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Pistol drills you can run on your own at the range

Here are 7 pistol drills from the NES Defense LEVEL 1 technical plans: 3 dry drills and 4 live-fire drills, each with its target, distance, round count and the way to score it. None of them starts from a holster and none needs a shot timer, and every live drill is shot from at least 7 yards (6 meters).

By the NES Defense Training Team. Updated .
NES Defense sells a 4-month training program. This page is free and does not require it.

The 7 drills at a glance
#DrillTargetRoundsStandard
1Hands together, present, sight pictureSession target0 (5 to 15 reps)None written
2Rack the slideNone0 (5 to 15 reps)None written
3Rack, sight picture, dry pressSession target0 (5 to 15 reps)Press only on a full sight picture
4Circles, top and middle rowsCircles26None written
5Circles, bottom rowCircles21None written
6The barsBars & Cones243 hits inside the edges of each bar
7The conesBars & Cones15None written

Which pistol drills should you start with?

Start dry, then go live. In the LEVEL 1 technical sessions you rehearse each action in dry practice first, then bring it into live fire, with the emphasis on grip, bringing the hands together, presenting to the target, acquiring the sight picture, working from the ready position and controlling your fire on targets of different sizes and shapes.

The plans also contain a dry drill that starts with a draw, and the LEVEL 1 combat sessions start every string from the holster, concealed. None of those are on this page. No drill here uses a holster.

  1. Drill 1: Hands together, present and acquire the sight picture

    Dry drill, no ammunition

    Rehearse the move every live drill below is built on: from the ready position to a full grip and a sight picture on the target.

    Target
    The session's target, hung at your shooting distance.
    Distance
    At least 7 yards (6 meters), farther as your skill allows.
    Rounds
    0 rounds, 5 to 15 reps.
    How to run it
    Pistol unloaded and checked. From the ready position, bring your hands together, present to the target and acquire the sight picture.
    Standard
    The plan sets no pass mark for dry reps.
    How to score it
    Not scored. Count your reps: the plan asks for 5 to 15 before any live fire.

  2. Drill 2: Rack the slide

    Dry drill, no ammunition

    Rehearse the manipulation that starts every live string on this page: each one begins with chambering a round.

    Target
    None needed.
    Distance
    Any, muzzle pointed downrange.
    Rounds
    0 rounds, 5 to 15 reps.
    How to run it
    Pistol unloaded and checked. Rack the slide.
    Standard
    The plan sets no pass mark for dry reps.
    How to score it
    Not scored. 5 to 15 reps.

  3. Drill 3: Rack the slide, acquire the sight picture and dry press

    Dry drill, no ammunition

    Join the manipulation, the sight picture and the trigger press into one sequence before the first live round.

    Target
    The session's target, hung at your shooting distance.
    Distance
    At least 7 yards (6 meters), farther as your skill allows.
    Rounds
    0 rounds, 5 to 15 reps.
    How to run it
    Pistol unloaded and checked. Rack the slide, acquire the sight picture and press the trigger once on target. Press only once you have a full sight picture on the target.
    Standard
    The rule above is the standard: no press before a full sight picture.
    How to score it
    Not scored. 5 to 15 reps.

  4. Drill 4: Circles target, top and middle rows

    Live-fire drill

    One presentation, one sight picture, then a controlled shot: 1 round per circle on the top row, 2 per circle on the larger middle row.

    Target
    The Circles target: 5 circles on the top row, 4 larger circles on the middle row.
    Distance
    At least 7 yards (6 meters), farther as your skill allows.
    Rounds
    26 rounds: 2 runs of 13 (5 on the top row + 8 on the middle row).
    How to run it
    Insert a magazine loaded with 13 rounds and chamber a round. Hold the pistol in one hand, with both hands apart at your sides: this is the ready position. For each circle on the top row, working right to left or left to right: bring your hands together in a full grip, acquire the sight picture and fire 1 round only. After 5 rounds, move to the middle row and run the same sequence with 2 rounds per circle until the magazine is empty. Unload and show clear. Run the whole drill twice.
    Standard
    The plan writes no pass mark for this stage.
    How to score it
    Count the hits inside each circle’s edge: out of 13 per run. That number is your baseline for the next session.

  5. Drill 5: Circles target, bottom row

    Live-fire drill

    Fire control on two sizes of circle: the size of the circle sets the number of rounds, and you come back to ready between every circle.

    Target
    The Circles target, bottom row: small and medium circles, side by side.
    Distance
    At least 7 yards (6 meters), farther as your skill allows.
    Rounds
    21 rounds: 3 strings of 7 (1 + 2 + 1 + 2 + 1).
    How to run it
    Insert a magazine loaded with 7 rounds, chamber a round and come to the ready position. Start with the first circle, on the right or the left: hands together, present, acquire the sight picture and fire 1 round at a small circle, 2 rounds at a medium circle, then back to ready. Move to the next circle and repeat until you finish the row. After each string, unload and show clear. Run it 3 times, one 7-round magazine each time.
    Standard
    The plan writes no pass mark for this stage.
    How to score it
    Hits inside each circle’s edge, out of 7 per string.

  6. Drill 6: Bars & Cones target, the bars

    Live-fire drill

    A controlled pace on a narrow zone: three rounds on each bar, and a written standard that shows on paper whether your trigger press held.

