Dot Torture Drill
Download The Target
Click the link(s) below. No email...just download.
Shoot It And Score It
Shoot it at home, with airsoft, from 6-10 feet away. 1pt per hit.
Upload The Pics!
Upload your results, regardless of whether they're a baseline, a request for help, or for bragging rights.
Download The FREE
Printable Target Now!
Includes Shadow Offset scoring circle so you can shoot
the Dot Torture drill with airsoft at home.
For live fire or airsoft with a dot, simply score the top circle.
Secchi (Pie shape) pattern helps many shooters shoot 2x-4x tighter groups INSTANTLY!
Download it, print it, shoot it, snap a picture, and tag me on social media (DryFireOx) when you post it for feedback and advice on how to shoot it better.
Download The Solid
Version Here
Includes Shadow Offset scoring circle so you can shoot
the Dot Torture drill with airsoft at home.
For live fire or airsoft with a dot, simply score the top circle.
Download it, print it, shoot it, snap a picture, and tag me on social media (DryFireOx) when you post it for feedback and advice on how to shoot it better.
Download The "Casino"
Version Here
Includes Shadow Offset scoring circle so you can shoot
the Dot Torture drill with airsoft at home.
For live fire or airsoft with a dot, simply score the top circle.
Download it, print it, shoot it, snap a picture, and tag me on social media (DryFireOx) when you post it for feedback and advice on how to shoot it better.
5 "Hacks" To Shoot Dot Torture Better...NOW!
The Secchi (Pie Shaped) Target Pattern
The Secchi shape helps in two distinct ways.
For iron sights, it allows a shooter to shift focus to the front sight and keep it there (Quiet Eye) while pressing the trigger. Once shooters internalize that they can actually trust the front sight and don't need to keep shifting focus back and forth, many shooters see 2x-4x tighter groups...immediately.
For red dots, the pattern literally sucks the red dot to the center of the target and will allow you to see movement of the dot caused by your trigger press very easily.
The real world doesn't have Secchis...so you use the Secchi target to isolate variables, build confidence, and learn the fundamentals and then switch to targets without Secchis.
Gip
A "Gip" is a term created by Matt & Sherrie Seibert to describe a tiny (1-2mm) dot on the front sight, between the existing dot (if there is one) and the top of the front sight. It drives external focus and process-based shooting and will allow you to be precise quicker than with a wider front sight.
Reduce Shooting Hand Grip, Increase Support Hand Grip
In order to hit where you aim, you must be able to press the trigger without disturbing muzzle/sight alignment. The tighter you grip with your shooting hand, the more difficult this is, unless you've developed the ability to isolate trigger finger movement from the rest of your hand.
Non-Dominant Eye Shut To Aim, Open As You Press
If you are having trouble with doubled up or overlapping targets, try shooting with your non-dominant eye closed for a shot or two. If that makes it easier, then use this process: Aim with your non-dominant eye closed...as you start to press the trigger, open your non-dominant eye.
Non-Dominant Eye open/closed
Alternate from shot to shot with your non-dominant eye closed on one shot...open on the next...closed on the next...etc.
Keep Reading below to see how you can get 100+ more firearms training tips and tricks for free in my book, "Real World Gunfight Training."
5 Airsoft Precision Tips
Does airsoft precision matter? Not when you're using them as a toy and not so much when doing force-on-force, but when you're shooting targets that you're scoring and making decisions about what to do next based on what you see on the target...yes, precision matters. You shouldn't need to be chasing your misses around the target and you shouldn't have to "think" about where to hold when you aim...you want a relatively predictable point of impact every time you press the trigger and match your target size/distance to the reality of the precision/accuracy of your airsoft pistol.
Gun Precision
Dust, dirt, and bb debris dramatically impact precision...keep your gun clean.
