Published by Concealed Carry Academy, LLC 646 S. Main Street #275 Cedar City, UT 84720 Copyright Jason R. Hanson, Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, 2013 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. Important Publishers Note This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. If legal advice or any type of assistance is needed, please seek the services of a competent professional. Firearms are potentially dangerous and should be handled responsibly by all individuals. This book, produced by the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC, is for informational purposes only. All technical information, instruction, and advice, reflect the beliefs of the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC and are intended as informational only. This book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional instruction. By reading this book you understand firearms are potentially dangerous and you assume all risks if you choose to handle a firearm. You agree to indemnify, and hold harmless the Concealed Carry Academy, LLC and Jason R. Hanson from any and all such claims and damages as a result of reading this book, which is for informational purposes only.
Welcome Welcome to 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy Following this guide will help you to see massive improvement in your handgun accuracy over the next month. Monday-Friday are dry fire drills you can do at home. Dry firing means practicing with a safe and empty weapon. When you dry fire there should be absolutely no ammunition in the room. Also, triple-check that your gun is unloaded before you begin your dry fire session. Since Monday-Friday is dry firing, Saturday s drills are live-fire at the shooting range. I ve included the targets you need for the live-fire drills and all you have to do is print them off from your home computer. I promise you that if you follow all of the drills in this 30-day guide you ll be amazed at how your accuracy improves. If, heaven forbid, you ever have to defend your family from a home intruder (or other dangerous event) you ll have the confidence to know you can accurately hit your target and stop the threat. And remember, these are the same drills I personally do every day to give me the proficiency I need to protect my own family. But before we get to Day 1, I want to say a few quick things about trigger control. Trigger control is the most important fundamental when it comes to becoming a highly accurate shooter. The thing is, most people don t even know where to begin when it comes to developing a smooth trigger pull. And the reason for that is that there is no answer that is 100% correct all of the time. Here s what I mean: Each of us has different size and length of fingers, which is why there is no perfect way to pull the trigger for everyone. Personally, I pull the trigger using the pad of my index finger. However, there are a few shooters, such as instructor Massad Ayoob, who pull the trigger using the first joint (or crease) of their index finger. What you need to do as you go through this guide is to take turns practicing pulling the trigger with both your pad and with the first crease. You need to find out what you re comfortable with and what works best for you. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 2"
I imagine you ll end up pulling the trigger with your pad, like most people. But if you re more accurate with your crease that is obviously something you want to find out as soon as possible. When you re pulling the trigger, you want to pull it straight back towards yourself. For instance, most shooters do not pull the trigger straight back, which is why a right-handed shooter often has their shots go to the left. back: But here s what I do, and recommend, to help you pull the trigger straight In short, if you re using the pad of your finger to pull the trigger, be sure to keep the pad of your finger parallel to your body at all times while pulling the trigger back. In other words, when you pull the trigger, your finger wants to naturally curve towards you, but keep your finger parallel so it s completely straight. I realize this may sound confusing which is why I have included pictures on the next page. The picture on the bottom shows what NOT to do you can see that my trigger finger is curved and pointing towards me. The picture on the top of the page shows my finger perfectly straight and parallel to my body. At first, keeping your finger straight may not feel natural, but after just a bit of practice you won t think twice about it. One last thing I like to do when practicing the perfect trigger pull is to pretend I am pulling the trigger straight back into my chest. So when I m pulling the trigger (and keeping the tip of my finger straight) I envision that the trigger is going to hit me dead center in the chest. I realize all of this trigger control information may be completely new to you, but remember, trigger control is the key to precision accuracy. So take your time figuring out where you re going to place your finger on the trigger. Also, whether you use the pad of your finger or the crease, make sure and pull the trigger straight back. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 3"
Keep your finger straight and parallel to your body as you pull the trigger Do not curve your finger and have it point towards your body if you re using the pad of your finger to pull the trigger 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 4"
