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blksheep

Formal Instruction?

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Yeah, that was a work class. Northern Red has a training contract with the state via UASI through Fed DHS. I have no idea what that class would have cost, but I bet it was a lot. Hell, the class was all sims and they provided the ammo. I went through close to 500 rounds of Sims myself and there was ~30 guys in the class. $$$
Since we're on the subject, how did you like northern red?

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Pretty much everyone that knows me knows I have a big problem with the "operators" that charge hundreds of dollars for a bull shit class. 

No one ever taught me shit and I can beat 90% of them conartists at a 3 gun match.

Just shoot a lot of different kinds of matches, work out a lot (although I've been slacking big time in the work out department for the last year because of the new baby) and you will beat them at almost all shooting disciplines too. 

Once you have the basics down the only thing that will make you better at shooting is shooting. 

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Just now, checko said:

Since we're on the subject, how did you like northern red?

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Outstanding.

All around great instruction. Well thought out class, no wasted time, excellent lesson plan, and credible instructors. I can’t say enough good things about them. If you take a class you need to be able to unflinchingly accept criticism and be prepared to work. If you suck they will tell you. They will also teach you how to not suck, but there will be work involved. To get the most out of it get there early, stay late, and pack a lunch.

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Outstanding.
All around great instruction. Well thought out class, no wasted time, excellent lesson plan, and credible instructors. I can’t say enough good things about them. If you take a class you need to be able to unflinchingly accept criticism and be prepared to work. If you suck they will tell you. They will also teach you how to not suck, but there will be work involved. To get the most out of it get there early, stay late, and pack a lunch.
I'll need to work up to that a bit.

I think I'm gonna do S&T in July.

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19 minutes ago, High Exposure said:

Yeah, that was a work class. Northern Red has a training contract with the state via UASI through Fed DHS. I have no idea what that class would have cost, but I bet it was a lot. Hell, the class was all sims and they provided the ammo. I went through close to 500 rounds of Sims myself and there was ~30 guys in the class. $$$

In my experience, the best instructors and the best practitioners are also prolific students.

Sometimes it feels like ice skating uphill...

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16 hours ago, High Exposure said:

I was in that S&T class with you. I think @Alex V was there too.

HE, I think you may be mistaken.  The only S&T class I've taken was the AK session last fall. There were a couple of guys from this forum there, but I don't think you were one of them.

I don't think we've crossed paths yet, but I'm looking forward to the day we do. 

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9 minutes ago, Old Glock guy said:

HE, I think you may be mistaken.  The only S&T class I've taken was the AK session last fall. There were a couple of guys from this forum there, but I don't think you were one of them.

I don't think we've crossed paths yet, but I'm looking forward to the day we do. 

Ah, I think you are right. I wanted to go to that AK class, but that was my 10 year anniversary. That may have been @oldguysrule649 in that handgun class.

Me too my friend!

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I second what High Exposure said about Northern Red. Excellent Honest Instructors. Ive taken a few of their classes and every one of them is structured to break down all disciplines from the ground up. JDs speeches at the end of the classes are some of the most motivational and powerful presentations I have ever witnessed.

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FYI - I was hoping to take the S&T 1-day class on CCW, that has historically been offered on a Saturday in April.
Unfortunately, when I recently called and spoke with Joe to express my interest and enroll, he said he had a conflict for that date and will be rescheduling the CCW 1-day course to a date sometime this fall.  Stay tuned....

AVB-AMG

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29 minutes ago, AVB-AMG said:

FYI - I was hoping to take the S&T 1-day class on CCW, that has historically been offered on a Saturday in April.
Unfortunately, when I recently called and spoke with Joe to express my interest and enroll, he said he had a conflict for that date and will be rescheduling the CCW 1-day course to a date sometime this fall.  Stay tuned....

AVB-AMG

From Joe:

”Just a quick note, the Concealed Carry class originally scheduled for April 21st will now be held on October 6th.

 
If you have any questions or would like to reserve a slot please contact me.”
 
I am interested in that class myself, but again, that is the day before my anniversary.

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1 hour ago, High Exposure said:

Ah, I think you are right. I wanted to go to that AK class, but that was my 10 year anniversary. That may have been @oldguysrule649 in that handgun class.

Me too my friend!

Yes HE, it was me who attended the class with you last year. Looking forward to taking another, perhaps the Oct CCW class. At least it will be cooler than the very hot day we had for our class.

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On 4/11/2018 at 3:52 PM, shooter28 said:

Ive had 1 AR and 1 AK class last year.

