My girlfriend and I took an Introduction to the Pistol Class this Saturday with the HALO Group (www.thehalogroup.com) in Concord, CA.
Although this class was called Introduction To The Pistol I was told by Kevin McMahon (CEO of Halo Group) that they get lots of cops and experienced shooters who frequently come back to brush up on the basics.
We arrived at their range on Saturday at 7;30 am. The range is privately owned and is opened only to law enforcement, military and those who complete a class with Halo. Upon out arrival we took some time and walked around and checked out the compound. There were about 4 ranges, all outdoor, of varying distances. There was a rappeling tower, and a n open field where they apparently place vehicles and other objects for LEO and military training. There were numerous large rooms in the building for class and indoor training (hand to hand, edged weapons, etc...)
I had no idea what we were in for as I have never taken a class like this before. I have about 1 year of experience with guns and my girlfriend about the same. We were both eager to learn. There were 13 people in the class, 3 couples including us. There was a police officer, several guys who later proved to excellent marksmen, a few people who never shot at all, and several guys who were just taking the class as a refresher.
The morning started with about an hour or so of class. Our instructors for the day would be Jim Wegner and Dr. Charlie Chinn. Jim was a LEO/SWAT leader and Charlie a pharmacist. Both men had excellent interpersonal skills and were able to adapt to both the new shooter and the experienced one. We spent some time on a few legal issues and shot placement (thorasic and ocular cavities), mental preperation, safe weapon handling, etc... What I really liked was the fact that they kept harping on wanting to teach us to WIN, not survive, a gun fight and I though this was an excellent approach. Those that needed it were then issued a G17, holster, belt and magazines/magazine holders.. all FREE courtesy of Glock! We had brought out G22's and were suited up and headed to the range.
What followed was an incredibly informative 6 hours of hands on shooting. Charlie and Jim covered everything from shot placement to mechanics to presenation from the holster to state of mind. I had no idea how much I did not know! And I still have MUCH MUCH more to learn. Anyhow they worked with each student on an individual basis on each skill, making sure everyone got it right. At no time were they condescending or overpowering, just 100% curteous, serious and dedicated to teaching us. The biggest help was the trigger control excercises, something I plan to work on more on my own. We each put about 150 rounds through our guns. Those 150 rounds taught me 10 times as much as the 4000 or so rounds I have put through a handgun in the last year. Towards the end of the day Kevin joined us and assisted in the one on one instruction, which he did very well.
It was a great experience. For $125 this class was WELL worth the money. I feel I got much more than my money's worth. At no point was there any sales pitch about going to the net level class. Instead they wanted everyone to focus on what was learned and practice it. I can now see why many people with extensive experience come back to take this 1 day class. I definitely plan on taking it again. Both my girlfriend and I left with a smile and a sense of empowerment, it was just so much good info. She now wants a gun of her own!
Anyhow these guys were top notch all the way. The recommended taking as many class as one could from as many different schools as possible to see who teaches what and learn from everyone. At no time did they claim to be THE school everyone must attend, I really liked their open mindedness and honesty. I plan on taking all their classes eventually (pistol, edged weapons, rifele, shotgun, etc) and retake the 1 day class from time to time to keep working on the basics.
I am in no way affiliated with these folks, I just wanted to share a very positive experience.
Happy Shooting!
Although this class was called Introduction To The Pistol I was told by Kevin McMahon (CEO of Halo Group) that they get lots of cops and experienced shooters who frequently come back to brush up on the basics.
We arrived at their range on Saturday at 7;30 am. The range is privately owned and is opened only to law enforcement, military and those who complete a class with Halo. Upon out arrival we took some time and walked around and checked out the compound. There were about 4 ranges, all outdoor, of varying distances. There was a rappeling tower, and a n open field where they apparently place vehicles and other objects for LEO and military training. There were numerous large rooms in the building for class and indoor training (hand to hand, edged weapons, etc...)
I had no idea what we were in for as I have never taken a class like this before. I have about 1 year of experience with guns and my girlfriend about the same. We were both eager to learn. There were 13 people in the class, 3 couples including us. There was a police officer, several guys who later proved to excellent marksmen, a few people who never shot at all, and several guys who were just taking the class as a refresher.
The morning started with about an hour or so of class. Our instructors for the day would be Jim Wegner and Dr. Charlie Chinn. Jim was a LEO/SWAT leader and Charlie a pharmacist. Both men had excellent interpersonal skills and were able to adapt to both the new shooter and the experienced one. We spent some time on a few legal issues and shot placement (thorasic and ocular cavities), mental preperation, safe weapon handling, etc... What I really liked was the fact that they kept harping on wanting to teach us to WIN, not survive, a gun fight and I though this was an excellent approach. Those that needed it were then issued a G17, holster, belt and magazines/magazine holders.. all FREE courtesy of Glock! We had brought out G22's and were suited up and headed to the range.
What followed was an incredibly informative 6 hours of hands on shooting. Charlie and Jim covered everything from shot placement to mechanics to presenation from the holster to state of mind. I had no idea how much I did not know! And I still have MUCH MUCH more to learn. Anyhow they worked with each student on an individual basis on each skill, making sure everyone got it right. At no time were they condescending or overpowering, just 100% curteous, serious and dedicated to teaching us. The biggest help was the trigger control excercises, something I plan to work on more on my own. We each put about 150 rounds through our guns. Those 150 rounds taught me 10 times as much as the 4000 or so rounds I have put through a handgun in the last year. Towards the end of the day Kevin joined us and assisted in the one on one instruction, which he did very well.
It was a great experience. For $125 this class was WELL worth the money. I feel I got much more than my money's worth. At no point was there any sales pitch about going to the net level class. Instead they wanted everyone to focus on what was learned and practice it. I can now see why many people with extensive experience come back to take this 1 day class. I definitely plan on taking it again. Both my girlfriend and I left with a smile and a sense of empowerment, it was just so much good info. She now wants a gun of her own!
Anyhow these guys were top notch all the way. The recommended taking as many class as one could from as many different schools as possible to see who teaches what and learn from everyone. At no time did they claim to be THE school everyone must attend, I really liked their open mindedness and honesty. I plan on taking all their classes eventually (pistol, edged weapons, rifele, shotgun, etc) and retake the 1 day class from time to time to keep working on the basics.I am in no way affiliated with these folks, I just wanted to share a very positive experience.
Happy Shooting!