Shooting Drills
 

Let's talk shooting drills. On another thread, I mentioned a drill we do. I call it the "Buddha how many more in the box!" Drill

You load 2-3 rounds in a buttload of mags and put them in a box. The shooter stands ready and the helper kneels down on his weak side. The shooter will engage and combat reload. Over and over again. As he empties the mag pouch, the helper will replace the mags until all are done. Change over and repeat.

Don't try to pick up the empties until the weapon is safe and holsterd and don't go forward of the shooter at any time. Doesn't work real well with chest mounted pistol mags.

Also - you need to have the basics of the combat reload down before you try this. You will need to dry fire it about 10,000 trillion times prior. It is a waste of ammo IMO to do the exercise before.

Oh - and as always, marksmanship counts...;)

One thing I think is important - don't get in the habit of shooting one or two then transitioning for no reason or safetying and holstering after two every time. If you transition, you should either be dry or have a malfunction - both can be purposely introduced.

When you go to your secondary, you should vary the number of rounds you use before going back to the primary. Shoot two sometimes, more others. Every now and then, shoot it dry and combat reload.

You can use snap caps to introducce a malfunction - just have somebody else load it or do it with your eyes closed so you don't anticipate.

Grossman touches on the reasons for avoiding habitually doing the same things in On Combat. I just started it, not bad. Most of the recommendations he has so far we were doing insticitively.

Another thing I like is sliding to the side to transition or reload. Any ideas why?

Remember - you will revert to training when stressed. So train like you want to fight.

Anybody else?

On a related by different topic - anybody know where I can find the Wheel of Errors for Left-handed shooters on the net?

To get off the target line.

We teach students to move at least one step laterally between strings and to continue scanning from side to side.

TR

V&P?

Roger Sir. I was thinking more specifically about the other guy's reaction to stress.;) - and baiting a trap for your Samoan attorney.:)

A&W?

Vivo y pendejo or, for those not in 7th Group, ball and dummy drill.

Load magazine with live rounds and a randomly placed snap cap. Engage target with slow aimed fire.

It's the only drill I have been taught.

Ah, Ball and Dummy. One of my favorites. Best first drill (I won't say warm up, I don't know what the TS has told you...and I'm a little scared of him:) ) ever.

I wasn't expecting Spanish from you.

Tell us more - what is the purpose of the drill? Pitfalls? Safety considerations?

The Boarding House Rule.
 

Who's heard of this?!?!

Come on now, don't be shy...:D

While we wait, a question - when should you conduct pistol exercises from a drawn position (low ready, Sabrina [RL before the TS started training him], high ready) etc.

I think you have forgotten a thread from a while back where you taught me the term "Vivo y Pendejo."

My understanding of the purpose of the drill is to teach the shooter not to anticipate recoil and jerk the trigger. The shooter learns to squeeze the trigger smoothly because, when you hit the snap cap, you feel like a complete idiot if you jerked the trigger. I find that it is extremely helpful in this respect.

There may be other purposes or benefits of the drill of which I am not aware. I am not aware of any pitfalls or safety considerations at this time.

:munchin

How about this?

Great thread, NDD.

I didn't forget, I just wasn't anticipating Spanish from you - my bad, but the bunny stays.;)

I would say ball and dummy done properly trains the all 8 fundamentals of marksmanship. That is one of the reasons it is on the "Most Excellent Drills" list in my Magic Field binder.

Besides looking like an idiot on the snap cap - you will miss on the live round if you don't apply the fundamentals. So you get the best of both worlds and in that sense, it is better than dry fire, which is my next favorite way to work.

That's it! Dude you are Da Man!.

And thanks for the kind words.

What are the 8 fundamentals of marksmanship?

Ruh-Ro!!!:D

Other purposes = to simulate malfunctions and train in malf clearance and to trigger a transition to another weapon.

Two drills I like.

The "Busy Hands Drill" where you start with a cup in your hand, or a shopping bag, or a satchel over your shoulder, and then drop the cup/ bag/ satchel, draw and fire.

"BG and Buddies Drill" set up two or three targets at different distances. One can be almost contact distance. Draw and fire at closest target and then more distant targets. Move to line up BGs, so they'd have to shoot through the other to get you.

I gotta learn to type faster. There were five replies while I was typing my last.:eek:

If you google "fundamentals of marksmanship," you get lots of different lists with different numbers of fundamentals. Sorry if I am being ignorant (I am), but I would like to know what is on NDD's list. Just trying to learn! :munchin

OK!!

It is when you are in a Target Rich Environment, with Multiple Targets Presented. Everyone gets served once, before anyone gets seconds!!

