KMo1205
Member
The Class: Fundamentals and Skill Training (FAST) Pistol, The Site Firearms Training Center
Location & Date: former Blackwater North training center in Mt. Carroll, IL, May 9-10. The training facility was incredibly clean and included both paper and steel targets (both static and reactive). As a two day course, we also had an opportunity to stay at the Blackbear Lodge. There were individual cabins with bunk beds, private bathrooms, and DirectTV. The main lodge had a number of rooms with bunk beds, communal bathrooms, WiFi, a lounge with the most comfortable lounge seats you can imagine, and a dining room area. The rooms were very well kept and incredibly convenient to stay, being a 5 minute drive from the range. All meals were served in the dining room area at the lodge and there was always an abundance of good food.
http://thesitetraining.com/
Gear: Recommended (my gear)
Class Topics?
Instructors: Lead instructor was Dan Meshenky, police officer for over 20 years, worked in Afghanistan for a number of years as a DoD contractor with counter-narcotics units. Also a cadre of 4 other instructors with 14-20+ years each of law enforcement, Blackwater contractors, and SWAT experience. The instructors were incredibly approachable, patient, and helpful. No matter what the level of experience the shooters had, it seemed the instructors had something to share and improve in us. Some of the best times were back at the lodge, where the instructors also stayed, around mealtime or at night over beers.
Myself: I took the class with my wife (as a Mothers Day/ Fathers Day/ Anniversary Present to each other). I have been training with firearms for the past 6 years, been carrying a firearm daily for over a year. My wife was a relatively novice shooter. I had taken a couple of informal training classes, but this was our first formal training class.
My Classmates: Our youngest student was 13 (taking the class along with her parents) and the oldest was in his mid-60s and a former firearms instructor with the Illinois State Police at the academy. Half of the 18 man class were novice, the other half had taken some classes or had a number of years of shooting experience. Most of the class were using 9mm (only one .40 and two .45s). Surprisingly, this was the first class the instructors taught where no one used a 1911, as most used Glocks, XDs, and a few M&Ps.
The Class
Began the first morning with a safety lecture along with explantions of the 4 rules of firearms safety. Next we were taught the basics of firearm handling and manipulation of the firearm components. From there we went to the firing line for some dry firing basics, holstering, and reloading drills. After lunch we went through malfunctions. By 1500, we were on our own for holstering and keeping the gun running with magazine changes and malfunction clearing. By this time we began shooting steel 6 knockdown 8" round targets on a rack. We finished the day with a round robin type shooting competition shooting all six racks from the holster at 15 yards. If you won, you kept shooting. I used most of my ammo for the day on this last hour of steel shooting.
The second day we warmed up with shooting paper targets at ranges from 5-yards to 25 yards. Lessons in the morning included turning and shooting from the holster, strong hand and support hand shooting. In the afternoon we split up into three groups to shoot steel with various drills, such as shooting around barriers, off hand shooting, strong hand shooting, x drills, and more. Towards the end of the day we had a single elimination competition of shooting knockdown steel targets. While most people took off after this, we were able to stick around for another hour shooting steel and having a little more one on one time with the instructors.
Class, room for improvement: I don’t have another class of this type to compare it to, but I can’t think of anything that could have been done better. We had plenty of hands on, ammo downrange time with minimal lecture time.
Myself, room for improvement: Take more ammo than they recommended. We had to make a run to Walmart to buy more ammo for the second day. If the class recommends 600 rounds, I would bring at least 1000 if not more.
Biggest take-aways:
Location & Date: former Blackwater North training center in Mt. Carroll, IL, May 9-10. The training facility was incredibly clean and included both paper and steel targets (both static and reactive). As a two day course, we also had an opportunity to stay at the Blackbear Lodge. There were individual cabins with bunk beds, private bathrooms, and DirectTV. The main lodge had a number of rooms with bunk beds, communal bathrooms, WiFi, a lounge with the most comfortable lounge seats you can imagine, and a dining room area. The rooms were very well kept and incredibly convenient to stay, being a 5 minute drive from the range. All meals were served in the dining room area at the lodge and there was always an abundance of good food.
http://thesitetraining.com/
Gear: Recommended (my gear)
- Serviceable Handgun: Semi-Auto or Revolver (Glock 17, TRL-1, Warne Tactical sights)
- Minimum Of 4 Magazines or Speed Loaders (brought 6)
- Holster W/ Belt (Bravo Concealment RTT combo, 5.11 1.75" Operator belt)
- Magazine/Speed Loader Pouch, Double/Triple (Bravo Concealment double mag holder)
- Wrap around eye Protection/Ear Protection (Revision Military Sawfly, Howard Leight Impact Sports Electronic Ears with Surefire EP7)
- Boonie or ball cap
- Gun Lube
- Sunscreen
- Hydration System
- 600 rounds of ammo (1200 rounds, used 900 rounds)
Class Topics?
