The Art of Reloading in Competitive Shooting
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Introduction
Hey all! 6-1 here again, bringing some content regarding the illustrious act of reloading in a competition context. With this topic, I’m keeping it specific to non-retention reloads. I will not be covering retention reloads, where one stores the ejected magazine on their person as required by certain shooting leagues.
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With that said, let’s get into it!
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There are two questions that we need to address about reloading:
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- Why are we reloading?
- When should we do it?
This sounds obvious, but it should be addressed. The “why” is simple; we want more bullets in the gun. It’s the act of ejecting the currently seated magazine (which we’ve shot some number of rounds out of), acquiring another one (that should have more rounds in it), throwing it into the gun, and getting back to work. More bullets in the gun means that we have more rounds to finish the stage.
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The “when” is less simple, but it comes down to finding a lull. We want to cram mags into the gun when we’re not intending to shoot, as to maximize efficiency. I’ll talk more about the “when” down below.
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I can attest that after 2 years of competition experience (at 77% [A] rank at the time of writing), that being able to perform consistent reloads is an essential skill if you want to progress. Many classifiers require them. You will for sure see ’em in local briefings, and anything level 2 or higher you’re definitely reloading.
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Now let’s get into the meat and potatoes of doing the thing.
When To ReloadÂ
First off is figuring out when to do it. The first obvious answer is when the stage brief tells you. However, not every stage specifically tells you when to reload.
For higher round count stages that don’t dictate a reload, it’s a matter of figuring out where. The ideal reloads in longer stages are performed on the move, between positions during lulls in fire. This will generally maximize efficiency. I have reloaded after shooting 4 rounds, and reloaded after shooting all of them. The goal here is to not break your “flow” of shooting cadence. Ideally, you’ll be shooting as fast as your eyes can acquire targets. Sometimes stages are designed such that the reload will break your flow. Don’t sweat it too much. Just execute and get to work.
How: Part 1 - Defining Techniques
Before I speak a word on what to do to perform a reload, I want to state something. As always, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to doing anything technical in this sport. At the end of the day, what you can do quickly, and most importantly, consistently, is what’s most important. What I describe here is what has worked for me, and what I’ve discussed with fellow competitors. To this end, take this information with a grain of salt, and add variation (as necessary) to achieve speedy and consistent reloads.
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As mentioned, don’t fret too much about not looking like some of the big names while reloading. I’ve seen GM level shooters do everything from pulling the weapon all the way down and back into their workspace (the immediate area in front of your body where you manipulate the firearm), to essentially keeping the gun as high up and on sightline as possible. Again, what can be done consistently is what’s most important. Let’s talk mechanics.
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I’ve done two things: the Wick Flick, and a second technique that presently (based on what the timer tells me), is a bit more efficient. I’ll cover both, but the former only briefly. I’m gonna break this process into three phases: gun manipulation, offhand manipulation, and then their marriage at the end of the reload. Note that reloading is not “N” distinct acts, but should be thought of as one continuous act.
How: Part 2 - Out With the Old, Grabbing the New
Starting off the moment I’m done engaging the last planned target, I get into the reload. First I depress the magazine release, while simultaneously reaching for the next magazine and pulling the gun into my workspace. These should not be separate actions, but a harmony of motion. The efficient method I’ve been training lately consists of keeping the gun as close to eye line as comfortable. Doing so will allow you to then make minimal motions in getting the gun back online. The Wick Flick dictates a flick (nominally outwards first) while getting that next magazine to where it needs to be, ideally getting the gun rotated back to a good angle to insert the magazine comfortably. The key there is to make damn sure that magazine button is depressed before flick initiation, otherwise you’ll lose the rotational momentum needed to yeet it. Ask me how I know.
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When grabbing the new magazine with your offhand, you want to have a good, firm grip on as much of the magazine as your setup allows. You’ll want your index finger indexed along the front edge of the magazine upon pull too. This provides a visual and proprioceptive reference of where the magazine is pointed. Your elbow will be rocked upwards and out at this point. Once the magazine is in hand and clear of its pouch, the elbow rocks back down and the arm starts pushing to the gun. Ensure your wrist is kept straight as you approach the magwell. Weird kinks in the wrist result in inconsistencies in positioning, which are the enemy of consistency and speed.
How Part 3: Gassing It Up
The final phase is getting that magazine into the gun. This process is described by many with the “90-10 rule”: give it 100% gas in the first 90% of the distance of getting the new magazine to your magwell, and in that last 10%, make positive visual identification that you have good alignment and slam it home. That last motion is essentially palm striking the magazine into the platform. With the arm moving to seat the mag, pull the index finger back while angling the wrist back (your fingers will naturally curl a bit) and use the lower part of your palm and resistance with the gun to slam the mag in hard. Upon contact, avoid bouncing off the basepad while rolling the offhand back into full grip.
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In the early stages it’s gonna feel like a long pause positively ID’ing alignment, and it definitely will under the timer. I can attest, however, that the beep-beep-bully-box tells me my best reloads occur when I accurately make that identification in the last 10%. A magwell makes this even more trivial.
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This is all easier said than done however, so enjoy the footage of me doing it, and get to practicing in dry fire. You’ll 100% feel it when you get it. Small pointers that I’ve noticed in my training is that when Wick Flicking, holding the gun for just a hair in the full outward flick helps to ensure the magazine is fully out, avoiding sort of just banging the mag around in the grip as it slowly falls down. Similar goes with the more efficient reload: keeping the gun vertical until you’re sure the magazine has cleared the well is imperative before turning it, otherwise it will slow down exit or stop it altogether. The timing of these acts isn’t really something that can be expressed in words and simply must be practiced to understand.
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With that, I’ll wrap up this article with a short summary of the main points for reloading by phase.
Summary
Reload Points:
• Motions should be performed in harmony, not sequentially
• Index the magazine with your index finger, and keep the wrist straight after the elbow goes down
• 90-10 visual verification of good entry alignment before…
• … a solid palm strike to get the magazine in
• If Wick Flicking, verify mag exit before the return flick (will feel like a delay)
• If not Wick Flicking, keep the gun vertical and verify mag exit before angling in for receipt
• Make sure you slam it home and roll the hand right back into grip
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Thanks for reading! Go out and get some!
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