Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/320907
41 www.officer.com June 2014 Law Enforcement Technology F I R E A R M S TA C T I C S cheapest alternative, these drills require paper targets and simple target stands. The minimum number of times these drills should be repeated during a single training session should not be measured in reps. Rather, each drill should con- sume one box of bullets per shooter. If this is an abbreviated training session, consume one box of bullets for all three drills. How often should an officer per- form these drills? Ideally, once a week. Modified El Presidente The El Presidente is a drill originally designed by Col. Jeff Cooper in the 1970Õs. Three combat silhouette tar- gets are placed shoulder-to-shoulder, one meter apart. The shooter faces away from the targets, 10 yards away. Shooters then engage each target with two rounds, reload and add another two rounds per target. This drill is well known among competitive shooters. Scoring uses a calculation which factors in time and accuracy. I use a modified version of the El Presidente. Rather than shooting from the 10-yard line, I shoot at 5 yards. For this drill, I use Birchwood Casey Eze-Scorer 23 x 25 BC Bad Guy Paper Targets. This drill concentrates on speed and accuracy. Although many shooters are familiar with the El Presidente, the method of engaging multiple targets between competitive shooters and law enf orcement trainers can be a little different. For example, when my training associate (Reserve Officer) Rick Macchia stepped up to the firing line he engaged the center target first, swept to the left, then shot the right. Rick turned to me and told me he fired on what he perceived to be the greatest threat. Because he was at the apex of an isosceles triangle, the center target would be closest. Often, when I shoot this (modified) El Presidente, I put a single bullet in each target, then sweep again. I figure if every target has an equal threat value, everyone should be engaged as quickly as possible. No threat should receive just a single bullet. Therefore, engage every target once , then engage again. The truth is, any simple drill can have training value. Training value is derived from its association with the scenario that can potentially happen in the ÒrealÓ world. For the El Presidente, one training goal is a magazine change; it is arguable that this drill has less value than other static drills that include drawing and shooting. Statistically, most police gunfights donÕt expend more than a magazineÕs worth of cartridges. Does this mean that law enforcement officers should not train combat drills with magazine changes? Absolutely not. It just means that there should be a higher priority on other skills. How can this drill be made better? Action Target makes a product called the PT Turn Swing. It is a simple swinger that can be used with a cardboard target or cardboard backer. It is driven by two simple pull cables, which donÕt require any power at all. Using the PT Turn Swing, any trainer can increase the level of challenge for the El Presidente. ItÕs cheap, itÕs portable, and they can be used for other tasks like qualification. Barricade drill The Barricade Drill requires two tar- gets, placed side-by-side. A barricade is placed 3 to 5 yards in front of the target. A target stand can be used, but I generally use a plastic 50-gallon barrel because they are easy to move around. Shooting from behind the barricade, shooters engage the targets from 3 posi- tions: standing, kneeling and prone. The idea is to stay behind cover while engaging. If a shooter is on the left side of the barricade, they engage the right target. If they are on the right side, well you knowÉ Begin by drawing, then firing two shots from the right side (to the left target) standing, followed by two shots kneeling and two prone. Continue with prone on the left side, followed by kneeling, then standing. ...it's generally better to shoot around a barricade than over the top. Apparently, this is a Hollywood thing that has spilled over into real life. I try to discourage offcers from training to shoot over the hood of their car when we roll a vehicle out on the range. LET_40-45_FirearmsTactics0614.indd 41 5/20/14 1:47 PM