Drawing to a Small Target
Dry-Fire · At Home
Verified clear. Twenty draws to a single dot. The gun should arrive on the dot without needing to be steered there at the end. If you are hunting for the dot after the gun stops, slow the last part of the draw down.
Live-Fire · At the Range
Five strings of four at 5 yards: draw or come up from ready and fire one round on one dot, four times per string. Use a different dot for each string. Take whatever time a clean hit needs.
Service Pistol
A consistent grip in the holster is what puts the sights on the dot. Get the grip before the gun moves.
Concealed Carry
A draw from concealment to a small target shows you every flaw in your grip.
Carbine
Carbine version: from low ready to a single dot at 15 yards, remembering that your sights sit above the bore.
AUX (when ready): draw to a hit on a dot at 5 yards in under two and a half seconds.
A draw that works on a large target and fails on a small one is not finished yet.
Your Daily Callout — By Archetype
The last few inches of the draw are where you need to slow down.
Look at the exact dot before your hands move.
A small target is practice for the day you only have a small part of something to shoot at.
Grip, clear, rotate, press out. If the grip is right, the sights arrive on the dot.
Layer: start with your hands at your sides, then with your hands in your coat pockets.
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded — always, no matter what you think you know.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have decided to fire.
- Be sure of your target — and everything beyond it.
Dry-fire: no ammunition in the room. Verify the firearm is clear — twice. Use a safe backstop. When you finish, say it out loud: “Dry fire is over.”
The Four Universal Safety Rules
Non-negotiable. Every drill, every rep, every time. This applies to live fire and dry fire.
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded — always, no matter what you think you know.
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you have decided to fire.
- Be sure of your target — and everything beyond it.