Created by the late Todd Green, the F.A.S.T. Drill is a benchmark test that compresses several key pistol skills—draw speed, sight alignment, recoil control, reload efficiency, and precision—into a tight six-round sequence. It’s commonly used to separate competent shooters from elite performers, and it’s a fantastic diagnostic tool for your training.
Materials Needed:
- Pistol and holster (concealed or OWB)
- Spare magazine
- 6 rounds of ammo per run A F.A.S.T. target (4” circle above an 8”x6” rectangle)
- Timer with par/recording feature
- Eye and ear protection
Setup Instructions:
- Place target at 7 yards.
- Shooter begins from concealment or ready position, hands at sides.
- Spare magazine loaded with 4 rounds; chambered mag has 2.
- Total of 6 rounds for the drill.
Drill Instructions:
- On the beep, draw and fire 2 rounds into the 3×5 head box.
- Perform a reload.
- Fire 4 rounds into the 8-inch body zone.
- Time stops after the 6th round is fired.
Scoring / Pass Criteria:
- All shots must land in the correct zones.
- +0.5 seconds for any miss in the body.
- +2.0 seconds for any miss in the head.
- Time benchmarks (after penalties applied):
- Expert: Under 5.00 seconds
- Advanced: 5.01–7.00
- Intermediate: 7.01–10.00
- Novice: 10.01+
Coaching Tips / Variations (Optional):
- Run dry to isolate reload speed and transitions.
- Increase distance to 10 or 15 yards for added challenge.
- Work partial runs—only head shots or only reload-to-body to isolate weaknesses.
- Try one-handed shooting variants to stress fundamentals.
Recommended Target Download – Use a custom F.A.S.T. target featuring a 3”x5” head box above an 8”x6” rectangle. Check out our free downloadable templates here, midatlanticmunition.blog/free-templates.
Post your F.A.S.T. Drill times and let the numbers speak for themselves. Tag us on the ‘gram at @midatlanticmunition and show off your score. Fast is good—but accurate and fast? That’s deadly. And when you’re ready for more ammo, check out our handgun ammo collection.