Top 5 Skills-Check Drills of 2018

As we all know, even the best guns and gear don't do anyone any good if not paired with consistent practice routines. To aid our readers in developing skill-building drills, Skills Check Editor Ed Head, an instructor at Gunsite Academy, works to put together varied practice options that are designed to keep skills sharp, whether running rifles, pistols or shotguns. Here are five of his most-popular drills over the last year:

5. Skills Check: One- and Two-Shot Drills

Using a single 50-round box of ammunition, these two drills aid in developing precision shooting, and both can be done with simple paper plates and index cards. Through these two drills, it's all about applying the basics, forcing shooters to look at their sights, control the trigger and follow through. Grip and stance also play a part in these drills as well, as Head explains.

4. Skills Check: The 3-Second Drill

At first glance, the requirements of the 3-Second Drill look simple, but deceptively so. This drill can be run with a limited number of rounds, totaling just 21 fired shots over the course of the drill. Most shooters will find the beginning of the drill to be easily doable, but as the round-count increases, there's less and less time to get everything done. See how far you can get in three seconds.

3. Skills Check: Running a Lever-Action Rifle

Long considered a classic American long arm, the lever-action rifle has seen a bit of a resurgence in recent years, with several manufacturers releasing both classic and modernized lever guns for today's rifleshooter. One of the critical components of running a lever gun is reloading, since the tube magazines used on most rifles aren't quickly or easily reloaded. Check out these skill-building drills here.

2. Skills Check: 5 Body-and-Head Drills

Like the one- and two-shot drills above, these body-and-head drills can be shot with simple paper plates and index cards, the former representing a center-mass A-zone and the latter representing the threat-stopping T-box located in the center of a target's head. All five of these drills are different takes on transitioning from large to small targets quickly.

1. Skills Check: The Bane Drill

Most of today's defensive drills are shot at closer ranges, normally anywhere from 3 to 7 yards. The reason for this is because most defensive trainers and shooters consider those distances to be typical of the kinds of space at play in a self-defense scenario. However, what if you face a different kind of threat? Borrowed from a concept developed by firearm-industry personality Michael Bane, this defensive drill will stretch the capabilities of your concealed-carry gun.