The 1-5 drill is a 15-round rifle standard: three targets at 5 yards, engaged with one round on the first, two on the second, three on the third, then four back on the second and five back on the first, with a clean run finishing in under five seconds. It packs five target transitions and a five-round string into a single course of fire, which is why it exposes both your transition speed and your recoil control at once.
The drill rewards a shooter who drives the rifle aggressively but still confirms every hit. The ascending round counts mean the strings get longer as you go, so the recoil you manage cleanly on the two-round string has to hold up on the five-round finish. Miss the A-zone and the run does not count; the timer only matters once every round is accountable.
Timer runs prep and par beeps for each step.
Set three targets at 5 yards, spaced about one target-width apart, and stand centered on the middle target. On the beep, engage left to right and back: one round on target one, two on target two, three on target three, four on target two, five on target one.
Run all fifteen rounds in one continuous course of fire, driving the rifle between targets as your eyes lead. The run only counts if every round lands in the A-zone. Grip harder as the strings lengthen so the five-round finish tracks as flat as the opening two-round string.
Cue: Eyes first, then the muzzle. Confirm every hit before you leave a target.
Score all three targets. Fifteen A-zone hits inside the par is a clean run; anything outside the zone fails the rep. Log your time and which target or string broke down, then repeat for several runs.
Score every round in the A-zone or the run does not count. Fifteen A-zone hits under the par is a pass; a single hit outside the zone fails the rep regardless of time. The fix for a dropped hit is to slow down until accuracy returns, not to accept the miss for a faster clock.
Record the total time from beep to the fifteenth shot. Watch where time leaks: the transitions between targets and the settling shot after each transition usually cost more than the raw splits inside a string.
| Level | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Novice | Clean run under 8.00s | Build accountable hits and clean transitions before chasing the clock. |
| Intermediate | Clean run under 6.00s | A solid working standard for a competent carbine shooter. |
| Advanced | Clean run under 5.00s | The classic VTAC passing standard, all fifteen rounds in the A-zone. |
| Master | Clean run under 4.00s | Requires transitions near 0.3s and a tight, controlled five-round finishing string. |
The 1-5 drill comes from Kyle Lamb and Viking Tactics (VTAC). Lamb spent more than two decades in the Army, most of it in special operations, including combat in Mogadishu during the Black Hawk Down operation, and built VTAC's carbine curriculum around drills that force accountable hits under time. The 1-5 is one of its signature rifle standards.
The format is deliberate. Ascending round counts across three targets, then a descent back through two of them, string together five transitions and a progressively longer burst, so a shooter cannot coast on a single double-tap and move on. It is built for a rifle at close range but adapts to a pistol with a more generous par.
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Comparing timers first? The shot timer guide ranks the current field, and the dry fire practice guide covers the training aids that make at-home reps productive. Need the target? Print it free from the printable targets library.
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Mount the carbine from low ready and break one accountable hit inside a 1-second par. The fastest way to build presentation speed.