The Shotgun Speed Drill comes from one of my favorite social media follows, That Shotgun Blog. Nate Parker, the creator of the blog, developed the drill, and I recently took it for a spin. Nate is a shotgun nerd, much like me, and he recognized that there aren’t a ton of shotgun drills out there. Handguns and rifles get piles and piles, but shotguns are left in the dark. The Shotgun Speed Drill focuses on the shotgun’s strengths and its capabilities.
Running the Shotgun Speed Drill
Shotguns are fast, hard-hitting weapons. Close-quarters combat is all about speed. Shotguns are close-quarters weapons that allow you to be fast and hit hard. While you do need to aim a shotgun, a substandard sight picture, crappy form, and bad trigger press are less likely to render your shot ineffective. Shotguns allow for a little more human error, and human error tends to be a speed issue.
The Shotgun Speed Drill focuses on shooting multiple targets quickly and accurately. You’ll get the most out of this drill using a pump-action shotgun. With a semi-auto, it’s fairly easy, so it might not be the challenge you’re looking for.
The Shotgun Speed Drill – Gear Needed
Here’s what we’ll need for the Shotgun Speed Drill:
- Repeating Shotgun
- Six Rounds of Ammo
- Three Targets
- Shot Timer
The targets need an 8-inch circle center. Nate suggests IDPA targets, but a B-8 works if you want to keep things simple. Each 8-inch circle should be about two feet apart, and the shooter stands five yards from the target.
Scoring is pass/fail. If your pellets leave the eight-inch circle, you lose. There isn’t a par-time, and Nate mentioned building a naked scoring system, but it’s not established yet. The shot timer can still provide invaluable data and allow you to constantly get better.
Shooting the Shotgun Speed Drill
Your targets are one, two, and three from left to right. Load your shotgun with four rounds. Have your other two rounds on hand for rapid reloads. You’ll also start in a true low ready, with your muzzle below the targets. Don’t half-ass it.
At the signal, aim and fire one round into target 1, one round into target 2, and two rounds into target 3. Now, immediately speed reload and fire another round into target 2. Speed reload again and drop your final round into target 1.
That’s it; it’s short, sweet, and fun. It’s also more challenging than it seems. You might find your ghost rings are slowing you down. It also makes you appreciate a red dot optic on your shotgun and tight-patterning ammo.
My Thoughts
I like the Shotgun Speed Drill a lot. It focuses on building the skills that make the shotgun such a decisive weapon. Being good at making hits at 25 yards is great, but the realistic focus of a shotgun should be on speed and pellet accountability. This drill focuses on that realistic use.
It also provides you with some reload practice and target transitions. Both are good skills to have with a shotgun. The Shotgun Speed Drill allows you to focus on a wide variety of shotgun techniques and skills with a mere six rounds fired. Who can hate that?
Give it a spin, and get out there and touch a little grass.
