Going to Gunsite! Any tips?

[Blackstone]

So envious, have a great time there.

Anyone know if non-US residents can attend one of these courses?

 

[Leanwolf]

ANGRY HAN - "Anyone know if non-US residents can attend one of these courses?"

I'll take a guess they still can.

In a post above, I related how one of the shooters in my relay when I was there was an officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

I have read where other foreign shooters have attended Gunsite.

Go to their website and I'm sure the information will be there.

S.M.

 

[Series 70]

According to the course application, ITAR rules restrict Gunsite's training to US citizens only.

 

[Leanwolf]

KEVIN ROHRER - "When I was there in '85, '87, and '89, The instructors included the Stock brothers, Jack Furr, a big guy from Beverly Hills SWAT, and Louie Awerbuck. Robbie Baarkman was the gunsmith, although he was replaced at one point with Ted Yost. I believe it was the latter gunsmith who built my Gunsite Custom Carry."

Kevin, you have a better memory than I. I can not remember the names of the other three instructors. I remember one's face, but not his name. I do remember he was from Colorado.

I don't remember the name of the gunsmith, although I had him do a trigger job on a spare Colt's Govt. model I brought along ... just in case.

Did you get to go inside Cooper's home and see his gun collection? Quite a sight!

Ran into him at Pachmayr's in Los Angeles, when I was there having Frank Pachmayr build a from-the-ground-up custom rifle for me. He and Ray Chapman were having Frank work on some pistols for them. Ran into Jeff during the California Prop. 15 fight in 1982, in which the communistnazis were trying to outlaw all handguns and eventually almost all long guns. I ran into him again during the NRA National Convention in Anaheim, Caif., and we talked for awhile. Interesting meeting as Joe Foss, Bill Jordan, and Wayne LaPierre were standing together talking with Cooper.

I have a friend here in Boise, originally from Los Angeles, who has attended Gunsite many times. I think he's taken about all their courses. We chat about Gunsite often, although he was not there during the "orange" period. He is a very, very fine shot. Beat Massad Ayoob in one match, too.

As I said, a long time ago. Lots of water under the bridge since then.

EDIT: Given Series 70's response above, re foreign shooters at Gunsite, I suppose they've changed the rules. They could come when I was there in 1981.

L.W.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Did you get to go inside Cooper's home and see his gun collection?

Yes, I was in the vault all 3-times. On the first visit, I got to hold Baby, which he took to and left in South Africa. It was a compact, heavy, well-made rifle. I believe it was chambered in .460G&A. We also got to go up in the cupola at least once, where he did his writing.

 

[45_auto]

Good review on an Orange Gunsite experience here:

http://insightstraining.com/articles/OutsideArticle.PDF

The 3 classes I took at Gunsite I had John Bowman and Herschel Davis, the instructors in the review, for all 3. Great guys. We had supper at a friends house last time they came through here, but that was about 10 years ago.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

I looked at that article. I had forgotten the patch wall. One of those patches is mine, and I see its outline in the photo. Is the patch wall and that Gunsite monument still there?

I also recognized John Bowman as being another of my instructors.

 

[Certaindeaf]

.back in 1985. For those of you who never met the Colonel, he was a real character, and I say that in a nice way.

Anyone here attend Gunsite on or before that date?

I was luckily sent to some classes back around then.. Louis and Jeff were the main instructors. I used a 686 for handgun. Folk looked to Jeff for thumbs up or down as I topped all empirically.. he said he had nothing against revolvers, only the caliber of my duty gat. It was good times.
Have fun.

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

@45_auto: Good article - thanks for sharing.

 

[dprice3844444]

might also consider elbow pads in case you trip and fall.get blue star ointment for the blisters,rash bug bites,jock itch,foot irritaion etc., if the weather is extremely hot like it has been so far this summer.

 

[boris08]

I took the VET 250 two years ago, July.
My head firearms instructor at my former government job was good friends with the Col. As well as an instructor at Gunsite. So all of our firearm courses were set up almost indentical to Gunsites courses. We were very fortunate.
For the vets, the vet courses are tuition free.
Good luck 70 and have a great time.

 

[Series 70]

The packing has begun! Thanks again to everyone for their advice and comments. I fly out tomorrow morning for the 250 class. They say over 40 are signed up so it will be a double.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Heh, you're going to have fun. Half the fun of anything is the preparation/anticipation.

 

[smalls]

Without de-railing the thread, and just out of curiosity what part of ITAR says non US citizens can't go to Gunsite?

 

[Series 70]

I have no idea, but I'll try to remember to ask someone this week.

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

@Series_70 -- how did it go? I had to reschedule my 250 class to October due to work, so I'll be showing up there in just a couple of weeks....

 

[Buzznrose]

I'm headed to Gunsite in October as well for the 350 class. This will be my second trip. Had a great time last year. I plan on taking the 250 again next summer with my oldest daughter (21).

 

[Series 70]

It was amazing, of course! My class had 19 people. There was an 80 year-old who had only been shooting for 4 months, a couple, a father/daughter, and a father/son/daughter/niece group. We had a gunwriter, a few people who had been through various Gunsite classes before, and a mix of other folks.

Our range master was Charlie McNeese, ably assisted by Dave Starin, Dave Hartman and Cory Trapp. I couldn't have asked for a better group.

We only had one bout of bad weather - Tuesday afternoon was rained out, so we combined the planned ballistics lecture with the mindset lecture and were on the range the rest of the week.

I shot two pistols - my usual Kimber Compact CDP carry piece Monday and Tuesday, while my Colt Government got a little work at the smithy. I shot the Colt the rest of the week and it took me all the way to the final round of the shoot-off Friday afternoon... then it broke!

The plunger tube came loose and the spring and rear pin were sticking out! I had just won a round and was down 2-1 in the best of five contest. Dave Hartman quickly swapped pistols with me and I won the next round. Two wins apiece! Sadly, I lost focus the last round and the gunwriter took the honors, and deservedly so.

I learned a lot about what I had been doing wrong and came away with a solid base to build on, met a lot of great people and am trying to figure out how to get back next year.

DVC

 

[Frank Ettin]

It was amazing,...

Glad to hear it. Dave Starin was one of my instructor for the 350 I did last year. I don't know the others.

Well done. Welcome to the Family. And you most likely will be back.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Excellent - and congratulations!

 

[Ryanxia]

Sounds really fun, I'd love to go to one of those.

 

[Sinus Infection]

I got to play Pebble Beach once...
I'm guessing this will have the same feeling... Enjoy!

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

@Sinus_Infection: I guess I'll find out in 2.5 hours....

 

[Series 70]

Have a great time, Johannes. I guess I can now say, welcome to the family!

 

[Johannes_Paulsen]

Just got back. Charlie M. was also my rangemaster, along with Jerry McCown, Bill Halvorsen, and Ken Tuttle. Phenomenal experience - instructors were great, class was great, wish I could have spent more time there.

If you haven't gone yet, make the time!