Some guns are naturally more precise than others because of consistent machining, how the valves release gas, the trigger, seals, and other factors. Accuracy can also degrade over time because of parts wearing out or fouling. A store bought gun that shoots great today may not shoot great a few thousand rounds from now. That's one of the big reasons why I like Chaos built, modified, and rebuilt guns...they're made to last.
Chaos airsoft pistols are built for serious training and are used by elite military, law enforcement, and civilian shooters. Jay has a $300k CNC machine that he uses to build durable aluminum uppers and he replaces the fragile internal parts with durable precisely engineered metal ones. He can do amazing things with full size, compact, and subcompact airsoft as well as both red dot and irons. Check them out now by going >HERE< and let Jay know that Ox sent you.
FYI...Jay's guns aren't the cheapest on the market, but if you're looking at buying ammo at $300/1,000 rounds, the payoff for getting one of Jay's tuned airsoft masterpieces AND ammo + gas will happen somewhere between 1,000 - 2,000 rounds.
Airsoft Ammo Selection
I've heard the claim that all airsoft bb's come from the same factory or, at most 4-5. I'm not sure if that's correct, but I do know that there's a HUGE difference between the performance of different airsoft bbs.
It can be the difference between your groups looking like a shotgun blast vs. a single hole OR the difference between bb's feeding reliably or jamming up your mags. Quality bb's are a must. I look for brown/black biodegradable bb's from brands that claim tight tolerances, perfectly spherical bbs, lots of polishing, and great reviews.
They can be 5x or more expensive than el'cheapo Walmart bb's, but when you're "upgrading" from .1c per round to .5c (or even a WHOLE penny) per round, it's worth it...not only for accuracy and reliability with your next shot, but also because cheaper bullets tend to leave more junk in your gun, require more frequent cleaning, and negatively impact long term accuracy.
I'm not posting links for bb's because airsoft bb brands seem to come-and-go and they don't always hold to the same quality standards over time.
Gun/Gas Temperature
Airsoft uses gas from a compressed gas reservoir to propel the bbs. As the gas expands, it absorbs heat, cooling the remaining gas and the gun. The cooler gas is, the less pressure it exerts, so it's possible to shoot a high speed course of fire and have a lower muzzle velocity at the end than at the beginning...this leads to vertical stringing on the target.
In addition, a nearly-full air tank will have higher pressure/velocity than a nearly-empty air tank. You can get around this by having spare mags, switching & topping them off every time you add bb's, and putting the mags you aren't using in your pocket or (in the winter) on a heating pad.
The big thing here is to understand and accept that vertical stringing is a thing and not to correct your aim because of it.
What about Distance?
Unlike real pistols where if you're off by 1" at 10 feet you know you'll be off by 2" at 20 feet, with airsoft, you could be off by 1" at 10 feet and 3" or more at 20 feet, depending on the gun/ammo combination. If you're going to shoot a precision drill, make sure you're shooting it at a distance that your gun is capable of. For Dot Torture, 9-10 feet is great.
Hop-Up / Backspin
Airsoft guns put a backspin on the bb so that it curves up after it leaves the muzzle. What that means practically is that with my Glock 19 airsoft with iron sights, it's dead-on at 21 feet but shoots low at 10 with lighter bbs. I've tried getting an adjustable rear sight and cranking it up and, on many airsoft pistols, there's almost no way to get an iron sight combination that will give you a point of aim that is the same as your point of impact at 10 feet.
This became a big deal for my sons because in the winter, after they help me with work stuff, I let them shoot 10 shots for money at a 1" target and give them $1 for each hit. I didn't want them monkeying with sight alignment or offset...I wanted them to be able to present the gun, see the right sight picture, take the shot, and get rewarded for executing the process properly.
Two ways around this are the offset target (above) OR getting an airsoft pistol with a milled slide and red dot.
Quick History of Dot Torture
If you're interested in the history of this target, it goes back to 2001 and possibly even the 1980s. Claude Werner did a deep dive into the 40+ year evolution of the drill and a few of it's variations. It's oftentimes credited to David Blinder, but Blinder himself rejected that credit.