Now let s get to Day 1 of 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy Please remember to triple check that your gun is unloaded before you do any dry firing, and know your backstop. Please be safe! Unless I mention it s a Range Day all drills are dry fire drills performed using a safe and empty gun. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 5"
Day 1 You re going to be doing the Blank Panel drill. I call this the Blank Panel drill because I use a bulletproof panel for this drill and for all of my dry fire drills. The bulletproof panel is size 10 x 14 and stops up to a.44 Magnum. I am a big believer in using the bulletproof panel for practice, in case, heaven forbid, you ever have an accidental discharge. If you want to get the full details on the bulletproof panel I use (including how I use this in my laptop bag to create a bulletproof laptop bag), visit www.bulletproofpanel.com. If you don t have a bulletproof panel, you will simply use a blank wall for this drill. You will stand about one-inch away from the panel or the wall and practice your perfect trigger pull. You will practice your trigger pull a total of 25 times. The reason you re doing this drill facing a blank panel or blank wall is because you are focusing on your front sight to make sure you are pulling the trigger straight back. In other words, I don t want you distracted by a target. I want you to be able to easily see if your front sight dips to the left (or right) when you are pulling the trigger. Remember, you want perfect sight alignment as you pull the trigger and your front sight should not move throughout the entire trigger pull. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 6"
Here s what I wrote in my book, The Covert Guide to Concealed Carry to better explain this perfect sight alignment: Your handgun has a front sight and rear sight, which you need to properly align to get accurate hits on target. Your rear sight is likely flat bottomed with a square notch in the middle and your front sight is a small, perpendicular blade. When you re ready to shoot you need to bring the gun up to eye level and look through the square notch in the rear sight and focus on the front sight. You cannot focus on both the rear sight and the front sight at the same time. It s impossible to do, so make sure and focus 100% of your attention on your front sight. Pick the smallest indent, or scratch on your front sight and focus on it like your life depends on it. Seeing your front sight crystal clear and focusing on the smallest scratch or mark is one of the secrets to becoming an accurate shooter. If you re focusing hard on your front sight then the rear sight and the target should both be blurry. Also, your front sight needs to be aligned in the center of your rear sight with equal amounts of light on either side, and your front sight and rear sight should be level across the top. See below for an example of a level front and rear sight, and equal amounts of light on each side. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 7"
Don t forget, as you re doing this drill you can practice placing your finger on the trigger in different positions. For instance, you may realize the front sight never moves when using the pad of your finger, but always dips when you use the first joint of the finger to pull the trigger. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the panel or wall, 25 trigger pulls, try to not to disturb your front sight by doing a perfect trigger pull. About one-inch away from the wall doing the Blank Panel drill 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 8"
Day 2 You are again going to do the Blank Panel (or blank wall) drill. But this time you will do 25 perfect trigger pulls. In other words, if your front sight dips it doesn t count as one of the 25. What I recommend is that you do five trigger pulls and then let the gun rest at your side and take a short break. Then then do another five trigger pulls and take a break, etc. Remember to pay attention to how your finger is positioned and what it feels like when you make the perfect trigger pull that doesn t disturb the sights. You want to ingrain this feeling into your subconscious. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, must be 25 perfect trigger pulls or it doesn t count. The Blank Panel drill with 25 perfect trigger pulls 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 9"
Day 3 Today you are going to do the Blank Panel drill but you are going to practice holding the trigger to the rear after the shot breaks (after you have pulled the trigger and heard the click.) You see, one of the fundamentals of shooting is followthrough. This means you need to pull the trigger to the rear and hold it for a split-second instead of immediately taking your finger off the trigger. In other words, you need to be like the basketball player who holds his hand out for a split-second after taking a jump shot or like the quarterback in football who follows through after he releases a pass. If you instantly release your finger from the trigger after firing a shot it will hurt your accuracy. This is a mistake I see often in my defensive pistol courses. You will do this for a total of 25 trigger pulls and you will hold the trigger to the rear after each trigger pull. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, you are going to focus on holding the trigger to the rear after each trigger pull. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 10
