One of the recent threads got me thinking, from an instructor side, what hints of advise would you like to tell the novice/advanced student that is coming to your class?? Here are a few; Be honest /realistic about your current abilities (today's targets are the ones that matter...) and articulate what you want to get out of the class, to the instructors. Be prepared with solid gear....loose screws for example, will waste yours and others valuable time and money. Get a good nights rest prior to class and no gas station burritos the morning of. If you need or forgot some gear, speak up. Engage other students, conversations with other students at lunch, for example, can also yield valuable info, money saving information, tips ect...Dress for weather(not what you hope for, what it actually will be) being cold, sunburnt will detract from your concentration and overall experience. Ask questions, if you do not understand something, ask again..Try exercises/techniques with an open mind, if you think it has merit, keep it. Take notes, even in "short hand" and you will retain more info and much longer. Watch other students, for good and bad habits/techniques, learn to spot both. Do not schedule other activities within 5 minutes after class, you will not get as much out of the last 2 hrs of class. Keep a positive attitude, everyone has had gear issues for example, getting grumpy wont help, fix the issue and move on. After the class, after you have had time to fully digest the experience( give it a week or so...) is when you should drop the instructors a comment, these comments tend to be the most helpful and thoughtful. Now, I would encourage other instructors and students to add their own thoughts, to help students get the most out of their time and training dollars.
Training Courses Helpful hints for students going to a long range class:
- Thread starter Pbgt
- Start date
My comment, as a student, is simple: you're going to training to learn, not to show off what you know. So stop delaying enrollment until you're "good enough".
Leave your ego at home and remember this is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. Especially with an "intro" course, the focus is to build sold fundamentals and learn some stuff, hopefully in a positive and encouraging environment. Inevitably at some point during the course it will end up being a gear/gun measuring contest between some people but the truth is, fundamentals are so important to learn that you can't spend your way into becoming a better shooter.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen guys show up with top tier rigs that get out shot by a base 700 with a Vortex Viper level scope, and it negatively impacts a student's experience. That ties back to my "fun and enjoyable" recommendation. Enjoy what you have, but don't assume that just because you have a gun that costs more than my car you will shoot better or have a better time than someone who doesn't have that stuff. We all love to buy cool stuff but you simply cannot get around shooting well. Quality gear is invaluable, but is not a substitute for knowing and understanding proper fundamentals.
Stay positive, learn from your (and others) mistakes, this is literally a learning experience.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen guys show up with top tier rigs that get out shot by a base 700 with a Vortex Viper level scope, and it negatively impacts a student's experience. That ties back to my "fun and enjoyable" recommendation. Enjoy what you have, but don't assume that just because you have a gun that costs more than my car you will shoot better or have a better time than someone who doesn't have that stuff. We all love to buy cool stuff but you simply cannot get around shooting well. Quality gear is invaluable, but is not a substitute for knowing and understanding proper fundamentals.
Stay positive, learn from your (and others) mistakes, this is literally a learning experience.
Most important thing to pack is a teachable attitude...
Keep hydrated throughout the day. Dehydration will affect your performance and your concentration.
Bring plenty of quality ammo (I care not whether it is hand loaded or factory).
Shoot a caliber that is heavy enough to force you to master the fundamentals, but not beat you up for 60-80 rounds in a day. Specifically, for class, something bigger than a 223 (but definitely use that if its all you have available!). Don't bring anything that says "magnum" in the name. You will do more harm than good (and I've witnessed this several times).
ASK for help, and keep a positive attitude. Everyone has an off day, and everyone has a good day....
Bring plenty of quality ammo (I care not whether it is hand loaded or factory).
Shoot a caliber that is heavy enough to force you to master the fundamentals, but not beat you up for 60-80 rounds in a day. Specifically, for class, something bigger than a 223 (but definitely use that if its all you have available!). Don't bring anything that says "magnum" in the name. You will do more harm than good (and I've witnessed this several times).
ASK for help, and keep a positive attitude. Everyone has an off day, and everyone has a good day....
Remember that no matter what your experience level is, there is always something else to learn. Additionally, a difference of opinion with the instructor does not automatically make one person right or wrong. There is more than one way to skin the cat and it is possible that the instructor may be showing you one of those ways.
One of the many things learned at Gunsite was that an aspirin taken before a shooting session forestalls headaches caused by recoil.
You say don't use magnum cartridges. Other than the recoil, what is your reason for this? I shot 308 for years and more recently 6.5 rounds. Given that I use my long range stuff to hunt I would rather run my 300WM at a class. That being said both my 6.5 and 300WM guns are identical other than the SA/LA. Never been to a long range class so don't want to hinder myself out the gate.
It is a combination of factors - recoil is probably the biggest. Also figure in concussion, blast, etc. if you shoot 60 rounds (a light day in a training class) or upwards towards 120 rounds (probably a heavy day in most courses) those things really add up. Even with good fundamentals, and a heavy rifle you may become exhausted to the point of mental error (this exacerbates bad form which an instructor can help correct, but also encourages bad habits like flinch). Just what I’ve seen.
NOTE - some experienced guys can shoot magnum calibers very effectively for longer sessions. It takes experience, good fundamentals, concentration, and a well set-up system. These are not normally the guys taking LR courses (probably instructors??). My comments are generally aimed at newer shooters ramping into the learning curve.
