Dear Friend

Dear Friend,
I’m sure you gave this more than just one thought, but let’s try it again: what will
you do when SHTF and you must defend your property, yourself and your family?
Your knees might be weak from fear, your arms shaky and your vision and
judgment blurred by the adrenaline rushing through your veins….
But it doesn’t have to be like that…
Not if you practiced your skills and made sure that you haven’t gotten all rusty.
And in case you didn’t, this report will guide you in the right direction.
Give this a read to find out how to hone your shooting skills and how to find the
right gear and help without ruining your budget!
P.S.: Remember that sharing is caring, so share this info with your friends that
might benefit from this experience!
.
1
Table of Contents
DISCLAIMER ................................................................................................................................... 5
How Often Should You Practice With Your Firearms? .............................................................. 6
Training Your Shooting Skills on a Budget ................................................................................ 7
Skeet and Trap Shooting ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Trap ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Skeet ........................................................................................................................................................................... 8
6 Tips and Tricks for Both Skeet and Trap Shooting ................................................................................ 9
Dry Firing Practice at Home................................................................................................................................. 11
The Importance of Using Laser Training Devices ................................................................................... 11
Paintball Shooting Sports ..................................................................................................................................... 12
Game Scenarios for Paintball ......................................................................................................................... 12
Basic Equipment Needed for Paintball ....................................................................................................... 13
Computer Simulation Shoot / Do Not Shoot Scenarios ........................................................................... 17
FATS L7 Compact Virtual Firearms Trainer ................................................................................................ 17
Hogan's Alley Shooting Ranges ......................................................................................................................... 19
Pop Up Targets that Are Remote Controlled ........................................................................................... 19
Track Mounted Moving Target System ...................................................................................................... 20
4 Wheeled all Terrain Moving Targets ........................................................................................................ 20
2
22 Caliber Training Options ................................................................................................................................. 20
Auto-popper Steel Targets .............................................................................................................................. 21
Ground Strike Targets ....................................................................................................................................... 21
A Poor Man's Shooting Gallery...................................................................................................................... 21
Shooting Classes: What To Choose? .......................................................................................... 22
Choosing the Right Shooting Class for Yourself ......................................................................................... 22
6 Tips for Choosing the Right Shooting Instructor..................................................................................... 23
Check the Cost ..................................................................................................................................................... 23
Get Referrals ......................................................................................................................................................... 23
Be Sure the Instructor Is Respectful ............................................................................................................. 23
Find Out the Instructor's Background ......................................................................................................... 24
Make Sure Safety Is a Priority ......................................................................................................................... 24
Learn the Focus of the Instructor's Course ............................................................................................... 24
What Would Be the Requests of a Good Instructor ................................................................................... 24
Safety Minded ...................................................................................................................................................... 24
Having an Open Mind ....................................................................................................................................... 25
Do Your Best ......................................................................................................................................................... 25
Do Not Disrupt the Class ................................................................................................................................. 25
Ask Questions If You Need To ....................................................................................................................... 25
