Bill Drill
Six shots on one target, usually at seven yards. The Bill Drill records the first shot, the intervals that follow and where all six rounds land.
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Full video transcript 0:59
- 0:00
Today we're taking a look at the Bill Drill.
- 0:02
Six shots, one target, seven yards.
- 0:09
You can also run it at three or five yards. Here it is at three yards.
- 0:15
Up close, the target fills more of your view. It shows how good your natural point of aim is: point at something that close, and you're pretty accurate without even trying.
- 0:23
On the timer, your first shot is your draw time, and the gaps after it are your splits.
- 0:28
My favorite tip, which I learned from a friend: the beep on most shot timers lasts about half a second, and the clock starts when the beep starts. Don't wait for it to finish. Thanks, Matt.
- 0:37
It's named after Bill Wilson. The story goes that Rob Leatham named it after watching Wilson shoot it in practice.
- 0:42
I like this one because it's so simple. If you're getting all A-zone hits, push yourself to speed up and see where the wheels fall off.
- 0:48
If you've got a trusted gun store, type its name into USA Arms. If it isn't there, tell us and we'll look into it.
- Illustrated distance
- 7 yards
- Rounds
- 6
- Target
- One USPSA cardboard target
- Creator credit
- Bill Wilson
Distance and round count
The familiar Bill Drill is a six-shot string at seven yards. Our video illustrates six Alpha-zone hits; its narrated shot count is not a measured live-fire time. [1]
Ben Stoeger describes 3-, 5- and 7-yard versions. Karl Rehn also includes a 15-yard version in KR Training’s performance comparisons. The video’s second layout shows three yards. [1] [2]
What it measures
With no target changes or reload in the string, the timing record consists of the start-to-first-shot time and five intervals between shots. Stoeger uses different distances to change the accuracy demand. [1]
The six holes show whether that pace kept the hits in the intended area. The target and the shot times together describe the run. [1] [3]
Published time goals and scoring
KR Training’s compilation lists Bill Wilson’s three-second goal, a two-second competition benchmark associated with Brian Enos, and KR’s five-second reference. These come from different authors and equipment assumptions. [4]
Some versions require all hits in the intended zone. Others add time penalties for poorer hits. A clean raw time and a time with penalties are different scores. [2] [4]
Why it is called the Bill Drill
Wilson Combat and Rob Leatham credit Bill Wilson with the original exercise. Target Barn’s history reports that Leatham named it after Wilson. [5] [6] [3]
Bill Drill 2
Bill Drill 2 has five strings of one, two, three, four and five shots. That is fifteen rounds and five starts, rather than the original drill’s six rounds from one start. [4]
| Exercise | Structure | Total rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Drill | One six-shot string | 6 |
| Bill Drill 2 | Five strings: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 | 15 |
Sources and further reading
- Ben Stoeger — Bill Drillbenstoeger.com
- Karl Rehn — Relative Performance Measurementblog.krtraining.com
- Target Barn — The Bill Drilltargetbarn.com
- KR Training — Drills, Qualifications, Standards and Testsblog.krtraining.com
- Wilson Combat — Bill Drill historyyoutube.com
- Rob Leatham — Bill Wilson’s original drillyoutube.com
Sources reviewed September 29, 2026. Next review by March 29, 2027. Send a correction with a supporting source.