Target Acquisition & Transition

What is it?

        Target acquisition is your ability to identify the target, focus on it, and bring the firearm into a firing position.

Target Transition is your ability to move between targets and then fire on them accurately.
 
        The key to this is to lead with the eyes. We always want to bring the gun to the eyes and not the other way around. This is the same as when we draw our weapon from a holster.

Dry Fire Drill

Dry Fire Drill for Target Acquisition and Transition
Level - Beginner to Intermediate

Safety! See link for dry fire safety 

Time Period - 20 Repetitions per day for a week. This drill will take at most 10 minutes per day.

Drill - We like to use colored sticky notes but really anything in the room will work. A lamp, picture, light switch etc.

        Set up 3-5 targets to engage spaced randomly throughout the room. We want you to change your focus from left to right as well as near to far. Do not engage the targets in the same pattern each time. Randomness is your friend.

        Engage the first target, not dry firing until your sight picture is clear and focused. Then move your eyes rapidly to the next target with your firearm following. Wait until your eyes are clearly focused and your front sights are aligned before dry firing.

        Move through all of your targets then assess. What could you have done to speed up the transition? Were your eyes focused before the gun arrived on target? Did your gun arrive on target before your eyes? Did your firearm swing past the target when moving it into position? Did your eyes leave one target in pursuit of the next before dry firing? While you'll obviously want to go faster as you get better, it's important not to get ahead of yourself. Keep your eyes and gun focused on target until firing, then take your eyes and gun to the next target. Start slow and do it well, then you can work on speed.

Range Drill 

Live Fire Range Drill for Target Acquisition and Transition

Level - Beginner to Intermediate

Safety! See link for live fire range safety

Time Period - 20 Repetitions as many days as possible for a week. Do a couple of repetitions every time you go to the range.

Drill - We like to use full size silhouette targets whenever possible.

        Set up 3-5 targets to engage spaced randomly left to right and near to far. Eye focus is a based on distance. If your targets are not different distances then the drill becomes much easier. Also, do not engage them in the same order each time. Randomness is your friend. 

        Note: If you are at a basic indoor range and only have one shooting lane to yourself, you can hang up one target paper with multiple different targets on it, or still use a silhouette target and just pick different points on it. While this won't allow you multiple targets at different distances, it still allows you to practice your target acquisition and transition. Simply pick different spots on the target and move between them, treating each as it's own target. 

        Engage the first target, not firing until your sight picture is clear and focused. Then move your eyes rapidly to the next target with your firearm following. Wait until your eyes are clearly focused and your sights are aligned before firing.

        Move through all of your targets then access. What could you have done to speed up the transition? Were your eyes focused before the gun arrived on target? Did your gun arrive on target before your eyes? Did you firearms swing past the target when moving it into position? Did your eyes leave one target in pursuit of the next before firing?