Favorite Drills

[Mauser KAR98K]

I've been debating on posting this, but since it has become my routine drill at the range with a rifle, and have gotten others to use it, I might as well take the plunge and post my 5-50 Drill.

This come out from the 2012-13 Panic and "The Great Ammo Drought" of 2013. The drill "requires" a 50 yard range, but as I will explain throughout this posting, the drill can vary for the shooter and what they are seeking from it. The drill is a skills test of where you are either coming right on to the range or just before coming off. Round count is sixty rounds; either divided up in two magazines, or in multiple magazines to work in reloads. The sixty round count is due that one can go to Walmart and buy three, twenty round boxes of Tula ammo: the cheapest stuff you can get on the market and be had (even second hand from some price gouger) cheaply.

The drill takes place at the 5, 7, 10, 15, 25, and 50 yard lines--hence the 5-50 Drill. There is no timer to this, all accuracy and throttle control of the shooter. Targets can range from an IDPA, IPSC, 8-inch bullseye, to a full silhouette target. Pretty much what you have on hand--though the smaller the target the better (A-Zone size IDPA or paper plate).

The Basic 5-50 Drill

This is done all standing until the 50 yard mark. No movement required.

Goal: To judge your current skill and handling of your primary weapon with two standard magazines of ammunition. Ten (10) rounds will be fired from each yard line, totally to sixty (60) at the end. You can check your groupings throughout the course of fire, though you may to check your memory and call your shots. It is advised to check your hits at the 5-10 yard lines to check and confirm your sight-over-bore ratio.

Basic Course of Fire:

At the 5, 7, 10, 15, and 25 yard lines, it is standing only, no movement, double taps (control pairs--whatever) to the A-zone area, rifle at low ready for each string of fire. Very simple, but it goes back over the fundamentals of acquiring your sight, dropping the safety, rifle control, and trigger squeeze. You can start off fast at the 5-7 yard lines, but again, at those distance you are checking your sight-over-bore hits.

The further you go back, pace yourself. This drill is not timed, so you are looking for good hits, and working on your sight picture when getting your weapon up from the low ready position. You are also working your safety every time for repetition sake.

After the 25 yard section is done, go to your target, take a glance at it and remember your hits. This will become critical after you have fire from the 50 yard line.

At the 50 yard line you "should" be on the last ten rounds. (If you are under or over, you are not paying attention to your strings--another piece from this drill).

You will do a single string of two rounds from the standing position. You will then drop to the kneeling position and do two strings of fire. Your last four rounds will be from the prone position. Either you can shoot them slow or fast, it depends on how your sight picture and your control of your weapon at this position.

Throughout all courses of fire, you are checking to see how your gear is fairing, checking to see if you need to make adjustments. You are also checking your throttle control, and where you need to either speed up or slow down at the different yard lines.

This drill can also be ran backwards: 50 yards to 5 yards. It is entirely up to the shooter. But the shooter must know what they are wanting wait they are looking for as where the skill level is and where they want to improve. It is a low ammunition skills test at basic yardage if you can't get to a range that is over 50 yards--like where I go to.

Advanced 5-50 Drill:

Adding cool guy stuff to the drill is simple, and again, up to the shooter. It's your ammo. What is listed are options to add to the drill

5 Yards:

1.)Head shots only.

2.)Run the full ten rounds as fast as you can to work your recoil management and trigger press. Small groupings.

7 Yards:

1.) Facing movements from a static position. Don't worry about getting off the X. Work your pivoting.

2.) Transition from strong-side to support-side, doing double taps. This is done continuously until ten rounds have been fired.

10 Yards:

1.) Starting at the 15 Yard mark, run to the 10-yard line and engage your target. Walk back and start from different facing positions.

2.) Get off the X movements at the 10 yard mark.

15 Yards:

1.) Fast squatting and kneeling transitions starting from standing.

2.) Get off the X movements at the 15 yard mark.

25 Yards:

Same static strings of fire. Working on sight picture and weapon control

50 Yards:

Same as the Basic Course.

Summary:

When ammunition is in short supply, and dry firing and none live-fire drills only go so far, this 5-50 drill is a good way to keep track on your skills and see what you need to work on. You can start your range session with the drill to get a feel on where you currently stand skill wise, and develop your range session of focusing on those skills. The 5-50 drill is also a good way to shoot cheap ammo for skills building and keeping good ammo in storage. During the panic, many found it hard to justify shooting hundreds of rounds if they knew they could replenish them. Also, the idea of shooting .22lr to keep fresh was a bygone thought when the supple of the cheapest ammo on the shelves dried up, and it still has not come back.

There are other drills out that can be done and achieve similar results for the shooter, such as the Modified Navy Qualification drill. But the MNQ requires just 15 rounds and is only done at the 50 yard. The 5-50 drill is done at multiple yardages, and takes into account varying factors at those ranges. For instance, sight-over-bore ratios at close distances; round count during the strings (why I recommend just running two magazines); target acquisition and sight picture at varying ranges; and calling your shots.

The shooter can run this drill with just their rifle and the spare magazine in their pocket, or in full kit-up. Again, it is what the shooter is looking for in themselves from the drill. If they need to see where they are in full kit, do it. If you only have 10 minutes to shoot, this drill can be in that time.

The drill can also be used as a warm-up. You can also incorporate your secondary weapon into the drill (still working on it on my end on where to place it and the pistol round count). If you just intend to go out with your pistol, but have 60 rounds laying around, take your rifle and do a 5-50 drill. It will be a quick skills test.

Scoring:

The simple scoring requirements is to keep all your shots in the black or A-Zone. Any outside shots, it is the shooters responsibility to have called them. Many times I have had hits in the white and I don't remember when and where I pulled the shot. Bad on me.

If you have placed all your hits in the black, congrates, pat yourself on the back, now go and make them tighter. Save your targets to review after your next 5-50 drill.

Again, this drill is to judge yourself, where you stand, where to improve on a low ammo range day, to check your gear, and clear out the cobwebs in your system.