AAR Presscheck Consulting No-Fail Pistol, Meadhall Range, Mcloud, OK Sept 22-23, 2018

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My AAR:


Equipment:

• “Roland Special” Glock 19
• AE 147gr fmj
• Mix of Magpul and OEM magazines
• Four of the OEM mags had +6 TTI extenders
• Safariland 6354DO holster
• BFG padded war belt
• Safariland Slimline 775 triple mag pouch
• Dark Angel Medical DARK Lite IFAK
• SOFTT-W in 1110 belt pouch

Prior Experience:
Multiple classes with Patrick Rogers/EAG Tactical, Patrick Mcnamara TAPS Pistol and Rifle, Patrick Mcnamara TAPS Instructor, Frank Proctor Performance Pistol and Rifle, FLETC Firearms Instructor Training Program, FLETC Advanced Pistol Training Program, NRA LE Division Handgun/Shotgun Instructor, Tom Givens Instructor Development, Tom Givens Advanced Instructor, Rogers Shooting School, William Petty VCQB Instructor, Glock Operator Course, Alexander Global Strategies Executive Protection Course, FLETC Basic Tactical Medical Instructor Training Program, FLETC Active Shooter Threat Instructor Training Program, ITTS (Keary Miller) Law Enforcement Tactical Trauma Course, several hundred hours of department firearms training, several regional firearms courses.

Range:
Meadhall Range, Mcloud, OK (approximately 20 mins East of OKC). Outdoor range with 10 lanes, goes back to 300+ yards, however we used from the 25 in. Range has steels (including a crit-hit hostage target, and a plate rack), turning targets and moving targets (currently being refurbished), indoor (clean) restrooms (for both males and females). Current owner is in the process of upgrading the facility.
Full disclosure: The range owner is one of my oldest friends, so I may be biased, but the facility is very nice, and will offer some capabilities that are far from common in most civilian ranges.

Class Demographics:
7 students – two cops, a doctor, two IT folks, a retired Army guy, and one guy I am blanking on right now. Competition shooters and training junkies.

Course Overview:
As Chuck reiterated multiple times, this class was not about teaching people to shoot. Students were expected to show up as capable shooters. This class is designed to get students ready to take High Risk/Low-Percentage Shots. Again, Chuck mentioned several times that he was here to show us what we needed to work on, and how to work on our deficiencies. We got to see “What ‘right’ looks like.”
I’ve followed Chuck online for a while, watching podcasts, and his video content on Youtube. He’s been one of the guys I really wanted to train with, and I can say I was not disappointed at all. This course challenged me. Big time. There was very little downtime, and “story time” was all very germane to the teaching points being made. Chuck is an incredibly humble guy for someone who has accomplished so much in his life. Couple that with an excellent sense of humor, top-notch instructional skills, and a training curriculum unlike anything I have encountered elsewhere, and the proverbial “drinking from a firehose” occurred. The closest thing to Chuck’s coursework I have encountered has been the Rogers Range, and that does not begin to touch on the mindset, and application of the skills in situations where it is absolutely critical to get it right. I can truthfully say that I had more deficiencies corrected in two days, and learned more about what I personally need to work on (and how to do so), than in any other course I have taken.
I will absolutely be attending more of Chuck’s classes in the future.
TD1: Class began on time, and started with a safety brief and the medical plan. This was followed by brief introductions from Chuck and the students, and a short lecture describing the learning objectives for the class, and Chuck’s philosophy on training (Crawl/Walk/Run). We then went to work on the range. We used IPSC cardboard targets, or B8’s (LOTS of B8’s) for targets the vast majority of the class. We also used some 7/8” pasters for a few drills. Additionally, we did some work on the crit hit steel, and the plate rack. TD1 focused primarily on accuracy and familiarization with Chuck’s standards.
TD2: We continued on from where we left off, gradually adding to the equation, trying to figure out where our individual breaking points were. Both days incorporated a significant amount of SHO and WHO shooting, and we were pushed until the wheels fell off. I’d like to mention that we had some truly excellent shooters in the class, and everyone found their failure points. Chuck is a master at the target size vs speed game, and was able to adjust as necessary to make sure everyone was challenged, without leaving anyone behind. Individual attention was frequent and thorough, as needed. By the end of the day, everyone was gassed, but it was also obvious everyone had a great time.

Final Thoughts:
I’m still processing the vast majority of what we covered. This was not a class where you got one or two nuggets – almost everything Chuck said was one of those, “Wow…never thought about it like that” moments. His training methodologies and curriculum are extraordinarily well thought-out, and it is hard to believe this was only his second Open Enrollment No-Fail Pistol class. We had a small class of shooters that were willing to push, so Chuck kept adding to the equation. He constantly had more to share, with no fumbling for more content.
I have a new-found appreciation for shot accountability and self-diagnosis, as well as the tools to work on both. I would unequivocally recommend this course, and feel that anyone in a position where needing to take a no-fail is likely NEEDS this class. I’m looking at you, SWAT dudes. Even as a road monkey, I feel the skills gained from this class are potentially life-saving from a legal, financial, or even an emotional standpoint. Kudos to Chuck for bringing something fresh to the table, and keeping it relevant as hell.
Chuck ended class with a talk about why he does what he does. It was obvious that Chuck has a genuine desire to see to it that the good guys have the skills necessary to triumph over the badguys, and that it is very personal for him. The emotion was blatant. We ended with receiving certificates, and broke.
For anyone serious about being a better gunfighter, get to one of these classes. You will not regret it.

