The box drill is a six-round, two-target course of fire: fire two rounds to the chest of the first target, two rounds to the chest of the second, then a headshot on the second and a headshot on the first. Traced on the targets, the four hits and two transitions form a rough box, which is where the name comes from. It is the failure-to-stop pattern extended across a pair of threats.
The drill trains three things at once: fast transitions between targets, recoil control on the chest pairs, and the precision to land two headshots on a smaller scoring box without stalling. The standard setup is 7 yards with the two targets two to three yards apart; instructors run closer or wider variants, but the chest-chest-head-head sequence is the constant. The value is the shift in pace inside one string, hammering the chest pairs and then settling for the head boxes.
Timer runs prep and par beeps for each step.
Set two targets two to three yards apart at 7 yards. On the beep, fire two rounds to the chest of the first target, transition and fire two rounds to the chest of the second, then a headshot on the second and a headshot back on the first.
Run all six rounds in one string, tracing a box: chest, chest, head, head. The two chest pairs are your speed; the two headshots demand a settled sight picture on the smaller box. All six must land in their scoring zones to count.
Cue: Drive fast to the chest pairs, then slow just enough to confirm each head box.
Score both targets: four chest rounds in the A-zone and two hits in the head box is a clean run. Log your time. There is no formal par standard for the box drill, so benchmark against your own clean times and tighten from there; a clean run under five seconds is a strong working goal.
A clean run is four chest rounds in the A-zone and both headshots inside the head box, all six inside your working par. Drop one hit, chest or head, and the rep fails. The headshots are where clean runs are usually lost, so they set the pace, not the chest pairs.
Record the time from beep to the sixth round. The two transitions and the settle before each headshot are the time sinks; even splits on the chest pairs with a clean pause before each head box beat a frantic run that sprays the smaller target.
| Level | Standard | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Novice | Clean run under 7.00s | Confirm both headshots on demand before pushing the clock. |
| Intermediate | Clean run under 5.00s | A strong working benchmark; the drill has no formal par standard. |
| Advanced | Clean run under 4.00s | Chest pairs near 0.25s splits and a fast but settled headshot on each target. |
| Master | Clean run under 3.00s | Snap transitions with no wasted time settling on the head boxes. |
The box drill has no single documented originator. It is a two-target evolution of the failure-to-stop drill, the close-range technique of firing twice to the chest and once to the head that entered American training as the Mozambique or failure drill. The box drill takes that logic and spreads it across two threats.
Because it is a pattern rather than a proprietary standard, the box drill circulates through military, law enforcement, and competition training with minor variations in distance and spacing, and no formal par time has ever been attached to it. The constant is the six-round chest-chest-head-head sequence across two targets; the variables are the range, the target spacing, and the working par a given instructor sets.
Checking sign-in status…
Pro-grade compact timer with a large high-visibility display and PractiScore integration. Standard AAA cells, configurable sensitivity, and a tactile button layout for serious dry-fire and live-fire practice.
The loudest, smartest competition shot timer on the market. Next-gen acoustic sensor isolates shots in busy indoor bays, reads airsoft and suppressed hosts, and a Bluetooth app syncs strings to PractiScore 2 in real time.
Precision aluminum .223 Rem snap caps for dry fire, function testing, and safe storage checks.
CNC-machined aluminum 9mm dummy rounds for dry fire, function testing, and reload reps that cushion the firing pin on every press.
Affiliate links (?)
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.
Three targets at 5 yards fired one, two, three, four, five for 15 rounds. Kyle Lamb's VTAC rifle standard for transitions, recoil control, and accountable hits under a five-second par.
Three targets, 2-2-2 cadence, shrinking par times. Builds aggressive vision and throttle control on target transitions.
Two rounds to the body, one to the head, from 7 yards. The defensive standard for a failure-to-stop response and the body-to-head transition.