Your First Training Experience: How to Have a Successful Day

There can be a great deal of worry about taking your first training class - what to bring, how it's going to work, do I have the right gear? Well, if you’re considering taking your first firearms training class (which you should), let's talk about what you should expect, and what will be expected of you.

1. Be prepared. Most training companies will have a syllabus posted, or available at your request, to let you know what you need to bring. These items will generally include a safe, functional firearm, magazines, and a way to hold those magazines so they can be easily and safely accessed. A cooler with lunch, water, and any medications you need cuts down on time spent finding somewhere to get lunch, and will also give you an opportunity to engage with the instructors and other students rather than driving around during the lunch break.

2. Know where you're going. Personal requirements for an indoor range are going to be a lot different than an outdoor range. Generally, classes will be taught no matter what the weather, so keep an eye on it - nothing's worse than being cold or wet (or both) while you're trying to learn. If you know the weather's going to be bad, a change of clothes is also a big help. Speaking from experience, driving home from a class in wet clothes is no fun.

3. Take notes. Training classes usually begin with a classroom session, in which the instructors talk about what to expect, a safety briefing, and then the meat of the discussion. Taking notes during the classroom session is important - sometimes it can feel like you're drinking from a firehouse, and retaining what's talked about in the classroom is important. Make sure to make note of any questions you may have so you can bring them up either in the classroom or on the range.

4. Don't apologize for failure. As an instructor, nothing pains me more than somebody apologizing for messing up a drill, or not putting rounds where they want to. Unless you've done something unsafe, there's no reason to apologize. The reason you're at a class is to learn, and part of learning is failure. Messed up the drill? Don't understand the drill? Don't apologize, ask for clarity - we're here to help you learn, and we'd much rather hear "I learned something", rather than "I'm sorry".

5. Have a good attitude. We understand everyone comes from different backgrounds. A class could consist of hard charging GWOT veterans, shooting next to stay-at-home moms looking to learn how to defend themselves and their children. A good shooting school should have enough instructors to make sure everyone gets the attention and training they need, without slowing down the class too much.

You're here to learn - listen to the instructors, and try it their way. Even if you don't agree with a principle or technique, give it a try and see if it works better than your current method. What's being taught has been proven by years of experience, and it may very well end up being better than what you're doing now. If, on the drive home, you decide that your way is better for you, you've still added a tool to your shooting tool box, which you may end up using at some point in the future.

6. Anxiety is okay. We get it. This could be your first class, with a firearm you don't have a lot of experience using, and you're anxious about what's going to happen. We're here to help you learn, and get comfortable with utilizing your firearm in a safe and effective manner. We're not shouty - personally, I don't enjoy paying for a class, the time off, and all of the gear, only to be shouted at for asking questions, or having issues with drills. We want you to succeed - and that's what we're going to work towards.

-Kirk