Break out the ammo cans and get some last minute .223 bulk ammo from us if you’re not well-stocked. You’re going to need it for this drill - the bill drill - which is a classic AR drill that can help improve AR handling and accuracy.
Here’s what to know.
How to Do the Drill
The bill drill was originally a handgun drill, but it can be adapted to long arms, specifically carbines. For our purposes that’s what we will be focusing on.
The basic drill - with a handgun - is to set up at 7 yards, draw, and fire 6 shots into a cardboard target, accurately, in under 2 seconds (ideally).
This version of the bill drill touches on all the fundamental elements of shooting: drawing, target acquisition, sight alignment, recoil control, and of course, shot placement itself, which is the ultimate aim.
With a rifle, that paradigm is slightly shifted, but the fundamental ideas are the same.
Largely, the basic bill drill is the same with a carbine, except the time to beat is not 2 seconds. It’s 1.5 seconds, since weapon manipulation is easier with a rifle and shooting accurately is a bit simpler.
Basically, you set up a target at 7 yards (21 feet), take your position with the rifle lowered, and get a buddy with a shot timer ready.
At the buzzer, shoulder the rifle and fire 6 shots into the center of the selected target. Drill until you can get the time down to below 2 seconds.
Then, continue to drill until you can lower your time to below 2 seconds. If you can execute the bill drill with all shots on target in under 1.5 seconds, you’ve got the foundation of very strong shooting acumen.
Beyond the 7-Yard Iterations
With a handgun, the bill drill is also run at 3 and 5 yard increments, and with a handgun, that makes sense because the average engagement with a sidearm is within 8 yards or so.
With a carbine, drilling at 3 yards is a bit absurd. Therefore, to up the challenge a bit, you have to move the goalpost back, so to speak.
Try running the bill drill at 10 yards and even 20 yards, keeping the time to beat at about 1.5 seconds. Any further than that and the 1.5 second metric gets a bit tough to meet - but if you can do it, good on you.
If you run the drill at 10 yards or 20 yards, keep all else the same: start with the rifle at the low-ready position, wait for the buzzer, and then fire 6 shots as quickly as you can.
Another way to get something new out of the basic framework of this drill is to change the number of shots. For instance, you can run it with 3 shots, rather than 6, at 7 yards - but what you’ll want to do is lower the scoring time to beneath a second.
If you can put all 3 shots on target at 7 yards in under a second, that’s no small feat, either. Then run it back at 10, 15 and 20 yards and see if you can hang with those ranges.
How the Bill Drill Benefits You
The bill drill benefits you on multiple fronts, from a foundational level.
First is firearm handling and manipulation. Running the bill drill with a carbine requires you to raise and mount the rifle consistently. If you don’t get a good shoulder mount and cheek weld, reliably, you’re not going to be precise with your shot placement.
At 7 yards, that might not be a massive deal, but once you bump back to 10 or 20, those little things will get magnified.
The bill drill also requires you to steady the rifle, especially between shots. While the first shot is critical, it’s how you manage recoil, as light as it is, that will dictate where the follow up shots will go, especially under the time crunch.
Sight alignment is another important consideration here, unless you’re running an optic. It’s not as critical as it is with a handgun because the longer sight radius will prove more forgiving, but it still matters.
And lastly, concentration under the time crunch is critical. Anyone can place 3 shots accurately in 10 seconds, but in less than 1.5? That’s not the easiest bridge to cross. All in all, it’s an excellent drill that will help you refine your handling and focus to shoot more accurately, more quickly.
Stock Up on .223 Bulk Ammo Here
One thing you’ll need from us is .223 to run the drill. Stock up on .223 bulk ammo here and bookmark the page so you know where to get your next ammo can restock when they run low.