Overview - From April 20 - 24, I attended Presscheck Consulting No Fail Pistol and Rifle at Mead Hall Range in Mcloud, OK. This was an open enrollment class with a mix of local, state and federal LE and civilians.
The instruction for the classes was provided by SGM(R) Chuck Pressburg, a retired SOF operator with extensive experience deploying during the GWOT. SGM(R) Pressburg taught the classes using vignettes (Marines, click here) from his time deploying or recent self-defense/OIS, tying a drill into the incident and then demonstrating the drill and talking about what he expected. There was a heavy emphasis on accountability for every round fired.
GEAR - I wore same the belt kit that I wear teaching (very similar to what I wore while deploying). I didn’t wear any armor or chest rig during either class.
GUNS - I used one of the Daniel Defense DDM4 V9s we issue at work. The rifle had an Aimpoint T2 and Magpul Sling. I also used my Gen 5 G17MOS with RMR06.
The rifle ran great over the 800rds fired. The pistol started having trigger reset issues on the second half of T-day 2 causing me to finish out the pistol class with my Gen3 G17 with iron sights. Round count for the pistol was around 700rds.
PISTOL POI –
The pistol POI is heavily accuracy focused. Most of the class was shot on the B8 bullseye from 25yds in to 10yds. The emphasis was on accountability for your rounds, no matter the circumstance. The first day and a half we fired lots of 10rd, slow fire strings freestyle (both hands on the gun), strong hand only (SHO), and weak hand only (WHO) from the 25yd line on the B8. We also shot drills focused on trigger prep, shooting from the draw, and follow through.
You can see my 25yd Freestyle scores in the top right of the target, 25yd SHO scores below those and 25yd WHO scores top left. Something I found interesting was that my weak hand shooting was significantly better than my SHO. I suspect the reason is that I can be a lot more detached shooting WHO. I don’t have bad habits built into my left hand that I do in my right, that means I can concentrate on applying the fundamentals as perfectly as I can manage without the baggage that comes from years of pulling a trigger with my right index finger. If there was ever a lesson that good shooting is simply aligning the sights to the target and pulling the trigger without moving the sites, that was it.
The second half of T-day 2 was target-to-target transitions, shooting on the move and shooting movers. The target-to-target transitions and shooting on the move was done using 8in steel head plates. The mover* was shot using a USPSA/IPSC target that had everything to the left and right of the A-zone painted black to mimic someone turned sideways to the shooter.
We wrapped up the class shooting a “Presscheck Rundown” and a Bianchi Cup. The Bianchi cup was a fun and challenging course of fire if you have access to a plate rack.
* Access to a mover is not something most of us get very often. It’s something that Mead Hall Range offers that you won’t see at too many facilities.
PRESSCHECK RUNDOWN
COF – 25yd draw and fire five rounds freestyle.
Run to the 15yd line while executing a reload.
15yds fire five rounds SHO.
Run to the 10yd line while executing a reload.
10yds fire five rounds WHO.
Score is time plus penalties.
8-ring = 1sec
7-ring = 2sec
6-ring = 3sec
5-ring = 5sec
Outside the 5-ring = 10sec
My score after the 9sec worth of penalties that I ate was 35.99
PISTOL LESSONS LEARNED –
“This is an outcome-based business.”
There was a police officer shooting next to me on the line whose gun was shooting about 4in left. After the third or fourth drill, Chuck asked the officer if he thought the DA would care about where he was aiming or where he was hitting in an officer involved shooting.
The lesson I took away - Make the adjustments you need to make but hit the target.
“No one cares about your gun problems.”
When I was having trigger reset issues (trigger was dragging on reset. It got progressively worse until I had to push it forward with my trigger finger after every shot), I complained out loud with something along the lines of “this fu#%ing trigger”. Chuck overheard and responded with “No one cares about your gun problems. Get your hits.”
The lesson that I took away - In this outcome-based business, no one cares if you have a malfunction, your optic goes down, etc. etc. They only care if you hit what you needed to. No one cares about your gun problems.
“Your ego is not your amigo.”
I got a little uppity on the Presscheck Rundown and pressed the trigger even though my sights were *not* showing me what I wanted to see. I was shooting as fast as I *thought* I should, rather than shooting as fast as my sights were telling me I should. This is a self-discipline issue and something I need to focus on during my training.
OVERALL – This was a great class. Chuck presented the information clearly and with purpose. The drills were presented with context that can only be gained through a long career carrying a gun. I’ll be using some of my notes to guide my pistol training going forward.
RIFLE POI –
After the pistol class, the rifle class felt like a step down in intensity however there was still a heavy focus on accuracy and making the hits you need to make. To that end, the first day was primarily focused on gathering data on our rifles from 50yds out to 300yds. I ran with a 200yd zero on my gun because I know the holds. We spent the morning slow firing 10rd strings from the prone and making any needed sight adjustments to get as perfect a zero as we could. We shot from the 50, the 100-, 200-, and 300-yard line and identified what we needed to hold at each yard line to hit the target.
