Class taken 1/26/2019

The Range Complex
2850 Tiger Swan Drive
Autryville, NC 28318

http://www.therangecomplex.com/

Instructor summary statement: TRC provides customized Tier 1 Training that integrates real-world experience with our "Brilliance in the Basics" methodology. Our Instructors are of the highest caliber, with the majority having extensive Special Operations experience with 1st SFOD-D (Delta Force), other specialty military units , or law enforcement Special Response Units. We limit class sizes to maximize individualized attention, analysis of each student's shooting form, and personal instruction. (Additional trainer bios are detailed on the site.)
--
Their policy is that when a class size exceeds 7 they add a second instructor. Our class had two instructors for 10 students that ranged from novice to pretty experienced with most having modest experience.
--
Class taken: Level 1 Pistol
This class was described as “The introductory pistol course is designed to markedly increase the skill level of the novice pistol shooter. The course will consist of approximately 1 hour of classroom instruction on firearm safety, firearm operation, and the cognitive aspects of marksmanship. Classroom instruction is followed by 7 hours of progressively challenging drills that involve a variety of shooting positions, distances, and situational nuance. These drills will primarily originate from the holstered position and are designed to improve both speed and accuracy. Upon completion of this course the student will have a thorough understanding of firearm safety, firearm operation, and the ability to engage multiple targets at distances up to 25 yards.”
--
They are too modest. Yes it was introductory. But it was not introductory like I do introductory with a relative that pursues basic self defense with their new pistol. This was an introduction to becoming really good.
--
Case in point: we spent the whole morning til lunch on the 25 yard line shooting B8s. Let that sink in. That IMO is straight up awesome. It was explained that this class’s was designed from marksmanship training conducted in the Operator Training Course (OTC) and by the Army Marksmanship Unit (AMU). It was heavily derived from the 700 aggregate in principle. Much emphasis was placed on quantifying this performance in our training and tracking this over time.
--
We shot round after round of 10 shot slow fire strings – receiving mini-lectures on progressive building blocks of marksmanship: grip, stance, trigger control, follow through, head position etc. The primary instructor “Dave” was such a good instructor, he provided on point feedback to all of us including my son and I who were on the high end of prior experience in the class. Legit observations of sub-optimal technique with follow up observation to confirm.
--
Instructor Dave further got eyes on every student’s B8 after each 10 round cycle with the shooter and provided feedback and asked questions of what the shooter saw or felt during a round. Assistant Instructor John provided coaching on the other end of the line of ten shooters I was aware of but could not hear.
--
On several occasions Instructor Dave also took video or still pics of students during a string of fire and then reviewed it with the shooter with feedback and questions. During a later one of the 10 round strings he presented me with a still pic of how my stance had changed suddenly shifting my upper body backward all of a sudden, and I had no real time awareness I’d done it.
--
Bottom line, this was exceptional coaching in marksmanship fundamentals.
--
In the afternoon we shifted to the 10 yard line on USPSA silo's with the exception of one 10 shot string of slow fire on a B8 to try and shoot out the X ring, followed by an interesting discussion of what shooting dots up close vs B8s at 25 tell you or do not tell you about your capabilities.
--
At 10 yards we shot to USPSA silhouettes striving for lower and upper A zone hits and really – with the intent to only use the upper half or so of the lower A zone. The course of instruction was again progressive from draw to single shots, to draw to two shots. Then to changing tempo such as draw to two shots to the lower A zone then transition up for two shots to the upper A zone. Again the same level of on point coaching per shooter of their individual technique and performance.
--
“If you ain’t taping, you ain’t training.” We heard that as we taped any hits outside the A zones. There was an explanation of training outside one’s comfort zone of speed until hits got bad then dialing back to find the fastest level if getting hits, then repeating the cycle.
--
The instruction then progressed to shooting transitions across the lower A zones of three silhouette targets, with instruction about even transition tempo. This was followed by shooting transitions across the 3 targets but mixing “body-head-body” or “head-body-head” to working individual lower probability shot tempo with higher probability shot tempo. Lecture along the way explained the reasoning behind why this could be important operationally.
--
The last evolution for the class was an intro to shooting while moving. We only tackled the task of shooting while advancing forward in this Level 1 class. The explained, demonstrated and practiced method for footwork was about the best I’ve received along with methods to practice it. My elder son nailed it immediately, however I took a little coaching but then I got it and saw the most stable sights I’ve seen while shooting and scooting.
--
The coaching I got found my sweet spot for stride length with slightly flexed knees and rolling weight across the outside of the foot – as one walks down the hallway early in the morning to make the least noise and not wake anyone else up. 😉 The movement started at 25 yards with a signal to commence firing at the 12-13 yard range – with the sights dictating when to break shots. We did a bunch of interations of this and my son and I got to being able to shoot 9 for 10 alphas with close Cs repeatedly.
--
I dunno about anyone else but this was way more than I had expected from a class billed as Level 1 pistol. They are not trying to dumb it down like I do with a new shooter shooting at 5 yards to start. They are applying the OTC/AMU methods to drive home the points about what the shooting fundamentals mean for your hits and they live for the B8 at 25 yards to make those points.
--
This class certainly delivered as a fundamentals class that the novice and experienced shooter benefited from.