March — Pew Pew Crew Drills
March — Month 3
Pick pistol, rifle, shotgun, or all three — whatever fits the session.
Pistol — Reloads
Setup: One target at 5–7 yards, 2 magazines loaded with a few rounds each (not full).
Beginner
With the gun empty and slide locked back, practice reloading in slow motion — no shooting involved. Focus on smoothly ejecting the empty mag, inserting the new one, and getting your grip back. No timer. 4 rounds per rep (loaded to practice the empty-to-reload cycle), 5 reps = 20 rounds.
Intermediate
Draw and fire 2 rounds, then perform an emergency reload (gun runs empty, slide locks back, you reload) and fire 2 more rounds. All of this within a 4.5 second par time. 4 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 20 rounds.
Advanced
Same as intermediate, but you perform a "tactical reload" instead — the gun still has ammo left when you swap magazines (used when there's a lull, not because you're empty) — and you do it while stepping sideways to a new position. 4 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 20 rounds.
Checklist
- Eye protection (one per shooter)
- Ear protection (one per shooter)
- 1 target (cardboard or rated AR500 steel)
- Tape to mark center-mass/head boxes
- Target stand
- Shot timer
- Standard holsters
- 2+ spare magazines per shooter
- First aid kit
- Ammo: 20 / 20 / 20 rounds per shooter (Beg / Int / Adv)
Rifle (AR-15) — Failure to Stop
Setup: One or two targets at 15–25 yards.
Beginner
Fire 2 rounds into the center-mass box, then 1 round into the head box. Static, no par time, start with rifle already in the shoulder. 3 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 15 rounds.
Intermediate
Same sequence starting from low-ready, within a par time. 3 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 15 rounds.
Advanced
Same 2-body/1-head sequence run on two separate targets, with a step or two of movement between them. 6 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 30 rounds.
Checklist
- Eye protection (one per shooter)
- Ear protection (one per shooter)
- 1–2 targets (cardboard or rated AR500 steel)
- Tape to mark center-mass/head boxes
- Target stand(s)
- Shot timer
- Sling
- First aid kit
- Ammo: 15 / 15 / 30 rounds per shooter (Beg / Int / Adv)
Shotgun — Failure to Stop / Follow-Up Shots
Setup: One or two targets at 7–15 yards.
Beginner
Fire 2 rounds into the center-mass box, then 1 round into the head box. Static, no par time, start with shotgun already mounted. 3 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 15 rounds.
Intermediate
Same sequence starting from low-ready, within a par time. 3 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 15 rounds.
Advanced
Same 2-body/1-head sequence run on two separate targets, with a step or two of movement between them. 6 rounds per rep, 5 reps = 30 rounds.
Checklist
- Eye protection (one per shooter)
- Ear protection (one per shooter)
- 1–2 cardboard targets
- Tape to mark center-mass/head boxes
- Target stand(s)
- Shot timer
- First aid kit
- Ammo: 15 / 15 / 30 rounds per shooter (Beg / Int / Adv)
Bonus — Weapon Retention (Pistol)
Ties into this month's failure-to-stop theme: what happens if the threat is close enough to grab the gun.
Setup: One target at contact-to-3-yard distance. This is a close-quarters drill — keep muzzle discipline and backstop awareness front of mind. Cardboard or splat target only, no steel — this range is inside safe standoff distance for any AR500 plate regardless of rating.
Beginner
From a retention position (gun drawn, pulled close to the body, not extended), fire 1–2 rounds into the center-mass box. No par time — focus on keeping the gun close and controlled.
Intermediate
Draw directly into the retention position and fire, within a par time.
Advanced
Combine a retention shot with a step back to create distance, then a normal extended shot. Par time.
Checklist
- Eye protection (one per shooter)
- Ear protection (one per shooter)
- 1 cardboard or splat target (no steel — too close for safe standoff)
- Target stand
- Shot timer
- Standard holsters
- First aid kit
- Ammo: 10–15 rounds per shooter