Hold the trigger to the rear after each trigger pull 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 11
Day 4 Today, you re going to practice your trigger reset. For instance, if you shoot a Glock (like I do) here s how you will do this drill: You will again be one-inch away from the bulletproof panel or wall. You will pull the trigger without disturbing your front sight. Once you pull the trigger you will hold the trigger to the rear and you will rack the slide of your gun (with the trigger still held to the rear.) This will reset the trigger. You will then let out just enough slack until you hear the trigger reset and you will again pull the trigger and try and have a perfect trigger pull. You want to become familiar with how far you have to release the trigger before it resets. As soon as you hit that reset point you want to pull the trigger again. You will do this drill for a total of 25 trigger pulls. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, you will hold the trigger to the rear each time, cycle the slide so the trigger resets, then let out just enough slack until the trigger resets, and pull it again. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 12
Let out enough slack until the trigger resets and pull it again 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 13
Day 5 Today you re going to (slightly) speed up your trigger pull. You ll be doing the Blank Panel drill again. Yes, I know we ve done this multiple days in a row, but I hope that shows you how important this drill is and why I ve personally been doing this drill for years. You re going to be one-inch away from the panel or wall and you re going to pull the trigger 25 times. However, you re going to do it in batches of five. I want you to develop a cadence or rhythm and pull the trigger five times in a row. For instance, you may do five trigger pulls in 10 seconds, or in other words, a pull of the trigger every 2 seconds. The purpose of this drill is not to go lightning fast, but to slightly speed up your trigger pull while maintaining the perfect sight alignment. Do five trigger pulls then take a short break and then do another five, until you do your 25 trigger pulls. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, you will pull the trigger in batches five each, and will develop a cadence to do your five pulls in 10 to 15 seconds. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 14
Pull the trigger five times in a row then take a break 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 15
Day 6 It s range day. On page 18 is the 6-Dot drill target, which you ll be using today. Simply print as many copies off your computer as you want. (You ll only need one copy, but it s always a good idea to bring a spare or two.) You ll need at least 36 rounds of ammunition, but bring 50-100 rounds to the range with you. From the 3-yard line shoot all six dots on the target going in order from one to six (firing one round in each dot). Practice the perfect trigger pull you ve been working on all week, and take as much time as you need to make all six shots. Once you ve hit all six shots from the 3-yard line then move back to the 5-yard line and repeat the drill again. Once you ve hit all six shots from the 5-yard line, move back to the 7-yard line and do the drill again. After you ve completed this drill from the 7-yard line then go forward to the 3-yard line and do the entire drill again, but with more speed. This time have no more than a two-second pause between each shot and do this out to the 7-yard line again. If you miss the dot at any time throughout this drill it does not count and you need to take that shot again. Also, don t forget to slow down and take your time if you re missing any of the dots. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 16
Quick Recap: 6-Dot drill shot from 3, 5, and 7 yards. The second time you shoot this drill have no more than two seconds between each shot. A 6-Dot drill done by the author 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 17
1 2 3 4 5 6 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 18
Day 7 Today is Sunday. This is the one day of the week where I take a break and don t shoot or dry fire. So, you have a choice: You can take a break too or you can do the Blank Panel drill. (You can never do this drill enough.) Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, try and keep your sights perfectly aligned. Slow down if your front sight dips to the left or right while doing this drill. Notice how the front sight is perfectly aligned 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 19
Day 8 Today we re going to work on presentation from the holster and we ll do the Draw to the Wall drill. When I carry my gun it s typically in one of two places: Either on my hip at the four o clock position or in my front right pocket. Wherever you choose to carry your gun it s important that you re able to get a firm firing grip on the gun while it s still in the holster. When you have your firm grip on the gun pull straight up, rotate the gun towards the target, and drive the gun out towards the target. Practice your draw and finish with a smooth trigger pull. Do this for a total of 25 times. In other words, make sure and re-holster the gun after each pull of the trigger. Quick Recap: Draw to the Wall drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, full presentation of the gun from the holster each time. Drawing the gun from the four o clock position on the hip 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 20
