Try this drill when you get a chance and post your best scores. So far my best score with a 4" 1911 9mm is a 17.28 -0 and 24.41 -0 with a 4" S&W 686. Hackathorn's best with a 4" EDC X9 is a 19.05 -0. Due to the 2 second time penalty for each shot out of the 8" circle it's pretty critical to shoot at a speed that you can shoot the course down 0. For shots out you will be trading tenths of a second for 2 seconds!!!

BASIC SELF-DEFENSE PROFICIENCY DRILL

This is a quick basic test of gun handling and shooting skills for self-defense.

Firearm required: 9mm Luger or larger caliber semi-auto or .38 Special or larger caliber revolver, any sights

Firearm accessories required: Two magazines or one speedloader, holster, magazine or speedloader pouch (carry gear, no competition race gear)

Ammunition required: 24 rounds

Targets required: Two IDPA silhouettes. One at 5 yards and one at 7 yards spaced 3 feet apart

Scoring: Raw time + 2 seconds per shot out of the 8” circle or + 10 seconds for a complete miss off the target

Course of fire: (all strings start with the handgun and spare ammunition concealed, hands naturally at your side)

String #1: Draw and fire 3 shots at the 5 yard target, transition to the 7 yard target and fire 3 more shots using both hands. Total 6 shots

String #2: Draw and fire 3 shots at the 5 yard target, transition to the 7 yard target and fire 3 more shots using your strong hand only. Total 6 shots

String #3: Draw and fire 3 shots at the 5 yard target, transition to the 7 yard target and fire 3 more shots, reload and fire 3 shots at the 5 yard target, transition to the 7 yard target and fire 3 more shots using both hands. Total 12 shots NOTE: Begin with 6 rounds only in the firearm

Proficient: 30 seconds or less (35 Seconds with revolver)
Advanced: 25 seconds or less (30 Seconds with revolver)
Expert: 20 seconds or less (25 Seconds with revolver)

I dig it. Where’s the cheapest place to buy idpgay targets?

Probably Target Barn, but Amazon has them with free ship so might be less.

For this drill you can just make them from a 18"x24" cardboard with a 8" circle drawn

This is going to be a fun one. Ive got the March match and will do this as a side event. Plenty of time to get in some practice.

Most ranges will not allow that type drill. I do a pick off the table and shoot from the waist @ 7 yd drill. No aim one handed. 3 shot repeated. Yup aimed for head shots.

Ive got a starting point to work with. I shot the drill twice with each gun. 43X 24.04 with 1 out of the 10 ring. 43X SXT frame and Brownells upper with a red dot 25.65 with 1 out. Im new to pistol optics and it took too long to acquire the dot. Staccato P 23.56. I picked up my first J Frame a S&W 340 PD. 35.65 also with 1 out of the ten ring. three shots in the close target and 2 in the second reload was with a speed strip.

If in the DFW area...rent a bay at Elm Fork. Shoot away!

Friend's nephew is recovering from hip gunshot wound. Was re-holstering his pistol. Another reason I don't do draw and shoot drills.

I take it you don't carry a self-defense firearm??? If you keep your finger off the trigger and crap out of your holster they don't go bang when you re-holster !!!

During 30+ years of top level handgun competition shooting I've re-holstered THOUSANDS of times and I've never had a gun go off. I've been shooting for 60+ years and the only injury I've had is being negligent enough to get a little bit of my finger in front of a 8" Blackout barrel's muzzle !!!! OUCH

That sounds like a reason you should.

Bingo. Practice the way you will fight. I'm pretty sure that if you ever need a defensive firearm, it won't be laid out on a shooting bench in front of you.

This is not going to turn out like you think. You should NOT carry a firearm if you're NOT training. Training never stops or ends; think "continuous improvement".

Sounds like the friends nephew is a dumbass.

