Target Practice Tips with Compensator Pistols for Enhanced Accuracy

Introduction

Practice, practice, practice. It’s a mantra in the gun community because we know consistent target practice makes the master.

We enjoy spending serious time at the range. Ideally with a solid shooting drill plan. The goal is to shoot more accurately and increase your speed.

There are no shortcuts here. How often should you practice shooting? It will all come down to what your schedule and budget allow. We’d say that target practice at the range once a week is ideal. But many good shooters find success with twice-a-month sessions.

It’s regular practice with the right discipline, commitment and gear. Compensators can significantly boost accuracy, but consistent range practice is key.

As much as we enjoy making the best comps, we also want to help you get the most out of your new gear. So here, we’re diving into the ultimate techniques and drills to help you manage recoil and master precision shooting.

Benefits of Compensator Pistols

Before we dive into technique and drills for precision shooting, let’s recap what we covered in our how compensators work guide:

Compensators are designed to reduce recoil, making each shot more stable. This simple device redirects gasses upward, helping you keep your barrel steady for faster follow-up shots.

The result? Less muzzle rise and quicker target reacquisition. That’s crucial for competitive shooters where every split second counts.

Stability and accuracy go hand in hand. With less felt recoil, you can focus more on maintaining proper grip and stance, improving your overall shooting performance.

Compared to non-compensated pistols, a compensator gives you a clear edge, especially in rapid-fire drills or under high-pressure situations. In target practice, this means faster and more precise hits, helping you hone your skills.

For example, our 45 Blast compensators help reduce recoil by up to 80%. If you haven’t got yours already, be sure to check them out here before practicing the recoil management tips and shooting drills below.

Effective Target Practice Techniques

Basic Recoil Management Drills

If you are a beginner, it’s better to focus your target practice on mastering the basics of recoil management and overall accuracy. Start slow, as these simple shooting drills will set the foundation for consistent, controlled shooting. Over time, you’ll progressively increase your ability to shoot faster while staying accurate.

Slow Fire Drill

If precision shooting is your goal, this drill is a must. It forces you to slow down and pay attention to the details of each shot.

1. Take aim and fire one round at a time.
2. Pause between shots to assess your form.
3. Focus on smooth trigger control and proper breathing.
4. Make sure each shot hits exactly where you intend.

Exemplar drill

This drill combines slow, steady shooting with faster follow-ups, helping you stay accurate at different speeds.

1. Start by firing a slow, controlled shot.
2. Quickly follow up with a faster second shot.
3. Keep both shots on target while adjusting your speed.
4. Alternate between slow and fast shots to build control and consistency.

3-Round Burst Drill

This drill is all about controlling your shots when firing quickly. It helps you build muscle memory for managing recoil.

1. Start by aiming at your target.
2. Fire three rounds in quick succession.
3. Focus on maintaining your grip and controlling muzzle rise between each shot.
4. Evaluate your accuracy—are all three shots staying on target?

Controlled pair (Doubles Drill)

This drill focuses on delivering two accurate shots in rapid succession. It’s perfect for honing your follow-up shots.

1. Take aim and fire two rounds as quickly as possible.
2. Keep your grip steady and control recoil between shots.
3. Make sure both rounds hit the target without excessive muzzle rise.
4. Repeat to improve speed and precision over time.

Mid Level Recoil Management Drills

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, it’s time to step up your game. These intermediate shooting drills introduce faster rates of fire, target transitions, and more complexity to test your control under pressure.

Double Tap Drill

The double tap drill is about firing two fast, accurate shots in rapid succession. It builds on the controlled pair but pushes your speed and control.

1. Take aim and fire two quick shots at the same target.
2. Focus on controlling recoil and keeping your shots tight.
3. Work on minimizing the time between each shot while maintaining accuracy.
4. Repeat, gradually increasing your speed without losing precision.

Multiple Target Drill

This drill is perfect for practicing target transitions while maintaining control over recoil. It trains your ability to rapidly switch between multiple targets.

1. Set up two or more targets at the same distance.
2. Fire one round at the first target, then quickly transition to the second target and fire another round.
3. Keep your transitions smooth and your grip steady.
4. Focus on hitting each target with controlled, accurate shots.

Throttle Control Drill

This drill teaches you how to adjust your speed based on the target distance. The further the target, the slower and more controlled your shots should be.

1. Set up targets at varying distances.
2. Fire a quick burst at the closer target.
3. Slow down and take more controlled shots at the further target.
4. Focus on maintaining accuracy while adjusting your firing speed to match each distance.

If you're working with limited space, another alternative for the Throttle Control Drill is to use a single paper target with circles of different sizes. This variation mimics varying distances by requiring you to adjust your shooting speed based on the size of each circle—faster for larger circles and slower for smaller ones.

Accelerator Drill

The accelerator drill challenges you to speed up as you move between targets, working on both your recoil management and target transition skills.

