30 cal slut
10-12-10, 21:11
Vickers Tactical Two Day Pistol and Carbine
Location: Metacon Gun Club, Simsbury, CT (LAV's first class in the nutmeg state).
Dates: Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9.
Class size: Sixteen, comprised mostly of civilians with some LEO's. Attendees hailed from NJ, NY, CT, and MA.
Instructor philosophy:
What exactly does "Speed is Fine, Accuracy is Final" mean?
This saying or variations of it is very old and attributable to famous gunfighters such as Wyatt Earp. The basic concept is a shooter can become faster with practice but being accurate takes work and skill – and accurate shots on target are the only thing guaranteed to end the fight in your favor. Make no mistake speed is important but not at the expense of a reasonable degree of accuracy. Remember the old adage of "you can’t miss fast enough to win" – my motto is simply another way of saying that.
TD1: Pistol
I believe that LAV starts off his combination pistol and carbine classes by tackling the pistol first, because the pistol is more difficult to shoot accurately than the carbine. Moreover, the skills required to shoot a pistol accurately are of course transferable to the carbine.
The day started at 9 am with a brief discussion of proper grip, followed by a good hour's worth of dry fire, so that LAV could gauge the skill level of the class and get the class focused on shooting accurately. The dry fire drills emphasized the overriding importance of perfect trigger control, and included dry-firing with an empty case on the front sight, and dry firing from the low ready and the holster. LAV then incorporated some unpredictable dry and live fire (via several variations of the classic ball and dummy partner drill) to help students ferret out the dreaded "El Snatcho" software virus, and apply remedial action to nip bad habits (i.e., anticipatory trigger snatching) in the bud. The last of the dry fire drills, which helps to bridge the shooter from single to multiple shots, was a trigger reset drill.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0337.jpg
The second topic that LAV covered was sight alignment. At close range, sight alignment is secondary to trigger control in importance, and this was first highlighted by an explanation of the wobble zone and how our brains exaggerate perceived wobble. LAV then demonstrated that a shooter could get rounds acceptably on target if the top of the front and rear sights are parallel, even if the front and rear sights are not perfectly aligned or even misaligned. Lesson here: at ten yards and under, shooters have much more margin for error in sight alignment than they do for snatching the trigger. For many students in the class, this was an "Aha!" moment.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0343.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0340.jpg
The remainder of TD1 was conducted live fire, in individual and team drills. Additional topics covered included proper draw from the holster, presentation, follow-through and scan/assess, emergency reload (I noted that most students had no formal training in this very important manipulation), and the infamous" walkback" drill in which shooters engaged a steel target from as far back as 100 yards (we note that Jerry H surprised the hell out of all of us by completing the walk-back with his Glock).
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0361.jpg
Pistol Equipment: Mostly Glocks, an M&P :D , one Beretta 92F and a Taurus. Not surprisingly, the lone Taurus experienced multiple FTF's.
TD2: Carbine
LAV kicked off the carbine segment of the class with a discussion of the capabilities of the M4 carbine and a discussion of preferred optic zeroes (for most defensively-minded civilian and law enforcement shooters, a 100 yard zero is most useful). After demonstrating the prone shooting position, LAV had the class spend a good hour sighting optics in at 100 yards. This was a bit of a shock to some shooters, who were not accustomed to engaging a target with an unmagnified red dot sight out to 100 yards on the relatively small NRA B-8C(P) repair center bullseye target (with a 5.5 inch diameter inner circle).
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0366.jpg
The students were then introduced to the concept of point of aim vs. point of impact, and how point of impact changes at various distances (if a shooter is zeroed at 100 yards, the shooter will need to adjust point of aim 3+ inches high at 25 yards to hit the desired point of impact).
LAV then introduced the various shooting positions by combining a demonstration of positions with the 100 yard aggregate drill (10 shots at 100 yards from prone, 10 from 75 yards sitting, 10 from 50 yards kneeling, and 10 from 25 yards standing). Again, this proved to be somewhat new for many shooters who up until this class were accustomed to shooting a rifle seated from the bench ("I haven't gone kneeling since the Boy Scouts.")