Do Not Tutor Others.......................................................................................................................................... 25
Know the Difference between Training and Practice ............................................................................ 25
How to Show Up for Class ................................................................................................................................... 26
What to Do the Night before Class .................................................................................................................. 26
3
The Costs for a Good School .............................................................................................................................. 26
Where to Look for Training ................................................................................................................................. 27
Rodger's Shooting School ............................................................................................................................... 27
Gunsite Shooting Academy............................................................................................................................. 28
Other Survivopedia Articles About Shooting ........................................................................... 31
References .................................................................................................................................... 32
4
DISCLAIMER
THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN “TACTICAL TRAINING: The Steps To Take For An Accurate
Shooting” IS MEANT TO SERVE AS A COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTION OF STRATEGIES THAT ARE ONLY
RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE AUTHORS, AND READING THIS EBOOK DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT
ONE’S RESULTS WILL EXACTLY MIRROR OUR OWN RESULTS.
THE AUTHOR OF “TACTICAL TRAINING: The Steps To Take For An Accurate Shooting” HAS MADE
ALL REASONABLE EFFORTS TO PROVIDE CURRENT AND ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR THE READERS
OF THIS COURSE. THE AUTHOR WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY UNINTENTIONAL ERRORS OR
OMISSIONS THAT MAY BE FOUND.
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COPYRIGHT 2015 SURVIVOPEDIA™, “TACTICAL TRAINING: The Steps To Take For An Accurate
Shooting”
5
Tactical Training:
Steps To Take For An
Accurate Shooting
In the time before a crisis, you should have already learned how to properly shoot all firearms
that will be needed, plus be able to pass that information on to the next generation. You also
must have had the training and experience to shoot and hit multiple moving targets with
accuracy to stop any kind of armed assault.
The best way to learn to shoot firearms is by taking firearms training courses and practice as
much as possible. Ideally, coursework should start when you are a beginner and take you to the
level of an advanced shooter for all of the weapons that you plan to be using.
Even if you have military or other standardized training, taking shooting classes is still an
important part of making sure you are the best shooter you can be.
But what would be the first steps to take when training your shooting skills?
How Often Should You Practice With Your Firearms?
To keep up your skill levels and to be the best marksman that you can be, I would recommend
that you shoot as often as you can. I personally try to shoot at least once or more each month.
In these shooting sessions, do more than just shoot at paper targets. Set up different shooting
courses with different goals to keep yourself challenged and focused on improving your skills,
accuracy, and speed.
6
Training Your Shooting Skills on a Budget
While there is no substitute for intensive training and direct experience, you can still use the
following methods to help you develop your skills and practice within budget, time, and other
constraints.
Skeet and Trap Shooting
A great way to practice fast hand eye coordination needed to hit fast moving targets is by
shooting skeet or trap. These two are the most popular types of clay bird shooting.
Trap
To shoot trap you will need either a 20 gauge or 12 gauge shotgun. If you can stand the 12
gauge recoil this shotgun would be the better choice. It can put out more shot than the 20
gauge giving the shooter a better pattern.
The shotgun you choose can be a pump action, semi-auto, or a double barrel. My personal
choice is my Remington 870 12 Gauge with a barrel length of 26 inches with a cylinder or an
improved cylinder choke (I have a choke set for the shotgun).
I use #8 shot for trap.
In trap shooting the orange colored clay birds are
about the size of the palm of your hand. These clay
birds are launched away from the shooter from a
small block house at the center of field.
There are five shooting positions in an arc from one
side of house to the other. The shooter fires five shots from each position for a total of 25 shots,
which equals one box of shotgun shells.
7
To make this sport interesting the shooter does not know when or where the clay birds will be
launched over the 180 degree track of the clay bird launching machine. To simulate rabbit
hunting,
I used to set the launcher so a clay bird would just clear the ground cover and stand on the
block house. Once the command to launch the bird was given you never knew where the clay
would go. You had just a second to locate, identify, and shoot the rabbit.
Skeet
To shoot skeet you will need either a 20 gauge or
a 12 gauge shotgun of your personal choice.
As with trap, I personally prefer the same 12
gauge Remington 870 and use #8 shot.
The skeet clay bird is the same size and weight as
the trap bird. In skeet shooting there are two
launch houses to launch the clay birds. The house
on the left side of the range as you face it is the high which launches clay birds at a higher
position. The right side house is called the low house.
There are seven shooting positions in a small semicircle from the high house to the low house,
with the eighth station in the half way point between the two houses. The locations of each
stations is the following.

