Shooting Range

Defensive Pistol 4 – Advanced Skills

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Defensive Pistol 4 – Advanced Skills

Class Level: Advanced

Class Type: Live Fire

Class Length: Approximately 3 hours

Prerequisites: Graduating Defensive Pistol 3 is required unless you have prior training. If you have received prior training from another source email Aaron before registering for this class.

Student Provided Equipment: This class requires the same equipment that you need for Defensive Pistol 3:
– A reliable handgun in a defensive caliber (.380ACP, .38 Spl, or larger)
– Quality practice ammunition that works in your handgun
– Quality belt (must fit properly and support all equipment)
– Quality holster worn on strong side hip or appendix
– Appropriate garment (gun and ammunition should be completely concealed but accessible) – Minimum of 2 magazines or revolver loading devices (3 is strongly recommended, more is better)
– Magazine/speed loader carrier or pouch for spares

Round Count: 300-350

 Defensive Pistol 4 is our first advanced level class. As such, it requires a fair amount of previous training. The primary skills addressed in this class involve divided attention and movement. Shooting drills involving movement and/or processing other information while shooting are substantially more difficult than typical stand and shoot drills. Only students that are comfortable with the skills covered in our previous Defensive Pistol Classes should consider taking this course. Since movement and use of cover, including low cover, will be required in this class it may not be appropriate for students with limited mobility due to injury or medical conditions.

If a student is ready for this class, it is one of our most fun and most beneficial. The best way to know if you’re ready is to take our other Defensive Pistol classes and pass the skills evaluations at the end of those classes before moving forward. If you have questions about whether you’re ready for this course, email Aaron before registering.

Equipment

Equipment requirements for Defensive Pistol 4 are identical to Defensive Pistol 1, 2, and 3. This class requires daily concealed carry equipment. Once you have this equipment, it will be usable for the remainder of our defensive pistol courses.

Any reliable magazine fed semi-automatic or double action revolver in a defensive caliber will work for this class. We recommend using a handgun that you intend to use for personal protection. What better way to hone your skills for self defense than using the same tool you plan to use in everyday life? Having said that, even a short class like this will be substantially more difficult with a pocket pistol. Pocket holsters are not permitted, so pocket pistols will still require standard holsters. Students will also need to understand that the skills will be harder to learn and the skills testing will be more difficult with such a handgun. Examples of what we call pocket pistols would be small .380s like the Ruger LCP or S&W .380 Bodyguard and small snub nose revolvers like the S&W 637 or Taurus 856. These guns can be used effectively for self defense but require considerably more skill than their mid to large counterparts.

To clarify what we mean by defensive caliber, we mean .380 ACP or larger in a semi-automatic and .38 Spl or larger in a revolver. A semi-auto in .380 ACP is common, so we allow them, but they are the absolute minimum caliber for a self defense handgun and we would recommend 9mm if a student is capable of using one. It is rare to see revolvers in calibers smaller than .38 Spl unless they are in .22LR. While .22LR handguns are great training tools, are fun to shoot, and inexpensive to shoot, we do not recommend the .22LR for any type of self defense. In addition, holsters and magazine carriers for .22LR handguns are far less common since these guns are not intended for self defense use.

The ammunition used for this class can be any ammunition that isn’t specifically banned from use on our range (such as tracer or armor piercing ammunition). Buying quality ammunition is critical because it has to function properly in the handgun in order for a student to work through the class and learn.

A holster and magazine carrier secured with a strong belt will be required. Both inside the waistband and outside the waistband holsters are acceptable. Cheap nylon holsters are not permitted. A quality polymer or leather holster secured to a strong belt that holds the handgun securely and completely covers the trigger and trigger guard is required. The holster must be positioned either on the strong side hip or strong side appendix location for safety reasons. We cannot accommodate alternate carry locations as they are not safe on a firing line with multiple shooters. Magazines and revolver loading device pouches should be belt mounted but location can vary depending on preference and type of handgun.

The Range

Our classes always begin with a safety brief. Once on the range we will have some warm up and refresher drills covering material from our previous classes. We will move on to drills specifically addressing divided attention and movement. These drills will draw heavily from skills learned in previous classes.

We use a timer in some of the drills in this class. Shooting skills necessary for the defensive use of a handgun require fast and efficient application of those skills. A timer is the best way to measure and evaluate those skills.

The round count for this class is 300 to 350 rounds. Shooters will have some latitude in the number of rounds fired as we understand that ammo cost is a significant factor. It is possible to shoot more than 350 rounds if that student wants to, so it is never a bad idea to bring extra.

The Skills Evaluation

At the end of this class we will have a skills evaluation that will include time pressure. The standards for this test are significantly more difficult than previous classes. Scoring is based on speed so there is no maximum score. Time and accuracy standards are tighter and will require a high level of proficiency to pass. Performing well on the skills test at the conclusion of this class is a significant achievement.

