How To Find Quality Training
“Good” & “Cheap” Rarely Meet
If you want the most in-depth realism and specialized facilities
in a training class, you’ll have to travel. Here a student faces the
charging buffalo at FTW Ranch in Texas.
I have been asked this question many times — “How do I find ‘good’ training?” Pondering this question over the years, it is not a simple question to answer and it depends on the individual asking the question.
There are thousands of trainers across the country. Some are traveling road shows, some are organizations, some are ranges and some are individuals doing it as a side job. I will go out on a limb and say most are in the training realm for the right reason — to pass along valuable information to people who want to learn skills for personal protection, competition or both.
So, from the thousands of choices, how do you whittle those down for a decision? Let’s break the criteria point-by-point.
Good training just doesn’t teach shooting skills — it should be safe,
well-paced and push the students out of their existing comfort
zone but without causing distress.
• Goals and objectives
First and foremost, what are my goals paired with my skill level? For beginners who are just starting on this path, you need to learn proper weapons handling and fundamentals. If you are a skilled shooter you may want to learn how to improve your marksmanship and efficiency. So, understanding your skill level and what class you can gain value from is critical. I have seen many times that students “think” they are better than they are, and a few things happen —
• They hold up the class because they are lacking in skill, the information flows too quickly and/or they become unsafe.
• They do not have a great experience because they are overwhelmed.
• The others in class do not get what they paid for because of one student.
• The student is released from class to keep the above from happening.
There is a dichotomy here. You want a class to push you and allow you to fail. However, you do not want a class so far over your head you cannot process the material! Keep in mind your long-term goals and build short-term goals to reach them.
You will not find a single class that will give you all the information you want in a day, three days or even a week. Learning to shoot is a continuous journey, not a quick sprint!
Receiving firearms training from instructors is relatively easy —
finding a good, well-rounded “teacher” can be a challenge.
Budget
How much do you spend on a class? Keep in mind the old saying “good things are not cheap and cheap things are not good,” because a professional trainer has years of experience, training, equipment, development and continuing education. All this overhead costs a lot of money. So, when you look at just the price of the class and think “that is expensive for a three-day class,” consider what the trainer/company must spend to provide the training. There is no rule of thumb about budget across the board; my suggestion is to use your goals and objectives to find the training you are willing to invest in. Do not expect to find quality training for $50 — you may get an intro of what someone offers but you will not get what you want/need for that amount! Professional trainers have spent a lifetime in their field and the information they are passing on is the value of the class.
Periodic formal instruction is vital for all shooters. Here Gunsite
Instructor Mario Marchman offers a critique of a student’s target.
Location
Now you have found a class, where are you willing to travel to take the training? The traveling road classes may offer a location close to you, so you don’t have to spend money on a hotel, flight, rental car and meals. Some venues such as Gunsite Academy are a destination in themselves. However, they also offer off-site classes that allows students to get the same training closer to them. The location will go hand in hand with your budget to allow for those expenses on top of the class price and you will need to do your research on the additional cost. For example, if your class price is $1,000, the additional cost of ammo, gear, fuel, food, water, housing and other expenses needs to be considered. Don’t forget the price of all those “extras” could be much different than where you live.
Training and experience are important for a trainer. Gunsite Instructor
Lou Gosnell is representative — a Marine Corps veteran and retired
31-year police officer in East Los Angeles, Lou has also won many
national shooting competitions.
Instructor/Vetting
How do I make sure the instructor knows, works with, and has applied what they are teaching me? This task might be as easy as searching the instructor’s website, calling a friend who has taken a class or calling a former instructor to see if they can offer an opinion. If you are new to shooting and want basic instruction on safety, weapons handling and marksmanship, there are many fantastic instructors available. If you are wanting someone to teach team tactics, church security, or executive protection, you may want to dive deeper into your search to find who has worked in that field.
Reading a book and passing a test with a certificate posted on the wall does not make someone an expert. If I am looking for specific training, I want that instructor to have worked in that area for some time. I want them to be able to teach me what worked, what did not work and what could have worked better. The more years the instructor has, the more they can provide “real world” experience.
On the other hand, just because the instructor has 20 years’ experience does not mean they are a good teacher/instructor. My goal is to find a good balance of a great teacher who has the experience in what I am looking for.
I hope these steps help with your search for quality training. Taking some time to research and vet where you spend your training dollars is well worth the effort.
About the Author: Gunsite Instructor Jeff Dooley is a retired Sergeant from a large law enforcement agency with over 26 years of experience and has taught at Gunsite Academy
since 2018.
