Warning

 

Close

Confirm Action

Are you sure you wish to do this?

Confirm Cancel
BCM
User Panel

Site Notices
Posted: 6/25/2014 5:52:40 PM EDT
Talon Defense “Gunfighter”

Chief Instructor: Chase Jenkins

Round count: ~1000 rounds rifle, ~450 rounds pistol

Duration: 3 days (20 – 22 June 2014)

Cost: $400

Location: Gadsden, AL

BLUF: Talon Defense’s flagship course doesn’t disappoint, and if you are looking for a course that is designed to test your skills, this is it.

Day 1:
Started the day with brief introductions from the instructors and students, and Chase went through the safety ROEs and expectations. He talked about how unlike in many classes where you learned skills and “added tools to your toolbox”, this course was designed to have you take those “tools” out and see what you could build with them.
We then hit the range and VERIFIED zero. This is not a class to show up without your weapon zeroed. Ran through some warm up drills to both allow the students to shake off some rust, as well as allowing the instructors to assess skill levels. The basics like stance, controlled pairs, using good reload technique, and proper trigger manipulation were reviewed at this time as well. All the rifles were AR patterns, and the handguns were almost exclusively Glocks, with one P226 thrown in for good measure.

The next drill was where it began to get interesting. The next targets hung had 15 large dots on them, five rows and three columns wide. The instructors would call out a series of numbers, and we would then have to determine which dot to shoot, how many rounds to fire, and which weapon to use based off the series of numbers called. You may have to add, divide, or use X-Y grid coordinates to determine which dot and weapon was required. This was an absolutely outstanding drill, as it forced you to use your subconscious to perform the act of drawing, transitioning, and firing your weapons with proper fundamentals since your attention and brain power was needed elsewhere. Chase footstomps gunfighting as a thinking man’s game, and this drill reinforces that.

After a few runs through that drill, malfunctions were added. You left your weapon(s) downrage, and while the instructors were setting up the malfunctions, you were doing some sort of PT. Once threat was called, you got up, ran to your weapon, attempted to fire, and if you had a malfunction you fixed it. Oh by the way – the instructors are still calling out the series of numbers to determine which target to shoot and the rounds on target required.


Next up was fighting from the ground. We worked getting good, fast hits from our backs, from sitting, and from kneeling. The instructors continued to induce malfunctions throughout this time with the dreaded PAW (Problem Activation Wand). Without going into too much detail about it, it is a device used by the instructors that allows them to induce any type of malfunction, and it is the bane of your existence throughout the class. During this time red dot down drills were also introduced. Although these drills were designed for the Eotech owners (I kid, I kid… Kind of) it is good to know how to get hits using your optic as a big ghost ring.
We then worked some movement drills, as Chase wanted us to show that there is a time and place for moving with your rifle at low ready and moving with your rifle at high port. We started by shooting an “El Pres” type drill on steel, then threading our way through some standing boards. We would then need to get five hits from each standing, kneeling, and prone, then get back up and move to the next position, and immediately drop into prone for five more quick hits. It was good as moving with my rifle at high port is not something I do often.
Rounding out day one were some steel races. Students shot against each other, seeing who could get five hits from standing, kneeling, and prone the fastest, reloading between each position. The idea was to see who could block out the stress and forget about what the other guy was doing, and just focus on what you are doing. Chase describes the way to win a gunfight as making the fewest mistakes possible in the shortest amount of time, and that’s exactly what the steel races try and replicate.


Day 2:
The second day began out on the 100 yard range with alternate fighting positions. As we had learned the day prior, the fight isn’t always going to allow you to stand up, so you need to be practicing other positions. Junkyard prone, SBU prone, and rollover prone were discussed then put into practice. After everyone was comfortable with the techniques, we moved up to a vehicle and using the alternate shooting positions, we worked on fighting over, under and from the sides of the vehicle to get hits on steel at 100 yards.
After fighting around the vehicle, we learned techniques to safely exit the vehicles with weapons, and continued to work the alternate firing positions from cover while engaging the steel. The instructors are inducing malfunctions throughout all of this with the dreaded PAW. The more you are making hits on the targets, the less malfunctions the instructors induce – accuracy counts.

