The Viking Tactics rifle (or carbine) drill developed by Kyle Lamb is a simple exercise. Nicknamed the 2x2x2 drill, it is designed to build speed and accuracy when engaging multiple targets. The scenario: You suddenly encounter three bad guys at close range and must deal with them quickly with your AR-15.
Each target requires two shots to neutralize, but you must be fast and accurate. Don't just throw three erratic and panicked double-taps. The key to speed is to shoot smoothly, and that's what this drill will teach you. Remember, smooth is fast, and this drill's focus is to build the skills that enable you to shoot and drive the gun with fluid timing.
Fire a controlled pair at each target. A controlled pair is where each shot is aimed, and the shooter must see the sights on the target before breaking the next shot. When shooting the drill, quickly drive the gun from target to target, but remember to stop the sights on each target to break the shots. Don't try to shoot as the gun swings past the target. When done properly, shot cadence will be just about equal to the splits between targets. The resulting six evenly timed shots can be checked by confirming your split times. Splits between the targets should not vary from the splits between shots by more than a few hundredths of a second. Only center hits count. Any shots outside of the"C" zone on an USPSA or the -1 zone of an IDPA target are not included in your score. As you become better at this drill, tighten up the scoring requirements to the "A" zone on a USPSA target and the -0 zone on an IDPA target. Remember, the goals are accuracy and speed, in that order.
To set up the drill, place three targets side by side at even intervals 5 yards in front of the firing line. The shooter starts with the rifle butt on his shoulder and the muzzle down, with his weight forward on the balls of the feet, his head and eyes up and looking at the first target.
At the buzzer, engage each target in order, with two shots each. Right to left or left to right is shooter's choice, but most right-handed shooters will be faster going left to right. Most people who have some shooting experience will shoot the drill in about 2.0 to 2.5 seconds the first time through. With practice, 1.5 seconds is a viable goal. When you can keep all the shots on the "A" zone in a USPSA target and do it in 1.5 seconds or less, you have mastered this drill. There is always room for improvement, however. Watch Kyle Lamb do it in 1.26 seconds at www.vikingtactics.com. Learn to beat that time, and then you can strut.