Day 9 You re going to use the 5-Square target on page 23 for todays dry fire drills. When I use this target I simply tape my target to my bulletproof panel (see picture on next page). You re only going to be focusing on the center square for today. Standing 3 yards away from the target, I want you to draw your gun from the holster and pull the trigger as soon as you have a good sight picture on the center black square. What I mean is, draw the gun and as soon as your sights are aligned on the square, pull the trigger, even if your arms aren t fully extended. The purpose of this drill is to train you to quickly pick up your front sight, and to have a smooth trigger pull as soon as you re on target. Do this 25 times. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, pulling the trigger as soon as you have a good sight picture on the center square, 25 trigger pulls. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 21
The 5-Square target taped to the bulletproof panel 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 22
" " " " " 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 23
Day 10 Today you ll need the 5-Square target and a timer. I use the Pocket Pro Timer by Competition Electronics, but there are several apps out there you can also use as timer. Depending on how comfortable you are with your draw, you ll want to set the timer for either two or three seconds. (The goal is to eventually get down to two seconds or less.) Stand 3 yards away from the 5-Square target. When the timer beeps, you will draw your gun and get a good sight picture with your finger along the frame of the gun, off the trigger. For this drill, you are only working on your draw and trying to get the gun out and on target in two seconds or less. Do 25 draws, and remember, you are not putting your finger on the trigger. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, drawing the gun and getting it on target in two seconds or less. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 24
The competition timer the author uses along with the 5-Square target 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 25
Day 11 You re doing the same drill from yesterday, except you ll be putting your finger on the trigger, but you will not be pulling the trigger. Get the 5-Square target, stand 3 yards away, and set your timer for 2-3 seconds depending on your experience level. When the timer beeps, draw your gun and get it on target (on the center black square) and put your finger on the trigger but do not pull it. I want you to practice feeling the trigger before you pull it. This will help you avoid slapping the trigger in the future. Do this a total of 25 times. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, drawing the gun and getting it on target in two seconds or less, while putting your finger on the trigger, 25 times. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 26
When your sights are aligned put your finger on the trigger 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 27
Day 12 Today you ll be drawing the gun, getting a good sight picture, and pulling the trigger in two seconds or less. Get the 5-Square target, stand 3 yards away, and set your timer for 2 seconds. When the timer beeps, draw your gun and get it on target (on the center black square) and pull the trigger. Keep an eye on your front sight. Are you slapping the trigger, is it dipping to the left or right? If your front sight is constantly moving, then slow down and go back to basics. Practice your smooth trigger pull without the timer and remember to keep your finger parallel to your body and pull it straight back. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, drawing the gun and getting it on target in two seconds or less, while having a smooth trigger pull, 25 times. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 28
Watch your front sight, it shouldn t move 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 29
Day 13 It s range day again. Today you ll be doing live-fire drills with the 5-Square target you ve been using this past week. You ll need at least 20 rounds, but bring 50-100 with you. You ll also need to bring a timer with you. From 3-yards, fire one round in each of the five squares. Take as much time as you need. Remember to pull the trigger straight back and keep your trigger finger parallel to your body. Start with the center square and go around in a circle. Then move back to 5-yards and shoot all five squares again. Then get out the timer and from the 3-yard line try and hit each square in 2 seconds or less. If your local shooting range allows you to draw from the holster, then do this drill from the holster. If not, then do this drill from the high ready position (both hands on the gun with the gun pulled close to your chest.) Once you ve completed this drill from the 3-yard line using the timer, do it again from the 5-yard line. I realize this is a very difficult drill, but here s the good news about why you re doing it: The goal of this guide is to make you a combat accurate shooter. I don t know about you, but I m not trying to qualify for the Olympics. In other words, if the black square was the center mass of a human and you slightly missed, you would still hit your target as the often repeated line goes, aim small, miss small. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 30
