EvolvingTactical
11-23-2014, 15:08
After Action Report of the Makhaira Group Tactical Rifle 1 Course.
Yesterday, November 22nd I participated in the Tactical Rifle 1 course at Front Range Gun Club in Loveland, CO. This was my first formal training class, and I can say it was way better than I had expected. Initially I thought the course would be just okay, because it was taking place at an 25yard indoor range. However the facility worked perfect for the live fire training portion. The class room portion is what you start with and is set up so that you learn the important stuff before moving toward the range training. The classroom portion covers safety & basic skills, fundamentals of shooting, ammunition ballistics, disassembly, assembly, care and cleaning, zeroing iron sights, and co-witnessing. Then everyone moves to the range where the instructors help everyone sight in their iron sights and optics using a 25yard improvised battle sight zero, for either 200 or 300 yard zero. My zero was already close to what I wanted a 50/250 yard zero. After that we worked on our stances and accuracy from the low ready. We then went through the Mozambique drill (two to the chest, one to the head) with a silhouette target. The drills constituted of 3 magazines with varying amounts of ammunition to total 30 rounds and a dummy round was hidden in one of the magazines to work on stoppages. For the rest of the drills we worked with the same number of loaded magazines to work on reloading, stoppages, and malfunctions.
52709
This is one of the targets (23x35") we used for the Mozambique drills from the low ready, it was placed at 7 yards. We also worked on holdover at this distance, and the circles where used for controlled shots and working on accuracy and good shot placement inside the circle. The grouping of the chest was 3.5" and the head and circles were 2'' or less groups.
We then worked on stopping the threat by Mozambique and two to the chest one to the pelvis to literally drop a threat, this was done at 25 yards. For the head shots we went to a knee for a quick accurate shot.
The second to last drill was target identification and quick acquisition form the low ready.
52713
This is the (23x35") target places at 7 yards. The instructor would call either a number, color, or shape to hit twice each. The grouping was under 2'' for each shape except the yellow 2 which had a 2.5" group.
The final drill was engage from behind cover drill. Two targets were placed at 25yards, and you had to use all your ammunition reload, shoot from both sides, go from high to low and engage the targets while not exposing yourself. This was a one at a time drill with an instructor standing behind you observing and giving calls to say you were being shot at, so you better get behind cover.
Gear:
I was using my AR-15 with EOtech EXPS3-0, VTAC two point sling, PMAGs, and gripstop. I was shooting PMC Bronze 55gr. 223 rem. My load out also included a Banshee plate carrier with HSGI taco pouches and med kit. SKD Pig gloves, SKD hat, Howard Leight Impact Sport ear pro., and Maxpedition dump pouch.
52715
Final Thoughts:
The course showed me what I'm good at and what i need to work on, bad habits i have picked up at the range and how to shoot faster, more accurately, effectively, and how to reload, clear stoppages effectively. It is defiantly worth ever penny and you will learn the basics of your rifle like how to clean it, as well as advanced things like shooting from behind cover. The instructors all know what they are doing. Mark Hotaling is former Navy SEAL and he ran the course with the help of the other instructors, who all but one are current SWAT team members. The one instructor who is not LE, Mil is a competition shooter and a very good one with good knowledge as well. They are all happy to answer any questions, help you learn, and fix your mistakes and improve. I highly recommend taking the Makhaira Group Tactical Rifle 1 if you are looking for very good and cost effective training that will improve your skills. I plan on taking more course from them in the future.
Yesterday, November 22nd I participated in the Tactical Rifle 1 course at Front Range Gun Club in Loveland, CO. This was my first formal training class, and I can say it was way better than I had expected. Initially I thought the course would be just okay, because it was taking place at an 25yard indoor range. However the facility worked perfect for the live fire training portion. The class room portion is what you start with and is set up so that you learn the important stuff before moving toward the range training. The classroom portion covers safety & basic skills, fundamentals of shooting, ammunition ballistics, disassembly, assembly, care and cleaning, zeroing iron sights, and co-witnessing. Then everyone moves to the range where the instructors help everyone sight in their iron sights and optics using a 25yard improvised battle sight zero, for either 200 or 300 yard zero. My zero was already close to what I wanted a 50/250 yard zero. After that we worked on our stances and accuracy from the low ready. We then went through the Mozambique drill (two to the chest, one to the head) with a silhouette target. The drills constituted of 3 magazines with varying amounts of ammunition to total 30 rounds and a dummy round was hidden in one of the magazines to work on stoppages. For the rest of the drills we worked with the same number of loaded magazines to work on reloading, stoppages, and malfunctions.
52709
This is one of the targets (23x35") we used for the Mozambique drills from the low ready, it was placed at 7 yards. We also worked on holdover at this distance, and the circles where used for controlled shots and working on accuracy and good shot placement inside the circle. The grouping of the chest was 3.5" and the head and circles were 2'' or less groups.
We then worked on stopping the threat by Mozambique and two to the chest one to the pelvis to literally drop a threat, this was done at 25 yards. For the head shots we went to a knee for a quick accurate shot.
The second to last drill was target identification and quick acquisition form the low ready.
52713
This is the (23x35") target places at 7 yards. The instructor would call either a number, color, or shape to hit twice each. The grouping was under 2'' for each shape except the yellow 2 which had a 2.5" group.
The final drill was engage from behind cover drill. Two targets were placed at 25yards, and you had to use all your ammunition reload, shoot from both sides, go from high to low and engage the targets while not exposing yourself. This was a one at a time drill with an instructor standing behind you observing and giving calls to say you were being shot at, so you better get behind cover.
Gear:
I was using my AR-15 with EOtech EXPS3-0, VTAC two point sling, PMAGs, and gripstop. I was shooting PMC Bronze 55gr. 223 rem. My load out also included a Banshee plate carrier with HSGI taco pouches and med kit. SKD Pig gloves, SKD hat, Howard Leight Impact Sport ear pro., and Maxpedition dump pouch.
52715
Final Thoughts:
The course showed me what I'm good at and what i need to work on, bad habits i have picked up at the range and how to shoot faster, more accurately, effectively, and how to reload, clear stoppages effectively. It is defiantly worth ever penny and you will learn the basics of your rifle like how to clean it, as well as advanced things like shooting from behind cover. The instructors all know what they are doing. Mark Hotaling is former Navy SEAL and he ran the course with the help of the other instructors, who all but one are current SWAT team members. The one instructor who is not LE, Mil is a competition shooter and a very good one with good knowledge as well. They are all happy to answer any questions, help you learn, and fix your mistakes and improve. I highly recommend taking the Makhaira Group Tactical Rifle 1 if you are looking for very good and cost effective training that will improve your skills. I plan on taking more course from them in the future.