After data collection, we fired a 100pt aggregate (10rds for score) from the prone at the 100-yard line twice then started working on positional shooting (sitting and kneeling). We ended the day with 100pt aggregates fired from the sitting position at 75-yard line.
T-Day 2 started with another 100pt aggregate from the prone at 100yds followed by shooting the kneeling from 50 yds. We shot kneeling for score a few times to allow a couple of the shooters on the line to sort out some issues with their position. After working the kneeling, we went back to the 100yd line and fired with our rifles rotated 90 degrees to either side (groups shown in picture). Again, the emphasis was on knowing your holds to hit the target. Spoiler alert, hold high and in the direction of the magazine. I can explain why when you come through PQT.
One drill that I will absolutely be taking away is a “CQB aggregate”. You shoot 5rds each from the 25, 15, 10, 7, 5, and 3 on a B8 (or from near to far if you want to be nicer). High score wins. Obviously, you need to have a solid grasp on your offset to get a decent score. In our class there were several 300pt targets and the winner came down to the X count. Great drill for working mechanical off-set.
We shot several other drills in the afternoon including movers, target-to-target transitions and 100yd ready-ups on C-zone steel. That wasn’t something I had ever tried, and I was surprised that most of the class could consistently hit in under 1.25sec with several of us able to score hits in under 1sec. We also shot the same drill but added a USPSA target at 15yds. We engaged it both near-to-far and far-to-near.
We finished the class with a drill called “The Scrambler”. I’ve been trying to find a video of the drill as we shot it, but I haven’t had any luck so far. In essence it’s a competitive drill, run as a group, requiring barricade shooting techniques. We ran the drill at 100yds and shot C-zone steel and 8in head plates.
RIFLE LESSONS LEARNED –
Wear items wear. Don’t hang onto them after they’ve stopped doing what they should.
I had a yardsale moment during the Scrambler when the rifle magazines I had in my mag pouches flopped out. Nothing says amateur hour like someone leaving gear scattered across the range, so it was embarrassing. I was using BFG ten-speed magazine pouches that were probably more than a year past their best-by date. They worked fine when I was casually walking from one yard line to another, not so fine when I was scampering around getting in and out of non-standard positions. To add insult to injury, I had replacements for them in a footlocker. I had just been too lazy to swap them out. Shame.
I love the ten-speed pouches, but they are wear items. When they stop retaining your gear, it’s time to switch them out.
OVERALL – I don’t think this could be properly categorized as a basic class. You need to go into it with an understanding of positions, and solid fundamentals. That being said, this is a phenomenal class for people who want to spend some quality time working basic rifleman skills at a very high level. This class is all about applying the basics from a variety of positions and distances to make the hit you need. I would definitely recommend.
The instruction for the classes was provided by SGM(R) Chuck Pressburg, a retired SOF operator with extensive experience deploying during the GWOT. SGM(R) Pressburg taught the classes using vignettes (Marines, click here) from his time deploying or recent self-defense/OIS, tying a drill into the incident and then demonstrating the drill and talking about what he expected. There was a heavy emphasis on accountability for every round fired.
GEAR - I wore same the belt kit that I wear teaching (very similar to what I wore while deploying). I didn’t wear any armor or chest rig during either class.
GUNS - I used one of the Daniel Defense DDM4 V9s we issue at work. The rifle had an Aimpoint T2 and Magpul Sling. I also used my Gen 5 G17MOS with RMR06.
The rifle ran great over the 800rds fired. The pistol started having trigger reset issues on the second half of T-day 2 causing me to finish out the pistol class with my Gen3 G17 with iron sights. Round count for the pistol was around 700rds.
PISTOL POI –
The pistol POI is heavily accuracy focused. Most of the class was shot on the B8 bullseye from 25yds in to 10yds. The emphasis was on accountability for your rounds, no matter the circumstance. The first day and a half we fired lots of 10rd, slow fire strings freestyle (both hands on the gun), strong hand only (SHO), and weak hand only (WHO) from the 25yd line on the B8. We also shot drills focused on trigger prep, shooting from the draw, and follow through.
You can see my 25yd Freestyle scores in the top right of the target, 25yd SHO scores below those and 25yd WHO scores top left. Something I found interesting was that my weak hand shooting was significantly better than my SHO. I suspect the reason is that I can be a lot more detached shooting WHO. I don’t have bad habits built into my left hand that I do in my right, that means I can concentrate on applying the fundamentals as perfectly as I can manage without the baggage that comes from years of pulling a trigger with my right index finger. If there was ever a lesson that good shooting is simply aligning the sights to the target and pulling the trigger without moving the sites, that was it.
The second half of T-day 2 was target-to-target transitions, shooting on the move and shooting movers. The target-to-target transitions and shooting on the move was done using 8in steel head plates. The mover* was shot using a USPSA/IPSC target that had everything to the left and right of the A-zone painted black to mimic someone turned sideways to the shooter.
We wrapped up the class shooting a “Presscheck Rundown” and a Bianchi Cup. The Bianchi cup was a fun and challenging course of fire if you have access to a plate rack.
