Here at Bucking Horse Outpost, we’re proud to sell some of the top ammo in the industry, from Federal Premium to Speer Lawman ammo.
But neither the gun nor the ammo will improve accuracy for you. These are just tools. When it comes to controlling recoil, fighting the habit of flinching, and developing solid form and habits, it’s on you.
That said, here are a few drills you can practice the next time you are at the range that may be able to help with handling and accuracy.
1-Reload-1 Drill
The 1-Reload-1 drill is a great drill for training yourself to develop consistent target acquisition habits when your shot string is punctuated by the need to reload.
To perform this drill, you will need one fully-loaded mag and one mag loaded with one round, as well as a target for scoring.
Assume your stance, unholster the weapon, load the weapon with the mag with one round, charge the pistol, pick a point on the target, aim, and fire.
Eject the spent mag and load the new mag, then fire at the same point on the target.
The goal here is to fire, reload, and fire again, as quickly and as accurately as possible.
This drill will help you master the handling of your handgun and repeated drilling can help you focus on target acquisition and accuracy too.
Failure to Stop Drill
The failure to stop drill is a drill that is intended to coach you to improve handling and proficiency with your handgun while under duress, such as when being charged by a wild animal or another hostile target.
For this drill, you will fire three shots in relatively rapid succession and will need your handgun, ammo, and either a USPSA target or another target with a human silhouette.
Set up your target at ten yards. Then, load your pistol with three rounds, and start at the low ready position.
Fire two consecutive shots into the center mass/chest area of the target, and the final shot at the head or high point of the target.
Complete the three-shot sequence as rapidly as you can safely do so. The goal here is to fire these shots as quickly and as accurately as possible.
The drill is useful because it helps you train your ability to fire rapid shots at separate points of aim, quickly and accurately.
Repeat the drill until you can complete it within two to four seconds. To increase the difficulty of the drill, once you have mastered it at 10 yards, move the target back in 3-yard increments and continue drilling.
This drill also helps you train yourself to handle your firearm quickly and effectively, which can be useful in stressful encounters.
Brass on the Front Sight Drill
For some shooters, the problem with accuracy starts before the trigger even breaks, when the shooter flinches in anticipation of recoil.
Needless to say, flinching is a dreadful occurrence that absolutely obliterates accuracy because it shifts the sights away from the intended point of aim before the gun even fires.
For the brass on the front sight drill, you will need snap caps and a friend.
First, clear your weapon and load a snap cap into the chamber. Then, have a friend balance a spent brass casing on the front sight of your pistol.
Take careful aim at your target, and deliberately pull the trigger. If the brass falls off the front sight before the trigger breaks, you flinched or otherwise torqued the gun, and something is off with your grip.
Repeat until you can reliably break the trigger, every time, without knocking the brass off the front sight.
This drill will help you conquer the bad habit of flinching.
Pencil Drill
Even if you don’t flinch, accuracy problems can arise in situations in which you don’t pull the trigger directly to the rear. If your finger is too far over the trigger or only the tip of your finger is contacting it, your points of impact will trend to the left and right of the point of aim.
This drill does not even require a handgun. In fact, you can do it at home, at your desk, with nothing more than a pencil.
Sit down and form your shooting hand as though you are gripping your handgun. Using your other hand, place a pencil across the web between your thumb and forefinger with the eraser on your trigger finger.
Then, “pull the trigger” by pressing the pencil backward across the web of your hand using your index finger. The goal is to move the pencil directly to the rear across the web of your hand without forcing it off to one side or the other.
This drill can help you visualize a proper trigger pull and help build muscle memory as well.
Stock Up on CCI Blazer, Remington Range, Federal American Eagle 9mm, and Speer Lawman Ammo
For two of these drills, you’ll need live ammo. We can help with that. We carry a wide range of clean-burning target shooting, self-defense loads, and training ammunition, and offer great prices on Federal Premium, Federal American Eagle, Remington Range, TulAmmo, CCI Blazer, and Speer Lawman ammo, among many others.
Stock up here before your next range session and don’t sleep on a good deal because you don’t know how long it will last.