So you want to go to a Training Course for the first time?

If I could add one it would be:

Bring plenty of magazines and load most of them the night before class. Keep a few empty that you can use for dry fire drills and when you need downloaded mags for reload drills. I usually bring 20 mags and load 17 keeping 3 for downloaded drills. Reload them at the end of each training day so you start the same way each morning.
This frees up some of your break time to hydrate and actually take a break instead of worrying about getting magazines loaded to try keep up with class. IMHO, it just makes the day less stressful and a better learning experience especially for those new to the training class environment.

I almost put in a note about filling lots of mags before the class but did not simply because I did not want to give the impression that one needs to have 25 magazines (almost $300 in mags, about what the 1,000 rounds of 5.56 will cost) for a course.
If you do, all the better, but not a must.

Whatever number of mags you have, invest in a device to fill those magazines quickly. I put all my loose rounds on stripper clips and use either a GI "speed loader" (we get one in each bandoleer of M855), or a Brit Model (like this). It makes the process simpler while I am watching TV in the hotel room.

Leave two magazines empty. These might be used for stoppage clearance or specific drills with specific round counts.

Don't forget your cleaning gear, specifically a rod long enough to punch out a stuck case.
Bring a small bottle of your lube of choice. You might not need it, but you can become someone's hero if they forgot theirs.

I'm not sure how to phrase this, but don't game training.

Be realistic with your gear. What would you have time to access and put on.

I'll be attending my 5th class in March and I've been cutting done on the gear each class. I've watch people take 15 minutes to strap everything on and get ready.

To me that doesn't seem practical for a civilian who may need their weapon to defend their family one day. think about what you have ready to go, and practice with that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JeepDriver

I'm not sure how to phrase this, but don't game training.

Be realistic with your gear. What would you have time to access and put on.

I'll be attending my 5th class in March and I've been cutting done on the gear each class. I've watch people take 15 minutes to strap everything on and get ready.

To me that doesn't seem practical for a civilian who may need their weapon to defend their family one day. think about what you have ready to go, and practice with that.

---

This is a good point. I am in the waning days of my mil career, no longer in the mud, so all of my training has been focused around personal defense/home defense, and I don't take gear that I am not going to use at home or on the street.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GlockWRX

I'll add a couple of other things:

Come with an open mind and willingness to learn. In each of the classes I've been to, there are always a couple of guys that are just too stubborn to learn. Like F2S said, if the instructor is teaching you a certain way to do things, do it his/her way. The last class I was in, a guy got pissed because all of the techniques (draw, presentation, stance, grip, etc.) were all geared to the isosceles stance and not the Weaver. It was like pulling teeth to get him to try isosceles. The guy paid a lot of money to the instructor for the opportunity to ignore what he was teaching. :rolleyes:

Be helpful during setup/cleanup. My first priority is to make sure I'm ready to participate in the drill, but if my feces is cohesive (mags are loaded, I'm hydrated, etc.) I will try to help the instructors set up the range for the next set of exercises. I remember setting up some steel targets, and about half the class pitched in. The other half just stood there watching. The less time spent setting up the range, the more time for shooting.

Just a few I've observed.

---

Bingo. I spent time with an instructor setting up before the class, during lunch and at the end of the day. The by-product was opportunity to ask some questions others may have rolled thier eyes at and get some honest feedback. How I can do things differently, gear issues/questions, specifics on why he/she sets the range a particular way. Hell, just asking about the 2X4 target stands kept me from buying stuff I didn't need. More to a point though. When everyone pitches in it allows the class to do more than they may otherwise and I think motivates the instructor to give even more. They need motivation too sometimes. Get out what you give in. Great Post.
-CQ

I would offer slightly different advice.

If you are just starting out and planning on attending a class where you're expected to show up with a dead-nuts zeroed rifle, 30 loaded magazines, ability to carry 5+ of said magazines on your person, and needing lots of gear, you're probably at the wrong class.

Before you enroll in a run-around-throw-yourself-on-the-ground-jump-down-turnaround-pickabaleofcotton type class, get yourself into a fundamentals class. It doesn't have to be a 3-day sleepaway class, but it wouldn't hurt. Barring that you can find a local clinic, training day, whatever.

If, however, you find yourself a good three-day sleepaway class that not only stresses the fundamentals and has a high accuracy standard but also comes with an instructor that knows how to get you to a point where you can meet that standard, there are things to be learned through the zeroing process and other things that were poopood in the other thead. and a class like this will have very low gear requirements so that you don't have to jock all up to take the class.

A good fundamentals class will only require:

• a functioning, quality rifle, even with only iron sights and no light, but you'll need a sling. a spare BCG wouldn't hurt
• three magazines. you'll have time to stuff them
• one, maybe two, rifle magazine pouches
• probably a pistol, your carry gun will do
• a holster, your carry holster will do
• a single magazine pouch, your carry pouch will do

It would be beneficial if you can get a few hundred rounds through the carbine before the class to ensure that it functions, and if you buy a quality carbine to begin with and get a couple hundred rounds through it chances are good that it will have zero issues, as any problems would likely reveal themselves early on. If you buy a questionable carbine there is no telling when it might fail.

I think F2S has done a pretty good job of trying not to overwhelm prospective students. I know that when I took my first carbine course I was concerned that I wouldn't have everything I needed, that I'd forget some crucial element and wind up "that guy", etc. The truth of the matter is that if you are worried about that it's a good thing, and it means your head is in the right place with regards to preparing for the class, and your likelihood of being that guy is greatly reduced. The problem children are the assholes that don't think they could possibly be wrong, that think they're totally prepared for the class, and that you can't tell anything to. They show up with too much, ****ed up, gear and refuse to listen. There are always two "that guys" in most classes. One is the guy that's just having a bad day but is otherwise a competent shooter. The other is the guy that nobody talks about, or to, that just doesn't get it, and wouldn't get it if you put it in a sock full of quarters and smacked him in the face with it.

Thanks for the input... Awesome thread..

Good thread.

I'll reiterate, note taking. It's possibly one of the most underutilized actions that can be done. The dude is talking to you, you need to listen. You also need to remember what he said. It might not make sense now but after a few weeks while you're practicing and you review those notes, shit starts clicking. You understand better what he was trying to tell you while you were ****ing up in class..

Bottom line, take lots of notes. It might not make sense now but you never know when it might be important.

Also, cash. Bring at least $20 per day. This will allow you to cover lunch and any range fees not included in the course cost. Nothing sucks more than to have to eat cold, crunchy, freeze dried food out of your BOB, because you forgot to bring money for lunch. Been there, sucks alot.

Mike

Something to add...

If you are going to a course for the first time, your first course period or your first course with a given instructor, whatever, ask others who have been in that course their opinions and solicit feedback. This has helped. Something else I have done to figure out which dang class to take out of the many out there, is ask as well. I wanted to take two classes offered through Grey Group...two different instructors, two somewhat similar classes. I told Paul what my experience was and what I was looking for and through a little bit of email dialogue, pointed me to the class which best suited my needs. You can never go wrong with an abundance of S2.

All of this is great info. Especially loading up extra mags. The night before my first class, which wasn't too long ago, I loaded up enough mags to cover the required amount of rounds. Only 500 rds. When i signed up for the class I made it a point to buy 2-3 mags whenever I could before hand. I have 20 mags now and having enough loaded mags ahead of time sure made things alot easier. During breaks when everyone else was loading mags I was able to hydrate of go over my notes from the last session completed.