SpyderMan2k4
07-08-12, 17:55
We just finished up class (about three hours ago, actually) and I wanted to write my first AAR while it was still fresh in my mind. First, I want to thank Shawn L. and Grey Group Training (and everyone else involved) for organizing, and LAV for instructing a terrific class. This was my first bit of formal training, and it did not disappoint.
When a friend asked, "What exactly are you doing in the class" my response was, "well... specifically, I'm not sure." I then read just about every AAR I could find to get an idea of what to expect, and the class proved previous AARs spot on. Larry Vickers stresses accuracy and trigger control far more than anything else. Most issues can be minimized if you have good trigger control. Because of this, LAV doesn't settle for A zone hits. He uses paper targets, with the "black" being 5.5" in diameter. Missing the black made you feel horrible, but in reality even misses in the white were much tighter groups than if we just shot at silhouette targets.
I don't want to make this too long of a post, so here are some things that really stood out to me.
The Drills
We started with groups at 3, 6, and 9 yards to establish a baseline. We then went into a bit of dryfire using an empty case on the front sight. The real challenge came when we had to break the shot in .3 seconds.
Shooting weak hand at 5 yards, strong hand at 10 yards, and both hands at 15 yards. It was nice to mix it up a little bit.
Reset drill- Larry teaches to reset during recoil. This is where a lot of your speed will come from. To practice dry, we would fire (and continue to hold the trigger to the rear), and have a partner move the slide. While they moved the slide, we were to let the trigger out to reset. For me personally, this was excellent. Even doing it slow took a little getting used to. To practice it live, we pointed (not even aimed) at the berm. As LAV put it, "I don't care if you don't look at your sights, I don't care if you jerk the trigger, only focus on the reset." Because I was always so used to feeling the reset right after recoil, it was actually very strange feeling to reset during recoil, but it actually helped my sights line up quicker and it was clear how much faster this can make a shooter.
The test and half-test. The test is 10 rounds at 10 yards in 10 seconds from the low ready. The half test is 10 rounds at 5 yards in 5 seconds (also from the low ready). You can certainly increase rounds or decrease time as you progress. This is a pretty good measuring stick, especially as one becomes a better shooter over time.
Shooting on the move. I've never had a class, I don't shoot any competition, and my range is a static range only, so I've done very little shooting while moving. Forward and backward weren't overly difficult, but shooting while walking figure 8's was a real challenge for me. I will now be incorporating a laser into my dry practice around the house to work on keeping the gun (reasonably) steady while moving.
There were many other great drills, but these stood out as definite things for me to work on (beyond pure accuracy).
The Teams
To help induce stress, nearly every drill we had was followed by a team drill. We had 21 people in class, so we had 3 teams of 7; F*** Tom Brady, Short Bus (recommended by LAV), and Donkey Sluts (I think... we called them all kinds of names, so I can't remember which one it was for sure). It's easy to write off a miss on your target when shooting as an individual, but it's a tough blow when you miss and the team is counting on you.
This held 100% true for me specifically, as I blew it big time on the last team drill of the entire class. (We were shooting 3 steel targets. Fire 3 rounds, reload, then 3 more strong hand only. I got so focused on a speed reload and making my hits, I forgot about the whole "weak hand only" thing and fired my first shot after the reload with both hands... thus disqualifying my team), sorry again F*** Tom Brady :(
Overall, the team element added a major level of both fun and competitiveness. I think the entire class had a pretty good time with it. Racing the clock really pushed the skills of myself and others.
Guns and Malfunctions
The variety of guns was about what you'd expect. There was an HK (didn't catch what model, sorry), a 1911, a Sig P226 (I believe), an XD, and the rest were pretty evenly split between Glocks and M&Ps. There were a few malfunctions, and it gave Mr. Vickers the perfect opportunity to be very blunt in his distaste for certain things, specifically M&Ps and Gen4 Glocks.
I should have taken note on exactly what stoppages happened on what guns, but I'll do my best (if anyone remembers more accurately, please correct me).
LAV had a failure to feed on a fresh magazine on his Gen1. There were at least 2 or 3 FTEs on different M&Ps, there was a Gen4 that had some FTE problems, and I believe a pretty new (400 rounds) Gen 3 that also had a few FTE problems at the beginning of TDI (I believe it got better as the class went on). There may have been more, but I can't say for sure.
The weather was HOT (on TD1, TD2 wasn't too bad). Everyone in the class seemed like very solid individuals. A very cool group of guys (and 1 very nice young lady). Skill levels ranged a bit from top to bottom, but nobody held up the class or anything like that (saying a lot for the shooters as well as Larry as an instructor). Larry is hilariously straight forward in his approach, and it's hard not to laugh. There were a few times when the guy shooting next to my any I missed our shots because we were laughing too hard.