Quick Recap: 5-Square target, live-fire from 3 and 5 yards, using the timer. Author s 5-Square Target Slight misses when doing the drill in two seconds or less 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 31
Day 14 It s Sunday, so you know I take a break today and you can do the same. Or, if you wish to practice, take the 5- Square target, stand 3-yards away and practice your full draw while pulling the trigger when your sights are aligned on the target. Remember to pull the trigger as soon as you have a good sight picture, don t wait until your arms are fully extended. Slow down if you see your front sight dipping when you pull the trigger. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, 3-yards away, full presentation from the holster, pull the trigger when you have a good sight picture on the center square, do this 25 times. Pull the trigger once you have a good sight picture 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 32
Day 15 Now we re going to increase the distance you ve been dry firing and shooting from. The fact is, even if your front sight dips at 3 and 5 yards, you re still (likely) going to hit your target. But when you move out to 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards, trigger control becomes much more important and any errors you make are magnified even more. So today, when you re dry firing try and be 7 to 10 yards away from your target. I know you may not have this much room in your house but try and use a basement or a hallway. (If you don t have a basement or hallway, just use whatever distance you can even if it s 3 or 5 yards.) Remember to be safe and know your backstop and use a bulletproof panel (www.bulletproofpanel.com). Using the 8-inch Circle target on page 35, stand 7 to 10 yards away. Draw your gun from the holster and pull the trigger as soon as your sights are on target. Make sure and pay attention to your front sight and see if it moves. If you re going too fast then slow down. Do this full presentation from the holster for a total of 25 times. Quick Recap: Circle target, 7 to 10 yards away, full presentation from the holster, pull the trigger when you have a good sight picture, do this 25 times. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 33
Make sure and do a full presentation from the holster each time 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 34
30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 35
Day 16 We re going to throw in some lateral movement today. Use the Circle target, stand about 7-yards away from the target and do a full presentation from the holster. However, when you draw, take a step to the left or to the right and then complete your dry fire trigger pull. Do this a total of 25 times and remember to switch it up so that you re not stepping to the same side all of the time. Since there s more going on in this drill, don t forget to watch your front sight. If you re not getting a perfect trigger pull then slow things down. There is no point in doing a lightning quick lateral movement if you can t hit the target. Do this 25 times. Quick Recap: Circle target, 7-yards away, full presentation from the holster, lateral movement to the left or right, pull the trigger when you have a good sight picture, do this 25 times. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 36
Take a step to the left or right during this drill 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 37
Day 17 You re going to do the lateral movement drill again today because it s important that you move if you re ever in a gunfight. Obviously, if someone pulls a gun on you, you don t want to just stand there, you want to move out of the line of fire. So although you re only doing this drill two days in a row, I would encourage you to practice this drill often. Quick Recap: Circle target, 7 yards away, full presentation from the holster, lateral movement to the left or right, pull the trigger when you have a good sight picture, do this 25 times. Make sure and vary which way you move 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 38
Day 18 Instead of moving laterally, today you re going to practice taking two steps forward. Using the Circle target, stand 7 yards away. Draw your gun and take two steps forward while achieving a smooth trigger pull. I know I ve said this many times already, but take your time. Take slow steps and make sure you don t disturb your front sight when you pull the trigger. Even if you have to move forward at snails pace, that is fine with me as long as you re getting a smooth trigger pull. Quick Recap: Circle target, 7 yards away, full presentation from the holster, moving forward two steps and pulling the trigger when you have a good sight picture, do this 25 times. Slowly move forward to ensure perfect trigger pulls 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 39
Day 19 Since you practiced moving forwards yesterday, you re going to practice moving backwards today. Using the Circle target, stand 7-yards away. Draw your gun and take two steps backwards while achieving a smooth trigger pull. Take your time and go as slowly as you need to. Watch your front sight and if it moves, go even slower. Quick Recap: Circle target, 7 yards away, full presentation from the holster, moving backwards two steps and pulling the trigger when you have a good sight picture, do this 25 times. Focus on your front sight during the trigger pull, it shouldn t move 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 40