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

Defensive Pistol 3 – Beyond the Basics

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Defensive Pistol 3 – Beyond the Basics

Class Level: Intermediate

Class Type: Live Fire

Class Length: Approximately 3 hours

Prerequisites: Graduating Defensive Pistol 2 is required unless you have prior training. If you have received prior training from another source email Aaron before registering for this class.

Student Provided Equipment: This class requires the same equipment that you need for Defensive Pistol 2:
– A reliable handgun in a defensive caliber (.380ACP, .38 Spl, or larger)
– Quality practice ammunition that works in your handgun
– Quality belt (must fit properly and support all equipment)
– Quality holster worn on strong side hip or appendix
– Appropriate garment (gun and ammunition should be completely concealed but accessible) – Minimum of 2 magazines or revolver loading devices (3 is strongly recommended, more is better)
– Magazine/speed loader carrier or pouch for spares

Round Count: 300-350

 Defensive Pistol 3 is our second intermediate level class and introduces students to more difficult topics such as one-handed shooting (both strong and weak hand). It also expands heavily on shot cadence and balancing speed and accuracy. In Defensive 3 we introduce the student to multiple different standardized drills that help evaluate performance and provide benchmarks for improvement moving forward. This is the first class we will go out beyond close range while working on speed vs accuracy and the speed and accuracy standards on drills are challenging for the majority of experienced shooters.

Skills from previous defensive pistol classes will continue to be honed. Many individual skills have already been covered once getting to this point so much of the class is learning to combine those skills.

Equipment

Equipment requirements for Defensive Pistol 3 are identical to Defensive Pistol 1 and 2. This class requires daily concealed carry equipment. Once you have this equipment, it will be usable for the remainder of our defensive pistol courses.

Any reliable magazine fed semi-automatic or double action revolver in a defensive caliber will work for this class. We recommend using a handgun that you intend to use for personal protection. What better way to hone your skills for self defense than using the same tool you plan to use in everyday life? Having said that, even a short class like this will be substantially more difficult with a pocket pistol. Pocket holsters are not permitted, so pocket pistols will still require standard holsters. Students will also need to understand that the skills will be harder to learn and the skills testing will be more difficult with such a handgun. Examples of what we call pocket pistols would be small .380s like the Ruger LCP or S&W .380 Bodyguard and small snub nose revolvers like the S&W 637 or Taurus 856. These guns can be used effectively for self defense but require considerably more skill than their mid to large counterparts.

To clarify what we mean by defensive caliber, we mean .380 ACP or larger in a semi-automatic and .38 Spl or larger in a revolver. A semi-auto in .380 ACP is common, so we allow them, but they are the absolute minimum caliber for a self defense handgun and we would recommend 9mm if a student is capable of using one. It is rare to see revolvers in calibers smaller than .38 Spl unless they are in .22LR. While .22LR handguns are great training tools, are fun to shoot, and inexpensive to shoot, we do not recommend the .22LR for any type of self defense. In addition, holsters and magazine carriers for .22LR handguns are far less common since these guns are not intended for self defense use.

The ammunition used for this class can be any ammunition that isn’t specifically banned from use on our range (such as tracer or armor piercing ammunition). Buying quality ammunition is critical because it has to function properly in the handgun in order for a student to work through the class and learn.

A holster and magazine carrier secured with a strong belt will be required. Both inside the waistband and outside the waistband holsters are acceptable. Cheap nylon holsters are not permitted. A quality polymer or leather holster secured to a strong belt that holds the handgun securely and completely covers the trigger and trigger guard is required. The holster must be positioned either on the strong side hip or strong side appendix location for safety reasons. We cannot accommodate alternate carry locations as they are not safe on a firing line with multiple shooters. Magazines and revolver loading device pouches should be belt mounted but location can vary depending on preference and type of handgun.

The Range

Our classes always begin with a safety brief. Once on the range we will have some warm up and refresher drills covering material from our previous classes. We will move on to drills specifically addressing multiple targets and then drills with multiple targets of varying size and distance. We will then move on to drills that combine these new skills with skills from previous classes.

We use a timer in most of this and later Defensive Pistol classes. Shooting skills necessary for the defensive use of a handgun all require fast and efficient application of skills. A timer is the best way to measure and evaluate those skills.

The round count for this class is 300 to 350 rounds. We will do a fair amount of dry practice during the range session and in between live fire sessions to reinforce good habits and help shooters make the proper techniques ingrained. The goal is good repetition to make the shooter’s habit the proper technique. We will use live fire to confirm results. Shooters will have some latitude in the number of rounds fired as we understand that ammo cost is a significant factor. It is possible to shoot more than 350 rounds if that student wants to, so it is never a bad idea to bring extra.

The Skills Evaluation

At the end of this class we will have a skills evaluation that will include time pressure. The standards for this test are starting to become difficult. Time and accuracy standards are becoming tighter and will require a high level of proficiency to continue to Defensive Pistol 4. This is the first time scoring is based on speed rather than par times, so there is no maximum score. These standards exist as a gauge for whether the student is ready to advance to the next class.