Station 1 is next to the high house.

Station 2 is to the right followed by stations 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 which is by the low house.

Station 8 is at the half way point between the launch houses.
Stations 1 and 2 fire a single and a double round. Stations 3, 4, and 5 only shoot singles. Stations
6 and 7 shoot singles and doubles Station 8 only shoots one bird from the high house.
8
The total number of shots fired in a round of skeet is 25, which is the exact number of shot
shells in the box.
6 Tips and Tricks for Both Skeet and Trap Shooting
1. Point and Shoot
With a shotgun you point at the target and pull the trigger. Skeet and trap shotguns do not
have sights, they just have a small bead at the end of the barrel.
2. When Shooting Skeet or Trap Keep Both Eyes Open
Since you are shooting at a moving target you need to keep both eyes open in order to properly
track it. To do this correctly you must know which eye is dominant by making a small opening
with your out stretched hands and focusing on an object with both eyes open through the
opening. Close one eye then the other. The eye that can still see the object through the opening
is your dominate eye.
When you shoot with both eyes open, that eye will be the one that focuses on the target. If you
are right handed but are left eye dominant you will need to blur the vision of your left eye by
pacing a small piece of tape on the left lens of your shooting glasses.
If this does not work for you then consider shooting left handed.
3. Always Be Aware of Your Body Position
Since you are pointing and not aiming the shotgun, your body position is very important.
You must be relaxed and comfortable in a boxing stance with your lead leg (left leg if you are
right handed) slightly bent and your rear leg (right leg) straight and with a slight bend at the
waist leaning forward a bit into the shotgun.
This allows you to control the recoil and easily rotate at the waist to track the clay bird.
4. Two Safe Ways of Holding the Shotgun before Calling the Clay Bird
9
How you hold the shotgun is very important for
getting hits.
Experienced shooters start with the shotgun at
the ready position - with the shotgun touching
the waist and then swing up the shotgun once
they call the bird (most people yell pull).
Most beginners prefer to call the bird once they
have shouldered the shotgun. The proper hold means that the butt of the stock is firmly held
against the pocket of the shoulder between your arm and the collar bone.
Bring the shooting elbow up so your arm is parallel to the ground to ensure a good fit. You want
the entire butt of the stock on the shoulder, not just a portion of it.
5. Always Keep Your Cheek Firmly Pressed to the Stock
You want your cheek firmly against the comb (top) of the stock with your head forward so your
nose is not more than one or two inches from the thumb on your shooting hand.
As you look down the shotgun all you should be able to see is the top of the receiver and the
front of the barrel bead. If you can see any length of the barrel your head is too high on the
stock.
A very common mistake is a poor follow through. This is where the shooter gets too anxious to
see the results of the shot and lifts their head off the stock as they are firing.
Keep your cheek firmly pressed well to the stock until after you have fired.
Remember trying to look for hits only guarantees misses.
6. Swinging Your Shotgun with the Target
As you track the bird swing the front of the shotgun to it. When the muzzle covers the bird so
you cannot see it then pull the trigger crisply and quickly. The follow through is also important
10
when engaging targets with a lot of lead. Here you want to make sure that the shotgun keeps
moving after you fire.
You must resist the urge to swing to the target and then stop, shoot, and then try to follow it
again. The shooter must continuously swing the shotgun through the target as they fire.
CLICK HERE to find out more about how to use guns for your defense.
Dry Firing Practice at Home
You can practice by simply pointing and tracking the targets with your finger at first. Then use
an unloaded shotgun.
Dry firing practice at home is very helpful for the new shooters. When dry firing make sure there
is no loaded ammunition in the training area. Use a nice blank wall that is also in a safe
direction.
With a flash light or laser pointer, have your assistant simulate the travel of a clay bird against
the wall while you practice tracking it, dry firing while following through, and swing through the
target.
When dry firing, always use snap caps to keep from damaging firing pins or springs.
The Importance of Using Laser Training Devices
There are various laser training devices that are effective at improving dry firing training.
The Universal Shotgun Trainer LT-120 from Laserlyte fits inside the muzzle of 12 or 20 gauge
shotguns and projects a ring of eight red laser dots surrounding one dot in the center when it
detects the sound of a trigger pull and dry fire.
The laser simulates the shot pattern and spread you would normally get at a given distance. This
allows the shooter to visualize the pattern they would produce from a live round and helps the
assistant see if the shooter is properly following through and getting hits.
11
Paintball Shooting Sports
Paintball is a sport in which players compete in teams or individually to eliminate opponents by
tagging them with a paintball fired from a paintball gun (paintball marker).
The game is regularly played at the sporting level with organized competition involving major
tournaments, professional teams, and players. Paintball technology is also used by the military,
law enforcement, and security organizations to supplement training.
Here are a few rules to remember while playing paintball:

No fist fights, this is poor sportsmanship and this will get you thrown out of the game.

The referees have the final word during the game action.

No cheating, if you get hit and do not acknowledge the fact and try to wipe off the
paintball hit this will get you thrown out of the game.

Accidents do happen; do not intentionally try to hurt another player.

Wear enough padding to protect yourself from multiple hits and from falling down.
Game Scenarios for Paintball
Games can be played on indoor or outdoor fields of varying sizes. A game field is made up of
natural or artificial terrain which the players use for tactical cover. Game types in paintball vary,
but below are 7 game scenarios.
1. Capture the Flag
This game is the most popular game played. The objective is to get your opponents flag and
return to your flag station before the opponent captures your flag and returns to his flag station.
2. The Mercenary Game
This game is the same capture the flag game, but there is a third team of mercenaries attacking
both sides. They cannot capture any flags and cannot win. They are just an obstacle the other
teams must get past in order to win.
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3. Center Flag
In this game both teams are after one flag that is in the center of the field. The objective is to
get the flag and carry it to your opponent’s flag station.
4. Attack and Defend
In this game a larger group attempts to overrun a smaller group's defensive position. The
defenders must defend a place of good cover.
5. President's Game
A small group of Secret Service Agents must try to move the President of the United States from
one area to another while the others’ only objective is to assassinate the president.
6. Speedball
This game is a fast paced game played in a small field with limited cover. It can be played with a
flag or played by total elimination of the players to the last surviving player.
7. Medic
In this game each team has one or more players acting as a medic. A medic's job is to touch an
eliminated player to bring that player back into the game.
Once a medic is shot they are out of the game and his team must play without the medic and
the eliminated players are also then out of the game.
Basic Equipment Needed for Paintball
The Gun Kit
For the beginner buying a paintball gun kit is the best way to get the basic set up for shooting.
These kits can start at about $135.00, with an average midlevel cost of about $250.00 to $500.00,
and the upper end kits $850.00 to over $1,000.00.
Remember you get what you pay for.
13
The Azodin ATS Paintball Gun Kit is a good kit for the beginners.
The price is $134.95.
This package includes:

