“Tag: drill”

Training yourself to shoot better is the result of developing a higher skill level upon which you may rely. The higher your skill level, the greater your odds of performing well when they are called upon. Greater skill is born from greater control; the greater the control, the better the performance.

North, South, East, West; keep practicing to shoot your best.

For us, drill practice is when we isolate an individual part of a skill and focus intently on improving or mastering it. The goal with good drill practice is to maximize overall improvement while minimizing overall effort or time, talent and treasure. In our classes, there is ample opportunity for students to self-reflect on their performance.

Can you respond to a potential threat while shooting one-handed?

We refer to the draw stroke as the presentation at Gunsite. It’s a better explanation than simply “drawing” the pistol, because it describes the act of presenting the pistol from the holster to the target or threat. In our “basic,” five-day pistol class we expect students to present the pistol and make hits on targets from 3 to 7 yards away in 1.5 seconds. Most students can do this in two or three days of training.

Shooters like shooting tight, small groups. Small groups are indicative of the ability to apply marksmanship skills consistently. And besides, they’re good for bragging rights and one-upmanship. 

What makes a good training drill? It is one that teaches and tests essential skills of gun handling and marksmanship. Sure, running and jumping while shooting dozens of rounds is fun, but effective drills need not be difficult.

Federal law enforcement agencies often share resources, and such was the case with both the DEA and FBI using our Border Patrol range in San Diego, CA, for qualifications. Watching these non-uniformed agents getting ready to shoot was amusing, if not downright hysterically funny. 

What’s the difference between a tactical reload and a speed, or emergency, reload? We teach both at Gunsite and, while I hope you never have to perform a speed load in a gunfight, I’m pretty sure you’re going to do tac loads routinely as part of your regular practice or even day-to-day carry.