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone using your strong hand only.
Strong Hand Only / Support Hand Only Drills
Very few shooters put in the time and effort to practice their one-handed shooting skills. Trigger management becomes even more important when using just one hand, so any time we can stretch those muscles, it’s a good thing.
One-Handed Five-By-Five Drill
Strong Hand Only
From the low ready, fire five shots into a five-inch circle that’s five yards away in five seconds or less, holding the gun in only your strong hand.
Support Hand Only
From the low ready, fire four shots into a five-inch circle that’s five yards away in five seconds or less, holding the gun in only your support hand.
By the way, the black scoring area on the B-8 target from The Test works very well with this drill.
These drills are enough to whet your appetite for further training or can be used to maintain your skills when no other range is available. Training like this is important for every gun owner because shooting guns is fun, but shooting guns and consistently hitting what you’re aiming at is a lot more fun.