We moved east 3 years ago, a great decision but I don’t get to see my buddies much. We started setting up one trip a year to do something fun that revolves around knives, guns and training.

We are wanting to do either an urban rifle or practical handgun course in 2024. I have taken and taught several handgun courses over the years, he is not a beginner, but not an expert either. We have both trained with our rifles, but Neither of us have taken a rifle class.

I want to hear your training experiences and who you would recommend. Location is not a factor, but we want something more dynamic than several days of square range drills.

Where would you go / return to and why?

When you say "practical handgun", do you mean something like USPSA or something more oriented towards carry or defense?

This is the golden era of training. There are just so many very competent guys teaching right now and the paradigm has largely shifted to traveling instructors versus the old days where places like Gunsite, Thunder Ranch, Rogers Shooting School, CSAT, and other "destination facilities" were more common.

If you're potentially looking to knock down a handgun and a rifle class in one trip, I would HIGHLY recommend Chuck Pressburg's No Fail Pistol and No Fail Rifle somewhere that they are being offered back to back. I took both classes last year and they were awesome. Relatively atypical in that they are laser focused on accountability and not speed. I liked them so much that I hosted Chuck for No Fail Pistol at my home range this past Spring.

Although it has been 6 years since my last class, from the early 90's until 6 years ago, I trained with TDI Ohio at least every other year.

https://www.tdiohio.com/

This is not some training center with a bunch of muscle bound wanna' be's.

They are professional at all levels and will treat you with respect.

The only time a voice is raised in anger, is when someone violates safety protocol.

They offer training for all types of weapons.

God willing, I plan to return next year for a 2 or 3 day class.

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:

If you're potentially looking to knock down a handgun and a rifle class in one trip, I would HIGHLY recommend Chuck Pressburg's No Fail Pistol and No Fail Rifle somewhere that they are being offered back to back. I took both classes last year and they were awesome. Relatively atypical in that they are laser focused on accountability and not speed. I liked them so much that I hosted Chuck for No Fail Pistol at my home range this past Spring.

I second this. I attended the No Fail Pistol class that BR hosted. I’ve had the chance to train with some awesome dudes (Steve Fisher, Jared Reston, the Haughts) and Chuck is the top of the pile. I’d happily pay the money and fork up the ammo to do No Fail Pistol again. The No Fail curriculum is, as Chuck say, “a foot wide and a mile deep” look at shot accountability. Very mentally trying course but very rewarding.

My initial answer is The Sig Academy.

I'm sure there are other choices and I look forward to seeing them.

I am part of a group that went out to Front Sight in Nevada for a number of years.... I did it mostly for the comradely but we took the same class every year and the odd thing is I got better each time.

I pushed one of my group to figure out how we could do much of the same thing on this side of the country and now he creates a private 2 day class for us.

I will second the recommendation for TDI. I attended the 3 day pistol class there about 10 years ago and it was first class.

I've never been to this but he maybe not all that far from you, depending on where you live in the state.

He seems like the real deal and regular folks can go there too. Mostly caters to military and LE folks it seems.

https://rogersshootingschool.com/

These gentlemen are pretty knowledgeable

https://opspectraining.com


I'm pretty sure in your neck of the woods, Academi / Constellis still has a training facility and programs. (Yes, the former Blackwater)

TMACS is solid as well, and does a lot on the East Coast.

Without question I'd recommend Bill Rogers shooting school in Ellijay, GA. To learn on a pneumatic, reactive target system that operates within the normal human reaction times is pushing the student to their very best. The instructors, including Bill Rogers are among the best of the best.

I will caution. Two levels of courses are offered; Basic and advanced. Without question, I'd recommend most all shooters to attend the Basic. One must learn how to make the Kool-aid before drinking it. If you a Master Class IDPA... then go for the Advance. It is a humbling course that forces students to perform at the highest level.

Andrew

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
These gentlemen are pretty knowledgeable

Thanks bro.

As to the OP, it highly depends what specifically your buddy wants to work on and improve. In the last couple of years, I’ve trained with Mike Glover, Aaron Cowan, Glock training, and Bob Vogel. I picked up something from all of them. Of those, as far as running the gun goes, I learned more from Aaron Cowan and Bob Vogel. Both classes were challenging even at my level. Cowan’s class is MRDS centered, but it’s a shooting class.

In the past, I’ve trained with Ernie Langdon, been to Rogers a few times, Thunder Ranch, Midsouth, Frank Proctor, and many others. All had their charms and I picked up something from everyone. Midsouth and Rogers are pure shooting schools. They accomplish the goal through sheer round count.

In the next year or so, I’m lined up for courses with Mason Lane, Kyle Defoor and John Chapman. I also want to carve out time to take a Baer Solutions or Haley Strategic course. The main complaint I’ve heard about Haley is that knuckle draggers come back talking like they are scientists.

I’d highly recommend setting a goal a little more specific than “shoot better” and tailor my choice accordingly. And vet the instructor AND the content of the course being taken. A lot of dudes hold “classes” that are nothing but high round count organized practice with little or no instruction tailored to the individual student. They generally have “the name” and 40 guys on the line. I don’t take classes like that, and don’t recommend them. I can shoot drills on my own. When I take classes, I want feedback on how I can get better. That’s why I’m my classes, I try to run no more than 1 to 6 student instructor ratios.

Thank you all, I will be digging into all of these.

When I said, “practical,” I was referring to useable real world skills and their applications, not competition settings.

Jljones—-will you be at Casa Grande in November?

quote:

Originally posted by sjtill:
Jljones—-will you be at Casa Grande in November?

Yes sir. I’m planning on it.

Boy howdy

I am sure that there are other great places of instruction but my only answer to this, is Gunsite.

I've completed the following there:

Handgun 250 & Carbine 223


I've done other places but none hold a candle to the Funhouse, Donga, Scrambler, Military Crest, and the Urban Scrambler.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:

quote:

Originally posted by CPD SIG:
These gentlemen are pretty knowledgeable

Thanks bro.


Haley Strategic course. The main complaint I’ve heard about Haley is that knuckle draggers come back talking like they are scientists.

Any time, Amigo!

I like Travis. He's always been a wicked smart dude. He's always been the critical thinker, and the one who asks "Why" the right way, at the right time.
That's how your eyes work-
"Well, WHY?"
Then Travis goes down the rabbit hole and figures out the kinesiology and biology behind the power of the peepers.
"How can I make this better?" and not just for the sake of trying to reinvent the wheel, he'd look at a piece of gear, and modify it so it wouldn't wear out, be lighter, work better...

He wants you (any of his students) to think critically as well.
Not that it's a bad thing at all, the problem arises when the student gets the Dunning - Kruger effect.