The Test is a simple drill that will challenge anyone to combine speed and accuracy. Practicing "The Test" will build both skills.
The drill uses the NRA B-8 repair center target, and it’s super easy to set up and run. Set your target at 10 yards and set your shot timer for a 10 second par-time. Start from the low ready position, and at the signal, shoot 10 rounds. The goal here is to have 10 rounds in the black. 10 yards, 10 rounds, 10 seconds.
Scoring is simple. Any shots outside of the black but still on the bullseye add one second to your time. Misses (not on the bullseye) add 3 seconds to your time. If your time plus penalties is under 10 seconds, you pass. If over, you fail. Simple! If you can’t get it at 10 yards, bring it in to 7. Once you can consistently do it in under 10 seconds at 7 yards, back it up a yard and repeat until you’re at 10 yards.
Here’s the fun part. Once you’ve got it down, there’s a different way you can score to really test yourself. Instead of just basing it on time, you can use the scoring rings to evaluate your shooting. The 9, 10 and X-ring are black (X-ring counts for 10) so a 90/100 is passing. This isn’t anything different from the passing requirements before, but now you can fight for every point, with the goal of 100/100. Shooting a 95 or better will be difficult for even an accomplished shooter.
Don’t let the simplicity of The Test fool you. It’s a challenge, and a great skill-builder. Come try it out and let us know what you think!