Basic Concealed Carry Training Exercises

by WILBUR DAVIDSON September 29, 2022

Being a skilled and capable shooter is something you owe to both yourself and any potential bystanders as a concealed carrier. What do you do to improve as a shooter is the main query. You can only do so much with straightforward target practice. Some fundamental drills for concealed carriers will help you perform better behind the gun.

The three drills that follow are relatively simple and appropriate for beginners. Never attempt a training drill that seems too challenging without receiving sufficient coaching. The four guns safety guidelines must always be followed.

1. Dot Torture:

One of the best exercises for beginners is dot torture. It merely uses fifty rounds of ammunition and works a variety of skills. The drill can be altered to operate inside the square ranges with the strictest rules. David Blinder was the designer.

Dot torture utilizes a straightforward target that is available for home printing here:

Dot Torture

Each dot represents a certain talent that has to be practiced. It can be difficult to hit the two-inch-wide dots. In case you forget, the directions are clear and printed on the target. Dot torture exercises the principles of marksmanship, including drawing, reloading, and switching between targets.

Quick draws are not allowed at some ranges. Shooting from the low ready position might be added to the drill. I was able to identify various weaknesses when I took the drill and scored a 47 out of 50. I shot a DA/SA rifle and realized that my double action trigger pull needs a lot of improvement.

Once you've mastered dot torture, you may make it a little more challenging by including a timer or expanding your range.

2. Failure to stop Drill

Tom Cruise made this drill well-known in the film Collateral. One or two targets can be the subject of a failure to stop drill. Mozambique drills are also referred to as failure to stop drills.

One or two targets with clearly defined heads and chests are required.

Place them close to one another at a predetermined distance. Drills are not stopped, and three bullets are fired at each target. The purpose of this maneuver is to repeatedly attack important areas of the target. This exercise is made to thwart a charging assailant at close range.

Utilizing One Target:

You draw (or begin from the low ready) and fire two rounds into the target's chest before firing one round into the target's head.

Utilizing Two Targets:

You will draw your weapon or stand low and be ready to engage your first target with two rounds to the chest before moving on to your second target and engaging it with two bullets to the chest. Take a headshot on the second target, then move to the first target and take a second headshot.

Make it harder:

Although slightly more difficult, this exercise is still simple. The drill may always be made more difficult by adding a countdown or by including a reload in the middle of it.

3. El Presidente

Jeff Cooper, a renowned firearms instructor, devised the El Presidente exercise. There are three targets in total, and it focuses on fundamental marksmanship, rapid fire, accuracy, drawing, reloading, and transitioning.

Three targets spaced three yards apart are used in the standard drill, with the shooter positioned 10 yards away. Targets should ideally be man-sized and have a designated important zone. The target area should receive the gunfire.

Since the 1970s, the drill has undergone significant revisions. Nowadays, the majority of shooters space their targets one yard or three feet apart. This includes the international shooting tournament known as USPSA. As a result, much less space is required to operate the drill.

The shooter begins by having their gun holstered. Twelve rounds in total, two magazines, or a speed loader are required. The weapon has one magazine in it, and the belt has the other. When the buzzer sounds, the shooter turns away from the target, pulls a gun, and fires two bullets at each target. After reloading, the shooter again fires two rounds at each target.

12 shots in the crucial zone in ten seconds equals a passing score. Shooters should practice this challenging drill by dry firing their weapon a few times with an empty chamber. This will guarantee that they comprehend the practice in its entirety and improve safety.

If you succeed in mastering this practice, you can add another reload or execute it with one hand. Alternate shooting locations or smaller targets are also options.

Try the vice president drill if you don't feel safe or like you lack the necessary skills. Instead of facing away from the targets, you now face them.

These are my favorite exercises, and I believe they cover a wide range of ability variations. They can be performed at the majority of public ranges and are both tough and safe.