1. Set up three targets at increasing distances.
2. Start with the closest target, firing one round.
3. Move to the next target, firing two rounds, then three rounds at the farthest.
4. Keep increasing your speed as you move between targets, while keeping each shot on target.

Advanced Recoil Management Drills

These advanced shooting drills push your recoil management to the next level. Speed and accuracy are critical here, and you'll be practicing with intense focus on control, even in rapid-fire situations.

Bill Drill

A classic drill to test speed and accuracy, the Bill Drill helps you improve rapid-fire control while staying on target.

1. Start with six rounds in your magazine.
2. Take aim at a single target and fire all six rounds as quickly as possible.
3. Focus on minimizing muzzle rise between shots.
4. Check your shot grouping—keep them as tight as possible while firing fast.

El Presidente Drill

El Presidente Drill was designed by legendary Jeff Cooper, and it adds complexity with target transitions and reloading under pressure. It’s perfect for sharpening both your recoil control and multitasking.

1. Set up three targets in a row, spaced equally apart.
2. Start with your back to the targets, then turn and fire two rounds at each target.
3. Perform a reload and fire two more rounds at each target.
4. Focus on smooth transitions between targets and controlling your recoil during the reload.

20 Alpha Drill

This drill builds consistency and precision, challenging you to place 20 shots into the A-zone of a target. Most shooters break it down into 5-shot sequences, timing each round for better tracking.

1. Start with a fully loaded magazine.
2. Fire 5 shots, aiming to keep all rounds within the A-zone.
3. Time each sequence, then reload and repeat for a total of 20 shots.
4. Focus on maintaining accuracy and consistency with every 5-shot group.
5. As you improve, aim to reduce your total time while keeping all shots in the A-zone.

The Mozambique Drill (A.K.A the Failure to Stop Drill)

This drill is all about managing recoil and accuracy in high-pressure situations. It simulates a failure to stop, requiring controlled follow-up shots.

1. Fire two rounds to the body, followed by one precise shot to the head.
2. Focus on fast follow-up shots while keeping recoil in check.
3. Make sure the headshot is accurate, as this drill is all about precision under pressure

Common Mistakes: What to avoid during practice.

Even experienced shooters can fall into bad habits. Recognizing these common mistakes will help you correct them early and avoid accuracy issues down the line.

Over-gripping

Gripping the pistol too hard can cause tension in your hands and arms, which affects your control and aim. Aim for a firm but relaxed grip.

Stance: Leaning backward

Many shooters lean backward when firing, which throws off balance and control. Leaning forward into your shot helps you absorb recoil better, but it is also important not to overdo it.

Not maintaining proper follow-through

Follow-through is just as important as the shot itself. So be sure to keep your sight picture steady after each shot.

Focus on a smooth trigger pull and maintain control until the shot is complete.

Flinching

Anticipating recoil by flinching or pushing the gun down before firing can lead to inaccurate shots. This is common when shooters are anxious about recoil.

Mental focus is key here. Concentrate on staying relaxed during each shot. Let the gun recoil naturally and adjust your grip to control it, rather than anticipating it.

Creating a Target Practice Routine

Now that we’ve gone through our best recoil management drills for target practice, here’s some advice for creating an effective routine. This will depend on how often you go for range practice, how much time you have, and how much ammo you want to spend.

All of these shooting drills are designed to help you improve speed while maintaining accuracy. Good recoil management is essential, especially for rapid fire.

The best routine for target practice is the one you can stick to. The most important thing is to track your progress and work on your self-awareness as a shooter.

One highly effective way to track your progress is by filming your practice sessions. Setting up a camera or smartphone on a tripod allows you to review your grip, stance, and follow-through. You’ll catch subtle mistakes, like flinching or leaning backward, and see how well you’re managing recoil over time.

When it comes to structuring your range time, you have flexibility. You can blend different recoil management drills and adjust based on your progress. Mix up basic, intermediate, and advanced shooting drills to keep your sessions balanced. 

As you track your groupings, you’ll notice where to focus more attention. Over time, you’ll see how your accuracy and speed improve, helping you fine-tune your skills at your own pace.

Using a shot timer or tracking your split times will also give you valuable insights into your progress. The key is consistency and reviewing your performance so you can make meaningful adjustments.

Conclusion

Mastering recoil management takes time, but with the right drills, you’ll see real improvement in your shooting technique. It requires patience, commitment, and the right gear.

Using a compensator makes a big difference: It reduces recoil, helps you stay on target, and makes each shot more controlled. Now that you know the drills, you just need to pack your compensated handgun and hit the range.

And if you haven’t got one yet, we have some great deals for you to grab a brand new 45 Blast compensator. So be sure to check our website.

As you practice these drills, remember to track your progress. Keep improving, stay consistent, and don’t forget to share your results with us. Follow 45 Blast on social media and show us how these drills are helping you!