In 2014, I suggested that people do the drill with 1" circles and sub-second splits, but that ended up being too challenging...so I simplified it to just shooting 5-10 shots at 6-10 feet with sub-second splits and all rounds within a 1" group. It was affectionately called "Dot Torture 2.0." (Before my last bout with COVID and resulting neuropathy, I was at .40 splits at 15 feet for a 10 round, 1" group.)
99% of shooters think they can do the base version...maybe 1/1,000 actually can. Try it when you're nailing the "normal" dot torture.
How To Shoot Way (WAY) Better
In Just A Few Minutes Per Week...
We've finally cracked the code and learned (New Research):
The Single Biggest Secret
To High Performance
With A Firearm Under Stress
...without spending hundreds of hours training
From: Mike Ox Post Falls Idaho
For years, the best shooters in the world got to be as good as they are with lots and lots and lots of practice.
"Do The Work and You'll Get The Skill"
Right...?
We hear about shooters sending 1,000 rounds a week downrange
or doing 45 minutes to an hour of dry fire per night.
Now that works...but who's got the time or money to do that?
Even if you've got the time and money to do high volume, brute force training...
What if There Was a Better Way?
A Smarter Way...
There’s big difference between having the best gear, tactics & techniques and being able to perform them warmed up at the range…
VS....knowing HOW to train so that you can instantly flip the switch and automatically perform at a high level when you’re surprised, off balance, and lives depend on your next shot.
As one of the few neurology based firearms instructors in the country, I have the rare opportunity to train with some of the best pro sports trainers and medical advisors in the world.
That means I get to see what’s working for athletes with multi-million dollar contracts YEARS before those training methods filter out to the general public.
Their athletes are competing using roughly the same gear, tactics, and techniques as everyone else. Anything that provides an advantage is quickly adopted by all other competitors.
The real secret between ordinary teams and the best isn’t WHAT they train…it’s HOW they train.
Simply put, the best in the world build more skill (and more resilient skill) in less time.
The Best Trainers, Athletes, and Teams all Follow The Same Formula
They Train Skills
First in isolation, then in combination, and then they match as many factors of "game day" as possible to stress-test their skills.
They are ruthlessly efficient with their training time
Over-training wastes time, money, and increases the chances of injury. They spend millions of dollars trying to figure out how to maximize game day performance with minimal practice.
They know what to do ahead of training, during breaks, and after training to maximize how much skill is learned, how much is retained, and how much can be used automatically under stress.
They Build it all on a Foundation of Vision, Balance, and Hand-Eye Coordination
And they're continually working on IMPROVING these 3 sensory skills.
This formula is why they’re able to accomplish so much in so little time.
Gun training, on the other hand, tends to stop with training skills in isolation, high-volume marathon training sessions are a point of pride, and vision, balance, and hand-eye coordination are mostly ignored.
"Real World Gunfight Training" Cracks The Code
And Let's You Build World Class Skills
In Just Minutes Per Week
My name is Mike Ox, and I'm the creator of Dry Fire Training Cards and I use neurology to help shooters build more skill--and more resilient skill--in less time than what's possible with traditional firearms training.
I'm a master level IDPA shooter with a subcompact Glock 26, a Rangemaster & NRA instructor, a UTM and RBTA Mil/LE force-on-force instructor, a Force Science Institute Analyst of human factors in lethal force encounters, and a student of performance neurology.
Put all of that together, and it's why I'm known as "The Mad Scientist" of firearms training.
A few short years ago, the lead instructor of an elite military firearms instructor program approached me about modernizing the pistol portion of their training.
They had an impossible list of demands that nobody had been able to help them solve and they wanted a way to deliver unheard-of results without spending any more time or money in training.
I had a unique background that allowed me to break the problem down into bite-sized parts...improve each part...and build everything back up.
