Login to Favorite

Cold Start CCW Draw

Measure your true CCW draw speed with a cold start draw.

Cold Start CCW Draw Pistol Drill

Members can run saved par times.

Get All Access Training
Table of Contents hide
1. Drill Setup
2. Drill Steps
3. Drill Tips
4. Drill Diagnostics

Primary Skills:

Summer Practical Pistol Course

What is the Cold Start CCW Draw Drill?

A lot of people claim to have a sub second draw because they accomplished it on a shot timer that one time 20 minutes into a practice session. That is not a true sub second draw skill.

Someone who truly has a sub second draw can do it on demand and with consistency.

This drill should only ever be done at the beginning of a training session or randomly during the day as a one off. Don’t measure your draw time repeatedly throughout a training session.

This is also the only drill on the site that is a draw to a single shot. That is because the draw to a single shot in of itself isn’t very useful and repeatedly doing just that can create bad habits of a slow second shot. But since this drill is intended to measure a baseline of the draw to first shot and shouldn’t be run repeatedly, a single shot is fine.

How to Setup

Drill Setup

  • 1 Target at 7 yards
  • Start position: Gun loaded and holstered, wrists below belt
  • Round count: 1
How to Dry Fire

Drill Steps

  1. At the beep draw and engage the target with one shot

Drill Tips

This is not a drill with the purpose of honing and improving skills. This is to be used to measure a baseline and nothing more. Don’t over think it – just use it to get your baseline.

If you want extra confidence in your baseline, run this three times in a row. Your worst time is your baseline.

Drill Diagnostics

To measure your “draw to first shot baseline,” run this drill three times in a row. Your worst time is your baseline. Knowing your baseline and consistency is very useful for any self defender. Knowing how fast and consistently you can get the gun out and on target helps you gauge whether you can safely counter ambush.

Don't know what drills to run to meet your goals?

Try out a virtual training call to talk with Brian about shooting goals, training methods, and drills to best meet those goals.

Drill Environment

More Drill Modifications

Conceal Carry General Modifications Movement Push Speed Tighten Accuracy

Modifications to focus on: Conceal Carry

Modifications to focus on: General Modifications

Modifications to focus on: Movement

Modifications to focus on: Push Speed

  • Broaden what is considered “acceptable accuracy” - More info »
  • Decrease the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Increase the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Move targets closer - More info »
  • Put a black dot on the main point of aim on the target - More info »

Modifications to focus on: Tighten Accuracy

Modifications to focus on: Transitions

  • Decrease the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Don’t pull the trigger during transitions - More info »
  • Increase the distance laterally between targets - More info »
  • Transition from outside targets of an array and work inwards - More info »

Summer Practical Pistol Course

Join me for a three month virtual training program!

Learn More