I’m Almost Out. Low-Round Count Training

We’re facing another round of expensive and scarce ammunition. COVID-19, political instability, and new gun owners have all contributed to our worst ever ammo shortage. This is at a time of unprecedented growth in shooting sports and gun ownership. As an instructor, i’m inundated with new gun owners who want to improve their skills during a time when ammo is expensive and scarce. Shooting skill, like other skills, depends on repetition. Gun owners must learn the fundamentals of gun ownership and practice them until they are second nature. The same as a new driver, a shooter who has been taught basic safety and marksmanship will be at the same level after his first driving lesson. Repetition develops unconscious competency and allows for adjusting strategy at a high performance level. Even experienced shooters must pull the trigger frequently to keep their skills sharp. You are always aware of your surroundings as a driver. This drill allows for maximum repetitions while using minimal ammunition. Accurate shooting within time constraints requires a safe, consistent, and fast presentation of the firearm. The sight picture must be acquired both during the presentation and at the end. The trigger finger should be placed on the pressure wall when acquiring the full sight picture. If the sight image is present, the trigger should be pressed harder until the gun fires. This should be achieved within 1.5 seconds of a belt holster and 2 seconds of concealment with practice. Once the trigger breaks the shooter must re-acquire pressure wall during recoil and resume sight picture. Assess whether another shot is needed. Everyone I train is able to see the sights, and hold the pistol well enough for reasonable accuracy. Poor trigger management is almost always the cause of poor accuracy. This can be due to anticipation, flinching or poor trigger management. The flinch is an uncontrollable reaction that can’t be avoided when the shooter knows exactly when the gun will go off. Surprise break is the key to accuracy. If the sight picture is clear, the shooter will increase pressure until the gun fires. If you can afford it and find it, you can shoot until you are knee-deep in brass. Many of my clients, who are new to shooting, have a problem with anticipation. When I explain to people the surprise break they are skeptical because they cannot imagine shooting fast without knowing exactly when the gun will fire. But the surprise breaks can be compressed through repetition until multiple shots from the pressure wall can be fired with a fast, smooth increase in pressure on the trigger. This drill teaches you to balance time and accuracy by using a full-sized, USPSA, or half-scale silhouette. It covers almost all aspects of defensive or action shooting. Two targets can be used if desired to include transitioning from one target to another. The object is to strive to achieve accuracy while developing an awareness of the need for more time to get precise shot placement. I use a BLEA-1R half-scale with a 2-by-3-inch 10-ring. Double the distance if full-sized targets will be used. This drill emphasizes time/distance management. Longer shots take more time to achieve the same level of accuracy. Practice drills not only build skills by repetition, but they also help the shooter to assess his level of skill. It is important to practice structured drills. People who do not shoot them tend to overestimate their abilities. This can have disastrous results in a deadly force situation. I could not find any. It is important to learn how to manipulate gears and changing magazines will improve your skills in this area. A surprise dummy round added to the magazine would reinforce the tap/rack mentality. The 5-yard stage, where four shots are fired, enforces proper gripping and recoil control. If you have to adjust your grip every few shots, then you need to work on that area. The Sweet 16 Qualification demands speed in the closer stages and accuracy in longer stages. Even above-average shooters lose points at 7 and 10-yards because they don’t slow down enough to match the accuracy required of the longer distances. The drill does reinforce the importance of getting cover whenever possible. I’ve watched many videos of citizens in defensive encounters and am amazed at how they stand out in the open even when cover is available. The drill starts at five yards, with the gun holstered on a table or placed at ten yards. Two USPSA targets will be placed 6 feet apart, with cover at 10, 7, and 5 yards. When the timer beeps, run to the cover behind the table. Fire one shot from each target right and left. Then, move to the 7-yard barrel and fire one shot left and a right. Repeat this at the 5-yard cover. Another party loads their magazine with a dummy round and places it at random points. The idea is to reinforce using cover when available. I allow shooters who are moving to shoot while on their way to cover. The second shot should come from behind cover. While it is important to train from a fixed location, the ability to move around and shoot will increase your chances of success in a deadly force situation. Many shooters simply cycle their slide when nothing happens. This is not the best option. Concealed-carry firearms are carried close to the person, and the magazine release can be compressed by normal movements. Most concealed-carry weapons will hold the magazine if it is dropped slightly. If the magazine is below the engagement level, racking it does nothing and takes a lot of time because you have to re-grasp the gun and get a new sight picture. Tapping the magazine before racking takes much less time. These three low-round drills are very effective in improving skills. Both new shooters and those with advanced shooting skills can benefit from these drills. The targets are easy enough for a beginner to use, but challenging for more experienced shooters who want to beat their previous times. Sadly, it is both difficult and expensive to achieve. It’s important to keep practicing, but you should always aim to improve. It is through repetition that real skills are developed. The target grids and bullseyes are measured in MOA. Subscribe to the Gun Digest newsletter and we will send you your print-at home target pack immediately. Enter your email below.