{"id":6372,"date":"2020-12-09T19:22:42","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T19:22:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/lodge\/?p=6372"},"modified":"2023-03-15T14:17:30","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T14:17:30","slug":"el-presidente-drill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/lodge\/el-presidente-drill\/","title":{"rendered":"El Presidente Drill – Assessing Your Shooting Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re looking for a shooting drill that uses every skill you need for effective defensive shooting, look no further. It\u2019s all right here in Jeff Cooper\u2019s El Presidente Drill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the oldest combat pistol shooting drills in existence, El Prez takes all the crucial fundamentals (including speed, accuracy, a smooth draw, proper sight alignment, trigger control, and target transition) and compresses them into one beautiful package.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While El Prez is considered a \u201cdrill\u201d, it’s actually a brilliant tool for assessing your shooting skills.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what exactly is the El Presidente Drill?\u00a0 We\u2019re going to walk you through everything you need to know.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Brief History of the Drill<\/span><\/h2>\n

The El Presidente Drill was developed by defensive pistol-shooting pioneer, Jeff Cooper. Jeff Cooper is pretty legendary. We have him to thank for the Modern Technique of the Pistol, the Combat Mindset, the Cooper Color Code, and the Four Basic Rules of Firearm Safety. Honestly, no one has shaped the modern shooting world more than Jeff Cooper.<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooper served as a major in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was promoted to lieutenant colonel during the Korean War. He also founded the American Pistol Institute (now <\/span>Gunsite Academy<\/span><\/a>), which for many years was considered the preeminent firearms training facility on the planet. (It probably still deserves that title, but I don\u2019t want to open up that can of worms and strongly held opinions.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Cooper developed the drill while training members of a security detail for a South American president. However, he didn’t name the drill \u201cEl Presidente.\u201d That name stuck after the drill was adopted by USPSA\/IPSC as a standard competition stage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The El Presidente Drill<\/span><\/h2>\n

What it works:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Draw<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Movement<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sight alignment<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Proper reload<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Engaging multiple targets<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Position three silhouette targets ten yards from the firing line. The targets should be in a straight line with three feet between each target.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Stand at the firing line with your back to the center target. At the start signal, turn to face the targets, draw your weapon, and fire two rounds into the \u201cA-zone\u201d (or center torso) of each target.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Perform a reload, then fire two more rounds into the A zone of each target.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    When finished, there should be four rounds in each of the targets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    This is a timed drill, so speed does count. The goal is to achieve twelve accurate shots in less than 10 seconds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Only accurate shots count. If any of your lead falls outside the A zones, you fail the drill.<\/span><\/p>\n