Do you want to be a better defensive shooter? It’s not enough to simply own a handgun – you must practice routinely to gain better shooting skills. If you carry a handgun or keep one in your home or vehicle to defend yourself, training can save your life, or that of your loved ones.
Here are the top 10 must-try shooting drills for experienced shooters. Book a lane at one of C2 Tactical’s state-of-the-art indoor ranges in Scottsdale or Tempe, AZ, and practice until you become proficient.
1 – 3: Threat Response Drills (3 Drills in One)
The Threat Response drill is a three-in-one drill that is ideal for learning to defend yourself against threats at close range, like a mugging.
Drill #1 – Very Close Threats
- Load and holster your gun
- Stand one step away from your target
- Throw one or more palm strikes at the target’s head
- Move two or three steps away
- Pull your weapon and put three shots into critical areas
- Holster your weapon
Drill #2 – Medium-Range Threats (about 5 yards away)
- Load and holster your pistol
- Move quickly offline to your left or right while drawing your weapon and firing at the target’s critical areas
Moving offline will make you a difficult target, and quickly drawing and firing will buy you a second or two.
Drill #3 – Medium-Range Threats (modified using cover)
Place a target five yards away and two objects large enough to hide behind four yards to the left and right of your starting position.
- Run to one side and take cover behind one of your obstacles
- Draw and fire from your cover position with minimal exposure
- Shoot the target in critical areas
Practice all three drills until you can complete each one in less than five seconds.
4: Clearing a Malfunction Drill
Faulty rounds or dirty mechanisms can cost you dearly. Use this drill to restore your weapon to full use quickly.
- Get into the ready position
- Eject the magazine and clear the malfunction by pulling the action several times with the ejection port facing down
- Reload and chamber a round
- Fire a shot at the target
Try to do this in five seconds or less.
5: 1-Reload-1 Drill
Prepare for this drill with any target and at least 20 rounds of ammunition.
- Set up your target at five to ten yards
- Load your magazine with one round and have a full magazine ready
- Fire at the target from the high or low-ready position
- Eject the exhausted magazine, insert the full one, and fire another shot
Repeat the drill until you can hit the target both times and complete the entire process within three to five seconds.
6: Mozambique (Failure to Stop) Drill
This is a standard combat drill placing two rounds to the chest and one to the head.
- Set up your target seven to ten yards away
- Pull your handgun from a holster or the low-ready position
- Fire two quick shots into the target’s chest and one round into the center of the head
- Keep your aim on the target until you are sure they are down
Repeat until you can hit the designated spots within two to four seconds.
7: Phase 5 Drill
Use this free target to practice placing 50 shots in specific places in a specific order.
- Set up the target at least three yards away
- Set your timer to a par time of 2.5 seconds
- Draw and fire a single shot into the biggest circle (#1 circle) when the timer chimes
- Re-holster, wait for the timer and fire again
- Repeat the process until you have fired ten shots, then move to the next circle (#2)
- Fire ten shots each into the #1, #2, #3, and #4 circles
- Transition to the one-inch Phase 5 dots and draw and fire a shot into one each time the timer chimes
If you miss a shot, repeat the phase you are on until completed.
8: VTAC 1-to-5 Drill
This drill uses the Mozambique technique to take down three stubborn targets. You will need 15 rounds, preferably in a single magazine.
- Set up three targets one yard apart
- Stand five yards away with your handgun at low-ready
- Fire one shot at the left target and two shots at the middle target before shooting the right target three times
- Transition to the middle target and fire four times before ending with five shots into the left target
Aim to complete the drill within five seconds or less.
9: El Presidente Drill
This is similar to the above drill, only with fewer than 15 available rounds.
Begin standing ten yards from the targets with gun holstered, back turned, and hands raised. Then:
- Turn and draw simultaneously
- Fire two shots into each vital areas of the left, center, and right target
- Reload if necessary
- Fire two shots into each vital area of the right, center, and left target again
Aim to fire all 12 shots accurately within 9-12 seconds.
10: Box Drill
Set up two targets one yard apart, between five and ten yards away.
- Draw and fire two rounds into the first target’s chest, transition, and fire two rounds into the second target’s chest.
- Fire a headshot on the second target, transition and fire a headshot on the first target.
Emphasize accurate shot placement and try to complete within five seconds.
Visit C2 Tactical in Tempe or Scottsdale for all your shooting needs.
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