I don't know, dav. $65 doesn't even cover the cost of the facility rental at our Club.
I think I have a pretty good idea about the business and what it takes to do a class right. The insurances, taxes, range rental fee (unless the organization owns it facilities like Gunsite) . . . I can't see how a class like this can even get out of the red . . .
Unless it cuts corners . . .
elkhuntingfool, I don't want to speak ill of someone you know . . . but something's just not right here. I looked at the rest of the classes offered. "Advanced Pistol" is a one day class for $60, firing only 200-300 rounds. "Basic Pistol" is one day, $50 at 100-200 rounds. I can't see how I can achieve "advanced level skills" in 2 days of instruction with only 300-500 rounds downrange.
Most tuition fees for professional level courses costs between $125 to $225 a day for an 8-10 hour class of quality instruction with range time, and the entry level defensive pistol classes start at 2 days with probably 800 rounds minimum. NRA classes are often less, but NRA classes aren't really something I'd say is on par with professional defensive firearms training. I'd have to wonder why the rest of the market seems to settle in around that price window for fees, but this place is 1/2 to 1/3 the price.
I can't find any credentials or bios about the instructors. I'm not asserting its second rate, but there isn't any information provided for me to even decide if it is or it isn't. Guys who have something to offer in this business usually make it a point to mention why they feel they have something special to convince you to spend your training dollars and time with them.
Substandard instruction can be worse than none at all.
Training is one area we shouldn't scrimp on. I'll buy a cheap, police trade-in model 10 Smith & Wesson and feel OK with it. Pursuing substandard training can instill bad habits and bad techniques, and unfortunately some students aren't experienced enough to be able to tell the difference. I know we all like to get bargains, but you usually get what you pay for in life.
I'm seeing course material like concealed draw techniques, mutiple targets, and movement to/from cover thrown in with CQB, and weapons retention. I know what it takes to instruct that material properly, make sure the student understands the concepts, and then gets enough repetitions on the technique in the class so he can go home and continue to practice it properly on his own. I couldn't imagine the trainers I know seriously suggest they were going to teach the average armed citizen CQB techniques in an 8 hour class, and think at the end of the day he did the student well. In fact, I know they won't do that. This class has it crammed in with all other kinds of material. All that material mentioned in the ad, to be taught properly and to get in enough range time to have it considered professional instruction, takes no less than 55 hours, or probably 6 days minimum. And I can't see it done with less than 1,000 rounds; even that's a stretch.
I wouldn't want to go in front of the IRS with a bookkeeper that had a couple semisters of accounting classes. I wouldn't want to go in front of a judge with a paralegal. I wouldn't want to rely on training from a guy who I wasn't confident had a quality cirriculum.
Just my .02. elkhuntingfool, you put it out for discussion. That's my opinion.