Azodin ATS Paintball Gun

20 oz. CO2 tank

GenXGobal X-VSN Paintball
mask

200 round loader

Warrior Squeegee

GENX Global 4+1 horizontal
harness

4 140 round pods
Protective Clothing
For your safety and wellbeing there are five main types of paintball protective pads which are
not required, but are recommended.

There is a large selection of paintball chest protectors: There are two main types of chest
protectors. The first is the front and back panels only that leave the sides open; or you
can get the full wrap around chest protector shirt.

Paintball elbow and forearm pads: not only will these pads protect you when you are on
the ground they also keep your forearms protected when you get hit with a paintball.

Paintball head protection: The most common types of head protection are head bands
and head wraps. Not only do they protect the forehead, but they keep the sweat from
dripping in your eyes.

Paintball knee and shin pads: These pads are designed for flexibility, protection and
comfort of the paintball player. They give good padding protection when the wearer is
crawling around on the ground.
14

Paintball neck protectors: Your neck is one of the few spots on your body that is exposed
to a direct hit with a paintball. When the bare neck is hit by a paintball, it will welt up and
the paintball can damage your skin.

Groin protection cup: The hard athletic protectors are used to protect male shooters
from groin injuries.

Paintball shooters gloves: These gloves protect the player’s hands in rough terrain, help
the shooter get a better grip on the paintball gun, and also protect your hands from
damage if they get hit.
Player's Outer Clothing
It is the paintball player’s choice of what he/she wears as outer clothing.

Camo shirts and pants

Team colors or uniforms

Boots are the shooter's choice depending on terrain.
Paintballs
There are 6 types of paintballs available to the paintball shooters.
1. Seconds Paintballs: These are the cheapest paintballs you can buy. There are many
reasons why they are seconds. Sometimes the paintballs are old, a batch was odd sized,
oval shaped, or heavily dimpled. Since these paintballs do not meet a brand's quality
control standards they are repackaged and sold at a lower price. With this great price
you can expect less accuracy, more bounces, or more broken paintballs.
2. Recreational or Field Grade: These paintballs are typically made with a slightly thicker
shell material than the seconds. The paint fill is usually thinner for leaving bigger splats
and are easier to clean up. These paintballs perform better in cold weather than others.
These are the most used paintballs.
3. Premium Grade Paintballs: These paintballs are always first run and made under tighter
quality controls for more roundness. The shell is a bit more fragile so that it breaks on
15
target easier and the fill is thicker for improved accuracy. Your performance will be much
better with premium paintballs than with Field Grade.
4. Tournament Grade Paintballs: Tournament Grade Paintballs have a thinner shell made
under a higher level of control and labor intensive manufacturing processes. They are
made to be as perfectly round as possible and just durable enough to be reliable while
breaking on target. The paint fill is thick almost like a paste so cheaters cannot easily
wipe off the paint. Tournament Paintballs are best used with a high end low pressure
operation paintball marker because they are too fragile to use in low end markers that
are harder on the paintball when fired.
5. Paint Grenades: Paint Grenades are used to clear out multiple opponents. Paintball
Grenades are pressurized tubing that bounce and squirt out paint everywhere on impact.
They are used in some scenarios where a grenade is best for taking out the target.
6. Re-usable Paintballs: These paintballs are usually made of rubber or similar material so
they can be shot, picked up, and shot again. They are good for target practice, working
on your snap shot, or tuning your marker without wasting expensive paintballs or
making a mess.
Paintball Backpacks and Gear Bags
The paintball backpacks have special areas for your paintball marker and tank storage. They also
have a lot of small compartments to hold other small parts.
Paintball gear bags are much larger and usually have durable roller wheels so you do not have
to carry it.
There are many compartments in the gear bag to carry your gun, tank, mask, dirty clothes,
paintballs, pod holders, and any other equipment that you need for a paintball outing.
16
Computer Simulation Shoot / Do Not Shoot Scenarios
FATS L7 Compact Virtual Firearms Trainer
The FATS L7 virtual trainer simulation system supports marksmanship and judgment of today's
law enforcement, paramilitary, and security personnel.
The single screen system includes both marksmanship training and video training modes.
Marksmanship training goes from basic to advanced. This type of judgment training enhances
the understanding of Shoot/Don't Shoot scenarios and the quick decision making processes the
shooters must master.
This system can train up to eight system controlled weapons at one time, thus allowing team
training in judgmental training mode.
During individual marksmanship training mode the system can train up to four hooters in a
range type training environment.
One of the nice things about this system is that it
allows instructors to continuously upgrade
scenarios to meet changing needs. Also the FATS
L7 has a built in video station that supports
creation of new video scenarios.
The FATS L7 Training System uses the following
weapon training systems:
Bluefire Weapon Simulator
This simulator provides the highest level of realism in simulation training.
The Bluefire weapons communicate with the FATS L7 by using Bluetooth technology. This gives
the trainee a full range of motion without being tied down by their systems.
17
The Bluefire weapons are available in all of today's weapons used by law enforcement, military,
or security companies.
Fully sensored weapons reinforce the fundamentals of marksmanship training by providing
sensory feedback on how the shooter fires their weapon. Weapon recoil is achieved with a
rechargeable magazine of compressed gas via gas filling stations.
Tethered Simulated Weapons
Tethered weapons provide the highest degree of weapon control and feedback. Sensors record
trigger squeeze, cant, and muzzle trace reinforcing the fundamentals of marksmanship.
The tethered weapons that can be used with this system are all weapons that are used in
today's law enforcement, military, or security companies.
Weapon “recoil” is achieved by compressed air or CO2 delivered through the tether. This gives
you afeel for how recoil in a real shooting situation can disturb the shooter's sight picture, thus
forcing you to reacquire the target after each shot.
Dvorak Drop in Weapon Conversion Kits
This is a drop in air activated recoil system for semi-auto and automatic weapons. This allows
the shooter to temporarily modify a live fire weapon to function as a laser pulse simulator.
It uses compressed gas or CO2 to simulate recoil by acting on the bolt or slide to cycle the gun.
Each shot is initiated by the strike of the unmodified hammer producing both recoil and a laser
pulse.
There are two models with this system