Day 20 Today you re going to the range to practice the many drills you did this past week. You ll need the Circle target (bring at least three) and bring 100 rounds of ammunition. First, set the Circle target at 7 yards. Using everything you ve learned so far, fire one shot inside the circle. If you miss, continue shooting until you get one shot inside the circle. However, if you hit the circle on your first try, then move the target back to 10 yards. From 10 yards, fire until you get one shot inside the circle. Then move it back to 15 yards, 20 yards, and 25 yards. As the distances increase, this drill obviously becomes more difficult. If you re not able to hit the target at 15, 20, or 25 yards, just remember where you left off and try again later. In other words, if you re having trouble hitting the target at 20 yards, just go back and practice more of the earlier drills in this guide to improve your trigger control. Once you feel you practiced enough then go back and try this drill again from 20 yards. But please don t get discouraged. Remember, anyone can learn how to become a good shooter, which is why we see people from all walks of life that are excellent marksman all it takes is practice. Once you ve fired the one shot at the various distances then move the target to the 7-yard line. From the 7-yard line practice taking a step to the left or right and then fire one shot in the circle. Even if you re using 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 41
an indoor range you can still take a lateral step even if it s a small one. Practice taking a step to the left for a total of 10 times and practice taking a step to the right a total of 10 times. Once you ve moved laterally, then practice moving forwards and backwards. This is going to be tougher to do in an indoor range, but try and take a step even if it s tiny. Move forward taking a shot for a total of 10 times and move backwards for a total of 10 times. Fire one shot each time inside the circle and take as much time as you need. Quick Recap: Circle target, live fire drills, shooting from various distances and shooting while moving laterally and forwards and backwards. Author s target after a few drills 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 42
Day 21 It s Sunday. You can take a break or do the Blank Panel drill - the drill you can never do enough. Have the gun about one-inch away from the panel and practice your smooth trigger pull. Remember, the reason we are using a blank panel is so there are no distractions and so you can see if your front sight moves when pulling the trigger. Do this a total of 25 times and only perfect trigger pulls count. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, must be 25 perfect trigger pulls or it doesn t count. Do the Blank Panel drill as often as you can 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 43
Day 22 Today you re going to practice multiple shots. After all, if you re ever in a gunfight you re likely going to have to fire multiple rounds to stop your threat. However, never forget that the first shot is the most important, and the person who gets the first accurate shot usually wins a gunfight. Depending on the type of gun you have, you may have to simulate the second shot. For instance, if you re using a Glock you will only be able to pull the trigger once during these dry fire drills, but still pull it a second time even though the trigger will not have reset. Use the Circle target and stand 3-yards away from the target. Draw your gun from the holster and do two trigger pulls. Draw your gun for a total of 25 times, which equals 50 trigger pulls. Quick Recap: Circle target, 3-yards, draw the gun and do two trigger pulls for a total of 50 trigger pulls. Try and do 50 perfect trigger pulls 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 44
Day 23 You ll need your timer for today. Remember, I use the Pocket Pro II timer, but you can use whatever timer you wish. Set the timer so it will beep in two seconds. You are going to do the same drill as yesterday, but with the timer. Use the Circle target and stand 3-yards from the target. You will dry fire two trigger pulls on the circle. Make sure you can get your first trigger pull in less than two seconds and eventually you ll want to try and get both trigger pulls in less than two seconds from this close of a distance. Quick Recap: Circle target, 3-yards, set your timer for two seconds, draw the gun and do two trigger pulls for a total of 50 trigger pulls. Try and get your first trigger pull in 2 seconds or less 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 45
Day 24 Since you ve been doing two pulls of the trigger the past two days, it s important to make sure that accuracy hasn t slipped. Today you ll need the 5-Square target. Stand 3-yards away from the target and dry fire on the center black square. When you pull the trigger on the center square your front sight shouldn t move at all. If your front sight is dipping to the left or right, slow down and remember to pull the trigger straight back as if it s going to hit you in the chest. Do 25 perfect trigger pulls on the center square. If your front sight moves, it doesn t count as one of the 25. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, 3-yards, 25 perfect trigger pulls on the center square. If your front sight moves, it doesn t count as one of your 25 trigger pulls 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 46