My goal this year is to take a long range precision class. I also have my eye on a few classes from S&T ( carbine, pistol, low light) as well since they are low cost and pretty close drive for me

Gun for hires having a weekend package for  long range precision shooting.  Its a stay over.  1st day class then following day range. They provide meals hotel and transportation to hotel, range then back to gun for hire.  

 I'd love to take this course, but it's not in budget.  

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9 hours ago, Family1st said:

Gun for hires having a weekend package for  long range precision shooting.  Its a stay over.  1st day class then following day range. They provide meals hotel and transportation to hotel, range then back to gun for hire.  

 I'd love to take this course, but it's not in budget.  

Yea I saw that class. The class seems a bit expensive for what it is. The entire 1st day is in the class room and you only get to shoot the 2nd day. Im looking at Black Hat and Ghost Firearms training over in Lewistown, PA and its very little "classroom" time. Instead its learning out on the range the entire 2 days. Its also half the cost. 

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On 4/11/2018 at 7:11 PM, High Exposure said:

I was in that S&T class with you. I think @Alex V was there too.

The Pistol 1 class last summer?  Yes sir.  My wife and I were there along with two of my friends.  She liked it a lot and we will be taking it again June 2, just have to send the check to Joe.

I think I have like 5 or 6 classes with Joe now.  Last year I also did the AK and night/low light class.  I wish he was doing another AK class this year.  Anyone know any AK specific classes  happening?  LAV was doing one but I think it's all sold out.

I will also take the night/low light class with Joe again this year.

On 4/11/2018 at 6:22 PM, Old Glock guy said:

Even though I'm not LE (just a mild-mannered old guy), I can say the same. I've trained a lot with GFH, but also with RTSP, MDTS, Sig Sauer, S&T, and maybe a few others that escape me. I've done some F on F, and the more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to know!

I try to do at least 40 hours of training (classes, not practice) a year.  I'm taking a three day HG class with Costa at C1T next month, and doing three days at Sig in June. If anyone would like additional info about any of those places, feel free to PM me. 

I really miss Chris's (MDTS) classes.  I have taken at least 10 before he stopped teaching in NJ.  He is an excellent instructor and a great person, we had become friends over the years.  Too bad he's doesn't teach in NJ anymore. 

I find GFH and RTSP classes to be too expensive for the quality/length of instruction so I have never taken one. 

I've done multiple classes with Vickers.  I was at the Costa CET1 class lat spring and will be at the VET1 and HET2 classes in August/September.

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On 4/13/2018 at 4:12 PM, Alex V said:

I really miss Chris's (MDTS) classes.  I have taken at least 10 before he stopped teaching in NJ.  He is an excellent instructor and a great person, we had become friends over the years.  Too bad he's doesn't teach in NJ anymore. 

I find GFH and RTSP classes to be too expensive for the quality/length of instruction so I have never taken one. 
 

I took a shotgun class with Chris last fall in New Paltz, NY.  That's about the only weapon system we can train with him.  I've sent him several notes, asking him to return to NJ, but he says that it's impossible for him to find places that will allow him to do training.  I also suggested PA, perhaps EFGA, but so far no luck with that.  I agree with you that Chris is a good guy, and an excellent instructor.  

I am fortunate that I have the financial means to train at GFH, as they are located close to me and they offer excellent instruction.  

 

 

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1 hour ago, Old Glock guy said:

I took a shotgun class with Chris last fall in New Paltz, NY.  That's about the only weapon system we can train with him.  I've sent him several notes, asking him to return to NJ, but he says that it's impossible for him to find places that will allow him to do training.  I also suggested PA, perhaps EFGA, but so far no luck with that.  I agree with you that Chris is a good guy, and an excellent instructor.  

I am fortunate that I have the financial means to train at GFH, as they are located close to me and they offer excellent instruction.  

 

 

I went back and forth with multiple ranges on behalf of Chris and it went nowhere. It's really upsetting. 

 

Financial means or not, GFH training is a total rip off. Let's see, I can spend $235 for 4 hours of instruction with a nobody, or I can spend $525 for 14hr of instructions with Larry Vickers. Or $695 for 24 hours of instruction with Chris Costa. No fucking brained. $58/hr on someone I've never heard of, or $35/hr or less on a top tier instructor. GFH has a lot of balls charging those prices. 

 

Joe of S&T charges $175 for a whole day, similar to what Chris charges. Those are excellent values. GFH or RTSP training isn't worth what the charge. Just my humble opinion. 

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6 minutes ago, Alex V said:

I went back and forth with multiple ranges on behalf of Chris and it went nowhere. It's really upsetting. 

