It finally happened: I attended a bad firearms training class. I don’t have the deepest training resume, but I have trained with quite a few national-level trainers. Though I once wrote a couple scathing reviews of a local concealed carry class, most of my class AARs are glowing; I love training and it’s not hard to make me happy. Here is what happened at the worst firearms training class I have ever attended.
AAR: Gospel of the Gauge with Sym-Tac Consulting Shotgun Skills
Last weekend I had the opportunity to take Sym-Tac Consulting Shotgun Skills (2-day). I have been an acolyte of the gauge for quite some time. I attended a class with Tim and Ashton a couple years ago, but this was my first time getting the good news directly from Rob and Matt Haught. Short-story: this is a shotgun class par excellence. If you want to improve your capabilities with the shotgun, train with Sym-Tac. Read on for the details!
AAR: Pistol-Training.com On Demand Performance w Simon Golob
This past weekend I had the privilege of attending Pistol-Training.com On Demand Performance. Taught by Simon Golob (aka SLG), this class was geared toward giving the shooter the ability to train for a cold shot, or to perform on-demand.
Randall’s Field Survival vs Basic Survival at Pathfinder School
Having attended both courses this year, I am sometimes asked to compare Randall’s Field Survival vs Basic Survival at Pathfinder School. If a handful of people that I regularly interact with are asking this, a few of you must be wondering it, too, so I thought I’d share my thoughts. Both were GREAT courses and this isn’t to find a “better” one, just to compare and contrast the differences for anyone deciding between the two.
AAR: The Pathfinder School Basic Survival Course
A huge priority for my 2023 training plan was to attend some wilderness survival training. Though I felt I had a pretty solid skillset via self-study and practice, there really is no substitute for formal, high-fidelity training. With that in mind I signed up for two classes. The first, Randall’s Adventure Training’s Field Survival was back in March. The second, and the subject of this after-action review, The Pathfinder School Basic Survival Course, was this past weekend.
AAR: Rangemaster Protective Pistolcraft IDC
This is an after-action review of the Rangemaster Protective Pistolcraft Instructor Development Course held in White Hall, Arkansas. This 5-day class was taught by Tom Givens. This is a rundown of the class, the equipment I used, and my thoughts on it. Hopefully this will give you some idea what to expect if you’re planning on attending some Rangemaster training, and encourage you to if you’re not!
GORUCK Tough 30th Anniversary Mogadishu Mile AAR
I recently completed a GORUCK Event, a “Tough”-level event. This was a phenomenal physical training opportunity and a self-inflicted gut-check. If you’re looking for a way to challenge yourself mentally and physically, a GORUCK event is a good way to do it. This post will talk about GORUCK Challenges, how to prepare your gear and yourself, and serve as a brief AAR to the GORUCK Tough Mogadishu Mile event I completed.
AAR: Gelhaus, Hearne, & Weems’ Cognitive Conclave
It has been quite some time since I have attended a pistol class. I’m not a GM or anything, but I have a decent level of skill with a pistol, and handgun classes just haven’t been a training priority for me over the past few years. This year I ran across the Cognitive Conclave, a pistol class offering something different and I had to do it. This is a detailed, after-action review of that class.
UPDATED AAR: Randall’s Adventure Training Field Survival
“This 3-day class is an aggressive immersion into the challenges of surviving with minimal gear in a field setting. THIS IS NOT A BUSHCRAFT CLASS!” “Significant stressors are placed upon the student in the forms of hunger, physical exertion, thirst, lack of gear, personal discomfort, and sleep deprivation as a means to simulate a 72 hour survival scenario.” “BE WARNED: THIS IS NOT AN EASY CLASS!” These warnings were all present in the literature for the Randall’s Adventure Training Field Survival Course.
My Pet Monster: Shotgun Skills with Tim & Ashton
Yesterday I attended Shotgun Skills with FPF Training. Taught by Tim Chandler and Ashton Ray, this is my first formal shotgun class. Bottom line up front: if you’re looking to improve your existing shotgun skills or gain new ones, if you want to tame the monster and turn it into a pet, you should consider this class.