Day 25 Today you re going to be using a new target (on page 48) called the 3 X 5 target. Stand 5 to 7 yards away from this target or whatever distance you have in your dry fire location. You re going to start from the high ready position and as soon as you pick up your front sight and have a good sight picture you will pull the trigger. Even if your arms aren t fully extended, pull the trigger as soon as you re on target. Do this a total of 25 times and keep an eye on your front sight to make sure it isn t moving. Quick Recap: 3 X 5 target, 5 to 7 yards, pull the trigger as soon as you re on target, total of 25 trigger pulls. Pull the trigger as soon as you have a solid sight picture 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 47
" 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 48
Day 26 You ll need the 3 X 5 target and your timer today. Set your timer to beep in two seconds. You ll stand 5 to 7 yards away from the target and draw from the holster when the timer sounds. You will not pull the trigger today. You will simply place your finger on the trigger, but do not pull it. This will help you break the habit of slapping the trigger and will train you to have a smooth trigger pull. Do this a total of 25 times, but remember, you are only placing your finger on the trigger. Quick Recap: 3 X 5 target, 5 to 7 yards, set the timer for two seconds, only place your finger on the trigger, do this a total of 25 times. Place your finger on the trigger, but do not pull it during this drill 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 49
Day 27 It s your final range day as part of this 30-day guide. You ll need to bring the Circle target and the 3 X 5 target with you to the range. Also, bring 100 rounds of ammunition and a timer. First, do a quick warm up drill using the Circle target. Fire one round at 3 yards, then fire one round at 5 yards, and then one round at 7 yards. Keep firing until your hits are in the circle at all of these distances. Next, set the target at 3 yards. Fire two shots into the Circle target as quickly as you can. Do this a total of five times from the 3-yard line. If you miss the circle from 3 yards, slow down and find the right balance between speed and accuracy. Move the target to 5 yards and again fire two shots as quickly as you can. Do this a total of five times. Move the target to 7 yards and fire two shots as quickly as you can. You re going to have to slow down at the 7-yard line to make sure your shots hit inside the circle. Now get out your timer and set it for two seconds. Start from the high ready position or from the holster depending on what your local range allows. From the 3-yard line fire two shots. You want to be able to get your first shot off in less than two seconds. Do this a total of five times. Move the target to 5 yards and again fire two shots as quickly as you can. Get your first shot off in less than two seconds. Do this a total of five times. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 50
Move the target to 7 yards and again fire two shots as quickly as you can. Try and get your first shot off in less than two seconds. Do this a total of five times. Now we re going to make things even harder. Get out the 3 X 5 target. You re going to practice firing one round on the target in two seconds or less. This is not easy, but your goal should be to eventually get to the point where you can hit this target from 7 yards in two seconds or less. (Don t forget the aim small, miss small theory. If you re hitting the target or are close from 7 yards then you re well within combat accuracy, which is the ultimate goal of this guide.) Practice firing one round from 7 yards for as long as you wish or until you run out of your 100 rounds of ammunition. Quick Recap: Firing two shots on the circle drill, firing one shot on the 3 X 5 target from 7-yards in two seconds or less. 3 X 5 drill in under 2 seconds 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 51
Day 28 Today is Sunday. By now, you know that means you can take a break or do the Blank Panel drill. Have the gun about one-inch away from the panel and practice your smooth trigger pull. Remember, the reason we are using a blank panel is so there are no distractions and so you can see if your front sight moves when pulling the trigger. Do this a total of 25 times and only perfect trigger pulls count. Quick Recap: Blank Panel drill, one-inch away from the wall, 25 trigger pulls, must be 25 perfect trigger pulls or it doesn t count. Focus on your front sight like your life depends on it 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 52
Day 29 For your second to last day, you re going to dry fire on the 5-Square target. Standing 3 yards away, I want you to dry fire on all 5 squares as quickly as you can. For example, if you re using a Glock, you ll dry fire on one square, quickly rack the slide to reset the trigger and then dry fire on the next square and so on. Do this a total of 25 times so you re dry firing on each square five times. If you notice your front sight starting to move, slow down. Quick Recap: 5-Square target, dry fire as quickly as you can on each square for a total of 25 trigger pulls. Go as quickly as you can while still maintaining a perfect trigger pull 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 53