The instructors started implementing parts of the training to great effect.
They were excited. They were getting way better results in less time...and you'd think that would be all that mattered.
But the brass didn't like that the training challenged the way they'd always done stuff...
They wanted to stick with "the old ways"
Regardless of the consequences...
What that meant was that I was free to sell the training to the general public...to members of the military, law enforcement, instructors, competitors, and other responsibly armed Americans...regardless of skill level.
Two Years And 1,500 Shooters Later...
That was just over 2 years ago.
The results have been unbelievable.
How's that possible?
Well...there's an old saying that if you want different results than what you've always had, you need to do something different.
One simple example is that instead of practicing squared up to your target with a perfect stance and natural point of aim, your training should start looking more like this...
1-handed, 2-handed, moving in every direction, off balance, and STILL hitting A-zone targets quicker than most people can flat footed...and using less training time to do it.
How's this even possible?
That's What Real World Gunfight Training Is About...
...but here's the 10,000 foot overview.
Everything that's different between how you train and reality will hurt the speed and accuracy of your response when lives are on the line.
The complete answer is Reality Based Training, but that's pretty darn expensive. In the book, you'll learn how to add 6 of the most common real world contexts to your training at a fraction of the cost...even if you do 90% of it at home alone with dry fire.
The brain learns motor skills like shooting differently than it memorizes facts and figures.
This is especially the case with skills that we need to be able to perform FAST and ACCURATELY when we're scared, surprised, and haven't had time to warm up.
Once you've learned the 9 Keys, you'll know how to build more skill in a few minutes per week (at home, with dry fire) than a shooter who is grinding out hour-long training sessions.
Most people train way too hard for way too long and create emotional, satisfying memories OF training and rather than actual skill that saves lives.
Self-defense pistol shooting favors those with good vision, balance, and hand-eye coordination. But what if yours isn't perfect anymore?
We'll cover simple, easy, quick ways that you can improve all 3 of them AND how they work together...regardless of whether you're a pro athlete/taclete or if you are currently a keyboard warrior who wears progressives, sees double when you shoot, and thinks of yourself as a clutz.
Just in case you don't think that's possible...at one point, I had frequent double vision, lots of joint pain, and nightly vertigo for 3+ years...and now, this is me sprinting full speed to cover while making fast, multiple hits on reduced silhouette steel with a Glock 26 at 10 yards.
If I was able to make THAT dramatic of improvement, just think of what you can do...
"What Would Happen if You
Could Become a Top 1% Shooter
In Only A Few Minutes Per Week?!?!"
As the results started coming in from the 1,500+ students using the system, I started getting requests from law enforcement agencies to get the training accredited so their officers could get continuing education credit for going through it.
In the process of compiling research citations for 30+ state POST accreditation, it made sense to start putting everything together in a book.
All the nitty-gritty details that made the training so effective.
I spent over a year compiling the results and studies AND simplifying the neurology, psychology, and physiology so that all responsibly armed Americans can understand it and start using it immediately.
And what we ended up with was:
Real World Gunfight Training:
Use Cutting-Edge Brain Training and
Accelerated Learning to
Master Real World Gunfight Skills
In a Fraction of the Time as
Special Operations or SWAT
I wrote this book because there is no other book or training available, at any price, that covers and delivers what it does.
To be clear, many instructors and shooters know that these problems exist...and some even know a few of the solutions...but none have been able to incorporate all of them into fun, easy-to-do training.
Many of the secrets to making this work were hidden in obscure journals, high priced textbooks and courses, and almost-impossible to understand PhD language.
It took thousands of hours of research and testing over the last decade to make it all work.
I knew that there were a ton of other shooters and instructors just like myself who needed to learn these firearms skill training shortcuts to build more skill in less time...ESPECIALLY with ammo being expensive and hard to find and the need for serious skills skyrocketing.
And now you can get the shortcut-in-a-book...for FREE!
