5x5x5 Drill: A Handgun Drill for Fundamentals and Consistency

The 5x5x5 Drill (also called the “5-yard Roundup”) is a classic pistol performance benchmark. It doesn’t take long to run, but it’ll quickly show whether your fundamentals are solid. It’s a great drill to use at the start or end of a range session, giving you a repeatable metric to track progress over time.

Don’t let the simplicity fool you—5 rounds at 5 yards in 5 seconds demands speed, accuracy, and tight fundamentals.

Materials Needed:

  • Handgun and holster (optional draw)
  • 5 rounds of ammo
  • 1 target with clear scoring zones (bullseye or 5-inch circle preferred)
  • Shot timer or stopwatch
  • Eye and ear protection

Setup Instructions:

  1. Set a target at 5 yards.
  2. Use a bullseye, 5-inch circle, or equivalent size aiming point.
  3. Shooter begins from low ready or concealed carry position.
  4. Set timer for 5 seconds.

Drill Instructions:

  1. On the buzzer or go signal, shooter will fire 5 rounds.
  2. The time limit is 5 seconds.
  3. All shots should be on target within the scoring zone.
  4. Drill can be repeated from various starting positions or stances.

Scoring / Pass Criteria:

  • Benchmark standard: All 5 hits inside the 5-inch scoring zone in under 5 seconds.
  • Hits outside the circle = failure.
  • Time over 5 seconds = failure.
  • Track hits and total time to monitor improvement.

Coaching Tips / Variations (Optional):

  • Try from concealed draw for an EDC benchmark.
  • Increase or decrease the target size to adjust difficulty.
  • Use strong-hand or support-hand only to vary training.
  • Run it cold at the start of training sessions as a performance snapshot.

Recommended Target Download – Use a 5-inch bullseye grid or printable accuracy circles, to run the drill as intended. Check out MidAtlanticMunition’s free target page.

Continue Your Training

This drill is part of the MidAtlanticMunition Shooting Drills & Firearms Training Hub, a growing library of handgun drills, rifle drills, dry fire exercises, training standards, and downloadable targets.

→ Explore the Full Shooting Drills & Firearms Training Hub

The 5x5x5 Drill is a fast, no-nonsense check on your pistol skills—no excuses, no fluff. Snap a photo of your target and tag us @midatlanticmunition to show us how you stacked up. Swing by our handgun ammo collection, when you’re ready to restock!