TRS (tether-less recoil system) - This system uses a self-contained gas supply, a standard
disposable 12g CO2 cartridge.

ARS (air recoil system) uses an external gas supply usually worn on the belt. The weapon
is connected to a gas bottle via a small thin hose.
18
Dvorak weapons will recoil as long as the gas supply lasts. They will not lock back the bolt or
slide when the firearm is normally out of ammunition.
Dvorak kits are not recommend for high usage training environments. Using this kit can result in
heavy wear and tear on a live weapon whereas a simulator weapons have been designed for a
long life as training weapons.
Student Recording
This feature is designed to let the shooter view their movements and verbal commands during
the training.
This feature uses a look back camera recording device, tripod, and cabling. Scenario play back
and shooter play back are displayed in a side by side manner. The look back kit is an excellent
tool to fine tune your shooting skills.
Hogan's Alley Shooting Ranges
Hogan's Alley is any shooting range devoted to tactical shooting. These ranges are best known
for teaching shooters when to shoot and when not to shoot.
This is better known as Shoot/Don't Shoot Drills. They can be very sophisticated with remote
control target systems or as primitive as targets mounted on a wheeled carriage pulled along by
ropes operated manually.
Here are a few target systems that can be used in a Hogan's Alley range.
Pop Up Targets that Are Remote Controlled
These targets can be portable and can be setup anywhere for your shooting practice. The
targets can pop up, swivel, twist, and rotate at a predetermined speed.
19
Pop up targets can be used singly or in groups set at different ranges. When used in a Hogan's
Alley, set up pop-up targets to appear in windows, doorways, or looking over objects like cars,
boats, or walls.
Track Mounted Moving Target System
This system can move targets to the left or right depending how long the track is. This system
will work well in a Hogan's Alley set up where the targets would be moving from a doorway
along a wall or other solid barrier.
4 Wheeled all Terrain Moving Targets
Are remote controlled all terrain driveable target holders. Human or animal targets can be
mounted for your shooting needs. By using a 3D animal target it is possible to practice for a
running boar, bear, deer, or coyote hunting. Think of them as very large remote control toys.
These are very rugged all-wheel drive target platforms.
This target platform can be used in a Hogan's Alley range if a bad guy tries to make a run for it
from a building into a field or woods.
22 Caliber Training Options
If you do not have access to any of the above shooting
ranges, but have access to a field where you can safely
shoot 22 caliber weapons, then you can still practice.
While these methods will not give you as many
variations, they will still work for beginners. Here are
some moving target options:
20
Auto-popper Steel Targets
This system uses steel targets with steel springs that return the target to the shooting position
after being hit. There are many sizes and shapes of animals and other target designs.
Ground Strike Targets
There are ground strike targets like the Birchwood Casey Hex Ball and Strike Jack Ground
Targets. These targets are made from a durable material that can take hundreds of shots while it
keeps on dancing around on the ground.
A Poor Man's Shooting Gallery
A cheap supply of targets can be had by using
empty tin cans or empty plastic water bottles. By
suspending these items on a string from a frame
or a tree limb you have a poor man's shooting
gallery.
Placing cans and plastic bottles on the ground at
different distances helps the shooter to judge
distances and learn how much hold-over is needed for the shooters weapon to shoot dead on at
different ranges.
When you get good at this then try to keep the cans and bottles moving and bouncing with
multiple hits. When finished shooting always police the shooting area and take all of the trash
and brass with you. Make the shooting area look like no one was using it for a target range.
Before a time of crisis it is important that you know how to shoot at moving targets with a good
to very good hit ratio to bullets fired. You can learn how to lead a target and follow through by
shooting skeet and trap. To learn how to shoot on the run and from cover, paintball is an
excellent teacher.
21
The FATS L7 can give the shooter experience in hundreds of scenarios and teach the shooter the
right way to return fire if necessary and to survive the incident. Learn shoot and don't shoot, in
the Hogan's Alley tactical ranges. This gives the shooter experience in shoot or don't shoot
situations with or without hostages.
Finally if you do not have access to any of these training systems set up a poor man's shooting
gallery using old tin cans and plastic water bottles.
CLICK HERE to find out more about how to use guns when planning your
defense.
Shooting Classes: What To Choose?
Learning to be the best marksman that you are capable of being is going to be a lifelong field of
study.