I second everything WC said. In 20 years of competitive shooting I’ve seen exactly two emergencies. One was a heart attack and the other was heatstroke. I’ve seen a few AD’s, few dropped guns, even had a few draw while pointed at the rest of the squad etc… but I have yet to see anyone shot

And I still intend to try the drill. Just got to find a time when it’s not either 10 degrees outside or 50mph winds

I have been wanting to get into more defensive pistol shooting for years. But for now, i do very basic things. To the OP, i will try this drill next just without a timer.

I kinda of get the concern of duffas, coming from my newbie perspective. i have moved to drawing from a holster and then back in even when loaded. Started asking the few folks around me who do shoot well a few years ago and they all recommended tons and tons of home dry firing. I chose to step away from hobbies for a little while when i had my kids. A few years later is when i tried initially to shoot pistols in a more practical manner and started with dry firing. Two big things I needed was A. shooting with both eyes open and B. developing the muscle memory to draw from the holster. One dude was basically like, drawing your weapon poorly is like laying behind your rifle poorly. Btw, i do prone rifle shooting more than anything else. Basically saying it's a bad foundation. Rifle shooting is a slower process in my mind and is the thing I'm comfortable with. Doing the dry fire practice made me realize how poorly i handled my sidearm. I hate to admit it but when i start I definitely caught my self at least once having fully drawn and my finger was on the trigger before it was time. Didn't pull the trigger but I couldn't exactly remember when i put it on there either. It very well could have been as soon as possible.

Haven't really just begun this practical pistol shooting journey but at least my basic draw from the holster and subsequent trigger finger discipline is good enough now. There is a show called Handguns on the Sportsman Channel I've watch when i had cable. I've tried some of their basic drills before.

Sounds like you have a solid foundation to go to a match! Take your gear, show up, realize you aren’t going to win the first one, and have a good time. You don’t need the best of the best gear and most folks on the range are friendly and will offer advice. Just use common sense and basic gun safety and you’ll be just fine.

Heard yesterday they got the bullet out, long recovery time. Accidents happen, one's with guns can be fatal. Fortunately wasn't this time. " i have moved to drawing from a holster and then back in even when loaded" I suggest you do that at a controlled shooting range. Long time ago a buddy put 357 through his apt wall, practicing quick draw loaded - REVOLVER.

hahah yes of course. should have said it. I dry fire at my house and at the range i usually go MUCH slower than my dry firing practice when doing it with live ammo. thanks for the concern.

Sounds like your friends have a room temperature IQ.

There’s people killed every day in car wrecks, but I’m willing to bet that’s still your main mode of transportation.

Finally had a little time to mess around this afternoon. Ended up at 17.76 seconds +2 for a total of 19.76. I had one that was iffy, so if yall want to call it +4 I won’t be mad, but I still say it counts Very unsurprisingly, the one/two that were out were both the strong hand only string. Fun little drill.

Shooting a g43x in a bravo concealment OWB holster. Only changes I’ve made is the TTI connector and spring kit.

https://youtube.com/shorts/1jI9cLuV9mY?si=_GK2jZAiwj3trMui

Good shooting.

Good solid run

The key to strong or weak hand shooting is taking the pre-travel out of the trigger before the shot, it paces you and reduces the chance of a wild shot. I have always used this same technique for hard shots two handed. Also aiming for the center, not just inside the 8" circle make a big difference.

Shot this today. With my carry pistol, p938, stage 1 - 4.96, stage 2 - 6.59 plus a 2 second penalty, stage 3 - 11.31 for a total of 24.86. I like this drill. I borrowed a friend's timer, so this was the first time I've actually timed myself. Funny how just knowing there is a timer running gets your nerves up over not having a timer.

For grins, I did the same drill with a pair of single action 357's. For the "reload" in stage 3, I transitioned to the 2nd pistol in a cross draw holster. Stage 1 - 10.78, stage 2 - 10.76, stage 3 - 20.08, for a total of 41.62. Interestingly, the single action felt more natural and was easier one handed. Lol. I was shooting my full house hunting loads too. I'm gonna have to load some cowboy loads and try that again.