- Rules For Safe Gun Handling
- Firearms Safety
- Fundamentals Of Marksmanship
- Pistol Parts, Operation and Maintenance
- Two Handed Standing Positions
- Firearms Presentation From The Holster
- Strong and Support Hand Shooting
- Malfunction Drills
- Multiple Target Engagement
- Tactical Reloads
- Stationary Turns
- Shooting On The Move
- Positional Shooting
Instructors: Lead instructor was Dan Meshenky, police officer for over 20 years, worked in Afghanistan for a number of years as a DoD contractor with counter-narcotics units. Also a cadre of 4 other instructors with 14-20+ years each of law enforcement, Blackwater contractors, and SWAT experience. The instructors were incredibly approachable, patient, and helpful. No matter what the level of experience the shooters had, it seemed the instructors had something to share and improve in us. Some of the best times were back at the lodge, where the instructors also stayed, around mealtime or at night over beers.
Myself: I took the class with my wife (as a Mothers Day/ Fathers Day/ Anniversary Present to each other). I have been training with firearms for the past 6 years, been carrying a firearm daily for over a year. My wife was a relatively novice shooter. I had taken a couple of informal training classes, but this was our first formal training class.
My Classmates: Our youngest student was 13 (taking the class along with her parents) and the oldest was in his mid-60s and a former firearms instructor with the Illinois State Police at the academy. Half of the 18 man class were novice, the other half had taken some classes or had a number of years of shooting experience. Most of the class were using 9mm (only one .40 and two .45s). Surprisingly, this was the first class the instructors taught where no one used a 1911, as most used Glocks, XDs, and a few M&Ps.
The Class
Began the first morning with a safety lecture along with explantions of the 4 rules of firearms safety. Next we were taught the basics of firearm handling and manipulation of the firearm components. From there we went to the firing line for some dry firing basics, holstering, and reloading drills. After lunch we went through malfunctions. By 1500, we were on our own for holstering and keeping the gun running with magazine changes and malfunction clearing. By this time we began shooting steel 6 knockdown 8" round targets on a rack. We finished the day with a round robin type shooting competition shooting all six racks from the holster at 15 yards. If you won, you kept shooting. I used most of my ammo for the day on this last hour of steel shooting.
The second day we warmed up with shooting paper targets at ranges from 5-yards to 25 yards. Lessons in the morning included turning and shooting from the holster, strong hand and support hand shooting. In the afternoon we split up into three groups to shoot steel with various drills, such as shooting around barriers, off hand shooting, strong hand shooting, x drills, and more. Towards the end of the day we had a single elimination competition of shooting knockdown steel targets. While most people took off after this, we were able to stick around for another hour shooting steel and having a little more one on one time with the instructors.
Class, room for improvement: I don’t have another class of this type to compare it to, but I can’t think of anything that could have been done better. We had plenty of hands on, ammo downrange time with minimal lecture time.
Myself, room for improvement: Take more ammo than they recommended. We had to make a run to Walmart to buy more ammo for the second day. If the class recommends 600 rounds, I would bring at least 1000 if not more.
Biggest take-aways:
- The only time you want a gun to run dry is when you want the gun to run dry. Do administrative reloads (also known as tactical reloads) often. Speed reloads should be rare if possible.
- Concentrate a lot of training time on strong hand/ support hand only shooting. An instructor had an experience with injuring his wrist and not being able to shoot with that hand. He said "we don't choose the fight. We have to fight the fight we are in."
- The importance of front sight focus. I learned to manage recoil better by rolling my elbows out a bit, and buffering the recoil straight back towards my face versus allowing the muzzle to rise. I was able to follow the front sight through the entire recoil that way and stay on target better. Allows for flatter shooting and faster follow up shots.
- It is important to learn to call your shots. Know where your shot is hitting your target by your sight's alignment without focusing on the target. This becomes crucial when shooting steel for speed. By the end of the class, I was learning to determine my hits and misses when the shot breaks, without looking at the target or waiting to hearing the steel ping.
- Learn to trust your sights and its alignment. Especially at greater distances, trust your sights and maintain focus. One instructor gave the image of a pipe extending from the target to your muzzle. All you have to do is punch your weapon in that pipe and the shot will hit the target.