Dot Torture Drill | Pistol Power Drills

“Dot Torture Drill”

Fifty Rounds, All Clean Hits.

This week’s Pistol Power Drill is a modern classic, the Dot Torture Drill. This drill is accuracy-centric, stressing trigger control, and proper sight alignment. So far, Dot Torture is our highest round count drill, coming in at fifty rounds fired.

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Rundown Of Dot Torture

When shooting Dot Torture, the target used has 10 individual target circles. There is no time limit, so take your time when shooting Dot Torture. The drill can be shot at any distance, but it is recommended to start at 3 yards and work your way out to further distances with practice. Below is an image of the target, posted so we can see what the drill’s course of fire is.

• Dot 1 – Draw, and fire 5 rounds.
• Dot 2 – Draw, fire 1 round. Repeat 5 times.
• Dots 3 & 4 – Draw, fire 1 round on Dot 3, and 1 round on Dot 4. Repeat 4 times.
• Dot 5 – From low ready, fire 5 rounds Strong Hand Only.
• Dots 6 & 7 – Draw, fire 2 rounds on Dot 6, and 2 rounds on Dot 7. Repeat 4 times.
• Dot 8 – From low ready, fire 5 rounds Weak Hand Only. 
• Dots 9 & 10 – Draw, fire 1 round on Dot 9, perform a speed reload, fire 1 round on Dot 10. Repeat 3 times.

Once completed, 50 rounds should have been fired. Dot Torture is meant to be completed clean.

What To Pack In The Range Bag

For Dot Torture, you’ll want to make sure that you bring a good holster, a magazine carrier, and a few spare magazines for your handgun. This is a 50 round drill, and I find that going back to load mags in between strings of fire really kills my flow. I make sure to have fifty rounds, usually spread over three mags, on me when I shoot this drill. The target is also an important thing to pack along, as it is a fairly unique target. There will be a link below to a printable Dot Torture, and a link to a purchasable, larger size target that I prefer. The larger target merely spreads the dots out a little further apart, making it easier to see hits.

>>>Link To Printable Dot Torture Target<<<

Make sure to set the scale to 100%, don’t select fit to page

>>>Link To Purchasable Large Dot Torture Target<<< 

What Is The Point Of Dot Torture

Dot Torture is all about accuracy. The requirement of shooting the drill clean, really, really stresses the accuracy standard here. You are not allowed to miss. Much like the Pressburg No Fail Shot Drill that we covered earlier, Dot Torture states that in the real world, every miss is a liability, in this case, failing the drill. Trigger presses need to be clean, sights and dots need to be in the exact spot, and grip needs to be on point to pass Dot Torture.

Not to be one to leave certain skills out, Dot Torture mixes in some draw stroke practice, speed reloads, and one-handed shooting. With the lack of a real time limit, I don’t view this drill as being one that really stresses these skills, however, good repetitions are still great nevertheless. When I shoot Dot Torture, I focus on accuracy, but I’m still trying to get a quick draw or reload time.

Shooting Dot Torture

The Final Tally

I can’t lie, the Dot Torture Drill is a fairly round heavy drill. That being said, if someone wanted to do a single drill with a box of ammo, Dot Torture is pretty good for that, as it encapsulates a wide range of skills. Grab a few targets, and try to integrate this modern classic into your practice session!