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0369.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0376.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0381.jpg
The remainder of TD2 live fire was conducted at close range to the targets (again, new for folks used to shooting at targets at 100 yards from a bench). Remaining topics covered included carbine presentation, reloads, transition to weak shoulder (awkward for many), transition to pistol, and shooting on the move (which most participants had not done before).
Paul V at the low ready, trigger finger at the register position, and he is always muzzle-aware.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0394.jpg
Shooter Mike D starting with the strong side ...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0392.jpg
A moment later, he is on the weak side ...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0401.jpg
Justin demonstrates the transition to pistol.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0405.jpg
Carbine Equipment: AR's of various makes, many in so-called "post-ban" configuration. A few had some muzzle brakes that generated huge concussions and actually gave LAV a headache. Optics included various Aimpoints, an Eotech, a few ACOGs, and one or two "budget" red-dot. Most of the slings were Blue Force Gear VCAS variants. There were no reported rifle failures, but one budget optic did go down.
Training takeaways: For the majority of the students, this was the first formal pistol and carbine course. By the end of TD2, many students showed improvement in pistol accuracy, and came away with a better appreciation of what a carbine can do in trained hands. I believe LAV did his (usual) outstanding job informing and entertaining the class.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Class High Shooters:
Safariland, Vickers Tactical and Grey Group Training would like to congratulate George S. for winning the "Safariland High Shooter Award" for this class. George will receive $150 of Safariland gear of his choice.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0402.jpg
http://www.safariland.com/fw/logo.jpg
http://www.safariland.com
Also...
Tango Down, Vickers Tactical and Grey Group Training are pleased to award Bob M (in blue shirt below) the "Tango Down High Shooter Award" for this class. Bob will be receiving his $100 Tango Down product certificate in the mail shortly.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0383.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/va_dinger/TangoDownLogo.png
http://www.tangodown.com
Way to go, guys!
Location: Metacon Gun Club, Simsbury, CT (LAV's first class in the nutmeg state).
Dates: Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9.
Class size: Sixteen, comprised mostly of civilians with some LEO's. Attendees hailed from NJ, NY, CT, and MA.
Instructor philosophy:
What exactly does "Speed is Fine, Accuracy is Final" mean?
This saying or variations of it is very old and attributable to famous gunfighters such as Wyatt Earp. The basic concept is a shooter can become faster with practice but being accurate takes work and skill – and accurate shots on target are the only thing guaranteed to end the fight in your favor. Make no mistake speed is important but not at the expense of a reasonable degree of accuracy. Remember the old adage of "you can’t miss fast enough to win" – my motto is simply another way of saying that.
TD1: Pistol
I believe that LAV starts off his combination pistol and carbine classes by tackling the pistol first, because the pistol is more difficult to shoot accurately than the carbine. Moreover, the skills required to shoot a pistol accurately are of course transferable to the carbine.
The day started at 9 am with a brief discussion of proper grip, followed by a good hour's worth of dry fire, so that LAV could gauge the skill level of the class and get the class focused on shooting accurately. The dry fire drills emphasized the overriding importance of perfect trigger control, and included dry-firing with an empty case on the front sight, and dry firing from the low ready and the holster. LAV then incorporated some unpredictable dry and live fire (via several variations of the classic ball and dummy partner drill) to help students ferret out the dreaded "El Snatcho" software virus, and apply remedial action to nip bad habits (i.e., anticipatory trigger snatching) in the bud. The last of the dry fire drills, which helps to bridge the shooter from single to multiple shots, was a trigger reset drill.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0337.jpg
The second topic that LAV covered was sight alignment. At close range, sight alignment is secondary to trigger control in importance, and this was first highlighted by an explanation of the wobble zone and how our brains exaggerate perceived wobble. LAV then demonstrated that a shooter could get rounds acceptably on target if the top of the front and rear sights are parallel, even if the front and rear sights are not perfectly aligned or even misaligned. Lesson here: at ten yards and under, shooters have much more margin for error in sight alignment than they do for snatching the trigger. For many students in the class, this was an "Aha!" moment.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0343.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0340.jpg
The remainder of TD1 was conducted live fire, in individual and team drills. Additional topics covered included proper draw from the holster, presentation, follow-through and scan/assess, emergency reload (I noted that most students had no formal training in this very important manipulation), and the infamous" walkback" drill in which shooters engaged a steel target from as far back as 100 yards (we note that Jerry H surprised the hell out of all of us by completing the walk-back with his Glock).
