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Just finished my range qual with my prospective CCW guns at the Ben Davis training facility. Pretty painless, nothing difficult. If you haven't qualified there recently, it's changed somewhat.
I hung around on the sidewalk, near the range entrance with others who were there to qual for their CCW. We had our range bags with us and were called into range three just before 0800. If you have a 0800 time, wait outside to be called, 0900 or later go in and ask which range they are at.
They have two deputies running the range. You start out with a form to list your name and firearm description and an ID check. Then you take the weapons to the desk to be function checked. If you need a mag inserted to dry fire make sure you have an empty one ready.
Once your weapons and paperwork are checked you will grab some body armor to put on and be told to load your mags to 6 rounds each. They used to have you load your mags to capacity, but now it's six rounds unless you have a five round wheel gun. Make sure you have eye and ear protection with you. Several people needed some and it slowed things down and the loaner gear didn't look that great.
If you only have two mags, load one to ten. Then carry two loose rounds with you. You will shoot six and when told to reload you only need to screw around with loading two rounds vice six. It's faster if you have three mags each weapon or speed loaders, but not a huge deal if you don't. We had one guy there with only one mag.
They call five shooters back at a time and go lanes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. The 0800 time slot had about 15 people. I had three guns with me and finished about 0845. Guys with four or more bled into the 0900 time slot.
When called to shoot have your gun holstered and the mags in your pocket or in your mag pouch. You will be given a brief and then told to make ready and go to low position. At the range masters command you put six rounds to center mass. It's not timed, take your time. It used to be two rounds at the whistle, then two rounds, etc, etc until you were empty, but not now. Just all six rounds, center mass at your pace.
Two out of five people in my first group had problems with fingers on the trigger at low ready. Don't be that guy.
When done with your six, holster up. When everyone is done you will be told to make ammo preps, which should just be a mag change if you have multiple mags. If not, do what you need to do to get six more rounds loaded.
Then you move up to the ten yard line and repeat.
After finishing at ten you go to seven. The only difference is its two shots center mass, one to the head, repeat. Once everyone is done and safely holstered he will walk the line checking your target. If he feels you failed, he will yell up to the desk your lane number. Otherwise, you get a fresh target and staple it over the old target. Four staples minimum per side. Also, if you don't know how to reload a stapler, don't try.
Report back to the desk with your name and tell the deputy which weapon you just fired. He will check you off. Get your next weapon ready and repeat this process until you are done.
I don't know if they let you retry if you fail, but it might not be a bad idea to have extra ammo. Try to bring as little extra crap as possible because the bench space got tight with 15 people on it.
If you practice just the most basic safety techniques, have normal common courtesy and a little organization this will be totally painless. Oh and don't break the stapler and get four staples per side on that fresh target. We didn't have anyone mess that up, but it must have happened a lot in the past.
I hung around on the sidewalk, near the range entrance with others who were there to qual for their CCW. We had our range bags with us and were called into range three just before 0800. If you have a 0800 time, wait outside to be called, 0900 or later go in and ask which range they are at.
They have two deputies running the range. You start out with a form to list your name and firearm description and an ID check. Then you take the weapons to the desk to be function checked. If you need a mag inserted to dry fire make sure you have an empty one ready.
Once your weapons and paperwork are checked you will grab some body armor to put on and be told to load your mags to 6 rounds each. They used to have you load your mags to capacity, but now it's six rounds unless you have a five round wheel gun. Make sure you have eye and ear protection with you. Several people needed some and it slowed things down and the loaner gear didn't look that great.
If you only have two mags, load one to ten. Then carry two loose rounds with you. You will shoot six and when told to reload you only need to screw around with loading two rounds vice six. It's faster if you have three mags each weapon or speed loaders, but not a huge deal if you don't. We had one guy there with only one mag.
They call five shooters back at a time and go lanes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9. The 0800 time slot had about 15 people. I had three guns with me and finished about 0845. Guys with four or more bled into the 0900 time slot.
When called to shoot have your gun holstered and the mags in your pocket or in your mag pouch. You will be given a brief and then told to make ready and go to low position. At the range masters command you put six rounds to center mass. It's not timed, take your time. It used to be two rounds at the whistle, then two rounds, etc, etc until you were empty, but not now. Just all six rounds, center mass at your pace.
Two out of five people in my first group had problems with fingers on the trigger at low ready. Don't be that guy.
When done with your six, holster up. When everyone is done you will be told to make ammo preps, which should just be a mag change if you have multiple mags. If not, do what you need to do to get six more rounds loaded.
Then you move up to the ten yard line and repeat.
After finishing at ten you go to seven. The only difference is its two shots center mass, one to the head, repeat. Once everyone is done and safely holstered he will walk the line checking your target. If he feels you failed, he will yell up to the desk your lane number. Otherwise, you get a fresh target and staple it over the old target. Four staples minimum per side. Also, if you don't know how to reload a stapler, don't try.
Report back to the desk with your name and tell the deputy which weapon you just fired. He will check you off. Get your next weapon ready and repeat this process until you are done.
I don't know if they let you retry if you fail, but it might not be a bad idea to have extra ammo. Try to bring as little extra crap as possible because the bench space got tight with 15 people on it.
If you practice just the most basic safety techniques, have normal common courtesy and a little organization this will be totally painless. Oh and don't break the stapler and get four staples per side on that fresh target. We didn't have anyone mess that up, but it must have happened a lot in the past.
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