 

Financial means or not, GFH training is a total rip off. Let's see, I can spend $235 for 4 hours of instruction with a nobody, or I can spend $525 for 14hr of instructions with Larry Vickers. Or $695 for 24 hours of instruction with Chris Costa. No fucking brained. $58/hr on someone I've never heard of, or $35/hr or less on a top tier instructor. GFH has a lot of balls charging those prices. 

 

Joe of S&T charges $175 for a whole day, similar to what Chris charges. Those are excellent values. GFH or RTSP training isn't worth what the charge. Just my humble opinion. 

I agree Alex. There are a lot of big name trainers out there, that are of known quality, with known and applicable backgrounds, that charge much less for what you get and GFH.

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Re: original post

Basic pistol course, so far. Took it before I made my 1st handgun purchase. It offered firearm safety training as well as hands on experience with 5 different calibers. Just what this newbie needed.

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I have been very fortunate over the years to have received many ,many hours of training starting in the military, then LE and now in civilian life .I try to maintain a steady regime. As you get older failure to maintain leads to decay and it rolls down hill if you let it. It was always easier when someone was footing the bill for travel, time,ammo and associated costs. Kudos to those that have a strong desire to build and maintain skills on there own dime. Like the old song use to go,something like not as good as I once was but good enough once.....

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On 5/3/2018 at 7:57 PM, High Exposure said:

I’m in with a new shooter from work.

Awesome!

 

I also just signed up for a long range precision class with Precision Applications, LLC down in Pelham, TN. Really looking forward to that one in October. 

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I just spent a few days up in NH at Sig Sauer Academy over the weekend.  Took their one day Defensive Handgun 104, which was relatively basic, but a good review, particularly in one-handed weapons manipulation.

The other class I attended was a two-day Extreme Close Quarters Battle Long Gun with Todd Rassa, which I really enjoyed.  I ran it with a Ruger PC9, a shotgun, and an AR.  It involved a lot of unsighted shooting from contact distances using compressed positions, plus it incorporated a lot of armed and unarmed combatives.  It was a lot more about fighting with a gun than it was about what we normally think of as shooting.  Despite my doing a lot of training, most of it was new to me and quite interesting.  

Here's their description:

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/productdisplay/extreme-close-quarters-battle-long-gun-rassa

I had not heard of Rassa before the class, but it turns out that he is a terrific instructor.  I would recommend SSA in general, as they offer a ton of classes.  Just wish they were a little closer.  On the upside, with a NH CCP you can carry the whole time you're there.  

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On 4/11/2018 at 3:39 PM, blksheep said:

Just out of curiosity how many forum members have had some type of formal Instruction?

 

If you have, was it for handgun, rifle or shotgun?

 

My dad was a DI at Dix.  By the time I was 10, I had shot just about everything that Dix offered and could strip, clean, and reassemble an AR without even thinking about it.  I've had many instructor led classes in my lifetime, (some by operators and some not) and to be honest, some simply are not worth the money.  Vickers is pretty good however but too many weekend warriors and the instructors know this and feed into it.

 

 

On 6/13/2018 at 9:55 AM, Old Glock guy said:

I just spent a few days up in NH at Sig Sauer Academy over the weekend.  Took their one day Defensive Handgun 104, which was relatively basic, but a good review, particularly in one-handed weapons manipulation.

The other class I attended was a two-day Extreme Close Quarters Battle Long Gun with Todd Rassa, which I really enjoyed.  I ran it with a Ruger PC9, a shotgun, and an AR.  It involved a lot of unsighted shooting from contact distances using compressed positions, plus it incorporated a lot of armed and unarmed combatives.  It was a lot more about fighting with a gun than it was about what we normally think of as shooting.  Despite my doing a lot of training, most of it was new to me and quite interesting.  

Here's their description:

https://www.sigsaueracademy.com/productdisplay/extreme-close-quarters-battle-long-gun-rassa

I had not heard of Rassa before the class, but it turns out that he is a terrific instructor.  I would recommend SSA in general, as they offer a ton of classes.  Just wish they were a little closer.  On the upside, with a NH CCP you can carry the whole time you're there.  

agree 100%, this is a great class that everyone should try and Todd is outstanding

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On 4/11/2018 at 8:57 PM, louu said:

Pretty much everyone that knows me knows I have a big problem with the "operators" that charge hundreds of dollars for a bull shit class. 

No one ever taught me shit and I can beat 90% of them conartists at a 3 gun match.

Just shoot a lot of different kinds of matches, work out a lot (although I've been slacking big time in the work out department for the last year because of the new baby) and you will beat them at almost all shooting disciplines too. 

Once you have the basics down the only thing that will make you better at shooting is shooting. 

respectfully, 3 gun and gun fighting classes are worlds apart

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