Good morning,

Looking for some opinions on some simple training drills for an indoor range, max distance is 75', can't get too dynamic or anything given the design, layout, and rules.

But for practicing simple mechanics what do ya'll recommend?

I grew up shooting and been doing it for a long time but only recently decided to try and find some professional training because I'm sure there is a lot I'm doing wrong learning from family out in the woods. Until I can locate a proper training to attend I appreciate ya'lls input.

Are there any range restrictions? Most indoor ranges around here do not allow for holster work and do not allow for fast fire (subjectively enforced). Usually, fast fire draws the RO to your bay and they will observe to make sure you are shooting safe.

Do you have a timer, or a timer app on your cellphone? I do a lot of draw fire one drills on my timer with a par set. My focus is on getting a consistent grip, smooth draw, and a good trigger prep. I start at 5yds, 7yds, 10yds, 15yds, then back to 7yds. I will mix in multiple shots throughout the drill. Accuracy then speed. I know on the timer when speed starts to overtake accuracy and my goal is to continue lowering that number. If I’m at a range that doesn’t allow holster draws, I go from low ready with a lower Par. The biggest challenge indoors is the timer picking up other shooters. I’m a huge fan of the OpSpec guys and have taken multiple training classes with them.

Rapid fire is allowed. Drawing from holster is NOT explicitly stated but it does state that all loaded weapons must remain pointed downrange and in the stall. I can talk to the RSO's about this one.

I'll download an app on my phone for the timer.

I have a such a weird schedule I can't make most trainings. I am off from 3-16 December so looking for trainings from Sig Academy and OPSPEC during that time. I'm about 8 hours from Epping, and a road trip with my cousin in Florida would be fun but most New Smyrna trainings during that time are instructor focused.

The suggestion of a timer is a good one...although I agree that it may not work terribly well on an indoor range due to the noise from other shooters. I've had limited success with the phone apps...at least with my phone they weren't very good at catching all the shots, but YMMV. I ultimately ended up spending $120 on a pocket pro, and haven't regretted it. Either way, having a range that lets you shoot rapid-fire will definitely be helpful. Hopefully they will let you draw, too.

Personally, I like to get in a balance of fundamentals, gun handling/manipulations, and speed if possible. The timer helps add a little bit of pressure, and will quickly expose shortcomings in any of these areas. You don't want to get stuck always doing the same drill over and over again, either, but it's good to have a drill or two that you shoot occasionally that is repeatable and scramble so you can evaluate progress.

My current favorite is a modified version of the old Bakersfield PD Qual. I like it because it puts a lot of emphasis on both accuracy and time, and incorporates drawing and presenting from the holster and reloads. It's only 10 rounds, and I also appreciated the fact that it's mostly pairs of shots, as I shoot a DA/SA and it forces me to make that transition on every stage.

The drill is shot on an NRA B8 bullseye target, and goes as follows:

10 feet: 2 shots from the holster, par time 1.5 Seconds.

20 feet: 2 Shots from the holster, par time 2.0 Seconds.

30 Feet: 2 shots from the holster, reload, 2 more shots, par time 6.0 seconds

60 feet: 2 shots, par time 3.5 Seconds.

The drill is scored using the scoring rings of the B8...anything outside the 8-ring is a zero. If you go over time, it's -1 point for every quarter second over. So in stage one, a 1.51 would be -1 point, 1.75 is -2, and so on.

It's hard. The distances and par times make it pretty much impossible to clean it. I'm ecstatic if I break 90, and I've only done that a couple of times. But it's cheap to shoot, doesn't take very long, and it's cool to see progress over time. It's also helpful in identifying the areas that I'm struggling with so I can break it down and work other drills to address those areas specifically.


If you have time, browse through the pages of the postal match in this section of the forum. There's a lot of stuff in there that may be helpful, or at least give you some ideas to start from. You're also more than welcome to join us in shooting it...which is a good reminder that we're probably due to pick another one!

I haven’t been to the Sig Academy in NH but have family close by and have friends that have taken classes with them. I know OpSpec has done classes at Sig Academy. I am fortunate to have Jerry Jones about 2 hours away up in Paducah, KY and have done two classes up there one with my newly CCW permitted adult son in 2020. He went from a “soggy shit sandwich” to a competent pistol shooter. He is a member of my range and we shoot often as he enjoys the perks of my free ammo. At 24, he values speed over accuracy which is something we are working hard to balance. Good enough at the range might not be good enough in real life when only hits matter.

Since no holster practice at your range, you can do all the work from low ready. Set a realistic par and push for Alpha hits to get yourself a baseline. Then push to see where your hits start to spread. Have fun.

I used to shoot the El Presidente because it was the first Action Pistol drill I ever learned, and it covered multiple useful skills. On ranges that don't allow you to start facing up-range, you can shoot the Vice Presidente.

I've replaced this with the F.A.S.T. drill which covers pretty much the same skills and adds the ability to know when to slow down...since it requires both body (6) and head shots (2). Another upside is that it is only a 6-shot drill.

I use the Bill Drill, another 6 shot drill, to compare different platforms or techniques. This is a great drill for checking your technique of consistent grip over a string and developing the rhythm for reacquiring the sights as the slide returns from muzzle flip.

The thing I work on the most is a single accurate shot from the draw. Consistent presentation is the most important skill and learning how to blend speed and accuracy. Never fire a 2nd shot as it leads to rationalization of the accuracy of the first shot. A reasonable goal, from concealment, is <1.5 sec into a 6" circle at 7-10 yards...I use a steel plate to save on taping