Practice: Drawing from the holster

Friday

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Fortunately, having my own range out back I can do this as much as I want.
I use 3 different holster methods; OWB, Pocket, and Ankle.

I've gotten pretty good at all three. No matter which style or what brand holster, it's become fairly automatic.
I've come to find this is the easy part.

Now actually hitting the target, quick and smooth-like, after the draw has become the challenge lol. I'm gettin' better though, but I keep pushing the limit.
Say 3 targets, varying distances left/right/center, double tap each in a total of 3 seconds or less. Boy is this a humbling exercise.

I read about ranges that don't allow drawing and firing, or make you go through the double secret handshake before they allow it.

So...how do you practice live-fire draws if you're confined to a public range?
 
Fortunately, having my own range out back I can do this as much as I want.
I use 3 different holster methods; OWB, Pocket, and Ankle.

I've gotten pretty good at all three. No matter which style or what brand holster, it's become fairly automatic.
I've come to find this is the easy part.

Now actually hitting the target, quick and smooth-like, after the draw has become the challenge lol. I'm gettin' better though, but I keep pushing the limit.
Say 3 targets, varying distances left/right/center, double tap each in a total of 3 seconds or less. Boy is this a humbling exercise.

I read about ranges that don't allow drawing and firing, or make you go through the double secret handshake before they allow it.

So...how do you practice live-fire draws if you're confined to a public range?
Matches. You draw at the start of almost every stage, on the clock, and sometimes shooting at a swinging, dropping, or disappearing target.
 
The key for a two handed draw is two things

1. Great single hand shooting
2. Index (starting point) of the support hand

John
 
My club range allows it. It is also non staffed so I'd still try to get there off peak hours, be alone, and ignore the rule if there was one.

The public ranges I've gone to were non staffed.

Get to draw a lot at matches too, but they frown on pocket.

Dry fire is good for practicing draw to sight picture.
 
I'm usually the only person at our private range, so I'm able to do whatever I want, including treating it as a 360deg range. The only thing I have to worry about not shooting is whatever I plan to drive home.
 
Dryfire is where you hone your draw. Preferably with a timer set to a par time. The important part to me is getting a clear sight picture before breaking the trigger. It's easy to just yank it out, stick it in a general direction, and yank the trigger. Do that thousands of times to really reinforce a bad habit!

Ultimately, grip technique is everything in recoil management and follow up shots and getting that out of the holster is the challenge. So, where the hands start, how the strong hand engages the grip, and where the weak hand picks up the gun is really important.

I am not an expert by any means so I think the most important thing in getting this right is getting a lesson from a professional and starting with good fundamentals to begin with. That could save someone a lot of ammo and a lot of money at the end of the day. Just my opinion.
 
If you are able to draw and fire six shots on three targets in anything close to 3 seconds you're doing very well. If they hit anything.
They're USPSA cardboards and I can get hits with all 6, but they're all over the place! This is with the owb.
I can never get all 6 into the A's. Argh...

If I double the time I can get A's and C's with a flyer here and there...but by then one of the bad guys has got to me.
I have 'better' guns, but the one I do best with is a bone stock G23. Yeah I know. Go figure. :shrug:

And this is standing still. I'm kinda scared to try it on the move lol. I'd probably have to put a paper bag over my head after that.
 
If my calc's are right, subtracting about 1.5 for the first round on target, 3 seconds translates to between .25 and .5 second splits. That's pretty smoking. I'm thinking a good par time should be about 4 seconds. Someone else feel free to chime in on my numbers. I haven't worked a clock in a long time, but seem to remember, getting .25sec splits took some work. I think most shooters are around .5

But... that's moot if you're not getting good hits. It's not all about speed. If your rounds aren't ALL in the A zone, you're going too fast. Get them all in the A zone and then work on ramping up your speed. A fast miss is still a miss and a waste of time. Time a bad guy is using to shoot you.

I'd practice on the splits (speed between rounds) first and separate from the draw. Shoot slow enough to maintain 6 or so shots at a time in the A zone and ramp up the speed until shots start spreading out. Then slow down and do it again. This is on a single target. Do this before you move on to multiples. By the way, tactically (not for fastest time), when engaging 3 targets, put a round on each target first, then come back for seconds. You don't have the time to double tap each. 3 is pushing the edge unless you get the drop on them and you initiate.

Imagine the deul of century, you against 3. There you are standing in the street facing 3 opponents at high noon. A clock strikes it's gong and you all go at it. If use 1.5sec as an approximate par time for 2 rounds on target and we assume the opponents are as fast as you, your getting hit by two rounds at about the time you're trying to get your second round off. Remember, everybody's timer started at the same moment.
Now, let's consider that there's not gong. You're facing 3 in the street and for some reason you decide to initiate. You have an approximate 1 - 1.5 sec jump on the opponents to react. As you're finishing your second round in No. 1, your 1.5 second lead just ended with No. 2's and No. 3's bullets. Now if you decided to send the second round into No. 2 instead of double tapping No.1, as you finish the second round to No.2, No. 3 has still caught up to you and firing on you as you're still on No.2. And this is after YOU initiated. You'll have to consider the legal and moral ramifications of that for a moment. So, 1 against 3 is a VERY difficult situation.


For the draw, you can practice this with dry firing. Get it down and smooth, then put it all together. If you'd like, I can detail the 5 point draw stroke as taught by Gunsite.

Didn't mean to pontifiicate about shooting methodology. Just sharing what I was taught and remember. Others can correct or counter as they like.
 
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They're USPSA cardboards and I can get hits with all 6, but they're all over the place! This is with the owb.
I can never get all 6 into the A's. Argh...

If I double the time I can get A's and C's with a flyer here and there...but by then one of the bad guys has got to me.
I have 'better' guns, but the one I do best with is a bone stock G23. Yeah I know. Go figure. :shrug:

And this is standing still. I'm kinda scared to try it on the move lol. I'd probably have to put a paper bag over my head after that.
So how far down range are the targets and how spread are they?
 
One is at 18 feet, and the other two are at 30 feet. Spaced from 10 to 15 feet apart.
 
To paraphrase Clint Smith, just worry about shooting good, not fast. When you're heart is beating 200 beats per minute and your shorts are full of poo, you're going to shoot fast anyway.
 
@Friday I don't know where you are in NC but Blackstone Shooting allows drawing but thats about it. Our courses all involve drawing and fighting how you would carry every day. If you want to look at training with us, check out our website or contact me direct. Stay safe!
 
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They're USPSA cardboards and I can get hits with all 6, but they're all over the place! This is with the owb.
I can never get all 6 into the A's. Argh...

If I double the time I can get A's and C's with a flyer here and there...but by then one of the bad guys has got to me.
I have 'better' guns, but the one I do best with is a bone stock G23. Yeah I know. Go figure. :shrug:

And this is standing still. I'm kinda scared to try it on the move lol. I'd probably have to put a paper bag over my head after that.

Practicing missing isn't doing you any good at all.

Shoot as fast as you can reliably get A hits, and that will get easier and faster over time.
 
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