If you can afford it, try to attend at least one premium instruction course a year. Here you will
learn what is new or other things that might help you to become a better shooter.
If you cannot go to the new premium courses then go to refresher courses locally. These courses
can keep you from falling into bad habits, slowing down, and losing your shooters edge.
Shooting instruction is readily available as are firearms. There is a pretty good selection of
instruction from local instructor's and from the premium instructional schools or an academy. I
Choosing the Right Shooting Class for Yourself
The first thing every shooter must decide is which firearms to learn to shoot and where to get
the proper training to shoot and operate these weapons safely. The best advice I can give to
new shooters is to start with a basic safety course that covers rifles, handguns, and shotguns.
How you plan to shoot these weapons will determine which training options you will need.
22
For some people their firearms main purpose is for self-defense, while others are focused on
hunting or competition shooting. Remember to always do your research. This will help you to
make educated decisions and communicate well with the instructors.
As you advance from level to level, you might not get the best instructor because of your lack of
knowledge on the subject. Therefore, never take for granted that you can simply squeak by
during class time and then “make it up during practice”. Remember, you are taking classes to
gain new techniques or improve existing ones; not to squeak by or look good enough to pass
the class.
6 Tips for Choosing the Right Shooting Instructor
Check the Cost
For many shooters the cost of private instruction is way too expensive for their budget. Know
what you can afford to pay and what the average cost is for private instructors in your area is.
Usually group lessons are cheaper than individual instruction, but private classes are normally of
a higher quality.
Get Referrals
An instructor may have many qualifications, but this does not mean that they can teach. Learn
what others have to say about this instructor: are they good, average, or poor?
Does this instructor work well with all students or does he have issues with working with women,
children, or individuals that are a little slow at learning the subject material?
Be Sure the Instructor Is Respectful
The instructor should never insult you, talk down to you, or belittle you. Beware if the instructor
has an inflated ego. This is not how to teach. A good teacher respects their students. If possible
meet with the instructor before the class date to get a sense of them.
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Find Out the Instructor's Background
The instructor should be properly trained. This training can be from many sources like the
government, firearms schools, or competitive shooting.
Ask the potential instructor how and where they learned to shoot. A good instructor continues
to practice often and continues to update their training regularly.
Most important of all the instructor should have certifications and licenses to prove their ability
and knowledge of what they are teaching.
Make Sure Safety Is a Priority
Firearms are dangerous when improperly handled. Any marksmanship class should have safety
as a big part of the curriculum and practices. Safety should be stated on the syllabus and the
instructor should not make light of firearm safety.
Learn the Focus of the Instructor's Course
Learn the areas the instructor will focus on. If an instructor emphasizes areas you are weak in,
this instructor would be a good choice. If the instructor does not state a specific focus, you may
end up only getting a very general approach to shooting.
What Would Be the Requests of a Good Instructor
The following 9 sections deal with what a good instructor requests of his students.
Safety Minded
Students are to be safety minded. Horse play is not to be tolerated or allowed. As a student you
do not want to worry about issues like “How safe is the person next to me?”
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Having an Open Mind
Have an open mind, think of every class as a clean slate. Push all of your previous training to the
side and do the class exactly like the instructor tells you. If you cannot honestly receive
instruction with an open mind, staying home would save you money.
Do Your Best
Not all shooters learn at the same speed. When learning new techniques it is normal for your
shooting groups to open up when you change the way you shoot.
You will most likely have a short period of feeling awkward about the techniques. Classes are
not competitions. Stay with the new techniques for a while before you give up on it because it
might just pay off.
Do Not Disrupt the Class
If you think you know more than the instructor be quiet and do not disrupt the class. If you have
a valid point to make, wait for a break in the lecture and talk to him/her.
Ask Questions If You Need To
It you have a question ask it. The only bad question is one that was never asked. Do not fear
that your question is dumb or may not be fitting for the course. Your problem could possibly be
