Simply alternating your handgun from one hand to the other between rounds helps to develop your skills with both hands while conserving ammunition.
Readers of this column frequently remind me they can’t practice some of the drills laid out here because the ranges where they shoot prohibit drawing from the holster. Noting this, I usually mention the skills can be started from a low-ready, muzzle-depressed position as well. Also, some folks, especially beginning shooters, may be uncomfortable drawing a loaded pistol from the holster.
Another issue that pops up from time to time is folks who use five-shot revolvers for everyday carry (EDC) can’t easily run some of the drills involving six shots or longer strings of fire.
Then we have the ammunition situation. While it seems to be more available than in past months and prices are coming down, high-round-count drills are best put aside for the time being and our emphasis should be on making every shot count.
You can run this drill on an indoor or outdoor range; it doesn’t involve drawing from a holster and you will need only 10 rounds of ammunition. You’ll need a table or bench to set the gun on and there’s no need for a timer, as this drill is not timed. Being a variation of the 5x5x5 drill I’ve previously described, you can easily download a printable 5-inch circle target from a number of online sources or simply draw a 5-inch circle on an existing, clean target (or paper plate).
Here’s the drill:
Set your target at 5 yards. All shots are fired one-handed.
Stage 1: Place the loaded pistol on the bench or table with the muzzle pointed downrange. Start by picking it up with the right hand, fire one shot at the target, shift the pistol to the left hand and fire another shot, change hands again and continue back and forth between your hands until you have fired five rounds. The sequence is right, left, right,
left, right.
Stage 2: This is the same drill, starting with the left hand. The sequence is left, right, left, right, left.
There is no time limit, so the idea is to practice your one-handed shooting with each hand, emphasizing smooth transitions, use of the sights and trigger control. If all your shots are in the circle, you’ve done well. If not, more practice is in order.
This is an excellent dry-fire drill for five-shot revolvers, too, with the usual precautions of ensuring the revolver is unloaded, no live ammunition is present and you’re pointing at something that will safely stop a bullet.
Give this a try, and as always, your feedback is welcome.
