I am not affiliated with Tiger Valley in anyway and did not know the instructors prior to the class. This was totally a “cold call” class for me. I signed up for this class because of the:
High round count; I shot over 1,200 for the 2 days combined.
Reasonable cost; $375 for the 2 days
Timing; 2 weekend days
Location; combined with the weekend days, it was just a couple hour drive for me so I could drive down on Saturday morning and only have 1 motel night stay to save a little money. I stayed at the Fairfield Inn North in Waco which was very nice, good buffet breakfast and easy access to HWY 84 which takes you out to the range in about 20 minutes from Waco.
I got to the range about 7:40AM on Saturday, the gate was unlocked, another pair of classmates showed up at the same time so one of new acquaintances opened the gate and we all went through and pulled up to the class room.
TJ, who “owns the place” was waiting for us to arrive. The class size was 8, a nice size, and everyone was very cool and completely safe throughout the entire course, no sweeps, no mishaps of any sort. We had a short classroom session/orientation, “get to know” and then it was off to the range to start what we all came for.
Besides TJ, we had Bruce as an instructor as well. Both of these guys had great insights and specific help for each participant to help them be better pistol shooters.
We started out with paper to assess trigger control, grip, and shot placement to make sure everyone had the minimum basics in hand, which we did. In class we had a Colt Combat Elite, a Beretta PX4, Glocks and my S&W Pro9. Naturally, I got the title “M&P Guy”, it didn’t help that I was wearing a long sleeve T with M&P scripting all over it, combined with both TJ and Bruce being Glock guys. All in fun though.
Next up was steel and we shot all steel for the rest of the weekend except for a moving target exercise in the next bay on a BG paper target moved laterally on a dragline controlled by TJ.
The course is based upon 11 basic skills and we were advised of “Par” times for each skill. Some of the highlights of what we shot (what I can remember):
Ready Present, single shot
Ready Present, double shot
Ready Present, target to target
Ready Present, 6 shot rhythm drill
Walking forward and withdrawal
Sprint, stop and shoot
180 degree 3 shot exercise, my favorite
A version of El Presidente
Holster draw and shoot all the above
Reloads were taught and used throughout
Timers were used throughout to establish performance by the individual
50 yard and closer engagement of 8 steel targets
100 yard prone shot, yes you can get consistent hits with a pistol
On the second day we had a chance to trade guns and shoot, and TJ and Bruce took us to the top of the 60 ft tower to shoot an AI .308 with a can on it at 600 yards on silhouettes and 2 dressed out AR’s at various distances. Just a taste to think about the Carbine and Precision Rifle courses in the future.
How did the guns do?
Glocks were perfect, no issues no surprises.
My M&P had 3 light strikes requiring reracks. It’s an early Pro so it’s known for this, guess I’ll get it addressed before the next class. It’s not my carry gun, but I think a P7 would have given me 2nd degree hand burns at the rate we were pulling the triggers.
The Colt was good, though I think there a few FTF’s with it. At the end of the second day, the front sight came off, I think this is a known weakness. The fellow who had it, could shoot it very well, he was fast and very accurate.
The Beretta was a challenge, between the long first DA pull and the safety/decock, it didn’t do anything to help the shooter, I think it was hard for the shooter to get all the benefits of the class because of the challenges of his equipment.
My observations:
I improved greatly as a pistol shooter, this was my primary objective. Bruce gave me great instructions and he noticed things that I could work on and really improve with. I don’t know how he saw what he did standing 3 yards behind me but he saw really key changes I needed to make and explained them in a very positive and factual fashion.
Thanks Bruce!!
Bring a speedloader! One person had bandages on his thumb from loading magazines. Topping off at least 3 magazines after each exercise for 1,200 rounds will takes it toll on your fingers, and you need to do it quickly to get back on the line.
Be self sufficient, bring a notebook, food and drinks, some wipes for your hands, maybe a chair, sunscreen and some really comfortable shoes/boots you can stand in for hours each day. I have to admit, I had an electric Coleman ice chest that I let run down my battery on day 2, duh!!
Thank you Richard and Keith for the jump!! Don’t be that guy. Basically, treat it like a hunting trip where you bring everything you might need. It is somewhat physically demanding with over 1,000 gun presentations, hours of standing, and loading mags for 2 days, you don’t have to be in shape at all, but it can’t hurt to enable you to not be distracted.Listen to what you are told, both TJ and Bruce have a wealth of knowledge and experience, they want to make you a better shooter and can, if you do your part.
I will go back for more courses! At $375 for the 14 day advance registration I feel it was a bargain. I got more shooting in 2 days than I ever have, got great instruction, had great fun with the variety of drills, met some very nice folks, felt safe the entire time, as opposed to some of the public ranges I have to use. It was great to be able to shoot for speed and accuracy as opposed to the shot a second restrictions at the public ranges.
I would recommend using a 9mm, poly, striker fired, soft shooting gun. It was easier for me to focus on grip, trigger, sight picture without adding safety/decock, but I’m OCD, YMMV.
Load your mags to the max so you can get the most trigger pulls possible on each drill.
Overall, I got what I wanted out this class and more.