one of simple misunderstanding of the terms or the techniques.
Do Not Tutor Others
Do not tutor other student especially on the firing line. This is the job of the range officers and
the instructor.
Know the Difference between Training and Practice
Training and practices are two different things. Training is what you do under the watchful eyes
of instructors. Practices is what you do after training to ingrain those skills.
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After taking a class you must practice the things you have learned or they will be quickly
forgotten and you will lose your edge.
How to Show Up for Class
Show up for class on time and be ready to stay. Besides your standard range gear, take water,
bug repellent, sunscreen, and extra weather appropriate clothing. Bring snacks and lunch too.
Remember to pack any needed medications in your bag.
What to Do the Night before Class
If you are taking classes locally, there will be fewer temptations to let other things get in the way
of your focus on training.
That being said, when you are out of town, it is natural enough to want to party or do some
sightseeing. You are better off setting other time aside in your schedule for having fun so that
you still get the most out of your classes.
Get plenty of sleep, do not get drunk the night before class, make sure you eat enough supper,
and do not eat too many snacks. If you go out and party the night before the class you will be
overtired, sluggish, achy, generally unwell, and will not be at your very best.
The Costs for a Good School
For shooters on a tight budget, being able to attend a premium shooting school would most
likely blow the weapons and training fund.
For these individuals I would recommend going to local indoor or outdoor shooting ranges that
offer basic to advanced certified shooting courses. These courses are much cheaper in the long
run and you would not have to travel away from home, which will also save a lot of money.
For those shooters that can afford to go to the premium training schools the two schools listed
below would be excellent choices.
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CLICK HERE to find out more about how to use guns for your defense.
Where to Look for Training
Let’s see a couple of schools that might be exactly what you need to improve your shooting
skills:
Rodger's Shooting School
Handgun Courses
This school has training in basic handgun and intermediate/advanced for individuals 14 years
old and older. These courses cover safety, maintenance, concealed carry, tactics, holster
techniques, and shooting skills. Students will shoot over 2500 rounds of ammunition per class.
The classes begin on Sunday night at 7PM with a safety lecture and ends on the following Friday
at noon. The handgun course starts at 09:00 and ends at 16:30 daily except for Friday. There are
optional shoulder fire weapons courses are taught concurrent with the handgun training.
The cost of each handgun course is $1200 plus ammunition. Lunch and dinner at the lodge is
$50. For $125 they provide lodging plus a breakfast for each class day.
Combat Shotguns
(This class may be taken as an optional class with the handgun classes)
The course starts daily at 16:30 and ends at 18:00 daily. Students will encounter multiple, rapidly
moving, reactive steel targets with short exposure times.
The drills are designed to force the student to engage targets and reload under stressful and
limited time conditions as well as using effective cover while doing so. About 400 rounds of
12gauge birdshot is used to train the students and about 75 rounds of 00 Buck are needed for
qualification.
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If possible, bring your own 12 gauge pump action shotgun. All shotguns must have a minimum
of 5 rounds fully loaded. Low or reduced recoil ammunition is encouraged. Tuition is $200 plus
the cost of ammunition.
Urban Carbine
This class starts daily at 16:00 and ends at 18:00. Urban carbine is also offered with the handgun
classes. Students will engage multiple moving targets at distances of 7-20 yards which are
exposed for about 1 second and must be hit to score. The school supplies the 9mm M-4
carbines equipped with both optical and iron sights.
The cost of the course is $300 plus ammunition. All gear related to the 9mm M-4 rifles will be
provided.
Gunsite Shooting Academy
This shooting academy is one of the best in the nation. They teach basic, intermediate, and
advanced shooting skills for handguns, shotguns, carbines, and bolt action rifles. The instructors
are military, law enforcement trained or both; and are also at the top of their chosen fields of
marksmanship training.
The cost of all Gunsite courses is for the training and does not include room and board,
transportation to and from Gunsite, ammunition, or other necessary items for the courses.
Pistol Training
250 Pistol Course
The 250 course includes 5 solid days of range work, lectures, and intensive indoor, outdoor, and
low light live fire simulators. To be skillful with arms is a highly perishable skill and continuation
of training is a must.
Class Details:

