In Part 2, we discussed the basics of airsoft pistols, specifically the gas blowback guns and how they can be safe and effective training tools. Now, it’s time to get down to the fun stuff— shooting!
The following drills are just a sampling of the kinds of exercises you can do at home with your airsoft gun. I encourage you to seek out more or make up your own!
One-Hole Drill
If you’ve ever taken a class with Ron and I, then you already know that this is one of our favorite warm-ups. Load five BBs into your airsoft gun. Take a good stance at your three-yard line and from the low ready position, bring the firearm up and aim at a blank spot on the target. Deliver one shot using your best combination of sight picture, trigger pull, and reset. Now, fire the remaining four rounds trying to get them all into that first hole. Take your time and stress fundamentals here—especially your trigger reset (see Part 1 for an explanation of trigger reset and how to develop a good one).
Dot Torture
This one has been popular for a while now and, like most drills, can be modified to suit a variety of circumstances. It’s essentially an accuracy test that brings in some other elements nicely. Here it is in its basic form. You’ll need a sheet of paper with 10 two-inch diameter circles drawn on it. Number the circles 1 thru 10 and place it in your back stop. All of the following are conducted at three yards.
Dot 1: Either drawing from the holster or from the low ready position, fire 5 rounds trying to produce the best group possible.
Dot 2: Either drawing from the holster or from the low ready position, fire 1 shot, holster or come to the low ready. Repeat this four more times, for a total of 5 rounds.
Dots 3 & 4: Either drawing from the holster or from the low ready position, fire 1 shot on #3, then 1 shot on #4. Repeat this three more times, for a total of 8 rounds.
Dot 5: Either drawing from the holster or from the low ready position, fire a string of 5 rounds, strong hand only, for a total of 5 rounds.
Dots 6 & 7: Either drawing from the holster or from the low ready position, fire 2 shots on #6, then 2 shots on #7, holster or come down to the low ready position. Repeat this four more times, for a total of 16 rounds.
Dot 8: Transfer the gun to your weak hand. Fire five shots, weak hand only, for a total of 5 rounds.
Dots 9 & 10: Either drawing from the holster or from the low ready position, fire 1 shot on #9, reload quickly, and fire 1 shot on #10, holster or come to the low ready and repeat three times, for a total of 6 rounds. NOTE: airsoft magazines can be prone to damage (and they’re expensive) so I suggest putting something padded down to catch the mags and cushion them from impact with a hard surface. If you don’t have an extra mag, no worries, simply repeat the drill from Dots 6 & 7.
Once you’ve gotten comfortable with Dot Torture—speed it up or incorporate a timer.
Movement Forward
Stand approximately 15-20 feet from your target of choice—I like to use a rectangle drawn to approximately 6” wide by 10” high on a sheet of paper. Load the airsoft gun to capacity with BBs and holster or come to the low ready. Draw and start moving forward engaging the target with aimed rapid fire. Stop when you’ve come within a few feet of the target. The key to this drill is to move without bouncing. To do this your stride must be smooth, gliding along heel to toe with a bend in the knees to absorb shock. With each repetition try to smoothen your stride so the gun bounces less as you’re firing. (FYI: Even done properly, the gun is going to bounce a bit while you move, unless you’re some kind of robot, we’re just trying to mitigate that movement as much as possible.) Once you’ve smoothed things out to where you’re getting good hits on target, speed it up!
Note: This drill can be modified to include a reload or done one-handed.
Movement Back
Same as above except you’ll be starting about 4 feet from the target and move backward. To maintain a smooth stride, use a toe to heel drag step while maintaining a bend in the knees for shock absorption. By slightly dragging the feet toe to heel when moving backward, you’ll be less likely to trip or lose balance if you encounter an obstacle or uneven terrain out in the real world (remember your eyes will be on the threat/target).
Note: This drill can be modified to include a reload or done one-handed.
Failure Drill (AKA The Mozambique)
For this one we’ll need a human silhouette target of some kind—as long as it has a body/center mass aiming area and a head target. If you don’t have one, look up IDPA or IPSC targets online and draw your own center and head targets using those as a reference. Load the airsoft gun to capacity and stand facing the target at the three or five-yard line. Draw from the holster or from the low ready position and deliver 2 shots to the body target and 1 shot to the head. Gradually increase the speed, but you still must score good hits. For an added level of difficulty move back to 7 yards (if you have the room) and keep increasing the speed. Or incorporate this into the Movement Forward and Movement Back drills from above.
These are just a few of the drills you can do at home with your airsoft gun. Since you’re not confined to a static range, take this opportunity to shoot close in on targets and move around—things we often can’t do at the range. As always observe safety rules to avoid developing bad habits.
-Brian Bertoldo, Instructor, Paladin Group Training, LLC