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

Defensive Pistol 2 – Core Skills

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Defensive Pistol 2 – Core Skills

Class Level: Intermediate

Class Type: Live Fire

Class Length: Approximately 3 hours

Prerequisites: Graduating Defensive Pistol 1 is required unless you have prior training. If you have received prior training from another source email Aaron before registering for this class.

Student Provided Equipment: This class requires the same equipment that you need for Defensive Pistol 1:
– A reliable handgun in a defensive caliber (.380ACP, .38 Spl, or larger)
– Quality practice ammunition that works in your handgun
– Quality belt (must fit properly and support all equipment)
– Quality holster worn on strong side hip or appendix
– Appropriate garment (gun and ammunition should be completely concealed but accessible) – Minimum of 2 magazines or revolver loading devices (3 is strongly recommended, more is better)
– Magazine/speed loader carrier or pouch for spares

Round Count: 130-150

 Defensive Pistol 2 continues the progression begun in Intro to Defensive Pistol and Defensive Pistol 1. It is our first intermediate level class and it introduces skills such as malfunction clearance techniques that move beyond the basics. This class also covers adjusting shot cadence, which is more complex than shooting a single target at a specific range at a specific cadence. The drills in this class will require students to adjust their shooting cadence based on the range of their target and this is the first class we will go out beyond close range while working on speed vs accuracy.

Skills from previous defensive pistol classes will continue to be honed, such as drawing from concealment and reloading, but these will be combined with the new skills being introduced. As we add levels of skills used within a specific drill the complexity and difficulty increases. As students master more complex combinations of skills their mastery of pistol craft progresses.

Equipment

Equipment requirements for Defensive Pistol 2 are identical to Defensive Pistol 1. This class requires daily concealed carry equipment. Once you have this equipment, it will be usable for the remainder of our defensive pistol courses.

Any reliable magazine fed semi-automatic or double action revolver in a defensive caliber will work for this class. We recommend using a handgun that you intend to use for personal protection. What better way to hone your skills for self defense than using the same tool you plan to use in everyday life? Having said that, even a short class like this will be substantially more difficult with a pocket pistol. Pocket holsters are not permitted, so pocket pistols will still require standard holsters. Students will also need to understand that the skills will be harder to learn and the skills testing will be more difficult with such a handgun. Examples of what we call pocket pistols would be small .380s like the Ruger LCP or S&W .380 Bodyguard and small snub nose revolvers like the S&W 637 or Taurus 856. These guns can be used effectively for self defense but require considerably more skill than their mid to large counterparts.

To clarify what we mean by defensive caliber, we mean .380 ACP or larger in a semi-automatic and .38 Spl or larger in a revolver. A semi-auto in .380 ACP is common, so we allow them, but they are the absolute minimum caliber for a self defense handgun and we would recommend 9mm if a student is capable of using one. It is rare to see revolvers in calibers smaller than .38 Spl unless they are in .22LR. While .22LR handguns are great training tools, are fun to shoot, and inexpensive to shoot, we do not recommend the .22LR for any type of self defense. In addition, holsters and magazine carriers for .22LR handguns are far less common since these guns are not intended for self defense use.

The ammunition used for this class can be any ammunition that isn’t specifically banned from use on our range (such as tracer or armor piercing ammunition). Buying quality ammunition is critical because it has to function properly in the handgun in order for a student to work through the class and learn.

A holster and magazine carrier secured with a strong belt will be required. Both inside the waistband and outside the waistband holsters are acceptable. Cheap nylon holsters are not permitted. A quality polymer or leather holster secured to a strong belt that holds the handgun securely and completely covers the trigger and trigger guard is required. The holster must be positioned either on the strong side hip or strong side appendix location for safety reasons. We cannot accommodate alternate carry locations as they are not safe on a firing line with multiple shooters. Magazines and revolver loading device pouches should be belt mounted but location can vary depending on preference and type of handgun.

The Range

Our classes always begin with a safety brief. Once on the range we will have some warm up and refresher drills covering material from our previous classes. We will move on to drills specifically addressing malfunction clearance and shot cadence. We will then move on to drills that combine the skills from previous classes with malfunction clearing and shot cadence.

We use a timer in most of this and later Defensive Pistol classes. Shooting skills necessary for the defensive use of a handgun all require fast and efficient application of skills. A timer is the best way to measure and evaluate those skills.

The round count for this class is 75 to 100 rounds. We will do a fair amount of dry practice during the range session and in between live fire sessions to reinforce good habits and help shooters make the proper techniques ingrained. The goal is good repetition to make the shooter’s habit the proper technique. We will use live fire to confirm results. Shooters will have some latitude in the number of rounds fired as we understand that ammo cost is a significant factor. It is possible to shoot more than 100 rounds if that student wants to, so it is never a bad idea to bring extra.

The Skills Evaluation

At the end of this class we will have a skills evaluation that will include time pressure. The standards for this test will not be excessively difficult but time standards will get progressively tighter as a student advances through our defensive pistol courses. These standards are simply a gauge for whether the student is ready to advance to the next class.