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0361.jpg
Pistol Equipment: Mostly Glocks, an M&P :D , one Beretta 92F and a Taurus. Not surprisingly, the lone Taurus experienced multiple FTF's.
TD2: Carbine
LAV kicked off the carbine segment of the class with a discussion of the capabilities of the M4 carbine and a discussion of preferred optic zeroes (for most defensively-minded civilian and law enforcement shooters, a 100 yard zero is most useful). After demonstrating the prone shooting position, LAV had the class spend a good hour sighting optics in at 100 yards. This was a bit of a shock to some shooters, who were not accustomed to engaging a target with an unmagnified red dot sight out to 100 yards on the relatively small NRA B-8C(P) repair center bullseye target (with a 5.5 inch diameter inner circle).
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0366.jpg
The students were then introduced to the concept of point of aim vs. point of impact, and how point of impact changes at various distances (if a shooter is zeroed at 100 yards, the shooter will need to adjust point of aim 3+ inches high at 25 yards to hit the desired point of impact).
LAV then introduced the various shooting positions by combining a demonstration of positions with the 100 yard aggregate drill (10 shots at 100 yards from prone, 10 from 75 yards sitting, 10 from 50 yards kneeling, and 10 from 25 yards standing). Again, this proved to be somewhat new for many shooters who up until this class were accustomed to shooting a rifle seated from the bench ("I haven't gone kneeling since the Boy Scouts.")
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0369.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0376.jpg
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0381.jpg
The remainder of TD2 live fire was conducted at close range to the targets (again, new for folks used to shooting at targets at 100 yards from a bench). Remaining topics covered included carbine presentation, reloads, transition to weak shoulder (awkward for many), transition to pistol, and shooting on the move (which most participants had not done before).
Paul V at the low ready, trigger finger at the register position, and he is always muzzle-aware.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0394.jpg
Shooter Mike D starting with the strong side ...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0392.jpg
A moment later, he is on the weak side ...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0401.jpg
Justin demonstrates the transition to pistol.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0405.jpg
Carbine Equipment: AR's of various makes, many in so-called "post-ban" configuration. A few had some muzzle brakes that generated huge concussions and actually gave LAV a headache. Optics included various Aimpoints, an Eotech, a few ACOGs, and one or two "budget" red-dot. Most of the slings were Blue Force Gear VCAS variants. There were no reported rifle failures, but one budget optic did go down.
Training takeaways: For the majority of the students, this was the first formal pistol and carbine course. By the end of TD2, many students showed improvement in pistol accuracy, and came away with a better appreciation of what a carbine can do in trained hands. I believe LAV did his (usual) outstanding job informing and entertaining the class.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Class High Shooters:
Safariland, Vickers Tactical and Grey Group Training would like to congratulate George S. for winning the "Safariland High Shooter Award" for this class. George will receive $150 of Safariland gear of his choice.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0402.jpg
http://www.safariland.com/fw/logo.jpg
http://www.safariland.com
Also...
Tango Down, Vickers Tactical and Grey Group Training are pleased to award Bob M (in blue shirt below) the "Tango Down High Shooter Award" for this class. Bob will be receiving his $100 Tango Down product certificate in the mail shortly.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f15/30calslut/LAV%20at%20Metacon%20Oct%208%20and%209%202010/100_0383.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v74/va_dinger/TangoDownLogo.png
http://www.tangodown.com
Way to go, guys!