James:
H.R. here, to follow-up to one of the responses to my article:
In no way do I divert from the baseline of “Shoot, Move and Communicate”. They are the very core for any affective operation. If you take any or all of the three capabilities out of the mix than you have severely disrupted any operation!
There is a core concept to everything that should be thought about in anything that life throws at you…Crawl, Walk, Run. When shooting you must make sure that you can complete a “Phase” before you move to the next one! Let me break down what I feel is a complete graduation from each “Phase”. I am strict in the way I expect my members to perform because I am putting my life in their hands and their lives in mine. If there is any one failure then there is a potential life lost!
Note: All members advance together! If anyone fails to complete the following tasks the whole group is held back. “You are only as strong as your weakest member”. Members that complete the tasks help out the members that do not until everyone completes the tasks. ANY round out of the suggested zones is considered to be a failure and the task must be run again.
Crawl Phase:
- With Pistol and Battle Rifle, each member has 10 seconds to place 10 rounds in the 9 ring from 5 yards with a Winchester target from Wal-Mart SKU# 2905737004.
- Same as above, 15 seconds from 10 yards.
- Same as above, 20 seconds from 15 yards.
- With each, Pistol and Battle Rifle, from the ready, fire 2 rounds for 3x IPSC targets. Impact must strike within the upper ½ of the A zone given 10 seconds from 5 yards. (2 ft. spread from edge to edge of targets). Half of the El Presidente drill.
- Same as above, 15 seconds from 10 yards.
- Same as above, 20 seconds from 15 yards.
- With Battle Rifle at the ready, each member has 10 seconds to place 3 rounds in the upper ½ of the A zone of an IPSC target then transition to Pistol and fire 3 rounds in same zone. This is done from 5 yards.
- Same as above, 15 seconds from 10 yards.
- Same as above, 20 seconds from 15 yards.
- With Battle Rifle, Iron Sights, each member has 10 seconds to place 3 out of 5 rounds in the RED of the Winchester #2905737004 target from Wal-Mart at 15 yards.
- Same as above, 20 seconds, 3 out of 5 from 25 yards.
- With Battle Rifle, Optics, each member has 7 seconds to place 3 out of 5 rounds in the RED of the Winchester #2905737004 target from Wal-Mart at 15 yards.
- Same as above, 10 seconds, 3 out of 5 from 25 yards.
Walk Phase:
- Same as Crawl Phase 1-3 with 5 seconds less for event 1, 10 seconds less for event 2 and 15 seconds less for event 3. Target is replaced with IPSC target and rounds must impact the upper ¼ of the A zone.
- With Pistol and Battle Rifle, run a failure drill (2 rounds to the chest and one to the head) on 3x IPSC targets (2 ft. apart edge to edge) and all chest rounds must be in the upper ¼ of the A zone and the head round must be in the perforated rectangle (considered to be the A zone for the head). At 5 yards, each member has 10 seconds with Battle Rifle and 15 seconds with Pistol.
- Same as above, 12 seconds, 20 seconds from 10 yards.
- Same as above, 15 seconds, 25 seconds from 15 yards.
- With Pistol and Battle Rifle, each member starts with their back to the target and at the sound of the buzzer must turn and place 3 rounds, center mass (X and 10 ring) on a FBI Silhouette target within 5 seconds from 5 yards.
- Same as above, 10 seconds from 10 yards.
- Same as above, 15 seconds from 15 yards.
- With Battle Rifle, while walking straightforward, place 2 rounds per 3x IPSC targets in upper ¼ of the A zone and repeat until member reaches 5 yard line. Once at the 5 yard line, each member must place one round in the head per IPSC target.
- With Pistol, start at the 10 yards line. Walk straightforward to the 5 yard line while placing 2 rounds in the upper ½ of the A zone of 3x IPSC targets. Once at the 5 yard line, place one round in the head per IPSC target.
Run Phase:
- Same as Walk Phase 1-9 but targets are replaced with life-like paper targets and all rounds must impact the kill zone (equivalent to the upper ¼ of an IPSC target). I would stay away from hostage targets for this drill.
- With Battle Rifle, from behind cover #1 (shooter cannot see the targets), at the sound of the buzzer lean out (keeping your body behind cover) and place 3 rounds in each of 3x life like paper targets and then run to cover #2 (remember to put your safety on before you move). At cover #2 place 3 rounds in each 3x life like paper target. All shots must be kill zone shots. This drill starts at the 25 yard line (cover #1) with cover #2 at 15 yards and there is no time limit. I would stay away from hostage targets for this drill.
- Same as above now add 2x targets to be shot while moving from cover #1 to cover #2, 2 shots per target while on the move. I would stay away from hostage targets for this drill.
- With Pistol and Battle Rifle, from the 7 yard line, eliminate the hostage taker with one shot to the A zone of the head within 2 seconds. You will only get one shot … make it count!
- With Pistol and Battle Rifle, place 3 out of 5 rounds in the RED of the Winchester #2905737004 target from Wal-Mart while shooting one handed.
- With Pistol, run the El Presidente drill with one hand. (2 rounds per 3x targets [I suggest life like paper targets], reload one handed also and run it again) I would also suggest only loading 6 rounds in the magazine so that the gun is dry when you do your reload. Run it for time and try to improve your best.
- With Pistol and Battle Rifle, run the El Presidente drill off handed (opposite hand).
- Same as above but one handed.
Rifles are zeroed on Winchester targets SKU# 2905737008. Reason for zeroing on a square grid target is because the grid lines make 1” squares or 1 MOA. Most of the optics that you buy today is adjusted in 1/4 MOA. Which it takes 4 clicks to make 1 MOA. This is calculated at 100 yards.
These are just some of the drills that we run. There are many more that I have created that we continually work on. All of these drills are run from 25 yards and closer. We also do the “Run” phase from 50 and 100 yards. We also add other variables in the mix; body armor, “dummy rounds and the “9 Hole Rifle Drill” We enjoy shooting to begin with so it becomes a bit of a competition to better each other. We all know in the back of our minds that we may very well have to use these skills some day to save our very lives so we are all very serious on the range.
If you have the land and a little cash to spare, I suggest getting some old cars, car doors, all with the glass intact, to see how your bullet react when shot them from different angles. Also you can study the cars and see just where you need to be, when using it for cover, to put as much material between you and your attacker(s). And yes, the 9 hole drill will help you when shooting from behind a car. All those odd angles are put in there for a reason. Happy Shooting, – H.R.