Hey there ladies, welcome to this week's article on shooting tips! Each week, we will talk about shooting tips, concealed carry firearms, or just general tips that make life easier. This week, I wanted to look at some drills that are easy to shoot for beginners but also can push your limits when you progress as a shooter. Some of the drills out there can be really complicated and intimidating for new shooters, while others don't challenge you enough when you progress. It can be tricky to find the right drill that allows you to grow and have it still be challenging for you. Let's take a look at a few drills that are great for both new shooters and experienced shooters alike.
The Classic Bill Drill
What can I say about the Bill Drill? It is one of the simplest yet challenging drills out there and chasing a fast time can be a good representation of where you are as a shooter. This drill consists of shooting six rounds into the A Zone of a USPSA target. If you don't have any of those targets you can always use an 8x12 piece of paper as well since it's roughly the same size. All you have to do is shoot 6 rounds into the target and have them all either be in the A Zone of the USPSA target or inside the piece of paper you are using. Typically. this drill is done from 7 yards but for new shooters, it can be done either from 3 or 5 years depending on your comfort level.
You can keep track of your time using a timer on your phone if you don't have a shot timer for shooting yet. All of this is to see how long it takes you to shoot the drill and work from there. This drill can certainly show someone their progress over time and no matter what the drill is, its always a great idea to keep some sort of shooting log in a notebook to keep track of your progress. It won't be long before you start seeing improvement in your times as a result of your hard work! The Bill Drill is a simple 6-shot group into a target because, over time, it can really start to become challenging when you're racing against the clock for your fastest time. It becomes one of those drills that forces you to look at your accuracy as well as speed.
F.A.S.T Drill
The F.A.S.T. drill is one of my personal favorites. The FAST drill stands for Fundamental, Accuracy, and Speed Test which incorporates all these traits into one drill making it a good balance of pushing yourself while making sure you are shooting accurately which is the fun part! In most cases, The FAST drill is typically shot at 7 yards with a 3x5 card over an 8" circle. I will leave a link to the piece of paper I like to use in order to track my progress here. This drill requires you to start the drill with your gun loaded up with 2 rounds. At the buzzer, you'll fire 2 rounds into the 3x5 card and perform a slide lock reload before firing 6 rounds into the larger circle target.
This is one of my favorite drills because it makes you practice so many different skills in just one drill. From target transition, reloads, cadence speed, and throttle control it's all in this drill. Again if 7 yards is too difficult, you can always go from 3 or 5 yards as well to keep things easy at first but you should be trying to get to 7 yards and complete the drill as your first goal. This is another one that seems easy enough on paper but once you start shooting it, the FAST drill can become really difficult to master. Id love to hear how you guys do with this one!
El Presidente Drill
Just like the Bill Drill, the goal of the El Prez drill is to make all your hits in the center "A Zone" of a USPSA target or the center of a piece of 8x12 paper. You will set up 3 targets with about a foot in between each target. At the buzzer, you will draw your firearm and fire 2 rounds into each target and after the third target, you will perform a slide lock reload. Once your gun is reloaded you fire 2 rounds into each target again completing the drill and shooting 12 rounds total. I personally love the El Prez drill because it's one of those drills that allows you to shoot as fast as you're comfortable with.
It puts a smile on my face every time I shoot it and can really show if you're doing odd things in between target transitions. Most people will shoot this from 10 yards away but you can shoot at 5 or 7 yards to start for beginning shooters. The goal of these drills is to shoot as accurately as you can in the fastest amount of time. If you start missing shots or going into the C or D zone, it's important to slow down and make your shots count. It's always fun to go fast but if you're not making your shots it doesn't matter as much truthfully. Have fun and post your times down below so we can all see progress over time!Â
Overall Thoughts
There are countless drills out there that can help build and practice your skills as a shooter. Whether it's for concealed carry or competition, these base drills can be a great stepping stone to build other skills off of down the road. What are some of your favorite drills to shoot at the range? I would love to hear your thoughts and experience with drills down in the comments below. Have a great day and we will see you next week for another edition of shooting tips! Stay safe and have fun!Â