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

Defensive Pistol 1 – Fundamentals

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Defensive Pistol 1 – Fundamentals

Class Level: Beginner

Class Type: Live Fire

Class Length: Approximately 3 hours

Prerequisites: Introduction to Defensive Pistol is required unless you have prior training. If you have received prior training from another source email Aaron before registering for this class.

Student Provided Equipment: This class requires more equipment than our initial courses:
– A reliable handgun in a defensive caliber (.380ACP, .38 Spl, or larger)
– Quality practice ammunition that works in your handgun
– Quality belt (must fit properly and support all equipment)
– Quality holster worn on strong side hip or appendix
– Appropriate garment (gun and ammunition should be completely concealed but accessible) – Minimum of 2 magazines or revolver loading devices (3 is strongly recommended, more is better)
– Magazine/speed loader carrier or pouch for spares

Round Count: 130-150

 Defensive Pistol 1 is the natural progression of skills following our Intro to Defensive Pistol. Our intro class teaches shooters to balance speed and accuracy. This class adds drawing from a holster using concealment as well as reloading techniques.

Drawing from concealment and reloading are fundamental skills that any defensive shooter will want to master. By breaking them into a different class from speed vs accuracy (Intro to Defensive Shooting) we ensure that students looking to acquire and/or refine these skills are already at an acceptable level of speed and accuracy that they can focus on the new skills in the new class.

Equipment

Equipment requirements for Defensive Pistol 1 are considerably more than our Intro to Defensive Pistol class. That is because this class requires daily concealed carry equipment. Once you have this equipment, it will be usable for the remainder of our defensive pistol courses.

Any reliable magazine fed semi-automatic or double action revolver in a defensive caliber will work for this class. We recommend using a handgun that you intend to use for personal protection. What better way to hone your skills for self defense than using the same tool you plan to use in everyday life? Having said that, even a short class like this will be substantially more difficult with a pocket pistol. Pocket holsters are not permitted, so pocket pistols will still require standard holsters. Students will also need to understand that the skills will be harder to learn and the skills testing will be more difficult with such a handgun. Examples of what we call pocket pistols would be small .380s like the Ruger LCP or S&W .380 Bodyguard and small snub nose revolvers like the S&W 637 or Taurus 856. These guns can be used effectively for self defense but require considerably more skill than their mid to large counterparts.

To clarify what we mean by defensive caliber, we mean .380 ACP or larger in a semi-automatic and .38 Spl or larger in a revolver. A semi-auto in .380 ACP is common, so we allow them, but they are the absolute minimum caliber for a self defense handgun and we would recommend 9mm if a student is capable of using one. It is rare to see revolvers in calibers smaller than .38 Spl unless they are in .22LR. While .22LR handguns are great training tools, are fun to shoot, and inexpensive to shoot, we do not recommend the .22LR for any type of self defense. In addition, holsters and magazine carriers for .22LR handguns are far less common since these guns are not intended for self defense use.

The ammunition used for this class can be any ammunition that isn’t specifically banned from use on our range (such as tracer or armor piercing ammunition). Buying quality ammunition is critical because it has to function properly in the handgun in order for a student to work through the class and learn.

Since this class covers drawing from concealment and reloading a holster and magazine carrier secured with a strong belt will be required. Both inside the waistband and outside the waistband holsters are acceptable. Cheap nylon holsters are not permitted. A quality polymer or leather holster secured to a strong belt that holds the handgun securely and completely covers the trigger and trigger guard is required. The holster must be positioned either on the strong side hip or strong side appendix location for safety reasons. We cannot accommodate alternate carry locations as they are not safe on a firing line with multiple shooters. Magazines and revolver loading device pouches should be belt mounted but location can vary depending on preference and type of handgun.

The Range

Our classes always begin with a safety brief. Once on the range we will have some warm up and refresher drills covering marksmanship and balancing speed and accuracy (from Marksmanship Fundamentals and Intro to Defensive Pistol). We will move on to drills specifically addressing the draw and presentation from concealment. We will then move on to various reloading drills and the different type of reloads one is likely to make use of in a self defense scenario.

We introduce a timer in the later portion of the Introduction to Defensive shooting class. We will use one throughout most of this and later Defensive Pistol classes. Shooting skills necessary for the defensive use of a handgun all require fast and efficient application of skills. A timer is the best way to measure and evaluate those skills.

The round count for this class is 75 to 100 rounds. We will do a fair amount of dry practice during the range session and in between live fire session to reinforce good habits and help shooters make the proper techniques ingrained. The goal is good repetition to make the shooter’s habit the proper technique. We will use live fire to confirm results. Shooters will have some latitude in the number of rounds fired as we understand that ammo cost is a significant factor. It is possible to shoot more than 100 rounds if that student wants to, so it is never a bad idea to bring extra.

The Skills Evaluation

At the end of this class we will have a skills evaluation that will include time pressure. The standards for this test will not be excessively difficult but time standards will get progressively tighter as a student advances through our defensive pistol courses. These standards are simply a gauge for whether the student is ready to advance to the next class.

