I was browsing Wilson Combat's YouTube channel one day, and stumbled upon a new drill. Larry Vicker's "Devil Drill" is a low round count, multi-part drill that caught my eye. What is the background of the drill, and what skills can we improve while shooting it?
What Is the Devil Drill?
The Devil Drill is a 6 round drill, created by Larry Vickers. Larry's "The Test" is one of my favorite drills for building skill, and I've been a fan of his other drills. This one is quite simple, which is always a plus. The drill is titled the "Devil Drill", as it is shot at 6 yards, with 6 rounds, with a 6 second par time.
Here, we are shooting an NRA B-8 target from 6 yards. Shooter begins with their gun holstered, and loaded with a random amount of rounds. We want at least 1 round loaded in the gun, and at least enough rounds in a spare mag to fire 6 rounds. On beep, shooter draws their pistol, and begins shooting at the B-8. Sometime between rounds 2-5, shooter needs to have their gun go to slidelock, where they will then perform a reload. Shooter then shoots again until 6 rounds have been fired. After the 6th round is fired, the drill has been completed.
Par time is 6 seconds, and passing score is to keep all rounds in the black of the B-8.
While it might seem complex at first, it's a pretty simple drill. We draw our gun, fire some rounds, do an emergency reload, then fire more rounds till we've shot 6. The scoring and par time are tight, but that's the point. This is meant to be an advanced, hard to pass drill.
How about a quick TL;DR?
The Quick Rundown
THE DEVIL DRILL (6-6-6)
- Targets: NRA B-8.
- Distance: 6 yards.
- Start Position: Shooting begins with the gun holstered and loaded, with hands at side.
- Round Count & String of Fire: 6 rounds total fired. Shooter has 2 magazines, with a combined total of 6 rounds between them. A necessary slide lock reload is performed sometime during the string of fire.
- Par Time: 6 seconds.
- Passing Condition: All rounds land in the black scoring rings of the B-8 (9/10/X rings), and shooter completes course of fire under par time.
- Course of Fire: Shooter begins with gun holstered, loaded with 1-5 rounds. On beep, shooter draws, and shoots into the B-8 target. Shooter will perform a slide lock reload when the gun runs empty, and complete the course of fire.
An example of a recent Devil Drill:
What Skills Does the Devil Drill Stress?
The Devil Drill stresses the following skills:
- A good, fast draw
- Rapid target acquisition
- Rapid first shot, and follow up shots
- Relatively tight accuracy standard
- Quick reload
- Return onto target after a reload
With a drill this low in round count, it is astonishing what skills we can improve with it.
With the drill being so tight on time, we have to be quick. This means a fast draw, with a good presentation so that we can break off our shots accurately and fast. We need to shoot quickly, however, we still need to be accurate. 6 Yards isn't that far, but it is easy to slap the trigger and throw a shot out of the scoring area. A good, firm grip is crucial here.
The reload needs to be quick, and precise too. We need to gas the gun back up, but we cannot flub the reload. This is where we find out if our motor skills can defeat our cover garments and mag carriers.
After we reload, we have to reacquire our sights, and finish the drill. Again, we have to be quick and accurate.
Only 6 rounds, but a lot of skill building to be done.
What I Like About the Devil Drill
I love low round count drills. We've been in an ammo shortage for the last 3 years, so drills that can squeeze out every drop of skill are excellent. This one might be the most intense 6 round drill we've shot. The FAST comes close, but since that drill doesn't have a hard par like this one, the Devil Drill stands out.
I am already someone who really emphasizes the accuracy standard. As far as I'm concerned, in real life, we are not allowed to have any misses. It's why I tend to shoot drills that use smaller targets. However, I need to work on getting faster, while still maintaining that accuracy standard. I love this drill, as it forces us to shoot fast, but while maintaining accuracy.
Reloading is a skill that we often don't focus too much time on. I've been good at doing reloads, however, we have to increase that reload speed without botching it. This drill will force you to find the weak link in your reload. Maybe it is your cover garments, or possibly tight mag carriers. Maybe your shorter spare mag is really hard to get to when it sits in a pocket. It's these considerations that we often don't think about until we are put on the clock.
This is an advanced drill, no point in mincing words. I like things that are hard, as challenges are fun things to overcome. I'd recommend this drill, but don't be surprised if you fail it a few times before you pass. You really have to push yourself to beat this Devil.
Other Shooting Drills & Additional Info
Check out our other shooting drills >>>here<<<.
For specific drills that I enjoy, check out the "9-In-9 Skill Drill" and the "FAST". These two drills are also fairly low round count, but work your skills quite well.
Here's another Devil Drill that I shot:
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