Ignite Your Red Dot Mastery: Crush the War HOGG Legendary 5 Shot Red Dot Pistol Drill and Become Unstoppable!
Introduction to Rick Hogg's Five Shot Drill
The War HOGG Tactical's Five Shot Drill, stands as a cornerstone of pistol training developed by Rick Hogg, a 29-year U.S. Army Special Operations combat veteran and founder of War HOGG Tactical.
The War HOGG 5 shot drill serves as a staple drill in our Project Officer Survival Free Law Enforcement Red Dot Pistol course and our open enrollment War HOGG Pistol courses. The 5 Shot Drill is where it integrates pistol marksmanship fundamentals skills like efficient presentation, constant grip pressure, recoil recoverability and consistent draws into one powerful, diagnostic sequence.
The War HOGG 5 shot drill is far from a simple rhythmic or "cadence" exercise, something I dislikes labeling it as, the 5 shot drill emphasizes shooting as quickly, accurately, and effectively as possible while tracking the red dot's movement through recoil, often described as seeing a "red streak" from the red dot optic that lifts and returns to the target.
Required Equipment and Setup
The drill requires minimal equipment and ammunition, making it highly accessible yet profoundly insightful. Shooters need a red dot-equipped pistol, I'm running the Aimpoint Acro P-2, three magazines loaded with fifteen rounds each, a quality holster and mag pouch, the War HOGG Tactical Training Target, or a eight-inch circle target such as a B8 bullseye or even a simple paper plate, and a shot timer to capture your shooting performance data and your copy of The Firearms Training Notebook to record your shooting performance data. The setup involves marking distances at 5, 7, and 10 yards, with a fresh target used for each stage to ensure clear feedback on grouping and hits. You can skip the 7 meter and go to 15 if you have the skillset.
War HOGG 5 Shot Drill Execution
Execution begins holstered with hands relaxed at your side or above your waist. At the timer's beep conduct and explosive draw and fires five rounds into the target circle as fast as accurate hits permit. Repeat 2 more times recording your shooting performance data in The Firearms Training Notebook, don't forget to use the note section to make both good and bad notes from the run.
The process repeats identically at 7 meters to challenge consistency under slightly increased distance and repeat at 10 meters. Throughout, the focus remains small point on the target, like the X on the bullseye, observing the red dot's recoil behavior, watching it lift straight up and snap back as a blur, firing the next shot the moment it returns without waiting for perfect alignment. This builds intuitive recoil management and rapid follow-ups, with ideal split times hovering somewhere around 0.2 to 0.3 seconds.
Shooting Performance Data Collection via The Firearms Training Notebook and Diagnostic Value
What makes the drill exceptionally valuable is its data-driven nature. Shooters record first-shot time, individual splits between shots, overall time per run, and hits or misses, using The Firearms Training Notebook for structured logging. This information reveals weaknesses, such as uneven splits indicating grip or trigger issues, slower performance at distance highlighting draw inefficiencies, or erratic dot movement signaling poor recoil control allowing targeted improvement through dry fire or live practice. Running multiple strings per session, ideally three to five, amplifies these insights while keeping ammo use low.
Key Coaching Points and Philosophy
My guidance stresses aggression tempered by precision: trust the returning red blur as your cue to fire, maintain a firm high grip to minimize flip, and avoid robotic rhythms in favor of intuitive, threat-driven shooting. Many students that attend a War HOGG Tactical firearms training course describe it as a newfound favorite for dramatically shaving times and building real-world confidence, whether for concealed carry, law enforcement duty, or competitive pursuits. By embodying my philosophy of becoming 1% better every day, the Five Shot Drill transforms red dot users from competent to dominant, turning the optic into a true extension of skill forged through deliberate, measurable practice.
Train Hard, Stay Safe and see you "On The Range" - Rick
Rick Hogg is the owner of War HOGG Tactical, providing firearms, tactical, and K9 training to civilians, law enforcement, and military units nationwide. He is a 29-year U.S. Army Special Operations combat veteran, former SOF K9 handler, and Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course instructor bringing decades of real-world experience to each course.
Rick is also the co-host of the On the Range Podcast, featuring a wide range of guests and conversations on current events, firearms training, personal development, and more.
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