With full auto weapons, it is much easier to get multiples on each threat, but with a pistol, you're needing to get as many guns "Out of the fight" as fast as possible.

Later
Martin

If you've got a training buddy, you can have a lot of fun with variations on the "BG and Buddies Drill", we used to make hoods from grocery bags (the brown paper ones), cutting half circles on the sides and duct taping the edges so that they's stay put on one's shoulders. You put on the hood, your buddy arranges targets, taping "knives" and "guns" to some. He then comes back, turns you around a few times and lifts off the hood.

You now have to orient yourself to the targets, shoot them in order of threat, and not shoot any that aren't "armed". Fun for the whole family.

1. Stance
2. Grip
3. Sight Alignment
4. Sight Picture
5. Trigger control
6. Breathing
7. Recovery
8. Follow-through

Thanks, doc.

Another really useful, and kinda fun thing to do, though not really a drill, I guess, is knock down targets.

Take a 4"x4" and cut it an inch shorter than the height of an IPSC or IDPA cardboard target. Wrap the 4"x4" in duct tape. Staple the cardboard target to the 4"x4" such that it runs down the middle of the target ending an inch from the bottom. Staple a second target to the back of the 4"x4". If you've done this right, it will now stand upright with the bottome edges of the targets serving as sort of runners and the 4"x4" roughly simulating the vitals.

Make a waist high pedestal using another length of 4"x4" and a couple of pieces of plywood. The pedestal should stand on it's own and be fairly stable.

Set the top of the torso, the targets stapled to the 4"x4", on top of the pedestal.

Hits to the "vitals" will topple the torso. Poor hits will pass right on through. This is a great way to condition "shooting to stop." If the target hasn't gone down it's still a threat.

RL:

Not being a wise guy here so please -- no law suits.

The eight fundamentals went out of use about twenty years ago. Thank God. SFAUC still uses them and the results are evident. No one knows which one of the eight he needs to work on to be better, and no one can do eight things perfectly at once.

Today there are only four fundamentals by Army doctrine -- about two or three too many IMHO.

I use two or maybe one for some folks. Fire the shot when the barrel is pointed into the middle of the target. It works pretty well in fact and there is little confusion about cause if shots go astray. Either the pointing or the pulling of the trigger is the culprit.

Pointing can be a vision issue or a zero issue. Trigger pull is a human issue.

I have tried to write a three hundred page manual on shooting but can't seem to get past one sentence. 'Train the eyes to see and the finger to move. '

Gene

You are a Zen Master, Yoda Gene.

That is the most succinct summation of marksmanship that I have ever read.

TR

Gene, what drills do you recommend for novice shooters?

Are you saying SFAUC guys can't shoot or I am mis-reading? I only know one, and he shoots very well.

We still use the 8 - to verying degrees depending on what we are doing. For example, I don't worry about breathing when I'm hammering.

I disagree about not being able to do 8 things at once - not at first of course, but eventually you don't have to think about them anymore. They have to become ingrained, but they are still there.

Instructor Slut!

You mean whore, don't you? A whore will sleep with anyone, while a slut will sleep with anyone but you. :D

Are you getting paid?

I wasn't expecting cross-examination from you. LOL

C'mon, that's funny stuff.

Me thinketh sometimes the brain is the impediment.

Yup, like over thinking / anticipating the shot.

Oh BTW Out-friggin-standing thread NDD!

I am right-handed, so I'm assuming that the mirror image of this chart is what I need. Which suggests that I am jerking the trigger. At 7-10 yds, my shots are usually in a tight group about 1.5-2" low and to the left of the bullseye.

How can I correct this? :munchin

The wheel is also history.

RL, I didn't teach you all 8 factors because I don't believe they are needed for pistol marksmanship. You can shoot bullet holes through holes on demand, you think you're lacking some sort of training?:rolleyes:

NDD,
Your drills sound good, I'll add, start SLOW, VERY SLOW. Learn the movements so well you can do them blind folded, in your sleep, time and time again. Work up to speed, work hard on smooth actions not jerky. This is the reason for 10,000 times. For the novice shooters it must be done correctly because doing it 10,000 times wrong is hard to break;)

TS

Quit jerking like a three year old.:rolleyes:

The wheel is not a valid tool anymore.

If you can place a good shot on the bullseye and then you have a group "1.5-2" low and to the left of the bullseye" you have a "controlled jerk". (You will not find the term "controlled jerk" anywhere, I made it up.)

Dryfire 5 minutes everyday, with snapcaps, in a safe place. 5 minutes, everyday. Do it for a month then go to 10 minutes everyday for a month. Then go shooting again. I'll send you a bill.

TS

thanks...

why not...?