7–15 yd
Distance
24
Rounds
1
Reps
24
Total Rounds
The John Adams is the Tactical Games take on El Presidente — two guns, six alternating IPSC-style silhouettes, and a full reload cycle on each weapon. Six targets stand in a row — three white and three gray. Rifle owns the gray targets (T2, T4, T6) from 15 yd (14 m); pistol owns the white targets (T1, T3, T5) from 7 yd (6 m). You run the El Pres pattern twice on each gun with a mandatory reload in the middle, then transition to the handgun for the same dance up close.
Start standing in the rifle box with rifle at high ready, buttstock touching belt, pistol unloaded and holstered. On the beep, engage T2, T4, and T6 with two rifle rounds each — six rounds total — then execute a mandatory reload and put two more into each of the same three targets. Show clear, sling the rifle, and sprint to the pistol box at 7 yd (6 m). Draw, load the pistol, and run the same pattern on T1, T3, T5 — two rounds each, reload, two rounds each. Total round count: 12 rifle, 12 pistol.
Score on time plus miss penalties. Only A-zone and T-zone (head) hits count — any round outside either scoring zone is a miss. The drill rewards shooters who can commit to clean doubles under transition stress and keep each reload from burning an extra second. Track your rifle split, transition (sling + move + draw + load), and pistol split separately — the transition time usually tells you whether you’re training the gun change or just the shooting.
Range Setup
Setup
Six IPSC / PCSL silhouette targets in a straight line, evenly spaced (about 1 yd / 1 m apart).
Target sequence (left to right): T1 white, T2 gray, T3 white, T4 gray, T5 white, T6 gray.
Rifle box at 15 yd (14 m) from the targets, centered on the array.
Pistol box at 7 yd (6 m) from the targets, centered on the array.
Rifle loaded with one magazine of 6, plus one spare magazine of 6 on belt.
Pistol unloaded and holstered, two magazines of 6 on belt.
Full Tactical Games kit.
Start position: standing in the rifle box, rifle at high ready with buttstock touching belt.
Scoring
A-zone or T-zone (head) hits only — any round outside either scoring zone counts as a miss.
Two rounds per target on each pass, six rounds per gun per pass, twelve rounds per gun total.
Total time = raw time + (misses × penalty per match rules, typically 5 seconds).
Mandatory reload between the two passes on each gun — skipping a reload is a penalty or DQ per match rules.
Tips
Don't rush the gun change — a controlled sling + move + draw + load beats a rushed transition that costs a fumble.
Progression
Add a par time once raw runs are clean.
Require concealment for the pistol draw.
Start seated or kneeling at the rifle box.
Mirror the stage — pistol first at 7 yd (6 m), then rifle at 15 yd (14 m).
Force half the rounds to T-zone (head) only to blend precision with speed.