Day 30 For your final day, you ll need the Circle target and the 3 X 5 target. Put the targets on top of one another as shown in the picture on the next page. Stand 5 to 7 yards from the target or whatever distance you have in your dry fire location. Drawing from the holster do one trigger pull on the Circle target and then do another trigger pull on the 3 X 5 target. Remember, if you re using a gun such as the Glock you will have to reset your trigger in between targets. This drill simulates firing one shot to the body of a threat and then one shot to the head of a threat. In other words, if you fire at the body and the threat keeps coming after you, you need to transition and fire at the head (such as if the threat was wearing body armor.) Do a total of 30 trigger pulls, 15 on the Circle target and 15 on the 3 X 5 target. This is also a great drill to do at the range where you fire one to the body and then fire one to the head. Quick Recap: Put the 3 X 5 target on top of the Circle target. Do one trigger pull to the Circle target and another trigger pull to the 3 X 5 target for a total of 30 trigger pulls. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 54
One trigger pull to the body and one to the head 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 55
Congratulations You ve completed 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy! You ve pulled the trigger hundreds of times over the past month and have seen a huge improvement in your accuracy. But even though you ve finished your 30 days, I highly recommend you continue to practice these drills often. Many people start right over and continue to do these drills over and over again (including myself.) The good news is, by continuing to practice these drills, you ll have the combat accurate skills to defend yourself if you ever have to use your gun in a deadly force situation. Also, see the next page for some bonus drills you can do at the shooting range using the targets in this guide. 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 56
Bonus Live Fire Drills 1. The Bill Drill The Bill Drill was created by Bill Wilson or Bill Jordan. (Nobody seems to know which Bill.) Typically, the Bill Drill involves firing six shots as quickly as you can into the A zone of an IPSC target. However, we instead use the Circle target on page 35. Stand at the 7-yard line with your hands in the surrender position. When the timer beeps, draw your gun and fire six shots as quickly as you can. Only hits inside the circle count. Keep doing this drill until your time gets down to 5 seconds, 4, seconds, 3 seconds, etc. 2. 5-Second Reload Drill - Load one magazine with one round, load a second magazine full. Using the Circle target, stand at the 7-yard line with your hands by your side. Set your timer for five seconds. When the timer beeps, draw and fire one round, reload, and fire as many rounds as you can within the five-second time limit. The first time you do this drill you may only get two shots off, but practice this over and over until you can get three shots, and four shots, etc. 3. One Ragged Hole Drill Over the years, I ve heard numerous instructors recommend this drill so I m not sure who deserves the credit. But get a blank sheet of regular size paper. From 3 yards, fire a shot in the center of the paper. Then try and fire the next 10 rounds in the exact 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 57
same hole so you create one ragged hole. When you can do this from 3 yards, then move back to 5 yards, then 7 yards, and so on. Go as slow as you need to for this drill. 4. The Night Stand Drill You can do this drill both dry fire and live fire. Have your gun sitting on a table or sitting on a night stand. When the timer beeps, pick up your gun and fire one round in the center of the Circle target as quickly as you can. (Remember, if you do this dry fire, triple-check that you have a safe and empty weapon.) 5. The New FBI Qualification Course Target used is the QIT-99 Course consists of a total of 60 rounds Each round counts as one point Any hits inside the target area count You must draw from concealment for every string of shots Passing score for Agents is 48 out of 60 Stage 1: 3 yard line -3 rounds in 3 seconds using your strong hand only -3 rounds in 3 seconds using your strong hand only -3 rounds using strong hand only, switch hands, 3 rounds using support hand only all in 8 seconds Total of 12 rounds for Stage 1 Stage 2: 5 yard line (From here on out, all shooting is done with two hands) -3 rounds in 3 seconds -3 rounds in 3 seconds 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 58
-3 rounds in 3 seconds -3 rounds in 3 seconds Total of 12 rounds for Stage 2 Stage 3: 7 yard line -4 rounds in 4 seconds -4 rounds in 4 seconds -Have two magazines loaded with four rounds each. Fire four rounds, reload, fire another four rounds in 8 seconds. Total of 16 rounds for Stage 3 Stage 4: 15 yard line -3 rounds in 6 seconds -3 rounds in 6 seconds -4 rounds in 8 seconds Total of 10 rounds for Stage 4 Stage 5: 25-yard line (This stage involves the use of a barricade/cover) -Move to cover and fire 2 rounds standing, then 3 rounds kneeling all in 15 seconds -Move to cover and fire 2 rounds standing, then 3 rounds kneeling all in 15 seconds Total of 10 rounds for Stage 5 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 59
Resources Bulletproof Panel www.bulletproofpanel.com Ultimate Concealed Carry Experience www.concealedcarryacademy.com Concealed Carry Platinum Package 5 DVD training set, which includes Pocket Pistol Secrets, Life-Saving Pistol Drills, The Victim-Proof Woman, Mastering the Home Defense Shotgun, and Handgun Cleaning Secrets www.ultimateconceal.com The Covert Guide to Concealed Carry (Search for Covert Guide to Concealed Carry on Amazon.com) 30 Days to Combat Handgun Accuracy 60