For years – decades, actually – the vast majority of my practice has taken place at seven yards, the classic “maximum distance within which most gunfights occur.” As I continue to practice on the Venti drill (four reps in the past three range sessions), I find many things to like about it. One of them is the concept of practicing at three yards. I find that absolutely removes the possibility of wishful thinking and self-delusion re your skill level. If you’re firing a group at 25 yards and your shot lands entire inches away from where you were aiming, you might tell yourself, “Well, it’s the gun.” “It’s the ammo.” “It’s not me.” And y’know, at 25 yards, that might well be true. But if you’re shooting a crappy group at three yards, where if your skill set is squared away you should be putting the bullets into one hole, there is no denying where the problem lays.