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

Introduction to Defensive Pistol

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Introduction to Defensive Pistol

Class Level: Beginner

Class Type: Live Fire

Class Length: Approximately 2 hours

Prerequisites: Handgun Marksmanship Fundamentals Recommended

Student Provided Equipment: The student will be expected to have a reliable handgun and serviceable ammunition. A semi-automatic or a revolver is acceptable and any common handgun caliber is acceptable (no rifle caliber handguns). No holster is needed but we recommend at least two magazines or revolver loading devices (speed loaders, speed strips, moon clips, etc).

Round Count: 130-150

 Introduction to Defensive pistol is our beginner class that takes students from a focus on accuracy to a focus on balancing speed and accuracy. When a handgun is being used for self defense the most critical skill a person needs is being able to make fast accurate hits at typical defensive shooting distances. Perfect hits and small groups are great, but in the context of self defense a person must learn to balance good enough accuracy with fast enough performance.

The drills we shoot in this class are all designed with this balance in mind. We will work on rapidly acquiring sights, pressing the trigger quickly without upsetting the sights, and controlling recoil to make follow up shots faster.

Equipment

Students will need to supply a handgun and ammunition for this class. We strongly encourage students to take this class with whatever handgun they intend to use for protection, either in the home or for carry. For this reason, we recommend using a defensive caliber handgun (at least a .380 but 9mm is better). You can take this class with a .22LR handgun, but we do not recommend the .22LR caliber for self defense.

All shooting in this introduction class will be done from the low ready inside the shooting stalls. No holster is needed. A magazine carrier isn’t needed but at least two magazines or revolver loading devices are needed to keep the pace of the class moving on schedule.

The Range

Our classes always begin with a safety brief. Once on the range we will start with a refresher and warm up on marksmanship fundamentals. After that we will dive straight into drills designed to improve speed. After some time is spent on the techniques that will support faster shooting, we introduce a timer so that students can evaluate their performance and gauge improvement against a standard.

The round count for this class is 130 to 150 rounds. We will do a fair amount of dry practice during the live fire sessions to reinforce good habits and help shooters make the proper techniques ingrained. The goal is good repetition to make the shooter’s habit the proper technique. We will use live fire to confirm results. Shooters will have some latitude in the number of rounds fired as we understand that ammo cost is a significant factor.

The Skills Evaluation

At the end of this class we will have a skills evaluation that will include time pressure. Time pressure is new to most shooters, even those with experience, if they have not engaged in competitive shooting or defensive pistol training. The standards for this test will not be excessively difficult, as this is a beginner level defensive pistol course. They are merely a gauge for whether the student is ready to advance to our next class, Defensive Pistol 1 – Fundamentals.

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

Handgun Marksmanship Fundamentals

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Handgun Marksmanship Fundamentals

Class Level: Beginner

Class Type: Live Fire

Class Length: 2 hours

Prerequisites: Intro to Shooting Recommended

Student Provided Equipment: The student will be expected to have a reliable handgun and serviceable ammunition. A semi-automatic or a revolver is acceptable and any common handgun caliber is acceptable (no rifle caliber handguns). No holster is needed but we recommend at least two magazines or revolver loading devices (speed loaders, speed strips, moon clips, etc).

Round Count: 75-100

 Handgun Marksmanship Fundamentals is a class that covers exactly what the title implies. It is a class for a pistol shooter that wants to improve their accuracy with a handgun.

Shooting a handgun isn’t difficult. Shooting a handgun well is very difficult. The majority of handgun owners are not very accurate with their handguns. Shooting a handgun accurately presents a challenge that requires a larger degree of skill than most tasks a person undertakes. We won’t presume to turn a student into a champion bullseye shooter in a single short class, but we will help the average shooter improve their basic marksmanship considerably.

The Marksmanship Fundamentals class works on the foundations of accurate shooting. We will show students the most effective means to ensure that they can operate a handgun with practical marksmanship. This is a skill required before any other skills can be mastered. If a student can’t reliably hit what they are shooting at, the rest isn’t important.

Equipment

This is the first class in our lineup that the student will provide their own gun and ammunition. We encourage shooters to take this class with whatever handgun they intend to use regularly. This is a good class to get comfortable with your particular handgun and learn to use it effectively. Any reliable handgun, semi-auto or revolver, is welcome. Just about any common handgun caliber is acceptable. Rifle caliber handguns are not permitted.

Shooting for this class will be done from the shooting table in the standard lanes so no holster or magazine carrier is required. We do recommend having at least two magazines or revolver loading devices for this class so that time isn’t wasted loading on the firing line but one will suffice.

The Range

Our classes always begin with a safety brief. Once on the range we will start with a refresher on things like grip and stance. We find that most shooters have some wrinkles in this area that need to be adjusted and a little work here will often produce significant improvement. We will start shooting at close range and gradually work our way to longer ranges. During these drills the instructors will evaluate students’ techniques and results and provide feedback to help assist the student in refining their skills and correcting any bad habits that may be detrimental to accuracy.

