Carrying a sub-compact? Be prepared to put in a little more practice
On the range training with my Glock 43x. It’s not my favorite gun. The optic window of the Holosun K is small. It’s a single stack gun so capacity is limited to 10+1 rounds. And the Slimline frame is very narrow and doesn’t fit my hand well. My firing hand and fingers take up too much of the grip and get in the way of my support hand connecting to the frame. I have a lot less real estate and I find it challenging to build a durable grip and maintain consistent grip pressure through longer strings of fire. It takes more work to maintain my grip and keep the pressure consistent because the gun is smaller and lighter. However, this pistol is very comfortable to carry AIWB on hikes and errands, so it’s in my EDC rotation and I dedicate training time to it.
Worked on Bill Drills at 6 and 10 yds, applying different aiming schemes and reacting to different levels of confirmation. The Bill Drill is one of the best drills for defensive utility. It requires speed and accuracy. It tests your foundational skills and reveals weaknesses in your draw, grip and vision.
How I engage the target — the speed at which I shoot — is predicated on a few things: (1) the distance of the target, (2) understanding what I need to see before I press the trigger (visual cues) and (3) my skill.
In this video I’m running a 6-yard Bill Drill (a realistic self-defense distance) which I ran in 3.42 seconds with consistent splits in mid .20s. Full accountability at this speed shooting a tight group, staying connected to the gun and keeping my vision locked on a small focal point.
6-yard Bill Drill, 3.42 sec, 6 alphas
In this video I’m running a 10-yard Bill Drill which I ran in 4.16 seconds with splits somewhat consistent in and around .40s. The consistency of the splits (or lack thereof) and shot placement on the target confirms for me whether my vision is locked onto my focal point and if I’m staying connected to the gun. I felt myself push one round low, though still in the A zone. This wasn’t a trigger issue or flinch issue, this was a connection to the gun issue caused by firing hand tension compensating for insufficient support hand pressure.
10-yard Bill Drill, 4.16 sec, 6 alphas
Given the size of the 43x I wasn’t surprised my times were a bit slower than when I shoot with my G19. But overall, I wasn’t disappointed with the outcome. I have a baseline and realistic assessment of my current skill level. I know where I need to put in the work and this will help me train more effectively moving forward.