Speed and accuracy – two things every handgun shooter strives to improve. Whether you’re training for competition, home defense, or just looking to become a more efficient marksman, mastering these skills takes more than just pulling the trigger. It requires proper grip, controlled recoil, smart sight alignment, and efficient movement.
To help you get there, here are 17 detailed tips to increase your shooting speed while maintaining pinpoint accuracy.
1. Master the Draw – Efficiency is Everything
The way you draw your handgun directly impacts your first shot’s speed and accuracy. When pulling from a holster, your goal should be to bring the gun straight up under your dominant eye without any unnecessary movements.
Avoid tilting your head or shifting your body – your hands should do all the work. A well-practiced draw should feel fluid and natural, placing your sights on target in the shortest amount of time possible.
2. Perfect Your Grip for Maximum Control
Your grip is the foundation of your shooting performance. A weak or improper grip can throw off your accuracy, slow down follow-up shots, and make recoil harder to manage.
Place the web of your dominant hand as high as possible on the backstrap, maximizing control over the recoil. Your support hand should wrap around the dominant hand, providing as much contact as possible with the grip panel. Keep your thumbs relaxed—they should not be pushing or steering the gun.
3. Use the Bill Drill to Develop Speed & Precision
The Bill Drill is a simple yet effective exercise:
- Draw and fire six rapid shots on a single target.
- The goal is to keep all shots within a tight group while increasing speed.
- If your sights aren’t returning to the same spot after each shot, your grip needs work.
This drill teaches you to lock your wrists and elbows, ensuring the gun naturally resets after each shot.
4. Control Your Trigger Finger for Faster Follow-Ups
Your trigger finger should only be concerned with firing and resetting the trigger – not steering the gun.
As soon as a shot breaks, start releasing the trigger during the recoil cycle, so it’s ready to fire again as soon as your sights realign. Many shooters waste time by fully releasing and re-engaging the trigger with each shot. Learn to ride the reset—only releasing enough to allow the next shot to fire.
5. Manage Recoil Instead of Fighting It
Recoil is not the enemy – wasting time trying to control it is. Instead of resisting the kick, let the gun cycle naturally and guide it back on target.
The key is to maintain a firm grip and proper wrist alignment, allowing the sights to settle back in place without overcompensating. Watch how professional shooters handle recoil – it’s all about consistency, not brute force.
6. Train Your Eyes to Lead Your Hands
When engaging multiple targets, your vision should move before your gun does.
Instead of sweeping the gun across multiple targets, snap your eyes to the next target first, then move the gun. This method ensures that your sights arrive on target faster and you don’t overshoot your mark.
7. Reduce Muzzle Flip with a Proper Wrist Lock
One of the biggest obstacles to rapid shooting is muzzle flip – if your sights aren’t settling quickly, your follow-up shots will suffer.
To minimize flip, angle your wrists slightly forward instead of holding them straight. A strong wrist lock absorbs energy and keeps the gun on target. This minor adjustment can have a major impact on your shot-to-shot consistency.
8. Practice Shooting Cadence to Maintain Control
Cadence refers to the rhythm of your shots. You should develop a firing pattern that allows for speed without losing control.
- If you fire too fast without aiming, your shots will be all over the place.
- If you fire too slow, you’re losing efficiency.
Find a consistent pace where you’re shooting as fast as your accuracy allows – not faster.
9. Use Your Whole Body—Not Just Your Hands
Many shooters rely only on their arms when shooting, but your whole body should be involved.
A solid stance with slightly bent knees and a forward lean gives you better stability. Engaging your core muscles instead of just your arms absorbs recoil and allows you to shoot faster without losing balance.
10. Dry Fire Practice—The Secret to Better Accuracy
Dry firing (practicing without live ammo) is one of the best ways to refine your trigger control and sight alignment.
Set up a target and practice:
- Drawing and acquiring sights
- Trigger control without flinching
- Shooting on the move
This allows you to build muscle memory without wasting ammunition.
11. Avoid “Over-Gripping” the Gun
While a firm grip is essential, squeezing too hard can hurt your accuracy. Over-gripping causes tension in your hands, leading to shaky shots.
Your dominant hand should grip firmly, while the support hand provides stability without excessive pressure.
12. Transition Between Targets Efficiently
When shooting multiple targets, keep your transitions smooth and deliberate.
Instead of rushing the movement, focus on picking up your next sight picture first. A sloppy transition often leads to missed shots – precision first, then speed.
13. Minimize Unnecessary Movement
Every extra movement adds time to your shot. Whether it’s an exaggerated draw, unnecessary sight adjustment, or wasted hand motion, trim down anything that doesn’t contribute to your performance.
If you’re constantly adjusting your stance or grip after each shot, something needs improvement.
14. Learn to Call Your Shots
Calling your shots means knowing exactly where your bullet landed before even checking.
Developing this skill helps you instantly correct mistakes rather than blindly firing follow-ups. It requires focus, but once mastered, it dramatically improves both speed and accuracy.
15. Build Confidence Through Competition or Stress Training
Shooting under stress is very different from shooting on a calm range. Competing in shooting matches or doing stress drills helps develop muscle memory and composure under pressure.
If your shooting only improves when you’re relaxed, it won’t hold up in a real-world scenario.
16. Use a Timer to Track Progress
A shot timer is a fantastic training tool for measuring improvements. It reveals exactly how long it takes you to:
- Draw and fire
- Engage multiple targets
- Complete drills
Watching your time drop over weeks of practice is a great way to track progress and set realistic goals.
17. Train Smarter, Not Harder
Shooting faster isn’t just about pulling the trigger quicker – it’s about training smarter.
- Perfect accuracy first, then add speed.
- Analyze mistakes and adjust.
- Refine movements until they’re automatic.
The best shooters aren’t just fast – they’re efficient.
Speed Comes from Efficiency, Not Rushing
Shooting faster and more accurately isn’t about reacting quicker – it’s about eliminating inefficiencies. The best shooters don’t rush their shots – they execute them with perfect consistency.
Take these 17 tips, integrate them into your training, and watch your shooting improve dramatically. Are you ready to push your limits and become a faster, more accurate shooter? Get out there and train!
Raised in a small Arizona town, Kevin grew up surrounded by rugged desert landscapes and a family of hunters. His background in competitive shooting and firearms training has made him an authority on self-defense and gun safety. A certified firearms instructor, Kevin teaches others how to properly handle and maintain their weapons, whether for hunting, home defense, or survival situations. His writing focuses on responsible gun ownership, marksmanship, and the role of firearms in personal preparedness.