You'll learn how to properly integrate real world context, accelerated learning, and vision/balance training into your training so that you can build more skill in less time.
In addition, the book is fully cited...with links to 90+ research papers & studies as well as references to 20+ books.
You'll get links to summary videos, drill videos, and print-at-home training aids.
Send Me Your Address...
I'd like to rush a FREE copy of my brand new
8.5x11 paperback book to your doorstep, ASAP!
Like I mentioned before, this 8.5x11 paperback book is free. I'll pay for the book and all I ask is that you help me cover the shipping and handling cost and we'll send it out ASAP! If you would prefer a signed hardback, coffee table style book signed by the author for yourself or to give as a gift, that will be an option after you enter your information...
Inside Of This NEW Best Selling
Book... Here Are A Few Of The
Secrets You'll Discover Inside!
Inside of Real World Gunfight Training I will be sharing with you 18 secrets to help you get more traffic into your funnels.
Here's a sneak peak at what you'll discover inside of your free copy of this new book:
It will improve your ability to automatically deliver the sights to a point between your dominant eye and your intended target.
This is a quick taste of how this book is unlike any other gun training book you’ve read.
In chapter 2, I’m going to tell you a little bit about my backstory--multiple concussions, chronic illness, vision issues, vertigo, and the pain that caused/allowed this training to happen. I’d rather get straight into the “how-to” than tell you about myself, but this is a case where seeing what I've overcome has inspired thousands, changed lives, and it's worth covering.
In chapter 3, we’ll look at context and the 6 Attack Factors that are consistently present in cases where people defend themselves with a firearm…particularly counter-ambush and counter-assault situations. If your training is missing any of these factors, the simple fact is that you aren’t as prepared to defend yourself or a loved one with a firearm as you think you are.
You'll get a better understanding of what causes stress in a gunfight and how you can incorporate elements at home, alone, that will get you ready for real world situations, force-on-force, or competition.
Once you've seen this, you'll realize just how big the gap is between how we train and how we expect to perform...and why we need to train smarter.
In chapter 4, we’ll cover the Achilles’ heels of military and law enforcement training--these are shortcomings that consistently filter into civilian self-defense and competition classes. It’s vital that you are able to identify these shortcomings and have workarounds, regardless of your profession, if you want to perform better with a firearm under stress.
The traditional answer is to throw additional training time and money at the problem, but, as you’ll find out, that is not a practical solution.
You'll learn how up to 90% of skill fades away within 6 weeks of a 2-day training as well as a training modification that cut the number of rounds of ammo needed to perform at an elite level in surprise attacks by an unbelievable 99.4%!.
The way most firearms training is done creates skill that we need to think our way through.
We need life-saving skills to be hardwired into the parts of the brain that we'll have access to under stress...so the skills are automatic.
You'll learn one easy middle-of-the-night change that will increase the rate that you learn gun skills by 40%! That means 40% more value from every class you take and every trip to the range. It's HUGE.
You'll learn how to "dose" your training so that you add JUST the right amount of challenge to maximize fun and skill development.
You'll learn how fast, frequent training beats the snot out of long, marathon training when you're trying to learn or refine skill...AND when it makes sense to stretch things out.
I'll share simple, easy things you can do before, during, and after any future live training you do that will dramatically increase how much skill you're able to retain from the class. (This should be required for any class that costs more than $100 to attend)
I’m going to introduce you to the 3 neurological pillars of elite performance. Although almost entirely unknown and unused by all but the best of the best shooters in the world, these 3 pillars will increase the effectiveness of all training that you do moving forward!
I'll share how I help shooters get 10-20% (instant) increases in grip intensity, reductions in perceived pain, and quicker reaction and response times with simple/quick/easy neurological drills.
You'll have a chance to try an amazing hack that will add almost unlimited variety to your training (which is one of the keys to accelerated learning) and take your skills from being fragile range skills to resilient real-world skills.