* Access to a mover is not something most of us get very often. It’s something that Mead Hall Range offers that you won’t see at too many facilities.
PRESSCHECK RUNDOWN
COF – 25yd draw and fire five rounds freestyle.
Run to the 15yd line while executing a reload.
15yds fire five rounds SHO.
Run to the 10yd line while executing a reload.
10yds fire five rounds WHO.
Score is time plus penalties.
8-ring = 1sec
7-ring = 2sec
6-ring = 3sec
5-ring = 5sec
Outside the 5-ring = 10sec
My score after the 9sec worth of penalties that I ate was 35.99
PISTOL LESSONS LEARNED –
“This is an outcome-based business.”
There was a police officer shooting next to me on the line whose gun was shooting about 4in left. After the third or fourth drill, Chuck asked the officer if he thought the DA would care about where he was aiming or where he was hitting in an officer involved shooting.
The lesson I took away - Make the adjustments you need to make but hit the target.
“No one cares about your gun problems.”
When I was having trigger reset issues (trigger was dragging on reset. It got progressively worse until I had to push it forward with my trigger finger after every shot), I complained out loud with something along the lines of “this fu#%ing trigger”. Chuck overheard and responded with “No one cares about your gun problems. Get your hits.”
The lesson that I took away - In this outcome-based business, no one cares if you have a malfunction, your optic goes down, etc. etc. They only care if you hit what you needed to. No one cares about your gun problems.
“Your ego is not your amigo.”
I got a little uppity on the Presscheck Rundown and pressed the trigger even though my sights were *not* showing me what I wanted to see. I was shooting as fast as I *thought* I should, rather than shooting as fast as my sights were telling me I should. This is a self-discipline issue and something I need to focus on during my training.
OVERALL – This was a great class. Chuck presented the information clearly and with purpose. The drills were presented with context that can only be gained through a long career carrying a gun. I’ll be using some of my notes to guide my pistol training going forward.
RIFLE POI –
After the pistol class, the rifle class felt like a step down in intensity however there was still a heavy focus on accuracy and making the hits you need to make. To that end, the first day was primarily focused on gathering data on our rifles from 50yds out to 300yds. I ran with a 200yd zero on my gun because I know the holds. We spent the morning slow firing 10rd strings from the prone and making any needed sight adjustments to get as perfect a zero as we could. We shot from the 50, the 100-, 200-, and 300-yard line and identified what we needed to hold at each yard line to hit the target.
After data collection, we fired a 100pt aggregate (10rds for score) from the prone at the 100-yard line twice then started working on positional shooting (sitting and kneeling). We ended the day with 100pt aggregates fired from the sitting position at 75-yard line.
T-Day 2 started with another 100pt aggregate from the prone at 100yds followed by shooting the kneeling from 50 yds. We shot kneeling for score a few times to allow a couple of the shooters on the line to sort out some issues with their position. After working the kneeling, we went back to the 100yd line and fired with our rifles rotated 90 degrees to either side (groups shown in picture). Again, the emphasis was on knowing your holds to hit the target. Spoiler alert, hold high and in the direction of the magazine. I can explain why when you come through PQT.
One drill that I will absolutely be taking away is a “CQB aggregate”. You shoot 5rds each from the 25, 15, 10, 7, 5, and 3 on a B8 (or from near to far if you want to be nicer). High score wins. Obviously, you need to have a solid grasp on your offset to get a decent score. In our class there were several 300pt targets and the winner came down to the X count. Great drill for working mechanical off-set.
We shot several other drills in the afternoon including movers, target-to-target transitions and 100yd ready-ups on C-zone steel. That wasn’t something I had ever tried, and I was surprised that most of the class could consistently hit in under 1.25sec with several of us able to score hits in under 1sec. We also shot the same drill but added a USPSA target at 15yds. We engaged it both near-to-far and far-to-near.
We finished the class with a drill called “The Scrambler”. I’ve been trying to find a video of the drill as we shot it, but I haven’t had any luck so far. In essence it’s a competitive drill, run as a group, requiring barricade shooting techniques. We ran the drill at 100yds and shot C-zone steel and 8in head plates.
RIFLE LESSONS LEARNED –
Wear items wear. Don’t hang onto them after they’ve stopped doing what they should.
I had a yardsale moment during the Scrambler when the rifle magazines I had in my mag pouches flopped out. Nothing says amateur hour like someone leaving gear scattered across the range, so it was embarrassing. I was using BFG ten-speed magazine pouches that were probably more than a year past their best-by date. They worked fine when I was casually walking from one yard line to another, not so fine when I was scampering around getting in and out of non-standard positions. To add insult to injury, I had replacements for them in a footlocker. I had just been too lazy to swap them out. Shame.
I love the ten-speed pouches, but they are wear items. When they stop retaining your gear, it’s time to switch them out.
OVERALL – I don’t think this could be properly categorized as a basic class. You need to go into it with an understanding of positions, and solid fundamentals. That being said, this is a phenomenal class for people who want to spend some quality time working basic rifleman skills at a very high level. This class is all about applying the basics from a variety of positions and distances to make the hit you need. I would definitely recommend.