NY SAFE INC. · BEGINNER DRILLS
The Beginner Ragged Hole Progression
By Peter Ticali · NY Safe Inc.
The Beginner Ragged Hole Progression is a slow-fire accuracy exercise for new permit holders and shooters moving beyond basic safety classes.
The Equipment & Setup
- Target: A standard target (or B8 repair center) with a high-contrast Post-it note (3x3 or 2x2 inches) stuck directly in the center.
- Why a Post-it? The solid neon color gives your eyes a razor-sharp aiming point for your front sight or red dot. Furthermore, because the paper is thin, successful hits will literally chew out the center of the sticky note, giving you immediate visual confirmation from the firing line without needing a spotting scope.
- Ammunition: Quality 124-grain brass-cased ammunition (such as CCI Blazer Brass or Magtech).
How to Run the Drill
- Aim Small, Miss Small: Focus your visual attention entirely on a single point on the Post-it note. Ignore the outer scoring rings completely.
- The Press: Take a stable, two-handed grip. Take a breath, settle your sights, and press the trigger straight to the rear with zero haste. There is no par time—speed is irrelevant here.
- The Standard: Fire a string of 5 slow, deliberate rounds. Your sole objective is to make all 5 rounds pass through the exact same hole, creating a single, contiguous “ragged hole” through the paper.
The Distance Progression
Do not rush back. Master each tier before taking a step back:
- Stage 1 (3 Yards): Start here. Lay the absolute baseline for your trigger control. If your 5 rounds aren't touching into a single ragged hole at 3 yards, do not move back. Slow down, check your grip, and diagnose your press.
- Stage 2 (5 Yards): Once 3 yards feels automatic and you can consistently cluster your shots into a tight, palm-sized group, step back 2 yards and repeat the standard.
- Stage 3 (7 Yards): The classic defensive standard distance. Maintaining the exact same slow-fire discipline at 7 yards bridges the gap between mechanical marksmanship and real-world application.
- Stage 4 (10 Yards): The ultimate test of your foundational trigger control and recoil management at extended distance.
Further reading
Continue your education
For readers who need New York concealed-carry licensing education, these are upcoming NY CCW classes. They are separate from dedicated instruction on this exercise.
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