This month’s skill builder combines the numerous shooting skills and fundamentals of marksmanship that we have built for a solid foundation over the last year. If you are new to the Safariland CADRE Dispatch, go back and review those articles.
This drill can be done with your pistol or rifle. We are looking to combine the draw from the holster (duty, concealed, or outside the waistband) and speed magazine change.
At War HOGG Tactical, we use a building block methodology of teaching. Our special operations combat experience helps you become a more efficient and effective shooter while building a solid foundation of the fundamentals of marksmanship.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Normal range and firearms equipment
- Live-fire range
- Dry-fire training area
- The Firearms Training Notebook – available on Amazon
- Shot Timer, we recommend the PACT Club Timer III. Click the link to learn how to use a timer effectively in your marksmanship training.
- Recording device and tripod/holder – this will be key to watching your footwork
- War HOGG Tactical Training Target
How the Monthly War HOGG Skill Builder Works
The War HOGG skill builder model is simple. At the beginning of the month, head to the range and shoot the drill cold. No warm-up. Just shoot the skill builder and let the time & target tell you where you are with your shooting performance on demand. Then record the data in your copy of The Firearms Training Notebook.
When you head home, build your dry-fire and live-fire plan around what the skill builder exposed that needs improvement. Later in the month, head back to the range and reshoot the skill builder to see whether you improved your skill set.
Set Up for the War HOGG Skill Builder
You will need at least a 7-meter range; you can go farther back if your skills are there.
For the target, I like using one of the B8 Bullseyes on the War HOGG Tactical Training Target. B8’s give me that much more data on my marksmanship.
You’ll need at least two magazines with two rounds each.
Don’t forget to set up your camera and tripod to capture your shooting performance movement. I would recommend a couple on both the left and right side because you are doing two unique skills from both sides of your body. This will allow you to see if you are adding any unneeded movement or being inefficient with your shooting skills, specifically the draw and mag change.
How to Run the Skill Builder – Combining Skills
On the audible tone of the timer, draw your pistol from the holster and fire two rounds at your target; the pistol slide will lock back. Conduct a slide lock magazine change and fire two more rounds. Don’t forget on that second mag to do your War HOGG Ghost Reload, versus just going admin.
Why two rounds? Because with one round you can get away with a lot of slop, with two rounds at least you have some recoil that you must deal with. If you think about this drill, it is a shorter version of the War HOGG Self Eval without the target index.
I would recommend running the drill five times. This gives you five different data points to examine and ask some questions. Is my draw consistent? What about my slide lock speed magazine change reloads? And how are my split times?
Build Your Dry Fire Plan
Your dry fire plan is built from your live fire session shooting performance data. Take the data from your shot timer and target, review your video, and your dry fire plan should be easy to build.
If standing is your weak point, spend time building the position, accepting movement, and breaking clean trigger presses without added input. If kneeling or sitting is inconsistent, get into and out of those positions repeatedly until they stop feeling foreign.
If prone is not giving you the payoff it should, work on body alignment and natural point of aim.
The Skills: What Combining Skills Develops
There are numerous skills that are developed during this drill. We have drawn from the holster, slide lock speed magazine change, calling your shot, and confirming if you have a consistent grip and good pistol presentation, especially if you are running a red dot pistol.
Check Your Work
Sometime near the end of the month, go back out to the range and reshoot the Combining Skills Drill. Compare the end-of-the-month shooting performance data to the first of the month. If you put in the work, you should see improvement.
Even if you only see a slight improvement, it’s improvement in a skill set that could save your life someday.
Build Your Shooting “CREW”
Having other like-minded shooters around will help you push to make yourself better. If you have friends, family, or co-workers who share your shooting passion, start building that shooting tribe. This way, not only do you have your own accountability, but you also have others to help you improve on your marksmanship journey. They can record you shooting, possibly give you feedback on things they see, and it’s always good to have some fun competition to help you grow.
At War HOGG Tactical, our motto is “Be 1% Better Everyday!” You can always join us in sharing your marksmanship growth.
Go to our On The Range (OTR) Patreon “CREW” members’ page and join like-minded shooters looking to get more proficient in their marksmanship skills. My co-author, Mark Kelley (Kelley Defense), and I conduct bi-monthly interactive Zoom calls where we break down each shooter’s skill builder. We have even reviewed video of “CREW’ members shooting during our Zoom call and given immediate feedback on where we see they can improve their shooting skills.
Conclusion: Put In The Work
The Combining Skills Drill gives you 20 rounds of marksmanship accountability and performance on demand with a patrol rifle or carbine. Shoot it cold, record the data, study the feedback of the target, time, and video if you recorded yourself, and build your dry fire plan. Then come back and check your work. This is a constant marksmanship journey that never ends.
Don’t forget to check out the War HOGG skill builder library for more shooting tips and our website warhogg.com for upcoming open enrollment and law enforcement courses.
Train Hard, Stay Safe, and see you “On The Range” – Rick
