"I want to take firearms training classes, but they're so expensive!"

[lovemachine]

This space reserved until I can come up with a good comeback for clay.

 

[ATM]

This space reserved until I can come up with a good comeback for clay.

Try to come up with something before winter.


...just sayin'.

 

[lovemachine]

This space reserved until I can come up with a comeback for ATM.

 

[Clay]

lol mine should be easy!

 

[lovemachine]

lol mine should be easy!

I didn't think I should go there

 

[Clay]

lol, thanks for that!

 

[BIGSHIVES1]

Going to disagree (at least for me). I would love to do some training, but time and money are the issues. I work a job that requires me to work 5 out of 7 weekends, and right now I cant afford it as I have a kid on the way, and building up a good amount of cash to covers while the wifey is off work, along with all the stuff neccessary for the baby takes priority. I could care about the ego part. I know I dont know it all, and would love to better my skills, but unfortunately, Im limited on that for now...

Sounds like you got you priorities straight!

Congrats on the baby!

Hopefully he/she will be as interested in firearms as you!

 

[DialTone301]

I have taken at least 8 classes from ACT and have always felt like I received quality instruction for a very reasonable price. They are great teachers and always make the classes enjoyable.

The competition class didn't "teach" shooting on the move. Coach told us what we were doing wrong and made suggestions on how to correct or issues.

 

[turnandshoot4]

What a great thread!


I enjoy competition shooting because it is a great way to train every other weekend for me (I work every other weekend). I'm not concerned with score as long as I beat my buddies. For the $15-$25 I can't beat what it gives me. I get to move and shoot, engage multiple targets, run a rifle, run a pistol, run a shotgun, and actually get scored on my accuracy. Everytime I get out I am shown my limitations, humbled, then I get back to work. My shooting style/stance/gear has all changed since I've been introduced to competition.


This is a training thread so it doesn't end there.


I started training with the past 10 months. Training affords me the ability to single out certain skill sets and work on those individually. Working on individual skill sets helps me shoot better as a whole. Shifting gears is still the bane of my existance. The problem is I am now running out of ideas and drills I can pull off the internet.


Fast forward to a week ago. I got invited to a Pat Mcnamara 2 day T.A.P.S. class by a member here. I had never heard of the guy so I looked him up. He looks legit. The class if $450. Ouch. What will get me to actually spend money on this is my hardware purchases are complete. For now at east. Now I need to purchase some software. (Great analogy BTW esrice)

Then this morning my wife tells me it's my fathers day/birthday present.

My bigger issue is my training group is shrinking. I can get 5 guys out in the cold/rain/sleet/snow but I can't get these same guys out in the summer because of family issues. I can't get them out for FREE trainiing. When we hold our own taining classes it's expensive, let alone getting any in my inner circle to actually PAY for taining.

I'm done rambling.

 

[HICKMAN]

Anyone here ever taken ACT's competition-oriented training? Or taken advantage of the one-on-one sessions with GM Max Bedwell?

Would you say that you learned most effectively by attending several matches, or by taking these courses?

Actually, I've done all three and turned out to be a decent "B" class shooter.

on the other hand Jared Black did Max's class once, and went on to kick everyone's ass and will be knocking on the door of being a GM not far down the road. He probably could have done that with just shooting matches, because he's got raw talent.

ACT class/league layed a solid foundation, shooting a lot of matches built confidence and gave me experience and Max fined tuned and mentored.

The gunshooting skills I've learned in USPSA have made every Defensive course I've taken much smoother, because there is a ton of draw strokes, finding the front sight, trigger time and muscle memory reloads to draw upon.

 

[the1kidd03]

Actually, I've done all three and turned out to be a decent "B" class shooter.

on the other hand Jared Black did Max's class once, and went on to kick everyone's ass and will be knocking on the door of being a GM not far down the road. He probably could have done that with just shooting matches, because he's got raw talent.

ACT class/league layed a solid foundation, shooting a lot of matches built confidence and gave me experience and Max fined tuned and mentored.

The gunshooting skills I've learned in USPSA have made every Defensive course I've taken much smoother, because there is a ton of draw strokes, finding the front sight, trigger time and muscle memory reloads to draw upon.

All excellent skills to have for defensive purposes and really no better way to devote it all to muscle memory than competition. When I have more time and money in the next couple years I'd like to get back into long gun competitions and try my hand in pistols comps for the first time.

 

[HICKMAN]

So, do they teach how to move and shoot? For beginners with an interest in competition or self-defense based training that alone would be worth their pricing.

actually... yes. Well, at least lay down the foundation of how to do it. It's up to the shooter to practice and get better at it. It cost me several "mikes" in quite a few matches for me to get it down. But everytime I saw Coach at a match I'd tell him "I shot on the move".

With practice and time, I got a lot better at it. Paid off with a Point Series title last season

 

[HICKMAN]

I heard that ACT is going to start teaching "Jeep Driving" classes as follows:

JD101 - how to shift into 4wd
JD201 - how to drive in snow

If they are shooting out of them... and OBIJON is making hot dogs... I'll be there.... but I'll have to borrow someone's Jeep

 

[hacksawfg]

If they are shooting out of them... and OBIJON is making hot dogs... I'll be there.... but I'll have to borrow someone's Jeep

Don't forget JD301 "Getting Out of Ditches", only available in the winter.

 

[jeremy]

If they are shooting out of them... and OBIJON is making hot dogs... I'll be there.... but I'll have to borrow someone's Jeep

If you are mechanically inclined I'll loan you my Franken Jeep...

But if you break it you have to fix it...

 

[jeremy]

So is Drift Busting Covered in JD 201 or is it a more advanced class...

 

[HICKMAN]

lol

One of the great things about groups like ACT, is that they break people of the "fear of training".

Having been through many of their classes, I feel I now have a base of knowledge needed to go take other classes.. which I will start doing again once I get a debt to my folks paid off.

 

[Caleb]

One of the area I would love to train in is marksmanship, especially when under stress

 

[lovemachine]

If they are shooting out of them... and OBIJON is making hot dogs... I'll be there.... but I'll have to borrow someone's Jeep

WTF!

 

[the1kidd03]

One of the area I would love to train in is marksmanship, especially when under stress

That's the most difficult thing to simulate in a training environment because there are different kinds of stress and they each have different affects on your body.