Reload Roulette is a drill designed to master the slide-lock reload while eliminating the shooter’s natural anticipation of when the gun will run dry. For those who count their shots and know their total-round count, gaming the reload enables stellar performances on the shot timer. Under conditions where counting is not an option, or the shooter loses track and discovers with surprise that the gun is empty, their reaction times and performance may yield dramatically different results. Reload Roulette requires 25 rounds shot across five randomly loaded magazines, all landing within the black of a B-8 target at 5 yards in the shortest time possible to the shooter. The goal of this drill is to master the reload in a manner that eliminates the ability to predict when the reload will happen, thus cultivating strong, reactive reloading skills.
Performing it successfully requires the shooter to maintain a heightened awareness of the pistol’s condition, while also focusing on the accuracy and efficiency of the reload technique. This mental multi-tasking keeps the shooter from becoming overly target focused and returns a level of attention to the gun itself. Maintaining concentration and tactile sensitivity to the gun builds conscious shooters capable of problem solving in unscripted conditions.
To increase this drill’s training value, incorporate 10 snap caps into the random magazine loads and increase the distance based on the shooter’s ability to maintain hits on the target. Note: A snap cap should never be the first or last round, or loaded two in a row in any given mag. They will force malfunction clearing in addition to the irregular reloads. The total time and score reflect the accuracy, stoppage-clearing ability and reload efficiency for a much higher-stakes game of Reload Roulette.
Here’s the Drill
• Load 25 rounds in varying numbers across five magazines. For more randomness, have a friend load your mags while you load theirs.
• Shuffle magazines such that the shooter cannot see their round count on either the bench or on-body in mag pouches.
• Shooter performs an initial load-and-make-ready and either holsters or rests at compressed ready.
• On the beep of the shot timer, the shooter presents, aims, acquires and fires into the black of a B-8 target until the gun is empty.
• Shooter immediately performs a slide-lock, emergency reload.
• Continue until all five magazines are empty.
Note total time to complete, score the target and record your personal time and score.
This drill allows for two complete repetitions per one 50-round box of ammunition.
