Bolt Action rifle training - but not "Precision Rifle"

[w squared]

I'm strongly considering taking a course designed to develops mid-range bolt action rifle skills (not a Carbine course, and not a "precision rifle" course) at Gunsite in Arizona this June. I'd travel up with my wife, and make a week-long road trip of it.

http://www.gunsite.com/classes/270-rifle-class/

Between travel costs, ammunition, accommodations, and tuition this endeavor will be likely to cost somewhere between $3500 and $4000....so it's not one that I undertake lightly. Yes - that's a lot of money for a course and I sure could buy a lot of nice shiny glockenschpiels for that money...but I already own serviceable gear for the shooting that I currently do. I'd like to invest in skills instead of buying a reason to spend more money on a bigger gun safe.

I'm 100% aware that this is neither a defensive carbine course, nor is it a precision rifle course. That's fine by me. I have some very good options that are far more accessible (both logistically and financially) for carbine training, and I'm not ready to take a precision rifle course yet. What I'm looking for is a course to strip away some bad habits that I feel I'm safe in assuming have formed and get some better fundamentals in place to improve my intermediate distance rifle shooting.

If I may, I'd like to solicit some input from members here that may have taken this class or other training at Gunsite. I have sold myself on the concept of spending money on training instead of firearms....I'm just looking for some input on the location I'm considering. I've heard plenty of second-hand info about Gunsite and courses there...but I'd place some real value on input from someone who has attended.

[Esq.]

I haven't taken that class, sorry. I DID take the "old rifle" class at Thunder Ranch though which is somewhat like what you are considering. It was worthwhile. I took a pair of Lee Enfields with me....no issues.

[w squared]

Well, here's the AAR for anyone that may be interested.

I took Rifle 270 at Gunsite in Arizone earlier this month. I learned a huge amount in the whole experience, and I have two motivations for sharing. First is to give credit where credit is due (to the Gunsite team) and maybe encourage someone that's one the fence to make the commitment and take the class. Second is that sharing my experience may prevent someone from learning something the hard way.

Dates: June 6th through 10th 2016
It was hot. The desert sun at 5000 feet is not very forgiving....but I live in Houston, and the temperature was far more comfortable in Chino Valley than it was at home in Houston. For a guy who has (mostly) acclimatized to the Gulf Coast, it was easy to stay relatively comfortable in the high desert.

I found that if you made sure that you got ahead of the "hydration curve" and stayed ahead of it throughout the day, the heat was not a problem to manage. The Gunsite staff made sure that there was cold, fresh water available all the time, as well as Gatorade powder so that folks could replace the electrolytes that were leaking out of them. For those of you that have fair skin, you will probably want to make a plan so that when sunscreen just isn't enough anymore, you can get your skin covered by fabric.

Course: Rifle 270
The material was exactly as advertised. Practical rifle craft at ranges from 3 to 300 yards. We shot paper, pepper poppers, gongs, and moving targets. We engaged targets at both known and unknown distances, with gradually increasing time pressure throughout the course. After working on the basics (slinging up, firing positions, sight alignment, trigger control, breathing, establishing zero), we applied all of those fundamentals. First on the square range, and then on three simulators. (more on that later) Subjects covered:
-Safety
-Carry positions (using a sling)
-Ready positions
-Transitions to and from carry positions from ready positions
-Safely turning and engaging a target with a rifle
-Ensuring that the fundamentals are being consistently applied
-Mindset as it applies to the principles of personal defense
-Shooting positions, how to assume them, and how to exit them
-Scanning and assessing after shots
-Gun handling (reloads, working the bolt, clearing malfunctions)
-Snap shooting
-Deliberate shooting


Rangemaster: Bill Halvorsen
Bill is a retired police officer, a first rate instructor, thoroughly professional, and a consummate rifleman. Throughout the course he was 100% focused on making sure that each of us got the most possible from the experience. Bill gave pointed advice when he observed someone experiencing a challenge...and once the advice is given, he gets out of the way and lets the student decide if they are going to invest the effort to fix what's wrong.

Bill took the time to call me a week before the class, and introduce himself. He then asked a few questions to ensure that the equipment I was planning on bringing was suitable for what we'd be doing, and that I was prepared for the realities of a week in various shooting positions in the Arizona desert.

In that first phone call, Bill also let me know that there would only be five students in the class, so I would need 200 to 300 extra rounds of ammunition. He was good to his word, as we ended up firing almost 700 rounds total in the 5 days. The small class size meant that each of us got a huge amount of personal attention.

Rifle: Ruger Gunsite Scout with Leupold VX-R 1.5-5X33 IER
Ammo: Federal Gold Medal Match 168 grain
Modifications: Ruger composite stock, Andy's 1.25" Biothane Rhodesian sling, Brownell's mini-brake, Spec-Tech trigger

The rifle was extremely well suited to what we were doing in the course. I found that the (relatively) light weight, short LOP, and large ocular lens, and position of the scope made it easier for me to meet the standards when looking at snap shooting and moving targets. I used 10 round magazine exclusively during the course, and had no issues whatsoever (I was running 2 polymer Ruger magazines, and the factory steel 10 rounder).

I did have one issue with my trigger - when I put the rifle back into battery, on three occasions the trigger and sear lost engagement, causing the rifle to fire when my finger was not on the trigger. Yes, I know that every person who has ever had an ND in the history of gunpowder has made that claim....but in my case, each time, my hand was on the bolt and Bill observed that not only was my finger not on the trigger - no part of my hand was inside the trigger guard.

