90s
Par Time
10–25 yd
Distance
24
Rounds
1
Reps
24
Total Rounds
Throttle Control is a Tactical Games Time Plus stage that stacks the three things athletes drop reps on in competition: mandatory reloads, a clean rifle-to-pistol transition, and precise shot placement while the clock bleeds. You run the drill across two shooting boxes with three targets staggered downrange at 10 yd (10 m), 18 yd (18 m), and 25 yd (25 m). The aggregate version combines all four passes — two rifle, two pistol — into a single rep with a 90-second time cap.
Start in the shooting box of your choice. Pistol unloaded and holstered, rifle loaded and at high ready with the buttstock touching your belt. On the beep, engage each target with 2 rounds to the head box using the rifle, near to far. Perform a mandatory reload, move to the second box, and re-engage the three targets with 2 head shots each, far to near. Clear and sling the rifle, draw the pistol, and deliver 2 torso hits per target from that same box, near to far. Perform a mandatory reload, return to your original start box, and close out with 2 torso hits per target, far to near. Twenty-four rounds total (Rifle 2×6, Pistol 2×6), 90 seconds.
The drill punishes wasted motion. Reloads that start after the athlete has stopped moving, transitions fumbled at the sling, and rushed head shots at 25 yd all eat the same clock. Track total time and misses separately — a miss on a head box is worth fixing before you chase seconds. For athletes prepping for a Tactical Games match, run the stage cold at the start of a training day; that is how you will meet it on the range.
Range Setup
Setup
3 targets (IPSC, USPSA, or equivalent paper silhouette with a marked head box) placed in one straight line at 10 yd (10 m), 18 yd (18 m), and 25 yd (25 m) from the shooting boxes.
2 shooting boxes positioned side by side at the near shooting line, roughly 5 yd (5 m) apart.
Rifle: loaded, at high ready with buttstock touching belt.
Pistol: unloaded, holstered.
Gear: full Tactical Games kit (plate carrier, belt, sling, holster).
Start position: standing in one of the two boxes, athlete's choice.
Scoring
Time Plus format, 90-second time cap.
24 rounds total: Rifle 2x6 head shots, Pistol 2x6 torso hits.
Score on total elapsed time plus penalties.
Each miss or hit outside the scoring zone adds a fixed time penalty (per match rules, typically 5-10 seconds).
Missed mandatory reload or procedural error: per match rules.
Any round not fired under the 90-second cap counts as a miss.
Tips
Start your reloads during movement, not after you arrive — the clock does not care where your hands are.
Progression
Drop the time cap and score on raw time once hits are consistent.
Tighten the scoring zone — head box only on the rifle portion, A-zone only on the pistol portion.
Run the drill cold at the start of a training day.
Add a required malfunction clearance on the rifle reload.
Extend the distance spread to 12 yd (12 m), 20 yd (20 m), 30 yd (30 m) for advanced reps.
Run back-to-back for 3 aggregates and score on the slowest time.