Helping out some reservists...

[SinistralRifleman]

My co-worker Matt is in the Army Reserve and his unit is getting ready to deploy sometime within the next year. He recently did a handgun class for his unit that was classroom only, and some of the people wanted to do a class with range time. Matt requested that I help him out with putting on a class. We decided to primarily focus on rifle techniques, as that is what their primary fighting weapon would be.

Subjects we covered were;

Basic Gun Safety

Basic Weapon Manipulation

Ready Positions

Sighting in and Sight Off-set

Reloads

Shooting stances

Shooting on the Move

Transitioning Shoulders and why

Basic Handgun Marksmanship and Transitions.

Mindset Including;

1) Situational Awareness

2) Will to prevail

3) Overcoming adversity

4) Thinking outside the box

Gear

Continuing Shooting Education and Training yourself

pics:

http://www.cavalryarms.com/training/2007-12-22/ART-1.html

The reservists were easy to teach and picked up what we taught them fast. They were motivated and eager to learn. After the class they all commented that the training was both an eye opener in shooting techniques and mindset, and the only real training they got on a regular basis was how to qualify annually. It was a great experience sharing what I've learned with these guys. They're hooked on training now, and I expect them to seek out more professional training on their own.

We have a lot of great shooters on this forum, pass on what you know whenever you have the opportunity.

[Pdoyle]

My co-worker Matt is in the Army Reserve and his unit is getting ready to deploy sometime within the next year. He recently did a handgun class for his unit that was classroom only, and some of the people wanted to do a class with range time. Matt requested that I help him out with putting on a class. We decided to primarily focus on rifle techniques, as that is what their primary fighting weapon would be.

Subjects we covered were;

Basic Gun Safety

Basic Weapon Manipulation

Ready Positions

Sighting in and Sight Off-set

Reloads

Shooting stances

Shooting on the Move

Transitioning Shoulders and why

Basic Handgun Marksmanship and Transitions.

Mindset Including;

1) Situational Awareness

2) Will to prevail

3) Overcoming adversity

4) Thinking outside the box

Gear

Continuing Shooting Education and Training yourself

pics:

http://www.cavalryarms.com/training/2007-12-22/ART-1.html

The reservists were easy to teach and picked up what we taught them fast. They were motivated and eager to learn. After the class they all commented that the training was both an eye opener in shooting techniques and mindset, and the only real training they got on a regular basis was how to qualify annually. It was a great experience sharing what I've learned with these guys. They're hooked on training now, and I expect them to seek out more professional training on their own.

We have a lot of great shooters on this forum, pass on what you know whenever you have the opportunity.

This is a testament to your character, to give to these soldiers, who will give back SO much more. Bless your heart.

Of every 100 men;

10 shouldnt even be Here

80 are nothing but targets

9 are real Fighters...

...we are lucky to have them...

...they the battle make...

"- ah but the One, one of them is a Warrir...

...and he will bring the others back..

hercletus

pat

[JThompson]

I tried to help out a girl I know who is going to become a cop... I told her I would help her and she declined saying that she wanted to learn the proper way and didn't want to learn any bad habits that she would have to fix. I opening my mouth and then closed it and smiled. Maybe I'll take her after she learns from the "pros" and show her. ?

Very good of you to help those guys/ladies out... you may have saved their lives, or at the least gave them the tools to save their own.

[GentlemanJim]

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Give them all you can to bring them back safely!

They are our precious sons and daughters

Jim

[GentlemanJim]

darn keyboard double

Edited December 24, 2007 by GentlemanJim

[JThompson]

darn keyboard double

Well, at least it wasn't an AD.

[ChrisStock]

Thanks for taking the time to teach them... Let's hope they aren't presented an opportunity to use it, but if they are forced to, that they remember and get it done.

[G-ManBart]

I tried to help out a girl I know who is going to become a cop... I told her I would help her and she declined saying that she wanted to learn the proper way and didn't want to learn any bad habits that she would have to fix. I opening my mouth and then closed it and smiled. Maybe I'll take her after she learns from the "pros" and show her. ?

Very good of you to help those guys/ladies out... you may have saved their lives, or at the least gave them the tools to save their own.

JT,

I know you wouldn't teach her any bad habits, but in one way it might have worked out okay. In a police academy setting it's common for people to get singled out for scrutiny if they're doing anything different from what is being taught. I recall having an instructor give me a bit of a hard time because he saw me looking the mag into the gun during a reload drill rather than looking through the gun at the "threat". They were teaching everything just like an IPSC reload, just not looking the mag into the gun so it was pretty much identical except for one detail. The good thing is that many departments now have borrowed heavily from practical shooting and what they're teaching isn't all that different from what we do, so there's a good chance she'll be fine. Most initial police training involves less than 1,000 rounds, so she'll still need practice and maybe you can help refine things down the road. R,

[Nik Habicht]

I recall having an instructor give me a bit of a hard time because he saw me looking the mag into the gun during a reload drill rather than looking through the gun at the "threat". They were teaching everything just like an IPSC reload, just not looking the mag into the gun so it was pretty much identical except for one detail.

So, couldn't you do both, if you do the reload in front of your face --- look the mag into the gun, while seeing the threat peripherally?

[G-ManBart]

I recall having an instructor give me a bit of a hard time because he saw me looking the mag into the gun during a reload drill rather than looking through the gun at the "threat". They were teaching everything just like an IPSC reload, just not looking the mag into the gun so it was pretty much identical except for one detail.

So, couldn't you do both, if you do the reload in front of your face --- look the mag into the gun, while seeing the threat peripherally?

Nik,

That's almost exactly what I was thinking, but I shut my mouth and nodded in agreement! Honestly, I think there was more going on there than the way it seemed at face value. They have an incredibly detailed sheet on each student that goes to all the instructors....it's pretty much your life story. So, when they read mine they saw a bunch of fairly high level competitive shooting. I have a feeling that instructor wanted to do an ego check on me to make sure I didn't have an attitude problem.

Back to the question, I think there can be a combination of both things going on, but it's well beyond the level they are teaching to. Pop the old mag out watching the threat, bring the gun up to eye level (call it the work space), and when the new mag gets close, you glance at the mag well, see the mag start in and then put eyes back to the threat while you finish. They just teach watching the threat and reloading using more your peripheral vision...since a fast mag change is pretty unlikely in a real fight. Personally, if I have to reload, I want to do the fastest, smoothest reload I can and I know that looking it in is the way to do that. It really doesn't matter what else is happening if you get stuck in that position....get the gun back in action and press on. All the while you still have that peripheral vision in case something happens while you're reloading. Thread drift off