It’s cold outside. Even here in Florida, it’s reached the dreaded 40s, and we don’t know what to do! Lord forbid I have to wear a jacket to the range! The good news is that we can heat things up with a drill called Cold Heat.
Cold Heat comes from pistol-training.com, writer SLG. SLG is about as much as we are going to get for a name.
According to SLG’s bio, they are an active duty police officer who started with the NYPD in 1998 and moved to the federal side. SLG has a background as a patrol cop, investigator, firearms instructor, assaulter, and sniper.
His experience includes numerous Middle East deployments and a full-time job on a Federal Tactical team. Needless to say, SLG is more than qualified to teach us a thing or two.
The Cold Heat drill is perfect for every range trip. It’s logistically light and a great way to start your training.
Supplies for the Cold Heat Drill
This is super simple. You’ll need a handgun with an appropriate holster. You only need one magazine, and you likely won’t shoot more than three rounds. Just to be sure, I’d say pack five rounds per run in your magazine at a minimum.
We’ll use a B-8 target, which is easy to find and printable. One thing you can’t escape is a shot timer, which is a must-have. Don’t forget your ear and eye protection. Probably the only tricky thing is having a range that lets you practice your draw.
I used the Ruger RXM with a Defender ST red dot in a 6304RDS Level 3 holster. I wore a Bianchi duty belt to support the rig. I broke out the Club Timer 3, my Liberator 2.0 headphones, and some essential protective glasses.
Cold Heat: Run It Cold
At what point are you shooting the straightest and fastest when training? It’s probably halfway through your range trip. Everything’s smooth, and you’re not tired yet. You’ve broken the rust off.
It’s a lot like working out. My third set is the set I can lift the heaviest on. By midway through your range day, you’re warmed up and feeling good.
I hate to burst your bubble, but midway through your range day isn’t representative of your overall skill. The best representation of your skill is when you arrive at the range and start when you’re cold, for lack of a better term.
The term “performance on demand” perfectly describes Cold Heat. Performance on demand is what you can do as soon as the timer goes off on your first drill of the day. Performance on demand isn’t three practice runs before you try for real.
The entire point of Cold Heat is to run it cold. When you get the range, run one round of Cold Heat, record your time, and track your progress.
The Drill
The drill is so simple. Set a par time on your shot timer of two seconds. Start 5 yards from your target with your handgun holstered. Your hands should be in a placating position as if you’re trying to calm someone down.
I held them palms down, right above my navel.
At the beep, you draw and fire as many rounds as you can in two seconds while keeping your shots in the 9 ring or bullseye of the B8. That’s it. It’s that simple.
SLG describes the standards fairly simply.
If you can make one shot in two seconds, you have met the minimum standard to carry a gun in public.
If you can make two shots in under two seconds, you are qualified to be on a tac team or as a firearms instructor.
If you can make three shots in under 2 seconds, you are, as he describes, at the top of the gunfighter pyramid.
At the very end, SLG says if you can make four shots on target in less than two seconds, you might be spending too much time at the range and not enough time on medical training, physical fitness, etc.
That’s the first time I’ve ever seen an instructor say you might spend too much time shooting, but it’s certainly something to chew on.
My Take
I scored two hits from the draw with the 9mm RXM, which I was quite excited for. I ran the drill daily for a week. Since it takes no time to do, I could run out, try my hand, and do whatever else I had planned.
I never hit three rounds in two seconds, but there were a few times when my second shot was 2.10 and 2.12, which told me my performance wasn’t always on demand and I needed to tighten up a bit.
I also ran it with a Taurus TX-22, a semi-auto .22LR, and scored three shots, but that doesn’t really count since recoil isn’t an issue.
I like the drill. It’s going to become the first thing I do with a handgun when I hit the range to train. I like running drills cold and seeing where I stand, and I’m seeing the importance of cold drills and tracking those drills as if they are the end all, be all.
Getting Hot With Cold Heat
Cold Heat is as simple as it gets. You’ve got some good training in a few rounds, a B8, and 5 yards. One trap you don’t want to fall into is repetitive runs and thinking your fifth run is a valid time compared to your first.
Your first run is the most important, and you should write down and track that first run.
Give Cold Heat a spin and leave the range sweating.
