Written / Developed By- Jared Miller
We’d like to introduce to you, “The Eastmans Drill”. We recognize that there is a big gap between traditional paper plate shooters and precision rifle series competitors and it’s our goal to fill the gap between those two ends of the spectrum. We’d like to help you identify your current skill level and take the next step forward in your hunting journey by introducing new gear and techniques to build your confidence behind the rifle and make you a more ethical, fair chase hunter.
The goal of The Eastmans Drill is to test your accuracy from the three most common shooting positions: prone, kneeling/sitting and standing. Not everyone has access to a 1000 yard range but nearly everyone has a place to shoot 100 yards. The goal is to establish a baseline of your current skill level and keep track of your progress over time. Run the drill with your current hunting setup and techniques – if you run a bipod for prone, use it; if you don’t, then do what you’d do in the field.
Start with standing, gear in hand and backpack on like you’re in the mountains. Build a prone position and fire one shot before standing back up and starting over. These are build and break drills – the first shot matters most so don’t shoot three continuous strings. This will also increase your efficiency with gear management, target acquisition and speed from spotting an animal to the shot.
Repeat the process from a kneeling/seated position (resting off your knees, pack or sticks, whatever’s realistic for you, then move to standing (sticks, a tree or offhand). Same rule throughout: full deployment, one shot, reset.
Between each position string of three shots, walk down and mark your hits – a line down from the hole means prone, out to the side means kneeling/sitting and up means standing – then score the round.
What’s your Eastman’s Drill score? Stay tuned for future tips on increasing your score.