    Target
    The Bars & Cones target (the plans call it a corrective target): 4 bars, each set at a different angle.
    Distance
    At least 7 yards (6 meters), farther as your skill allows.
    Rounds
    24 rounds: 2 runs of 12 (4 bars × 3 rounds).
    How to run it
    Insert a magazine loaded with 12 rounds, chamber a round and come to the ready position. Hands together in a full grip, present to the first bar on the right and fire 3 rounds at a controlled pace, then back to ready. Move to the next bar and keep the same pattern. When the magazine runs dry, unload and show clear. Run the drill twice.
    Standard
    3 hits inside the edges of each bar.
    How to score it
    Count the bars that meet the standard: out of 4 per run.

  7. Drill 7: Bars & Cones target, the cones

    Live-fire drill

    Count while you shoot: the number on each cone is the number of rounds, so every presentation asks for a different string.

    Target
    The Bars & Cones target, bottom: 5 cones, numbered 1 to 5.
    Distance
    At least 7 yards (6 meters), farther as your skill allows.
    Rounds
    15 rounds: one run (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5).
    How to run it
    Insert a magazine loaded with 15 rounds, chamber a round and come to the ready position. Present and fire 1 round at cone 1, back to ready. Present and fire 2 rounds at cone 2, back to ready. Keep going until you fire 5 rounds at cone 5. When you finish, unload and show clear.
    Standard
    The plan writes no pass mark for this stage.
    How to score it
    Hits inside each cone, out of 15, and whether you fired the right number of rounds at every cone.

How do you score a pistol drill without a shot timer?

Count hits, not seconds. The LEVEL 1 technical drills are measured on paper: hits inside a circle, a bar or a cone, shot at a controlled pace. None of them is timed, so you need no shot timer and no partner.

Only one drill has a written pass mark: the bars, with 3 hits inside the edges of each bar. On the others, the plans set the rounds and the zones but no pass mark, so your hit count is your baseline. Count and write down your hits after each string, then mark the holes (a pen or pasters) or hang a fresh target, so the next string’s hits are not counted twice.

How many rounds should a range session be?

Plan your rounds before you go, and hold some back. Every LEVEL 1 NES session keeps reserve rounds to re-shoot a string that went wrong or got interrupted, so a mistake gets fixed instead of carried forward. How a full session is built, stage by stage, is on the pistol training program page.

What if your range does not allow drawing or rapid fire?

Every drill on this page still works there: they start from the ready position, not a holster, and are shot at a controlled pace. Ask the range before your first session anyway, because rules differ from one range to the next. If you want to train holster work later, our tactical firearms training page covers what to ask your range first.

Some ranges ban both outright. The posted rules of the City of Albuquerque’s Shooting Range Park (checked October 27, 2026) say no one can draw and fire from a holster, and no rapid fire. Others allow holster work with permission: the indoor range rules of Tac Shack in Monmouth, Illinois (checked the same day) allow drawing from a holster only with the Range Officer’s prior approval.

At the counter, ask whether you can do dry reps at the line, how fast you can fire a short string, and whether you can hang your own targets at 7 yards.

If a range officer finds your pace too fast, slow down: these drills are scored on hits, not speed. Never break a range’s rules to finish a drill.

Which targets do these drills use?

Two NES targets: the Circles target (drills 4 and 5) and the Bars & Cones target (drills 6 and 7). Both come with the NES training plans; they are not free downloads.

  • Circles: three rows. 5 circles on top, 4 larger circles in the middle, and a bottom row of small and medium circles side by side.
  • Bars & Cones: 4 bars across the top, each at a different angle, and 5 cones numbered 1 to 5 along the bottom.

The one NES target you can get for free is the NES Alpha target, a printable sheet with one large A zone. Get the free NES Alpha target with your email address.

Can you practice these drills at home?

The three dry drills, yes. The live drills, only at the range. At home, run them only with the full dry fire safety protocol, every time:

  1. Unload the pistol and check it twice: magazine out, chamber empty.
  2. Put all ammunition in another room, loaded magazines included.
  3. Pick a safe direction with a backstop that would stop a round if one were ever fired, and keep the muzzle there.
  4. No live ammunition anywhere near you during the session.
  5. Reload only after the session is over, and say it out loud: the dry practice is finished.

These steps sit on top of the basic rules every gun owner learns, such as the NRA’s fundamental rules for safe gun handling (checked October 27, 2026): always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot, and keep it unloaded until ready to use. For a full home routine, see dry fire training. Worried about the dry presses? See is dry firing bad for your gun.

How do the drills change from LEVEL 1 to LEVEL 4?

They are LEVEL 1, CALIBRATION: the month that finds your real starting point on grip, sight picture and trigger press. NES runs four levels, one month each: CALIBRATION, CONSISTENCY (make the good shot repeatable), PERFORMANCE (raise the bar on the same fundamentals) and INTEGRATION (put it all together, ending at the NES STANDARD).

NES is a 4-month program you run on your own at your range, built with operators from Israeli special forces units who have fought in active combat. It is not a permit or CCW class, and there is no instructor at your lane. The printed plans and targets are in English; the session videos are in Hebrew for now.

One payment covers all 4 months, and you can split it into up to 3 installments: CORE $299 (up to 200 rounds a month), PRO $359 (up to 350) or DIAMOND $449 (up to 500).

These drills are LEVEL 1. See how the four levels build on them in the pistol training program.