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Took the Front Sight 2 day skill builder with my wife this past week. She has been trying to DG so that we can take some of the more advanced classes together. She has missed by a few points multiple times due to test anxiety, as she often shoots the practice test clean or 3 points down. We decided to let fate determine who our instructors were this time by just requesting one of the 4 ranges near the classroom. We wound up on range 1B with a range staff that was made up of people we had never had as instructors in all the many times we had attended. I am awful with names, but I would not list them here in any case. Our range master was one of FS senior range staff as he had the familiar red logo on his hat. I had seen him around FS many times, but had never had him on one of my ranges. He had been working the optional lunch "dry practice" on time I was there taking the class on my support side. He had helped me get faster out of the holster, even though my weak side draw was a little rough. Our Instructor and Line Coach were both new to us, but seemed to be up to the task. Since we were just there to practice and have a good time, I was not all that worried about what instruction we would be getting.
For this class I decided to shoot Isosceles, since I had just take a class from Robert Vogel and am in the process of trying to master his grip style. I figured it would be interesting to see just how the staff would react to my stance, and what they would say about it. They went through the usual safety stuff, working in the student coach format, 3 secrets, grip and stance. They had us get up to the line and do a little shooting from the ready position. This was a great opportunity for me to get Vogel's grip perfect since I was not coming out of the holster fast, my hands were perfect. After about my fourth shot I could tell the line coach was behind me. He did not say anything, but I later heard him asking the range master about my grip. He was told I was shooting a variation of Isosceles. At this point I figured I was not going to hear about it again, since I had seen range staff help some students shoot Iso in one of my previous classes, and the explanation I overheard from the range master. I was wrong, but it was not all that bad. The range master was giving the class a little run down on what he had seen during our first shooting iteration, and commented that he saw about 3 students shooting Iso, and said that it is good to learn multiple methods, and to please try the modified Weaver stance for the class. I guess the other two listened, as I did not see another student shoot Iso again for the rest of the class. After our next shooting iteration, the range master approached me and asked me to try Weaver. I told him I already knew how to shoot weaver, and was there to practice the grip I had recently learned, since as he had just said, "it is good to know more than just one stance".
The rest of the class was pretty standard FS skill builder, and by day two, I had grown bored with my M&P 40. Time to break out my S&W 625 revolver. My revolver shooting was actually better than I had been shooting my semi-auto, and I don't think I had one shot out side of FS's generous A zones the entire time I shot it. After lunch, I decided to try a third gun, my M&P 9L. During the practice test I switched to modified weaver with the 9L and was having a few misses on the head shots. I did not feel it was the grip, but rather that the guy shooting next to me was firing at almost the same instant and for some reason it was getting me out of my game. That thought proved correct as during the skill test, he was on the other relay and I had no trouble shooting the test clean. I did have a malfunction on the second shot of the pair at 10 yards, and was awarded an extra shot at the small steel plate on the impact berm for clearing the malfunction correctly. There was some questioning of my clearance since I did it almost fast enough to still get in the second shot. The instructor asked when I had cleared it if a live round had come out of the gun. I holstered and looked for it, but could not find it. At that point I told him I did not care if I got a miss, as I was there just for fun. He seemed satisfied with my explanation of the malfunction clearance and said I could take my shot at the steel. I turned and drew and fired and hit the plate and was given the 5 points.
To sum it up, Front Sight delivered what they promised, and safely got 30 plus people through about 400 rounds with nobody getting hurt. I saw much improvement in many of the shooters in the class, and every one appeared to have a good time. Front Sight is not where to go if you want to learn Iso, but they have gotten much better at not bugging you about it if you choose to shoot it. Some of the range staff will actually help you if you need correction in that grip and stance, I just depends on who you happen to get.
I tried to post a picture of my target, but all I get is the little "x", so a link will have to do. I am pretty much a Luddite when it come to these damn machines.
If you see what I am doing wrong, feel free to PM as I would like to get this picture posting thing figured out.
For this class I decided to shoot Isosceles, since I had just take a class from Robert Vogel and am in the process of trying to master his grip style. I figured it would be interesting to see just how the staff would react to my stance, and what they would say about it. They went through the usual safety stuff, working in the student coach format, 3 secrets, grip and stance. They had us get up to the line and do a little shooting from the ready position. This was a great opportunity for me to get Vogel's grip perfect since I was not coming out of the holster fast, my hands were perfect. After about my fourth shot I could tell the line coach was behind me. He did not say anything, but I later heard him asking the range master about my grip. He was told I was shooting a variation of Isosceles. At this point I figured I was not going to hear about it again, since I had seen range staff help some students shoot Iso in one of my previous classes, and the explanation I overheard from the range master. I was wrong, but it was not all that bad. The range master was giving the class a little run down on what he had seen during our first shooting iteration, and commented that he saw about 3 students shooting Iso, and said that it is good to learn multiple methods, and to please try the modified Weaver stance for the class. I guess the other two listened, as I did not see another student shoot Iso again for the rest of the class. After our next shooting iteration, the range master approached me and asked me to try Weaver. I told him I already knew how to shoot weaver, and was there to practice the grip I had recently learned, since as he had just said, "it is good to know more than just one stance".
The rest of the class was pretty standard FS skill builder, and by day two, I had grown bored with my M&P 40. Time to break out my S&W 625 revolver. My revolver shooting was actually better than I had been shooting my semi-auto, and I don't think I had one shot out side of FS's generous A zones the entire time I shot it. After lunch, I decided to try a third gun, my M&P 9L. During the practice test I switched to modified weaver with the 9L and was having a few misses on the head shots. I did not feel it was the grip, but rather that the guy shooting next to me was firing at almost the same instant and for some reason it was getting me out of my game. That thought proved correct as during the skill test, he was on the other relay and I had no trouble shooting the test clean. I did have a malfunction on the second shot of the pair at 10 yards, and was awarded an extra shot at the small steel plate on the impact berm for clearing the malfunction correctly. There was some questioning of my clearance since I did it almost fast enough to still get in the second shot. The instructor asked when I had cleared it if a live round had come out of the gun. I holstered and looked for it, but could not find it. At that point I told him I did not care if I got a miss, as I was there just for fun. He seemed satisfied with my explanation of the malfunction clearance and said I could take my shot at the steel. I turned and drew and fired and hit the plate and was given the 5 points.
To sum it up, Front Sight delivered what they promised, and safely got 30 plus people through about 400 rounds with nobody getting hurt. I saw much improvement in many of the shooters in the class, and every one appeared to have a good time. Front Sight is not where to go if you want to learn Iso, but they have gotten much better at not bugging you about it if you choose to shoot it. Some of the range staff will actually help you if you need correction in that grip and stance, I just depends on who you happen to get.
I tried to post a picture of my target, but all I get is the little "x", so a link will have to do. I am pretty much a Luddite when it come to these damn machines.
If you see what I am doing wrong, feel free to PM as I would like to get this picture posting thing figured out.
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