In firearms training, a cold start drill is any shooting practice you do as soon as you show up at the range without warming up or doing dry runs. The drill should have a defined time limit, and a quality target should be used to assess performance. A cold start is a way to test your skills, reflexes, and intuition. It's the closest you'll likely come to real-world conditions. Here are a few ways to test your skills and firearms training with a cold start drill.

3 Steps to a Successful Cold Start Drill

1. Keep It Short

Since a cold start is a warmup, it isn't intended to take up an entire session at the range. Aim to keep a cold start drill at around five minutes.

This allows enough time to put up the target, load your gun, shoot, and measure your score. When you're finished, move onto your usual skill-building drills and exercises.

2. Use the Same Drill Each Time

Consistency is crucial to building a skillset, so find a cold start drill you're comfortable using for the foreseeable future. Having a consistent drill lets you accurately measure your performance, see your improvements, and determine which areas need attention.

3. Set Standards

It may take a few runs to get used to the cold drill's pattern and routine, so set standards for yourself once you've settled in.

Determine a few personal benchmarks that equate to a successful drill. These can include hitting certain parts of the target or firing at a particular speed.

If you want to start your sessions with cold starts, download free targets from Runenation in Gilsum, NH. These professionals offer firearms training and gun safety classes to adults of all skill levels. Visit the website to get more information about their services, or call (781) 346-9839 to inquire about enrollment. You can also visit them on YouTube for more information about their classes.