Today’s shooting drill comes from a company that many of us are familiar with— RE Factor Tactical. What I like about RE Factor Tactical is that they’re about more than just collecting the latest-and-greatest gadget; they push people to shoot. Part of that is drills, and my favorite drill from RE Factor Tactical is the Kill Card Challenge.
The Kill Card Challenge is a fast-paced, complicated, and difficult drill designed to get you shooting fast, switching gears, and constantly reloading. It requires a specific target, but you could easily make your own Kill Card Challenge target if you wanted to. The drill isn’t easy and isn’t well-suited for beginners. Take your time with this drill.
Shoot it dry, shoot it slow, and get some practice in, but don’t rush it. You can shoot it over and over; it’s not a one-and-done deal.
The Kill Card Challenge: What You Need
The Kill Card Challenge makes use of the RE Factor Essentials Target. This Target is covered with small targets from top to bottom. We’ll be using three of the 16 targets. You will need eight rounds per run and three magazines.
This drill is designed to be run with a handgun, but a creative shooter could make it work with a rifle, if they choose. You’ll need a holster and magazine pouches to hold the two spare magazines. A shot timer is also a must because we are trying to shoot fast, and your speed matters.
Don’t forget your eyes and ears. I’m using Shellshock Glasses and Liberators for my shooting.
The Essentials Target
The Essentials Target is giant. It’s long and covered from top to bottom in various targets. Most are numbered, which helps coordinate drills. RE Factor Tactical created the target to work with their Essentials Shooting Guide, which provides various drills and skills you can work with the Essentials Target.
The Target is covered with some familiar sights. We have what’s essentially an IPSC A-zone, a 3×5 card, and an 8-inch circle similar to the B8. We also have a basic bull’s eye target, several multi-sized dots, and a micro-sized box.
It’s a huge mix of targets, which makes the Essentials Target pretty handy. It’s useful for a variety of drills, and you could make up your own drills or shoot established drills with it.
Shooting the Kill Card Challenge
The Kill Card Challenge sounds simple, but it feels much more complicated when you start shooting. The drill starts with your gun holstered and your hands off the gun. Your hand position doesn’t matter if it’s off the gun.
You have three magazines. Two magazines will be loaded with two rounds, and one will be loaded with four rounds. Your order of use will be two, four, two, so make sure you’re set up for that order of use.
Shooters will start five yards from the target. Five yards isn’t much, but don’t let it lull you into some false sense of confidence. Five yards start feeling much farther when you hear that BEEP and have to start shooting.
You will engage the Number 1 Circle, the Number 7 Rectangle, and the Number 12 Rectangle, in that order. Prior to hitting the go button, I’d mentally rehearse the engagement order.
You’ll draw and fire two rounds into the Number 1 Circle at the beep and reload. Then, fire four rounds into the Number 7 Rectangle and reload. You’ll end on the Number 12 rectangle with two shots.
You aim to draw, fire eight rounds on three targets, and conduct two reloads in seven seconds. If you land all your hits within that time limit, you’ve completed the Kill Card Challenge.
A Skill Builder
On its face, the Kill Card Challenge offers you some obvious skill-building drills. You’re drawing, shooting quickly, and reloading. Those are all valuable skills to improve, and you have to do it in under seven seconds, which creates pressure and stress, which is great.
The Kill Card Challenge does more than that, though. It forces you to mentally switch gears between three targets, each vastly different in size. Shooting the first small dot forces speed and accuracy, and then you switch to this big A-zone and have to rip through it with four rounds before settling on another small target.
You’re moving between different gears on the fly and shooting rapidly and carefully. When shooting this, I hit the upper RPMs or my mental limits only to slam on the brakes to reload and engage again.
Shooting Straight
If you can pass the Kill Card Challenge, film it, and send it to RE Factor Tactical, they’ll send you an exclusive pouch and add your name to a list of shooters who have also accomplished the drill. This is the first drill I’ve ever shot that has a reward structure in place, with the patch acting like a trophy.
Why does this little patch make me try so much harder? I have no idea, but I wish more people would do similar goal-based drills. If you want a great target and drill to shoot, give the Essentials Target and Kill Card Challenge a try.
Let’s get some patches, ladies and gents!
