parsimonious_instead
Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2010
- Messages
- 791
My business involves a great deal of driving around. Due to a lack of good news on the AM stations, and a lack of good music on the FM stations, I simply load up a bunch of podcasts on a CD and away I go.
Most of these programs are firearms related in some way. Heavily figuring into the rotation is Cope Reynolds’ program the Shooting Bench.
I’ve been listening to Cope for roughly three years, and I find him to be informative and entertaining. But it was only in the last year or so that I started to contemplate going to his shop for some training.
I decided last year to sign up for his three day Defensive Handgun class. He was kind enough to accommodate my financial needs by letting me prepay in installments. He also ordered 1000 rounds of 9mm ahead of my arrival, and provided a Glock 17 for me to borrow.
Although I have one of these pistols at home, my only convenient outbound airport choices are in the New York area. I’ve heard such a crazy mix of “smooth sailing” and “horror stories” about trying to fly out of there with handguns, that I decided to duck the whole issue and just use Cope’s.
There was only one other person in the class, a Californian who had taken training from him before, which I take as a sign of a quality instructor.
Normally there are more students in each of his classes. Although it’s neat to meet a group of people and make new friends, it’s also great to have a bit more individual attention.
We started out in a classroom in his shop in Pinetop, Arizona. We carefully reviewed the Four Rules. I liked that we didn’t just read them out in rote fashion, but had a real discussion about their implementation and implications.
Cope is big on dry practice. He took care to explain how to perform it correctly – removing live rounds from the room, using a “target” that gets put away, limiting each session and taking a generous break in between.
The range we used was simply a clearing in a forest, but it did the job. We used portable target frames with silhouette targets he designed.
I liked how Cope assembled the techniques in a nuts-and-bolts fashion. We began with presenting correctly from the holster, and then moved on to moving and shooting (getting off the “x” as it were), etc. Cope also mixed it up with some marksmanship instruction, emphasizing sight picture, sight alignment, and that granddaddy of all, correct trigger press.
We also shot at “hostage” targets and went back to his shop for some lessons in interior structure clearing.
In general, Cope is very patient, and always willing to answer questions, no matter how “dumb” they seemed, or if they weren’t exactly related to his planned material.
He’s all about safety – all throughout each day of instruction, he was extremely aware of our positioning and muzzle direction, and corrected us in a patient but very firm manner, which I appreciated.
I definitely improved my skills in presenting the weapon, moving while shooting, reloads and marksmanship.
One item I think we missed was a “force on force” component, even a brief one using Airsoft that would have further driven home some of the more combative aspects of the class.
All in all, an experience and an instructor I would heartily recommend.
Most of these programs are firearms related in some way. Heavily figuring into the rotation is Cope Reynolds’ program the Shooting Bench.
I’ve been listening to Cope for roughly three years, and I find him to be informative and entertaining. But it was only in the last year or so that I started to contemplate going to his shop for some training.
I decided last year to sign up for his three day Defensive Handgun class. He was kind enough to accommodate my financial needs by letting me prepay in installments. He also ordered 1000 rounds of 9mm ahead of my arrival, and provided a Glock 17 for me to borrow.
Although I have one of these pistols at home, my only convenient outbound airport choices are in the New York area. I’ve heard such a crazy mix of “smooth sailing” and “horror stories” about trying to fly out of there with handguns, that I decided to duck the whole issue and just use Cope’s.
There was only one other person in the class, a Californian who had taken training from him before, which I take as a sign of a quality instructor.
Normally there are more students in each of his classes. Although it’s neat to meet a group of people and make new friends, it’s also great to have a bit more individual attention.
We started out in a classroom in his shop in Pinetop, Arizona. We carefully reviewed the Four Rules. I liked that we didn’t just read them out in rote fashion, but had a real discussion about their implementation and implications.
Cope is big on dry practice. He took care to explain how to perform it correctly – removing live rounds from the room, using a “target” that gets put away, limiting each session and taking a generous break in between.
The range we used was simply a clearing in a forest, but it did the job. We used portable target frames with silhouette targets he designed.
I liked how Cope assembled the techniques in a nuts-and-bolts fashion. We began with presenting correctly from the holster, and then moved on to moving and shooting (getting off the “x” as it were), etc. Cope also mixed it up with some marksmanship instruction, emphasizing sight picture, sight alignment, and that granddaddy of all, correct trigger press.
We also shot at “hostage” targets and went back to his shop for some lessons in interior structure clearing.
In general, Cope is very patient, and always willing to answer questions, no matter how “dumb” they seemed, or if they weren’t exactly related to his planned material.
He’s all about safety – all throughout each day of instruction, he was extremely aware of our positioning and muzzle direction, and corrected us in a patient but very firm manner, which I appreciated.
I definitely improved my skills in presenting the weapon, moving while shooting, reloads and marksmanship.
One item I think we missed was a “force on force” component, even a brief one using Airsoft that would have further driven home some of the more combative aspects of the class.
All in all, an experience and an instructor I would heartily recommend.