A quick trip to see Mike Moore of TAC Drivers at the Gunsmithy got my rifle sorted out. He had Ruger factory parts on hand, and he had me back on the range in less than an hour. A bobtailed commander of mine that was having issues came up in the conversation - so he asked me to bring it in to him and he sorted that out too...on the same day that I dropped it off! When I thanked him for taking such good care of me, Mike seemed to think that it was all in a day's work. To be honest, he left me with the impression that any Gunsite student would receive truly first-rate treatment at the Gunsmithy.

Other equipment:
I did not need as much equipment as I brought. Having the extra equipment was not a problem since it mostly remained in the trunk of the car.

What I DID need, and a few things that I think are a very good idea:
-Sunscreen, a hat, long sleeved shirts. I burn easily in the sun, so I also used a "buff" to protect my neck and face.
-Good eye protection - clear just in case, but good tinted lenses for sure (preferably polarized).
-Loctite already applied to every screw that is associated with your sighting system. The screws that mount your rail to the receiver, the screws that mount your rings to the rail, the screws that hold your scope in the rings, and the screws that hold your aftermarket turret in place on the factory elevation mechanism shaft. (the final one is the only one that I learned the hard way on this particular course)
-A first aid kit. You're going to get minor scrapes, hot spots, etc. A couple band-aids and maybe some medical tape will let you keep your attention on the class instead of trying to keep sand from getting in your cut finger.
-Pocket knife and multi-tool
-A paintbrush. You will have fine dust EVERYWHERE on your rifle. A small or medium sized paintbrush is great for removing it.
-A quality cleaning kit.
-A small vial/dispenser for gun oil.
-Good boots. In addition to time on the range, you will be walking over some moderate terrain.
-A way to carry 40 rounds on your person that doesn't pose a challenge when in various shooting positions. For an RGSR, belt mounted magazine carriers work very well. Understand that whatever you choose, you will be accessing it under some amount of time pressure.
-Lightweight elbow pads. Thin, light, neoprene or foam ones will work just fine. This lets you concentrate on your sights and your trigger press instead of that rock digging into your elbow.
-Lightweight knee pads....see above.
-A water bottle. You are never very far from a source of fresh, cool water during the course...but you'll be filling your bottle and emptying it down your throat constantly. Bring one that is easy to drink out of and doesn't leak all over you.

What I did NOT need:
-Binoculars. We used them, but Bill had enough on hand for the requirement.
-A shooting mat (if you have elbow and knee pads, those will do just fine. A shooting mat is overkill for the amount of time actually spent in the prone.
-A backpack - we were never far from vehicles
-A camelback. I used mine a few times, but it really wasn't needed.
-Lights or gear for shooting at night (that has been moved to Rifle 270)
-Fancy tactical gear


Suggestion:

It will be a huge help if you arrive for the course knowing exactly where you rifle shoots with the ammo you are using (point of impact versus point of aim) at 25, 50, 100, 200, and 300 yards. If you're shooting .308, my personal suggestion would be a POI=POA at 200 yards zero....but whatever you choose, you will get more from the course if you are making adjustments to your shooting instead of making adjustments to your equipment.

What I took home:

First, I enjoyed myself thoroughly. For me the highlight was the simulators - we did "The Scrambler" as well as two simulators that had us walking along a determined path through the scrub and engaging targets at ranges from 50 to 200 yards as they became visible. At the tail end of the week, we did a "shoot off" to determine who was best able to employ the skills they had learned. We took turns in a "round robin" fashion, with each pairing having one winner and one loser. The drill was this: From the standing, engage a pepper popper at 100 yards. Once you have scored a hit, you change to the pepper popper at 200 yards. You may engage that target from any position other than the prone. First one to hit the 200 yard target in each iteration wins.

Second, I was able to see the improvement in both speed and accuracy between Monday and later in the week. By Thursday, by snaps were smoother, with groups that were half the size of what they had been previously, and generally getting each shot off one third to one half second faster than I was on Monday. By Thursday, I was also getting reliable hits on a 10" gong at 400 yards. I like to think that I did not get too sloppy in my old age, and have remained a reasonably competent rifleman. My ability to make shots that anchor feral hogs argues in favor of that...but nowhere near as loudly as graduating "Marksman 1" from 270, and being recognized as the top shot in my course.

Third: When I took the course, I did not have the required flexibility in my hips to properly assume the sitting and squatting positions - I could not get my elbows onto the inside of my knees. That means that my sitting and squatting were only slightly more accurate than my kneeling, which is not the case for those that can use sitting properly. I spoke with Bill after the course, and he suggested that I speak with a chiropractor to steer me in the right direction. I am happy to report that I spoke with one as soon as I got back to Houston, and she was able to "prescribe" some stretches for my hip flexors - and three weeks later I am able to get my elbows on the inside of my knees while seated on the floor. Needless to say, I will be continuing to perform that stretch daily. I will also be incorporating the sitting position into my practice and recreational shooting to the highest degree permitted by the lawyer's rules in place at the local ranges.

There is no doubt that training at Gunsite is an expensive endeavor . I have trained with other instructors at other places that certainly cost less. After all is said and done, I would say that the value of the training that I got at Gunsite was on a par with that provided in the Larry Vickers pistol & carbine classes that I took recently....and that is high praise indeed.

[misfit47]

That's a really good review. You'll be able to use the skills you've learned every time you hit the range.