I took the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course in June 2020, and it was exactly as advertised. Classroom setting until breaking for lunch, and then the rest of the day at the Rainbow range for hands on work. You buy your own lunch.
The class setting was clean, well set up and included hands-on work with firearms. The hands on portion included seated and standing exercises with unloaded firearms and a laser target. The focus there is on breathing, aiming and trigger control. Getting hands on in a calm environment is very helpful, especially with folks who are visibly nervous touching a firearm. Gary, his wife Konnie and Jack had three stations, so the nine students each got valuable time and direction.
After lunch, the set up at Rainbow was private because they used an instructor range. No other shooters wear nearby, so it was not as intimidating. Three shooter tables were set up, and three instructors worked with one student at a time on 22 pistol target shooting while the other folks sat well behind the line. I can’t emphasize how much help that one on one assistance was. Some of the shooters were visibly nervous, but the instructors took them through baby steps if needed. The focus was on aiming and trigger control. Lots of repetition with the goal of building confidence and muscle memory while safely handling the pistol.
The instructors met students precisely where they needed to be met, and so more comfortable or naturally adept students were able to go further. The session wrapped up with the opportunity to shoot 45, full and compact 9MM and some other odds and ends.
This is a great class, in a great setting taught by seasoned instructors. It was well worth the investment. 06/10/2020
