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Posted: 5/20/2014 10:29:24 PM EDT
I bought a certificate for any 2-day Front Sight class a while back.  Maybe 6 or 7 years ago.  It didn't expire, and I seem to keep moving farther away from Nevada.  But I recently had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas and figured it might be another 6 years before I was out that way again.  

I've heard some negative comments about Front Sight, but nothing I recall specifically.  Seems like any school that isn't the "flavor of the week" is said to be teaching outdated techniques, etc.  I don't' get too caught up in all of that.  

My background is that I have been shooting handguns competitively in one form or another since the mid-'90s.  I started with Bowling Pin matches, went to USPSA a year or two before IDPA was started, shot a little 3-gun, and I hit the occasional subgun match.  I'm a USPSA A-Class shooter in Limited and Open.  I don't make it to a match every month, as much as I'd like to.  Work and family and life happen as well.  I haven't ever taken a defensive shooting class before, other than the free 1-day subgun class that Front Sight was offering in 1999 (and I lived the next state over from NV).  

I took the 2-day handgun class.  This is supposed to be the shortened version of their 4-day handgun class.  Some of my impressions of the experience were:

* This class is appropriate for a novice shooter.  They start out very basic with shooting stance, grip, sight alignment, trigger control, etc.  Later they move to drawing from a holster and malfunction clearing drills.  
* There were enough instructors that they could work with each shooter 1-on-1.  This way they could help a novice who is struggling, or help a more experienced shooter fine tune some part of their shooting.
* They teach the Weaver stance, but they do not have the "our way is the only way" attitude.  If you spend any time in the action shooting sports, you probably shoot from some version of an Isosceles stance.  They don't have any issues working with a student to tune in that method as well.  
* I thought 200 rounds was a little light for a 2-day course.  They made decent use of the 200 rounds, mixing in live fire with dry fire drills.  I just would have liked some more shooting.
* Target engagements were from 3 to 15 yards.  
* I do not do all that well teaching other people how to shoot, as my wife can attest.  I thought the instructors did a good job working with some of the people who were struggling.  
* In addition to the instructors, the students were paired off in a student / coach setup.  As one was shooting, the other was coaching, watching for safety violations, etc.  It's probably a pretty common approach, and I thought it worked pretty well.  
* They had some vendor presentations, but they were done at lunch or at the end of the day so you could attend or skip them as you wanted.
* Some of the lectures were interesting.  I didn't agree with everything they said, but they were interesting nonetheless.
* During a question / answer session, someone asked about what type of ammo to carry.  They went through the pros & cons of the various bullet styles from FMJ, to TC to JHP.  They advised a TC was what they preferred, as the flat nose does more damage than a round-nosed FMJ, and a JHP may not open up.  The argument against the JHP was that they usually had to go lighter to get the velocity up in order to expand.  And if the point clogs up it still may not expand.  They liked a "full weight" TC better.  I would think the counter argument is that you can still get "full weight" JHP ammo.  If it does not expand, it acts the same as the TC.  But if it does expand, you're even better off.  Also, I find some guns don't feed TC ammo all that well.  

Overall, I thought it was a decent experience.  Prices on the website are pretty high, but if you shop around or get in on one of their sales, you can get in at a pretty decent price.  (I think the website says a 2-day class is $1000.  I paid $100.)  For me, the expense of travel and lodging was several times the cost of the class.  From just a cost perspective, I could pay a lot more for a "local" class and come out money ahead, but that's just because I live most of the way across the country from them.  

As noted, I haven't taken any other defensive classes to compare this to.  To be honest, I don't think it was all that advanced enough to get to the point where you start arguing the merits of where one training / technique is more appropriate than another.  It was a beginning class, and it was good for what it did.  I thought they could have gone more in-depth with a lot of it, but we were limited by time.  That's probably where the 4-day classes come in.  
Link Posted: 5/21/2014 6:15:43 PM EDT
[#1]
Topic Moved
Link Posted: 6/9/2014 1:58:28 AM EDT
[#2]
Hey, I read you're review (in full, this isn't GD where they just post a pic saying they didn't read it). I agree on most of everything you said, and to even argue it would be splitting hairs.

Also, nice write up! Very well laid out I thought.

Something to note, the four day class would have been more up your ally. Then, if you are truly good enough and score Distinguished Graduate on their 4-day class test, you go onto Advanced Handgun.

Interesting method but it keeps guys going back over and over trying to get it so they can take more advanced classes.

Only thing I can add to your review; the scenery out there is beautiful! Even if desert, it has the mountains all around you. I'm from MN, so that's awesome.
Link Posted: 7/3/2014 3:48:18 PM EDT
[#3]
Agreed, the two day class only gives you the flavor of the course.
In my opinion, the the two day course is aimed at folks with little to no experience shooting or for those who want to come out and give it a try.
The four day course really starts to pick up speed about half way though the second day.
Do I agree with everything they teach? No, of course not.
Remember though, this course will not make you some sort of high speed shooter but it will lay down some good foundation work.

Are there better schools out there? Yes but they cost alot more and require a higher level of skill to really be worth the money
Gotta learn to crawl before you run 50 meter sprints. FS would be the crawl, walk, run phases.

Alot of folks who frequent this board and who poo-poo FS probably could not pass the Graduate or Distinguished Graduated test at the end of day 4.
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