The round count for this class is 75 to 100 rounds. We will do a fair amount of dry practice during the range session and in between live fire session to reinforce good habits and help shooters make the proper techniques ingrained. The goal is good repetition to make the shooter’s habit the proper technique. We will use live fire to confirm results. Shooters will have some latitude in the number of rounds fired as we understand that ammo cost is a significant factor. It is possible to shoot more than 100 rounds if that student wants to, so it is never a bad idea to bring extra.

The Skills Evaluation

This is the first class where we will have a skills evaluation at the end. The evaluation for this course will be a simple bullseye course of fire. It is scored and based on that score we can determine if the student should focus on continuing marksmanship training or if they are ready to move on to the next level. This evaluation isn’t something to get nervous about, it is simply a tool used by our instructors to help students evaluate their own performance so they are not getting bored or getting overwhelmed.

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

Introduction to Shooting

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Introduction to Shooting Class

Class Level: Beginner

Class Type: Classroom/Live Fire

Class Length: 2 hours

Prerequisites: None

Student Provided Equipment: None (we provide everything)

 This will be the first in a series of entries that will describe our new class layout for shooters looking to develop their skillset with a handgun.

First I want to highlight our most popular course, which happens to also be our most basic. Introduction to Shooting is a class for the true beginner. This class spends the first hour in the classroom where we discuss gun safety, the common reasons people seek training, and basic handgun shooting technique. We start at the beginning and work our way through how to handle a gun safely, how to hold it, how to load it, how to stand, and how to use the sights and trigger properly.

Spending this time in the classroom gives us a chance to demonstrate the techniques we are teaching to students who may have never held a gun before. We have students that are nervous starting out and we understand that. We strive to move slowly and help students gain the confidence needed to feel comfortable and safe when they first handle a firearm.

This isn’t to say that the class offers nothing for someone who has some experience. We often have couples take this class where one person is completely new and the other has been shooting for years or even decades. If the more experienced party has never had any formal training they invariably come away with new knowledge. Shooting is like any other physical skill, you don’t know what you don’t know. Our professional training staff can expose people who have been around guns their entire lives to techniques they have never encountered, even in a beginner class.

The Range

Once we finish in the classroom we move to the range. We conduct this portion of the class when the range is closed so that we are not distracted by other shooters. We start with some basic handling of the firearms used in this class. We teach students how to approach a firearm that is in an unknown condition and confirm it is unloaded and safe to handle. We then walk them through what is known as dry handling. We go through the motions of firing the handguns but without ammunition, which allows students to get a feel for the operation of the handgun without the noise and recoil of live fire.

After the dry handling we move on to live fire. In the live fire session we begin with loading and shooting one shot at a time under close supervision. As students become more comfortable and demonstrate they understand the safety principles of using the handgun we move on to longer stings.

What Does the Student Need?

One of the most common questions about a class is: what does a student need to take the course? For Introduction to Shooting the short answer is: nothing but a desire to learn.

For the Introduction to Shooting class we provide literally everything. We provide the gun, the ammo, the eye and ear protection, the targets, and most importantly the knowledge. We start shooters in this class with a handgun that is easy to use in the small .22LR caliber. We use this equipment because it is low noise, low recoil, and user friendly. It is a great way to start, using the lower powered .22LR round allows us to introduces a beginner with little or no experience to live fire without creating bad habits that can form with excessive recoil and noise. For this reason, students cannot bring their own guns for this class. Everyone starts with the same gun. If you want a class that teaches you to use your own gun, our Handgun Marksmanship Fundamentals class would be more appropriate.

Watch for more information on our additional classes coming soon!

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.
QIT-99

The FBI Qualification Course

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The FBI Pistol Qualification

I recently wrote about the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) Police Qualification Course. I also mentioned how a citizen that uses a firearm in a defensive capacity might be in a better position if they could demonstrate that they can pass this qualification. In that blog I mentioned that I would also post the FBI qualification, so here is the information I promised.

The FBI qualification is the one used to qualify agents, who normally work in plain clothes. For this reason, the entire course is shot from concealment. To me this seems to apply better to the average citizen that would be carrying a handgun. It also focuses more on 7 yards and in, rather than on 15 and 25 yard strings of fire. This is also more consistent with typical self-defense pistol uses.

Having said that, I consider the FBI qualification to be more challenging. The target zone on the FBI QIT-99 target is considerably smaller than the G-17 target used by ILEA. If we compare the targets (seen below) the FBI “coke bottle” is the scoring zone. A hit there is 2 points. Anything outside of that is 0 points. The ILEA G-17, however, uses the large rectangular scoring zone for 2 points with anything outside of that but still on the silhouette as 1 point. The entire scoring zone on the QIT-99 is approximately 192 square inches. The 2 point scoring zone on the G-17 is approximately 182 square inches, which is slightly smaller than the QIT-99, but the remaining silhouette of the G-17 is a whopping 448 square inches. That means you have 630 square inches of scorable target compared to the 192 of the FBI QIT-99 target.