 

[Brock Hampton]

I’ll be piggybacking off of the above AAR for format consistency

Equipment:
“Roland Special” Inspired CZ P-10c
Speer Lawman 124gn FMJ – Roughly 900 rounds used
10 OEM magazines, 5 with OEM +2 Baseplates
Safariland 6390 Holster
HSGI Laser Slim-Grip Padded Belt – Slotted
Esstac KYWI Double Gap Mag Pouches
ITS Tactical Fatboy IFAK

Prior Experience:
Mostly classes local to me and self-teaching through sources such as P&S. As a civilian in an engineering position, I don’t have a lot of ability to travel for classes with big name trainers because of time constraints. This is my first class with a big name instructor.

Range:
The Meadhall Range in Mcloud, Oklahoma is a legitimate gem. It’s only 40min from Will Rogers World Airport and close off interstate 40, so it’s extremely easy to travel to. And since it is close to some larger population centers, there are multiple choices of lodging all within 20min of the range.
Width is 10 lanes across and shooters have the ability to go back to 300 yards. It currently has a tower at distance, a large amount of steel targets of varying types, heated and cooled restrooms for both sexes, lighting for low light conditions, an RV hookup, and much more. The moving target systems are currently in refurbishment, and with all the other plans the owner has I can’t wait to see what the finished result would be.

Class Demographics:
7 students –The range host, a doctor, two engineers, a retired Army guy, a retired Marine, and a Police Officer. A mix of completion shooters and training junkies, with everyone serious about holding themselves to a higher standard.

Course Overview:
This class was all about giving you the tools you need to get that “No Fail” shot off at a time of great stress. It was not 25yd bullseye shooting constantly for accuracy or waiting for the right conditions to take the shot. No, it was about showing the group where you need to work on your skills by forcing you to accept a certain accuracy standard for variables you may be faced with in a gunfight.

This was a dense course, with both days having went from 8am-4pm with minimal breaks. During those breaks, Chuck mostly discussed items that applied to the teaching points made to the class during the drills. “Drinking from a fire hose” is an apt description for this class as there is so much valuable information taught in so little time. Chuck is here to teach you what you need to do to improve yourself, not fix deficiencies with one on one instruction. However, Chuck never left anyone out or behind and everyone received comments concerning both areas that they are good at and areas where work may be needed. There are so many golden nuggets of information being thrown out there that you can’t help but have some immediate fixes to small problems. It’s the inverse of “Death by a 1000 Paper Cuts,” you learn/fix so many small things that by the end you are a much more rounded shooter than before.

Day 1: Class started on time or possibly a little bit early, with Chuck going over safety and medical plans. The students then briefly introduced themselves, and we were right into to a lecture for the objectives of the class. Day 1 primarily focused on building a base of accuracy through Chuck’s Crawl/Walk/Run process. Most work was primarily done with B8 targets and replacement centers, with an IPSC target or two thrown in for some variance. Shot accountability and self-diagnosis was also harped on, and by then end of the day most where calling their shots.

Day 2: Started the day off with a review of day 1’s content and a brief continuation of it. We then transitioned to shooting a mix of speed with accuracy components. This section right here is the bread and butter of the class. I learned so much in day 2 about disconnecting myself and taking the necessary time to prepare the High Risk/Low-Percentage Shot while under stress, something that is a critical component of Chuck’s instruction. Camaraderie was built through friendly competitions on individual drills that allowed us to push ourselves and learn where our wheels fell of so we can improve upon later.

Final Thoughts:
I really don’t think this class could have been any significantly better. The range was absolutely perfect for this type of class. Chuck had the main points of the course content nailed down to a T, but he also allowed us to push ourselves and adjust the course on the fly to account for it. There was no detail missed, and nothing left on the table for us to learn.

Because of the time/vacation constraints I am subjected to because of my work, I do a lot of research on the class subject matter so I can attend the classes that matter to me. And this is one of the classes that I have wanted to take since I had heard of it. I wanted this class because I am just a normal guy looking to hold himself to a higher standard. We all carry dangerous thing that can change our lives in the worst ways if something goes wrong, and I feel that I should be constantly improving to mitigate the risk that carrying a gun inherently entails. One thing that was touched upon during one of the breaks that stuck with me is there is a lot of this, “take three classes and then I am a master at this thing” mentality. Much like how martial arts boomed after the “Karate Kid” released as it was the cool thing to do and people got their black belts and stopped. I think that we as a gun carrying population must continually be in search for self-improvement and learn as much as we can instead of just stopping after reaching a measure of “good enough”. And much like in martial arts, learning from a Master such as Chuck is something that you should jump on if you have the chance to.

Chuck really wants to help anyone out who desires to push themselves and become a better shooter. You can see that through the effort he took to polish this course. Everything in here is applicable to a real world scenario and usually was backed up with an experience that Chuck had or someone that he knows/knew had. You can feel that in this class he made it personal to himself to teach us what he did.
It’s probably one of the best bang-for-the-buck classes for those who are serious about defensive use and being accountable for your shots. Take it.