It was an awesome experience, and like buying guns, now that I've taken my first class I'm hooked. I'm already looking at a few more in the next few months to take. It was a great weekend. Thanks again to Larry Vickers, and all the shooters that attended for an awesome class.
When a friend asked, "What exactly are you doing in the class" my response was, "well... specifically, I'm not sure." I then read just about every AAR I could find to get an idea of what to expect, and the class proved previous AARs spot on. Larry Vickers stresses accuracy and trigger control far more than anything else. Most issues can be minimized if you have good trigger control. Because of this, LAV doesn't settle for A zone hits. He uses paper targets, with the "black" being 5.5" in diameter. Missing the black made you feel horrible, but in reality even misses in the white were much tighter groups than if we just shot at silhouette targets.
I don't want to make this too long of a post, so here are some things that really stood out to me.
The Drills
We started with groups at 3, 6, and 9 yards to establish a baseline. We then went into a bit of dryfire using an empty case on the front sight. The real challenge came when we had to break the shot in .3 seconds.
Shooting weak hand at 5 yards, strong hand at 10 yards, and both hands at 15 yards. It was nice to mix it up a little bit.
Reset drill- Larry teaches to reset during recoil. This is where a lot of your speed will come from. To practice dry, we would fire (and continue to hold the trigger to the rear), and have a partner move the slide. While they moved the slide, we were to let the trigger out to reset. For me personally, this was excellent. Even doing it slow took a little getting used to. To practice it live, we pointed (not even aimed) at the berm. As LAV put it, "I don't care if you don't look at your sights, I don't care if you jerk the trigger, only focus on the reset." Because I was always so used to feeling the reset right after recoil, it was actually very strange feeling to reset during recoil, but it actually helped my sights line up quicker and it was clear how much faster this can make a shooter.
The test and half-test. The test is 10 rounds at 10 yards in 10 seconds from the low ready. The half test is 10 rounds at 5 yards in 5 seconds (also from the low ready). You can certainly increase rounds or decrease time as you progress. This is a pretty good measuring stick, especially as one becomes a better shooter over time.
Shooting on the move. I've never had a class, I don't shoot any competition, and my range is a static range only, so I've done very little shooting while moving. Forward and backward weren't overly difficult, but shooting while walking figure 8's was a real challenge for me. I will now be incorporating a laser into my dry practice around the house to work on keeping the gun (reasonably) steady while moving.
There were many other great drills, but these stood out as definite things for me to work on (beyond pure accuracy).
The Teams
To help induce stress, nearly every drill we had was followed by a team drill. We had 21 people in class, so we had 3 teams of 7; F*** Tom Brady, Short Bus (recommended by LAV), and Donkey Sluts (I think... we called them all kinds of names, so I can't remember which one it was for sure). It's easy to write off a miss on your target when shooting as an individual, but it's a tough blow when you miss and the team is counting on you.
This held 100% true for me specifically, as I blew it big time on the last team drill of the entire class. (We were shooting 3 steel targets. Fire 3 rounds, reload, then 3 more strong hand only. I got so focused on a speed reload and making my hits, I forgot about the whole "weak hand only" thing and fired my first shot after the reload with both hands... thus disqualifying my team), sorry again F*** Tom Brady :(
Overall, the team element added a major level of both fun and competitiveness. I think the entire class had a pretty good time with it. Racing the clock really pushed the skills of myself and others.
Guns and Malfunctions
The variety of guns was about what you'd expect. There was an HK (didn't catch what model, sorry), a 1911, a Sig P226 (I believe), an XD, and the rest were pretty evenly split between Glocks and M&Ps. There were a few malfunctions, and it gave Mr. Vickers the perfect opportunity to be very blunt in his distaste for certain things, specifically M&Ps and Gen4 Glocks.
I should have taken note on exactly what stoppages happened on what guns, but I'll do my best (if anyone remembers more accurately, please correct me).
LAV had a failure to feed on a fresh magazine on his Gen1. There were at least 2 or 3 FTEs on different M&Ps, there was a Gen4 that had some FTE problems, and I believe a pretty new (400 rounds) Gen 3 that also had a few FTE problems at the beginning of TDI (I believe it got better as the class went on). There may have been more, but I can't say for sure.
The weather was HOT (on TD1, TD2 wasn't too bad). Everyone in the class seemed like very solid individuals. A very cool group of guys (and 1 very nice young lady). Skill levels ranged a bit from top to bottom, but nobody held up the class or anything like that (saying a lot for the shooters as well as Larry as an instructor). Larry is hilariously straight forward in his approach, and it's hard not to laugh. There were a few times when the guy shooting next to my any I missed our shots because we were laughing too hard.
It was an awesome experience, and like buying guns, now that I've taken my first class I'm hooked. I'm already looking at a few more in the next few months to take. It was a great weekend. Thanks again to Larry Vickers, and all the shooters that attended for an awesome class.