The FBI course also uses tighter time restraints on shooting strings. One example is the ILEA course has you fire 2 rounds, reload, and fire 2 more rounds at 3 yards in 12 seconds. The FBI course has you shoot 4 rounds, reload, and shoot 4 more rounds at 7 yards in 8 seconds. That’s twice as many rounds, at a target over twice as far away, in 33% less time. The close range work in the FBI qual requires more skill to complete well than the ILEA qual does.

I believe the FBI qualification to be a better skill test for a citizen that carries a pistol. It requires more skill at the ranges most likely to be important, it requires faster shooting constraints for someone wanting to use a gun in self-defense, and it requires shooting from concealment.

Here is the breakdown of the FBI course. It is a 50 round course of fire, using the FBI QIT-99 target. Any hit inside the “coke bottle” counts for 2 points for a total possible score of 100. Any hit outside of the “coke bottle” is 0 points. 80 points is required to pass. All strings are fired from concealment using both hands unless otherwise noted.

FBI Qual Course of Fire

3 yards (6 rounds)

– Draw and fire 3 rounds strong hand only then switch hands and fire 3 rounds weak hand only in 6 seconds

5 yards (12 rounds)

– Draw and fire 3 rounds in 3 seconds

– From the ready fire 3 rounds in 2 seconds

– From the ready fire 6 rounds in 4 seconds

7 yards (18 rounds)

– Draw and fire 5 rounds in 5 seconds

– Starting with only 4 rounds in the gun, from the ready fire 4 rounds, conduct and emergency reload, then fire 4 more rounds in 8 seconds

– From the ready fire 5 rounds in 4 seconds

15 yards (6 rounds)

– Draw and fire 3 rounds in 6 seconds

– From the ready fire 3 rounds in 5 seconds

25 yards (8 rounds)

– Draw and fire 4 rounds standing then drop to kneeling and fire 4 more rounds in 20 seconds

While the ILEA qualification is a good one to have under your belt, particularly if you live in Indiana, the more difficult FBI qualification shows a higher level of shooting proficiency if you ever needed to demonstrate that for court purposes. With that in mind, We plan to offer this qualification course as well as the ILEA course at Applied Ballistics in the future.

Aaron

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.
tackleberry

Police Qualification Standards

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Police Qualification Standards

(and why they matter to you)

It is common knowledge that Police Officers must undergo a substantial amount of training to become certified and that a portion of that training is firearms training. I think most people know that officers are required to pass a shooting qualification standard before they can begin their duties. In Indiana this is typically done at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA).

Most people also know that it is considered best practice for officers to shoot that same qualification annually after they have received their certification to demonstrate that they have maintained that level of proficiency with their handguns.

What is, perhaps, less known is that even after retirement officers can continue to qualify annually and retain their ability carry their handgun. It works similarly to a license to carry but is codified under federal law and is accepted in all states.

A topic that occasionally comes up is the idea that a citizen that carries a handgun would be well served to have a certification indicating that they can pass the same proficiency standard as officers in their jurisdiction must pass, particularly if they ever found themselves in court defending their use of a handgun.

This is a logical conclusion. After all, if your ability is called into question it would be nice to be able to say you can shoot at least as well as the state requires police officers to shoot. For that reason we are looking at offering a qualification and certification process as part of our services once this pandemic situation subsides.

In the meantime, I thought it would be beneficial to outline the Indiana qualification standards as well as the FBI standards so that everyone could have an idea of what is tested and what level of skill is necessary to pass.

We will start with the Indiana qualification course.



This course of fire is done using a G-17 silhouette target. This target, pictured above, is a generous silhouette target with an equally generous scoring zone. The only scoring zone that matters for the qualification is the largest zone on the target that looks like a big rectangle with the bottom sides tapered in slightly. The smaller zones inside, as well as the head and hip zones, don’t matter for the standard qualification. Any shot within the large scoring zone is worth 2 points, any shot on the silhouette outside of that scoring zone is worth 1 point, and anything completely off the silhouette is 0 points. The course of fire is 50 rounds total and you need 80 points to pass.

Each string of fire is 10 rounds and you begin with 5 rounds in the gun (1 chambered and 4 in the inserted magazine) and a spare magazine of exactly 5 rounds in a magazine carrier. No cover garment required. All strings are fired strong hand, two handed, unless otherwise noted.

Strings of fire are as follows:

String 1 – 3 yards

– Draw and fire 3 rounds in 5 seconds (2 remaining in the gun)

– From the ready fire 2 rounds, reload, and fire 2 more rounds in 12 seconds (3 remaining in the gun)

– From the ready fire 3 rounds in 3 seconds

String 2 – 5 yards

– Draw and fire 5 rounds strong side only then transition to weak hand only and fire 5 rounds in 17 seconds (reload as necessary, can use both hands to reload)

String 3 – 7 yards

– Take one step to the right, draw, and fire 10 rounds in 20 seconds (reload as necessary)

String 4 – 15 yards

– Draw, fire 5 rounds while standing, transition to kneeling, fire additional 5 rounds (reload as necessary)

String 5 – 25 yards

– While positioned behind a small barricade shooter will fire 5 rounds from the right side of the barricade and then 5 rounds from the left side of the barricade. A DA/SA semi-auto can be manually cocked before the first shot on this string only.

