The Werner 5×5 | Skills and Drills

There is a wide variety of drills we can work on to improve our shooting ability. With an ever increasing number, it can be difficult to find a good starting point, both for new shooters and the more experienced. When I first started shooting with specific time and accuracy standards, I came across the 5×5 thanks to Chris over at Lucky Gunner. The 5×5 is a fairly simple drill that works on most any range. With a low round count, sparse gear requirements, and a relatively short distance, I believe the 5×5 is a perfect starting point for shooters.

Setting Up the Drill

Setting up the 5×5 is extremely simple. You’ll need one target, which is a 5-inch circle of some sort. I like to use >>THIS<< target from Lucky Gunner, which fits on one 8.5×11 sheet of printer paper. This is set up at a single distance of five yards. Shooters need five rounds of ammunition, and a shot timer to measure their par times. The 5×5 is shot from low ready, so no holsters are required. To show consistency, repeat the drill five times.

Scoring the 5×5

Scoring is even more simplistic on the 5×5 than the setup. All rounds must be kept inside the 5-inch circle to pass. Line breaks count towards passing, and hits anywhere in the circle are scored the same. The par time is five seconds, meaning all rounds must be fired in five seconds or less. Anything fired over this par time is not counted, and results in a failure. If you struggle, I suggest upping the par time until you can keep everything in the circle. From there, slowly lower the time standard, usually by 0.25-0.50 second increments.

Firing the Drill

Place your target at five yards. Load a magazine into your pistol, chamber a round, then begin at low ready, facing the target. On the beep, raise your pistol and fire five rounds into your 5-inch circle.

For those looking for more of a challenge, shorten the par time. Another option is to add rounds while keeping the par time at 5 seconds. With either method, maintain the same accuracy requirements. If your range allows it, try drawing from the holster to add a bit more practicality to your practice.

Results on the 5×5

Recently I had a student of mine give the 5×5 a try. They are a fairly proficient shooter, though speed is something that they spend less effort on than overall accuracy. They’ve passed the FBI qual on multiple occasions, but I thought we’d change things up a little bit with the deceptively simple 5×5.

In two runs, my student managed a 50% success rate. On their second run the shooter dropped a single round out of the circle, resulting in a failure. This came as a bit of a surprise to both of us, considering some of the feats they’ve recently accomplished. That said, this perfectly illustrates the the nature of the 5×5. While I consider this a “beginner’s” drill, it can occasionally sneak up on even more skilled shooters.

Final Thoughts on the Werner 5×5

Overall, the 5×5 is an awesome drill both for new shooters, and those with a little more experience. The 5-inch scoring zone is more demanding than most targets, and the par time can be challenging for those not familiar with time restrictions. Shooters can easily customize the drill to add or remove difficulty to help build different skills. If you haven’t given the 5×5 a try, I suggest adding to the roster for your next range trip.

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