Duration- 5 days
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
Prerequisite- none

Cost-$1595.00

Ammunition- 1000 rounds of training ammo and 50 rounds of frangible ammo for
simulators.
Class Requirements:

Heavy duty pistol with good sights, a decent trigger in either 9MM .40, or 45ACP.

Heavy duty belt and holster.

Magazine carriers for 6 single magazines or for 3 double stack magazines.

A light on the pistol or a flashlight with a pressure switch.

Eye Protection- Clear or dark glasses.

Ear protection- muffs or plugs

Sunscreen and insect repellent

Extra clothing-seasonal clothing, hat with a brim, jacket, long pants, long sleeve shirt, and
rain gear.
350 Intermediate Pistol Course
This course has a short review of the 250 course and then proceeds to the more advanced
fighting skills. You will learn to be faster and much more accurate on the target. The student will
be shooting on the move and at moving targets. You will be introduced to Force on Force
training.
Class details:

Duration- 5 days

Prerequisite- 250 Defensive Pistol

Cost- $1795.00

Ammunition- 1000 rounds ball ammunition and 200 rounds frangible ammunition
General Requirements - The same as the 250 Pistol Course.
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499 Advanced Pistol Course
In this class the shooters are already very good pistol operators. At this advanced skill level even
minute improvements in your technique will lead to major increase sin you outcome.
You will learn how to clear malfunctions under high stress conditions, increase your speed, and
accuracy. In this course you will have considerably more live fire simulations, low light work, and
much more emphasis on Force on Force.
Class details:

Duration-5 days

Prerequisite- 350 Pistol Course or Expert rating in the 250 Course within the previous
year.

Cost- $1995.00

Ammunition- 1100 rounds of ball ammunition and 250 rounds of frangible ammunition
for simulators.
General Requirements- The same as the 250 and the 350 Pistol Courses.
Defensive 3 Gun Course
This course covers 2 days of handgun, 2 days of carbine, and 1 full day of shotgun training. The
students will cover training in marksmanship, malfunctions, carry methods, safety, care and
maintenance, and the combat mindset.
Class details:

Duration- 5 days

Prerequisite- none

Cost- $1630.00

Ammunition- 600 rounds handgun, 600 rounds carbine, 100 rounds 00 Buck, and 50
slugs.
General Requirements for Pistol, Shotgun, and Carbines
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Pistols:

The same requirements as the 250, 350, and the 499 courses.
Shotguns:

Pump or semi-auto 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotguns.

Ammunition management belt carrier.

Weapon mounted light for night shooting.

Heavy duty handgun 9MM, 40, or 45ACP.

3 pistol magazines with holders.

Ear and eye protection that is shotgun compatible.
Carbine:

Serviceable carbine in .223, 30 cal., 7.62x39, or 5.45x39.

Heavy duty handgun in 9MM, .40, or 45ACP.

Heavy belt, holsters, magazine carriers, and 3 pistol magazines.

A minimum of 6 magazines for the carbine with a minimum of 2 magazine pouches or a
dump pouch.

Knee and elbow pads

Ear and eye protection that is carbine compatible.
Other Survivopedia Articles About Weapons
6 Keys To Finding The Perfect Firearms Training For You
Top 22 Handguns For Your Defense
The Top 6 Survival Rifles And Why You Need One
Top Survival Guns For A Lady
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The 7 Ultimate Firearms for Survival & Their Costs
How To Prepare Your Guns For Survival
Why To Choose A Remington 870 For Defense
AR-15: The Ultimate Gun for Survival
7 Reasons to Take an Air Rifle for Survival Weapon
Ammo Storage DOs and DON’Ts
7 Signs a Gun Is Broken & Fixing Them in the Field
Weapons for Survival: Knives and Other Edges
The 5 Fatal Self Defense Weapons That You Carry
References
http://www.wikihow.com/Shoot-Skeet
http://www.bestshotpaintball.com/hints2.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Tournament-Paintball-Player
http://www.actiontarget.com/commercial-sports-shooting
http://www.policemag.com/channel/careers-training/articles/2013/04/the-next-generationfiring-range.aspx
http://www.scskeet.com/Beginner_skeet/Beginner_Skeet.htm
http://www.ca.org/index.php/nsca-sporting-clays-shooting/training-information/become-aninstructor/how-to-choose-an-instructor
http://training.nra.org/
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