Private Pistol fundamentals group December 6th

PISTOL FUNDAMENTALS

December 6 | 9:00 AM–2:00 PM

Burro Canyon Shooting Park

7 Students

Round Count: 315 rounds per student

Total Class Ammunition: 2,205 rounds

Course Objective

Build a strong foundation in safe gun handling, grip, sights, trigger control, recoil management, presentation, reloads, and practical accuracy. The emphasis throughout the day is fundamentals performed correctly first, then applied with increasing speed.

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9:00–9:30 — Safety / Fundamentals / Dry Work

Round Count: 0

Range safety and medical brief

Four universal firearm safety rules

Loading/unloading procedures

Range commands

Equipment and holster check

Proper stance and body position

Building a repeatable two-handed grip

Trigger-finger discipline

Sight alignment / sight picture

Trigger preparation and reset

Dry presentations from ready/holster as appropriate

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9:30–9:50 — Accuracy Baseline

20 rounds

5–7 yards

5 rounds — deliberate slow fire

5 rounds — strong emphasis on grip

5 rounds — trigger-control focus

5 rounds — complete fundamentals

Goal: Establish each student’s starting point and identify grip, sighting, and trigger-control issues.

Running Total: 20

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9:50–10:15 — Grip Development

30 rounds

5–7 yards

5 strings of 3 rounds — build grip and fire

3 strings of 5 rounds — maintain grip through recoil

Focus:

Support-hand pressure

Consistent hand placement

Wrist stability

Returning the sights naturally after recoil

Running Total: 50

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10:15–10:40 — Trigger Control

30 rounds

5–10 yards

10 rounds — deliberate singles

10 rounds — controlled pairs

10 rounds — accuracy-focused strings

Emphasis on pressing the trigger without disturbing the sights and learning how quickly the trigger can be worked while maintaining accountability.

Running Total: 80

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10:40–11:05 — Presentation

30 rounds

5–7 yards

10 × 1 round

5 × 2 rounds

2 × 5 rounds

Build the presentation progressively before adding speed.

Focus:

Consistent starting position

Efficient path to the target

Building the grip before firing

Finding the sights immediately

Trigger preparation during presentation

Running Total: 110

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11:05–11:30 — Cadence & Recoil Management

30 rounds

5–10 yards

5 rounds — deliberate cadence

5 rounds — moderate cadence

5 rounds — faster cadence

Repeat sequence

Students learn that acceptable shooting speed is dictated by what the sights are doing and the difficulty of the target.

Running Total: 140

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11:30–11:40 — BREAK / HYDRATION

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11:40–12:05 — Controlled Pairs & Follow-Up Shots

30 rounds

7–10 yards

5 × 2-round strings

5 × 4-round strings

Focus on maintaining the same grip through multiple shots instead of rebuilding the gun between rounds.

Running Total: 170

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12:05–12:30 — Reload Fundamentals

30 rounds

10 rounds — emergency/reload mechanics

10 rounds — reload followed by one accurate shot

10 rounds — reload followed by controlled pair

Dry repetitions should be performed between live-fire strings to maximize learning without unnecessarily increasing ammunition consumption.

Running Total: 200

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12:30–12:55 — Multiple Target Fundamentals

30 rounds

5–10 yards

Three-target array.

2 rounds per target × 5 repetitions

Focus:

Eyes lead the gun

Drive the sights to the next target

Stop the gun where you intend to shoot

Confirm an acceptable sight picture

Maintain grip during transitions

Running Total: 230

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12:55–1:20 — Distance & Accuracy

25 rounds

Progressively increase distance based on student ability.

5 rounds — 7 yards

5 rounds — 10 yards

5 rounds — 15 yards

5 rounds — 20 yards

5 rounds — 25 yards

This block reinforces that the fundamentals don’t change as distance increases—the acceptable margin for error does.

Running Total: 255

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1:20–1:40 — Fundamental Standards

30 rounds

Combine the skills taught throughout the day:

Presentation

Accurate first shot

Follow-up shots

Recoil management

Reloads

Target transitions

Run short scored strings with an emphasis on accountability over raw speed.

Running Total: 285

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1:40–1:55 — Final Performance Drill

30 rounds

Run a repeatable end-of-class standard combining:

Presentation

Controlled pairs

Multiple shots

Reload

Target transitions

Accuracy at varying distances

Students should be encouraged to push speed while maintaining the accuracy standard established by the instructor.

FINAL ROUND COUNT: 315 ROUNDS

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1:55–2:00 — Debrief

Review individual strengths and deficiencies

Questions

Recommended dry-fire practice

Recommended live-fire practice

Equipment discussion as needed

Ammunition

315 rounds per student

7 students × 315 rounds = 2,205 total rounds

Recommended student requirement: Bring 350 rounds to provide a small reserve for make-ups, demonstrations, or ammunition-related issues.

Equipment

Reliable handgun

Quality holster

Minimum 3 magazines recommended

Magazine pouches

Eye protection

Ear protection

Appropriate range clothing/footwear

Water/electrolytes

Sunscreen

Notebook/pen

Training progression:

Safety → Accuracy → Grip → Trigger → Presentation → Recoil Management → Reloads → Transitions → Distance → Performance

Build the fundamentals. Apply them at speed. Hold yourself to a standard.