I was able to attend a training session today with our local sheriff’s department using a G17 on the VirTra 300. I don’t own a G17 so I was expecting some accuracy issues as I was getting used to it. I was wrong. The G17 waas accurate and pointed very well - it made me look good.

If you’re interested in the V300 (no ties to them), I’ve provided a link to a YouTube video that shows several scenarios (Skip to 5:50 to start everything). One scenario they ran me through starts at 17:50. The scenario immediately after is in the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City.

Link: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vHaMdQmRUy4

Link: https://www.virtra.com/v-300

My takeaways:

1. I really like the Glock 17. I’ve thought of getting a 5” PPQ M2 but I may buy the G17 now.

2. If you have a chance, the Virtra 300 is something you ought to try. It’s not the be all and end all of training but it is an interesting tool.

PS Ignore the guys and their commentary and concentrate on the scenarios.

When I lived in Orlando and the Gander Mountain Firearms Academy in Lake Mary was in Business they had that brand of simulator. I went a few times. Great experience. Wish they hadn’t gone out of business.

I don't think those "trainers" have a lot of relationship to the actual accuracy one might have had shooting a firearm; the systems I've tried feel to me more like a game that gives credit if you're close. I think they're more likely to build false confidence, than anything.

As a visual aid to give a representation of a shoot/no-shoot or to demonstrate, they're okay, but to me they're more entertainment than education.

I don’t know what you’ve trained with but there are a lot of agencies that use it including apparently the US Marshals. In my state, it is heavily used and they have filmed specific scenarios to represent shootings that have occurred to help train LEO.

It’s not the be all and end all of training but no specific type of training is. But to call it entertainment? No. At least not if it is run by trained officers which is what I experienced.

quote:

Originally posted by BB61:
I don’t know what you’ve trained with but there are a lot of agencies that use it including apparently the US Marshals. In my state, it is heavily used and they have filmed specific scenarios to represent shootings that have occurred to help train LEO.

It’s not the be all and end all of training but no specific type of training is. But to call it entertainment? No. At least not if it is run by trained officers which is what I experienced.

Great training tool. Not entertainment. Especially when they hook you up to that shocker paddle thing.