Shot Calling

Know where your shots went without having to look at the target.

What is the Shot Calling Drill?

The ability to call your shots is an incredibly valuable skill for all practical pistol shooters. Calling your shot is simply knowing where your shot went without having to look at the target.

People who can call their shots can shoot fast while still maintaining practical accuracy.

Outside of the shooting range, there’s a lawyer attached to every bullet, as the saying goes. People who are calling their shots will have confidence they’re hitting their target and not flinging lead out into the void.

Competitors who can call their shots can shave seconds off of their stage time by not over shooting targets or staring at their targets to see where the shots went.

How to Setup

Drill Setup

  • 1 Target at 10 yards – use multiple targets to increase difficulty
  • Start position is not important in this drill – there is no timer – so change up the start position each time you run the drill
How to Dry Fire

Drill Steps

  1. Engage the target with two shots
  2. Immediately look down at the ground so you can’t see the sights
  3. Describe in as much detail as possible where the shots went
  4. Look at the target or have a training partner look at the target to see if you are correct

This drill is great with a training partner!

How to Mod

Drill Modifications

  • If you’re struggling with the drill, take only one shot instead of two.
  • If you can consistently describe where the two shots went, add a second target, then a fourth, and onward.
  • Try moving the target to 15 or 20 yards.
  • if you’re at an indoor shooting range that doesn’t allow rapid fire, that’s a bummer, but value can still be obtained from this drill in slow fire. Use a snap cap for the second shot if needed.

Drill Tips

While paying attention to your sights is extremely important in dry fire, this is effectively a live fire only drill.

This is best done with a training partner so the partner can look at the target while you describe where the shots went. If you don’t accurately describe where the shots went, you don’t get to know what the hits are.


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Drill Diagnostics

Being honest with yourself is incredibly important with this drill. Cheating only hurts the training process. Don’t protect the ego at the expense of getting better. Don’t lie to yourself by saying you got it right when you didn’t.


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Drill Environment

More Drill Modifications

Modifications to focus on: Conceal Carry

Modifications to focus on: General Modifications

Modifications to focus on: Movement

Modifications to focus on: Push Speed

  • Broaden what is considered “acceptable accuracy” - More info »
  • Decrease the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Increase the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Move targets closer - More info »
  • Put a black dot on the main point of aim on the target - More info »

Modifications to focus on: Tighten Accuracy

Modifications to focus on: Transitions

  • Decrease the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Don’t pull the trigger during transitions - More info »
  • Increase the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Transition from outside targets of an array and work inwards - More info »

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