The ILEA course offers a large target, generous time constraints, and doesn’t require shooting from concealment. This course doesn’t present a difficult challenge to an accomplished shooter but for those not accustomed to shooting at 15 and 25 yards, and those that haven’t practiced reloading under time pressure, it can prove difficult. Fortunately these are easy skills to practice. Reloading in particular is easy to practice and can be done dry without firing a single shot.

An alternative course we hope to offer is the FBI qualification. This course is considerably more challenging than the ILEA course as it uses a smaller target, has shorter time constraints, and requires shooting from concealment. It does, however, have fewer shots at 15 and 25 yards. The FBI course has 6 rounds at 15 yards and 8 rounds at 25 yards. The ILEA course has 10 rounds at each distance.

I will post another blog shortly that has the FBI course outlined but for now go over the ILEA course and be honest with yourself about how your skill level matches up. If you carry a gun or use one for home defense and you feel like you couldn’t pass this qualification, I would strongly encourage you to seek out some professional training.

Aaron

About the Author:

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, and holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.
Grip03

How Hard Should I Grip the Gun?

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How Hard Should I Grip the Gun?

In this segment I’m going to talk about another commonly misunderstood aspect of shooting quickly, grip tension. This won’t be specific to grip mechanics, such as hand positioning, but rather just how hard you should grip the gun while shooting.

Let me start by pointing out that this isn’t directed at a new shooter, but it isn’t bad for a new shooter to hear. What I mean by that is having a brand new shooter who is first learning to fire a handgun, and is most likely using something like a .22LR target pistol, grip tension will not be a significant issue. I’ll get into more detail about this later.

I will also point out that a good grip, and good grip tension, is absolutely not necessary to make an accurate shot with a handgun. As I tell all my students in beginner classes, all you have to do to hit where you want is align the sights correctly and press the trigger without moving the sights. That can be done with a terrible grip. What can’t be done with any consistency is maintaining accuracy in rapid multi-shot strings with a poor grip and/or poor grip tension.

So what is proper tension?

I advocate a very firm grip. When I say “very firm” I mean you should hold onto the gun hard. While this will be relative to the shooter (not everyone has the same hand strength) the best way I can describe it is to use as much tension as you can comfortably maintain while shooting. When I shoot a pistol in a course of fire and then holster afterward if I look at my hand I can literally see every single bump, crease, and groove from the grip imprinted onto my hand. An important note here is that much of the tension that creates this is from my support hand, even though you see it on my firing hand. Many shooters dramatically undergrip with their support hand.



To put a number to it I picked up a gauge on Amazon that allows you to measure grip strength in your hand. My firing hand (right hand) consistently measures around 150lbs of grip. I don’t use all of that when gripping my pistol, I’d be shaky and couldn’t maintain it for long, but I attempted to mimic a one handed firing grip on the gauge and I’m generally between 90lbs and 110lbs of grip pressure with my firing hand, so about two thirds or 67% of my maximum grip pressure. When using a polymer framed gun I can often feel the grip flexing a bit of I’m doing dry fire without a magazine.

How does this help?

Simply put, the tighter you hold the gun the less it can move. The less it moves the less time it takes for the sights to reset, the less distance your eyes have to track the sights, and the less you have to force the gun back onto the target. Everything is more efficient. In my How Can I Shoot Faster? segment nine days ago I talked about training for speed shooting. One of the things I found during my Bill Drill training was that the harder I held the gun the faster I could shoot that drill. A big part of bringing down my times was learning to simply hold the gun tighter.

Why do instructors tell students to loosen their grip?

Remember when I said this isn’t exactly directed toward new shooters? Well, that is true to a degree. In fact, when I’m trying to teach someone the most basic fundamentals of shooting I will sometimes have them loosen their grip a bit, in their firing hand, if they are struggling with a very specific issue. By gripping less tightly with the firing hand it is sometimes possible to mitigate the sympathetic response between fingers of the firing hand. When an untrained trigger finger presses the trigger, it is common for the other fingers of the same hand to increase tension as well. We call this “milking the grip” and it tends to push shots to the shooter’s support side (right handed shooters will push to the left).

Having a student loosen up their firing hand while tightening their support hand can reduce this drift but it is only part of the solution, it just helps until they gain proficiency with other skills including isolating the movement of their trigger finger. The trouble is, many instructors don’t have students increase grip with their support hand and/or never mention later that increasing grip with the firing hand to a degree is better when it can be done without negative effects on accuracy. I have heard instructors repeatedly tell students to relax their grip over the years with no other explanation or details given. The worst example was an instructor that told a student to hold his pistol like he was holding his child’s hand. This was a police trainee in his 20s firing his duty pistol, by the way, not a brand new shooter with a .22 target pistol.

Give increasing grip pressure a try. You should find that the gun itself is more controllable. With some practice you’ll find shooting quickly while maintaining accuracy easier to accomplish.

About the Author:

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, and holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.

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