An indoor shooting range has some unique advantages over an outdoor range. An indoor range is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, and your practice time is unaffected by sudden rainstorms or hordes of annoying insects.
However, most handgun drills are designed to be shot on an outdoor pistol bay where you can draw from a holster, use cover and move as you shoot. Some indoor ranges allow you to draw from a holster, but they are the exception rather than the rule. The trick is finding solid drills that are compatible with the restrictions of an indoor range, but are still a valid way to measure and evaluate your pistol marksmanship.
Georgia Security Guard Qualification Course
While the mission of law enforcement and armed security is different from that of the armed citizenry, all of us have a requirement to put rounds accurately on-target as quickly as possible.
Claude Werner is a regular contributor to Shooting Illustrated and specializes in “real world” guns and scenarios. As such, he has a book on his website specifically devoted to practice on an indoor range, and that’s where you’ll find this drill, along with many others.
This qualification requires you to adapt your sight picture and firing process from close range to longer distances.
Target: Any silhouette target, such as a B27, B21, USPSA or IDPA target
Time Limit: None.
Start Signal: N/A
Shooting Position: You may shoot from any position you are comfortable with. Two-handed standing is recommended.
Rounds required: 48
Scoring: Rounds must hit within the outline of the silhouette to count. Rounds that cut the edge of the silhouette do count. Shooters must have 39 of the 48 rounds in the silhouette to pass.
String One – Distance: 3 yards
Load your pistol to its maximum capacity and assume a low-ready position your pistol pointed at the ground beneath the target. At signal, engage the target, then reload as needed until all 24 rounds have been shot. Bring your target back and mark your hits.
String Two – Distance: 7 yards
Load your pistol to its maximum capacity and assume a low ready position your pistol pointed at the ground beneath the target. At signal, engage the target, then reload as needed until all 18 rounds have been shot. Bring the target back and mark your hits.
String Two – Distance: 15 yards
Load your pistol with a maximum of six rounds and assume a low-ready position, with your pistol pointed at the ground beneath the target. At signal, engage the target, then bring the target back and mark your hits.
Although any hit on the silhouette counts, you should strive to have your hits inside the upper torso of your silhouette.
These next two drills require the use of a shot timer. Don’t freak out just yet. Trust me, there will be plenty of opportunities for freaking out once you hear that buzzer go off for the first time. For now, though, simply go to the app store on your smartphone and choose from any number of free shot timer apps. Most will allow you to set a par time and then delay the “BEEP” of the start signal so you have time to get your hands back on the gun before you have to shoot. Got it? Ok, let’s move on.
2.5 Second Standards
This one comes to us from Bryan Eastridge of American Fighting Revolver. While the course of fire description talks about shooting from the holster, I spoke with Eastridge himself, and he said that shooting this drill from low ready was also acceptable. Set your shot timer for a 2.5 second par time, and let’s get to it.
Target: USPSA or IDPA cardboard target or similar.
Time: All strings have a 2.5 second par time
Start Signal: Audible (shot timer)
Scoring: This exercise is not a pass/fail. It is aimed at finding your ability to execute an action on demand and expose failure points in your marksmanship skill and your ability to shoot from a draw and the low ready position.
String One – Distance: 25 yards
Draw and fire one round to the head box. Use the entire head box.
String Two – Distance: 15 yards
Draw and fire two rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone
String Three – Distance: 10 yards
Draw and fire three rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone
String Four – Distance: 7 yards
Draw and fire two rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone and then one round to the head box
String Five – Distance: 5 yards
From the low ready, fire three rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone and then one round to the head box
String Five – Distance: 5 yards
From the low ready, fire two rounds to the A-Zone / Down Zero zone using your strong hand only.
Even though the time for each string in this drill remains constant, the tasks you are required to perform in that time can vary widely. This helps you develop the mental management skills needed to deliver the shot when it’s needed the most.
The Test
Created by legendary trainer Ken Hackathorn, this drill is deceptively easy. It’s ten rounds, shot in a maximum of ten seconds at a B-8 target that’s ten yards away. Seems easy until you realize that passing on this test is 80 points or better, and truly outstanding shooters can do that in under 5 seconds.
Game on.
Target: NRA B-8
Time: 10 second par time
Start Signal: Audible (shot timer)
Scoring: Add up your score on the B-8. Subtract 10 points for any shots over the 10 second time limit.
String One – Distance: 10 yards
From the low ready, fire 10 shots into the B-8 target. Retrieve your target, score it and pause for a moment to consider which of your many bad decisions in life was responsible for you shooting so poorly on this test.
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