The Q-PT and 30 Drills

21-Aug-15 – 15:02 by ToddG


The target has a number of different aiming points with targets zones of varying shape and size:

  • The bottle is similar to the FBI “Q” target and if you only count the part of the bottle above the thin line at the bottom (between the 1-3 and 4-6 dots) it’s similar to the QIT.
  • The large center circle is 6″ diameter (white) and 8″ diameter (grey).
  • The rectangle in the head is 3×5 (grey) with a 1″ thick T.
  • The A, B, and 1-6 grey circles are 2″ in diameter.
  • The two squares are 1″ high & wide.

After multiple requests, here are thirty of the drills found at and how they can used with the Q-PT target:

  1. The 1-2-R-3 drill by JodyH using the 3×5 in the head and either the A circle and its square and/or the B circle and its square.
  2. 1-Reload-2 using the center circle or any other target zone of your choice. I often fire the first shot at the 3×5 and then the followups at the 6″.
  3. 26662 using the white 6″ center circle and any of the 2″ grey circles (A, B, 1-6).
  4. 3-Two-1 using the 3×5 and either the A and its square or the B and its square. I regularly practice this drill until I’ve obliterated one side (A or B) beyond repair and then switch to the other.
  5. 3 by 3 using the large grey outline circle in the center, the 3×5 in the head, and any 2″ grey circle.
  6. The 3×5 Card Drill developed by Chris Edwards of Glock. You can probably figure this one out on your own.
  7. The 4567 Drill using the white 6″ center circle.
  8. A variation of Bill Wilson‘s 5 by 5 Skill Test where the grey outline 8″ circle is zero points down, the rest of the bottle is 3 points down, and missing the bottle altogether is 5 points down.
  9. Another JodyH drill and one of my personal favorites is the 99 Drill. The 3×5 is an obvious target but if you need more space you can use the part of the bottle that is the head (above of the thin grey line) or choose one of the bigger targets as necessary.
  10. Acceleration using the 8″ center circle.
  11. Ball & Dummy drill using the 3×5 or a 2″ circle of your choice.
  12. Bill Wilson‘s Bill Drill 1 and Bill Drill 2 using the grey outlined 8″ center circle.
  13. Changing Gears using the large center 8″ circle and the 3×5 card in the head.
  14. The Circle Drill by George Harris using the 8″ center circle.
  15. You can even do Dot Torture if you’re a little creative with the 2″ circles, remembering that you have two fewer circles to deal with. I usually do the 5 slow shots and 5 1-shot draws to circle A. I do the 1, transition, 1 to circles 1 & 2. Five shots SHO is done on circle 3. The 2, transition, 2 is done on circles 4 & 5. The five WHO shots are done on circle 6. Then I go back up to the top and do the 1R1 part of the test all on Dot B.
  16. El Presidente is pretty straightforward, you just need three Q-PTs. I use the large grey 8″ circle as my A-zone. Keep in mind that in a genuine traditional El Prez, either you get 12 A-zone hits or you fail.
  17. Mike Seeklander‘s Extend, Prep, and Press is easily done using the large 8″ circle and the 3×5 card.
  18. Of course the Q-PT was built around the F.A.S.T. as its core. The large 8″ circle and 3×5 are right there for you.
  19. Frank Garcia‘s Dot Drill works perfectly using the six 2″ dots at the bottom of the target.
  20. Ken Hackathorn‘s 3-second Head Shot Standards was the driving force between putting the thin grey line through the “throat” of the Q-PT. Anything in the bottle above that line counts as a hit.
  21. Kyle Lamb‘s Half & Half can easily be performed using the large 8″ center circle.
  22. The iHack was created specifically as a way to shoot the above-mentioned Hackathorn 3-second Head Shot Standards on a single Q-PT target. You can use either the 2″ circles numbered 1, 2, 3 or the ones numbered 4, 5, 6.
  23. Ernest Langdon’s 3.5 Second Standards can be done by using the head of the bottle (above the thin grey line) as a smaller version of the IDPA head box.
  24. The same can be done for Ernest‘s 9 Second Standards. Each requires three targets.
  25. Press Six was specifically designed around the 1-6 2″ dots at the bottom of the Q-PT.
  26. With five Q-PT targets you can perform the Federal Air Marshal Triple Nickel. Shots have to land completely inside the bottle and above the grey line between the 1-3 and 4-6 dots.
  27. Max Michel‘s Triple Six can be done by using the 8″ circle as the A-zone, the bottle as the D-zone, and anything outside the bottle is a miss. This does make it tougher because there is no delineated C-zone with its corresponding smaller penalty.
  28. Another drill inspired by the Q-PT rather than the other way around, CCT125US‘s Typewriter obviously works very well with this target using the 1-6 2″ circles at the bottom.
  29. Scott Warren‘s Advanced Three Second Standard can be done using the bottle head (above the thin grey neck line) as the acceptable scoring zone. Requires three Q-PT targets.
  30. With a pair of Q-PTs you can shoot the X-Drill using the 3×5 as the small target and the large 8″ center circle as the large target.

Hopefully you’ll find the Q-PT as flexible as I have. I’ll usually go through a few hundred rounds in practice and in class between needing to change targets as long as I keep a bunch of pasters on hand.

Train hard & stay safe! ToddG


  1. 3 Responses to “The Q-PT and 30 Drills”

  2. Great information; thank you very much!

    By DocGKR on Aug 23, 2015

  3. I’ll be ordering some this week!

    By BillP on Aug 23, 2015

  4. I have been using these targets since first attending a class with Todd 4 or 5 years ago. They are my single favorite target. Beyond the 3×5 and eight inch circle, the 8 two inch dots and 2 one inch squares on each target allow you to efficiently do a bunch of accuracy oriented shooting.

    By GJM on Aug 24, 2015

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