Best Pistol Shooting Drills For Beginners

When it comes to shooting sports, buying new gear and checking out the latest and greatest is always one of the most fun parts of getting into shooting. One of the toughest parts is actually putting everything together to better your skills. This week, I wanted to look at some drills that are easy to shoot for beginners but also can push your limits when you progress as a shooter. Some of the drills out there can be really complicated and intimidating for new shooters, while others don't challenge you enough when your progression takes off. It can be tricky to find the right drill that allows you to grow and have it still be challenging for you. Let's take a look at some of the best drills for beginners.

Bill Drill

What can I say about the Bill Drill? It is one of the simplest yet challenging drills out there and chasing a fast time can be a good representation of where you are as a shooter. This drill consists of shooting six rounds into the A Zone of a USPSA target. If you don't have any of those targets you can always use an 8x12 piece of paper as well since it's roughly the same size. All you have to do is shoot 6 rounds into the target and have them all either be in the A Zone of the USPSA target or inside the piece of paper you are using. Typically, this drill is done from 7 yards but for new shooters, it can be done either from 3 or 5 yards depending on your comfort level.

You can keep track of your time using a timer on your phone if you don't have a shot timer for shooting yet. All of this is to see how long it takes you to shoot the drill and work from there. The Bill Drill can certainly show someone their progress over time and no matter what the drill is, it’s always a great idea to keep some sort of shooting log in a notebook to keep track of your progress. It usually doesn’t take long before you start seeing improvement in your times as a result of your hard work.

F.A.S.T Drill

The F.A.S.T. drill is one of my personal favorites. Breaking down the FAST drill, it stands for Fundamental, Accuracy, and Speed Test which incorporates all these traits into one drill making it a good balance of speed as well as accuracy. In most cases, The FAST drill is typically shot at 7 yards with a 3x5 card over an 8" circle. I will leave a link to the piece of paper I like to use in order to track my progress here. This drill requires you to start the drill with your gun loaded up with 2 rounds. At the buzzer, you'll draw for a holster and fire 2 rounds into the 3x5 card, then perform a slide lock reload before firing another 6 rounds into the larger circle target.

This is one of my favorite drills because it makes you practice so many different skills in just one drill. From target transition, reloads, cadence speed, and throttle control it's all in this drill. Again if 7 yards is too difficult, you can always go from 3 or 5 yards as well to keep things easy at first but you should be trying to get to 7 yards and complete the drill as your first goal. This is another one that seems easy enough on paper but once you start shooting it, the FAST drill can become incredibly difficult to master. I’d love to hear how you guys do with this one.

El Presidente Drill

Just like the Bill Drill, the goal of the El Prez drill is to make all your hits in the center "A Zone" of a USPSA target or the center of a piece of 8x12 paper. You will set up 3 targets with about a foot in between each target. At the buzzer, you will draw your firearm and fire 2 rounds into each target and after the third target, you will perform a slide lock reload. Once your gun is reloaded you fire 2 rounds into each target again completing the drill and shooting 12 rounds total. I personally love the El Prez drill because it's one of those drills that allows you to shoot as fast as you're comfortable with. If you shoot too fast, it’ll be sure to tell you exactly what you’re doing wrong. The El Prez drill is truly one of those drills that can either encourage or humble you based on your performance.

It puts a smile on my face every time I shoot the El Prez and can show if you're doing odd things in between target transitions. Most people will shoot this from 10 yards away but you can shoot at 5 or 7 yards to start for beginning shooters. The goal of these drills is to shoot as accurately as you can in the fastest amount of time. If you start missing shots or going into the C or D zone, it's important to slow down and make your shots count. It's always fun to go fast but if you're not making your shots it doesn't matter as much truthfully. Have fun and post your times down below so we can all see progress over time.

Overall Thoughts

There are countless drills out there that can help build and practice your skills as a shooter. Whether it's for concealed carry or competition, these base drills can be a great stepping stone to build other skills off of down the road. What are some of your favorite drills to shoot at the range? I would love to hear your thoughts and experience with drills down in the comments below. If you have questions about these drills or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you in the next one.