Tag Archives: Shooting drills

Matryoshka ! Send it…

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Arron over at the Weapon Blog has a great drill using the Russian Doll target

russian doll target

The targets are free to download and print to standard 8.5″ x 11″ printer paper….

3 TARGET DRILL – Tape 3 Targets Up at a Time. Shoot 1st Row of Targets Left to Right, One Shot Each. Shoot 2nd Row of Targets Right to Left, One Shot Each. On the last Row, run the Board (Shoot Left to Right, then Right to Left, One Shot Each).

3 TARGET DRILL – DOUBLE TAPS – Perform the “3 TARGET DRILL” Except Perform Double Taps (2 consecutive shots) on each target before moving along instead of one.

3 TARGET DRILL – STRONG AND WEAK (PISTOL) – Tape 3 Targets Up at a Time. Shoot 1st Row of Targets Left to Right, One Shot Each, using a standard two-handed grip. Shoot 2nd Row of Targets Left to Right, One Shot Each, with your Strong Hand Only. Shoot 3nd Row of Targets Left to Right, One Shot Each, with your Weak Hand Only. Feel Free to Replace Single Shots with Double Taps.

3 TARGET DRILL – STRONG AND WEAK (CARBINE) – Tape 3 Targets Up at a Time. Shoot 1st Row of Targets Left to Right, One Shot Each, using your Strong Shooting Side. Shoot 2nd Row of Targets Left to Right, One Shot Each, with your Weak Shooting Side. Switch Back to your Strong Shooting Side for the 3nd Row of Targets, Shoot from Left to Right, this time with Double Taps.

BUDDY DRILL – Have a friend go to the range and call out numbers. Shoot the doll corresponding to the number called out. Call out multiple numbers at once and shoot them in that order.

Having fun with 5 Plates with your XD

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Basic skills training with your Springer is more than just working on paper targets. To help train shoot/ no-shoot, magazine exchanges, target transition and other tasks to shooters, I like to run a series of drills with a series of five freestanding steel plates.

xd steel plates

Paper targets have the place but I have a special part of my soul that loves the sound that lead makes on steel when flying in excess of 800fps. That auditory ‘ting’ of a good, solid hit on metal can be heard even through the best of earpro, giving instant feedback to both the shooter and those observing. The plates we use at the range are homemade with I-stand bases that extend up to a single post with an 8.5×11-inch flat, set to a slight forward angle to help break up rounds and negate ricochet chances. These plates are painted white with a rattle can every few range days to help observe hits and wobble just a bit when hit but do not fall down.

I like to stagger the plates as seen above in groups of two singles and three musketeers, but this can be changed up into any grouping you prefer.

If you are good with metal, you can make your own on the cheap with some angle iron, metal sheeting, and some rods. If you aren’t, you can always modify this to use cardboard stapled to 2x2s set in some quickcrete inside a pickle bucket. You don’t get the ‘ting’ but you still can set up a string of easy targets on the quick and cheap.

For safety, stay at least 7 yards (21 feet) outboard of the target and of course wear your eye and earpro as well as any ballistic vest if you have one (especially if you typically wear one anyway such as in LE or security) to help ensure protection against ricochets.

For the drills to go with the plates, checkout my column at X D  Forum.