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What is the Box to Box Drill?
Box to box movement is simple, easy to setup, and works a variety of practical pistol skills. The Box to Box drill’s key is leaving as soon as possible on the exit and shooting as soon as possible upon entering the next position.
The Box to Box drill is quite versatile and can be modified in many ways to keep the training variety fresh and diversifying the shooting skills worked on.
This type of setup shows up in shooting competitions and these skills are easily applicable to defensive shooting.
If you shoot USPSA, there are quite a few classifiers that follow this format making it a great one to work on.
Drill Setup
- 3 Targets at 7 yards from the back boxes, 1 yard between targets. Four shooting positions forming a square with 3 yards between the positions.
- Start position: standing in one of the positions, gun loaded and holstered, wrists below belt.
- 48 shots required, with 12 per string.
Drill Steps
- At the beep, draw and engage the three targets with two shots each.
- Move to the next position.
- Engage the three targets with two shots each.
- Reset for the second string, start position is in the shooting position just finished in.
- Repeat moving around from box to box in all four directions.
Optional bonus repetitions of the drill is moving diagonally between positions.
Drill Modifications
- Move the boxes farther apart for longer movements with a greater top speed.
- Move the boxes closer to about one yard.
- Add a reload during the movement – at any distance.
- Instead of having one array of targets, have two different arrays of mixed targets in front of either position.
Drill Tips
Small accelerating and decelerating steps are the way to smoothly and efficiently build up speed and decelerate into position. We don’t want to have leaping bounding steps as they will destabilize the sights. Large steps are good for top speed and small steps are good for acceleration and deceleration. Use small steps on entering a position to smoothly decelerate.
When entering a position, square up shoulders on where the targets will be. This rotates the shoulders and the hips and legs will follow so you’re squared up on target rather than entering into position and then turning to the targets then firing.
Creep in/out of position. You don’t need to be 100% set up with planted feet to engage the targets. So try engaging the targets while still getting setup on entry, and try engaging targets while beginning to leave the position. “Shoot sooner, leave sooner” as the saying goes.
Drill Diagnostics
It is important to watch for the sights while entering the position. Wait for the sights to stabilize and enter the area of acceptable accuracy. You don’t need to wait for the sights to completely stop and become perfectly still on target, you just need them to enter the area of acceptable accuracy – once they do, break the shot.
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Drill Environment
More Drill Modifications
Modifications to focus on: Conceal Carry
- Add walls to lean around - More info »
- Move through a door - More info »
- Start drills with something in your hand - More info »
- Start from a seated position - More info »
- Turn the lights out and use a flashlight - More info »
- Use a variety of your daily wear clothing - More info »
