NDD,
The reload drill you mentioned at the beginning is a good one.
I would like to add kit selection comes into play here. Whether you carry one spare mag or twenty you should have one “emergency reload" pouch. This will preferably be an open top or kydex pouch. This is my "oh shit” reload pouch. I like to piggy back pistol pouches on top of this one rifle pouch. This will allow you to ingrain that vital muscle memory of your “go to” reload regardless of the weapon system.
When practicing the drill NDD talks about the helper should place the new mag into the same pouch. The emergency reload pouch. Through out the range training day students should focus on doing emergency reloads from this pouch and when there is a lull in the fight top it off with fresh mags. This drill applies to both pistol and rifle. If you piggy back these pouches (pistol and rifle) you will maximize your speed and proficiency at the speed reload (combat reload). Regardless of the weapon system your hand goes to the same location
Last thing: This is one of the best posts I’ve read on the internet for a firearms instructor:
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Originally Posted by Team Sergeant
Most shooters do not possess the strength to shoot for hours; this is a huge factor when training individuals, to know when they have had enough. This is also an enormous factor when they start to miss and wonder why. 99.9% of the “instructors” I've watched have NEVER told anyone "you’re tired" and that's why you are throwing shots everywhere.
(Next time you teach or watch a group of twelve or so individuals shooting watch closely for 30 minutes. At about the 30 minute mark many will start to throw rounds everywhere.
(This does not apply if the students are “barrel chested freedom fighters”, competition shooters, or some SWAT teams. These individuals usually have the requisite upper body strength required to shoot for hours without a serious degradation of marksmanship.)
When I teach one of the first things I do to "students" is ask them to shake my hand and attempt to "crush" my hand. It’s not a test of "manlihood", I use it as a "gage" to check upper body strength and grip. It also tells me how long they will be able to shoot before fatigue starts to set in.
Something else I ask students, "who here is ready to run a marathon right now?"
Normally no one answers "I can". I then ask why? The answers usually are all the same, preparing for a marathon takes months of conditioning, hours of running per day, time to strengthen the legs, lungs, harden the mind etc. Then I tell them "so does shooting a pistol straight after 20 minutes."
Most individuals arms start to "fatigue" and "fail" after 20-30 minutes and there’s no way in hell they are going to have any semblance of accuracy left after this time. This is where the instructors I've watched make their biggest mistakes, trying to "fix" an individuals problem when, at that moment, it cannot be fixed. This is where I would make an educated guess that many instructors use the "wheel" to try to explain the individuals’ problem, when in fact all they need is rest.
I also ask how many times do they think Tiger Woods has "swung" his driver in order to become number one in the world? Want to be a great shooter, all one needs to do is put in the time. Learn how to do it right the first time and then its all about practice, conditioning etc.
There is more than one individual on this board that can place a pistol bullet through the same hole, not a shot group, the same hole at 5-7 meters. They know what it takes and they also know it takes practice, a lot of dry firing, and more practice to accomplish this feat all day long, every time.
Team Sergeant
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If you are a trainer, read this, read it again and know it. Understanding this, being able to recognize fatigue in students and setting up your training accordingly will maximize the productivity of your range time.
Thank you, TS.