A test of marksmanship and operational skills with a revolver
Introduction: For the armed citizen, real world incidents where there is an absolute need to reload a handgun are exceptionally rare. Nonetheless, we need to practice reloading with any handgun we might carry for personal defense. Even if you solve your problem with just a few rounds, do you really want to hang around with a half-empty gun waiting for the cavalry to arrive? As soon as the opportunity presents itself, bring your handgun back up to full compliment.
Many snub practitioners carry speedloaders, strips, 2X2X2 pouches, belt loop slides or a combination of these devices. Speedloaders hold a decisive edge for a complete reload but the other options may prove useful for partial reloads. But how efficient might they be under extreme stress when fine motor control and dexterity are compromised? This drill may indeed cause you to reconsider the devices you utilize for reloading.
Objective: This drill was designed to give the shooter better insight into their marksmanship potential and reloading efficiency in a fast breaking situation.
Rounds Needed: 14
Distance: 5 yards
Target: B8 Center
Begin Exercise: This drill is performed in 3 phases. Note and record the elapsed time after each individual phase. The first two phases will be partial reloads while the third phase is a total reload.
Phase One- Load with 1 round, index the cylinder and come to a ready position. On the signal, fire 1 round, RELOAD and fire 2 rounds.
Phase Two- Load with 1 round, index the cylinder and come to a ready position. On the signal, fire 1 round, RELOAD and fire 4 rounds.
Phase Three- Load with 1 round, index the cylinder and come to a ready position. On the signal fire 1 round, do a complete RELOAD and fire 5 rounds.
Scoring: Add up the total elapsed time for all 3 phases and tabulate the total number of points for a score (140 points max). Divide the score by time and arrive at a numerical value. For example, 140 points divided by 20 seconds would give a value of 7. A score of 120 points divided by 30 seconds would give a value of 4. Bigger numbers are better than smaller numbers!
Random Notes: Marksmanship matters! I chose a B8 target because it is unforgiving and requires you to really bear down to achieve center hits. Quite simply you have to set your mental clock to strike a balance between speed and accuracy.
How efficient were those partial reloads? Is the speedloader faster than a partial reload? Set your gear up the same way you do for everyday carry. When it comes down to efficiency, ready access is everything. This drill may prove to be a real eye opener.
*These drills are excerpted from Mike Boyle’s book: “101 Drills for Handguns and Rifles and Shotguns.”
Mike Boyle is a retired law enforcement officer and has been active in use of force instruction for over 40 years. He has been a police academy assistant director, instructor, Rangemaster and is the author of 2 books, 3 training videos and hundreds of magazine articles on firearms, training and tactics. Mike served 21 years on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors. Mr. Boyle can provide instruction on various firearms disciplines including handgun, shotgun and low light threat management. He can be reached at mboyle308@gmail.com.