After lunch we picked back up with a ballistics demonstration. A car was placed out on the range, and we shot it with a variety of calibers to see how they penetrated (or didn’t in some cases). Shots through the windshield, both from inside and outside, were demonstrated to show the effects on the bullets as they passed through the windshield. We shot up a ’96 Lumina, and of the roughly 30 rounds fired, only three came out the other side. The conclusion everyone came to – if you’re shooting at something inside a vehicle, shoot a lot, because caliber doesn’t matter and the only certainty with it is uncertainty.

The rest of the afternoon was spent working individually through various scenarios concocted by the instructors, all of which began with you in the vehicle, then fighting your way out (shooting through the windows) and taking cover, and continuing to engage the targets. These scenarios involved only the use of your handgun, as the long gun wouldn’t be used until the next day.



Day 3:

Day three consisted entirely of fighting from a vehicle. The instructors turned up the heat on day three, causing more malfunctions and inducing more stress into each evolution. The first run of the day was done on your own to warm up for the rest of the runs that would be done with a partner. The third day forces you to utilize the skills you’ve picked up over the previous two days in order to be successful at the different evolutions that you’re put through. Alternate fighting positions, utilizing cover and concealment, are extremely important, as is getting good hits on the targets and retaining your weapons systems. The more poor choices you make in an evolution, the more malfunctions you will experience. The more accurate you are and the better you make use of cover, the less you will experience. Many scenarios involved you being forced to retrieve your carbine, which generally meant it would not be in the same condition you handed it to the instructors in. There is no right or wrong way to complete the various evolutions, and everyone had their own take on how they should fight their way through. Improvising and thinking out of the box are expected, as again, Chase consistently states that gunfighting is a thinking man’s game.

The final evolution of the day was pretty wild, as it involved a simulated vehicle crash and ambush. I won’t go into a ton of detail as it’s something everyone should experience by taking the course, but I can say it was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done on a range.

After the final evolution, everyone helped clean up the range facility, we did a hotwash of the last three days, and certificates were presented.

Summary:

As a repeat Gunfighter attendee, I can with certainty that this is an absolutely outstanding class.

This is a big-boy class with big-boy rules. The discussion and feedback is frank, honest, and sometimes salty. It’s a gunfighting class. Thick skin is important, but I can assure you that the feedback you will receive will make you a significantly better shooter.

As far as clothing and gear, bring clothing for essentially any weather condition, as the class does not stop for the weather. Pants are an absolute must, and long sleeve shirts and gloves are recommended. Bring quality gear. This is a highly, highly active class, and you will be crawling around and under cars, crawling out of car windows, running, falling, etc. and if you gear is not properly configured and high quality, you will find out quickly. You will definitely find out what works and what doesn’t as far as gear goes. I can say that I absolutely love my LBT 6094A/HSGI TACO combo as I have never lost a mag and think that the 6094A carries the weight very well.  You should take a honest look at your level of physical fitness as well, because you will struggle if you are out of shape and will not get as much out of the class.

This class is a screaming deal at $400. You will not find better training at a better price, or better training for a higher price for that matter either. Chase really tries to keep his classes affordable for everyone. The 1k rounds of carbine and 450 rounds of pistol are an excellent investment, and will definitely not be wasted there.

Carbine/Handgun:
BCM EAG 14.5” Mid Length w/ BCM Gunfighter Compensator and Aimpoint H-1 2 MOA optic in a LT660 mount and VTAC sling. Handgun was a Glock 17 with Truglo Tritium sights and a TLR-1.

Gear:
LBT 6094A w/ Midwest Armor Level IV plates with four HSGI TACO rifle mag pouches and a few other pouches. I cannot say enough good things about the TACO pouches. The retention is excellent, yet ease of access is not sacrificed in the slightest. For handgun gear I had a G-Code SOC holster riding on a RTI belt mount, and two HSGI TACO pistol mag pouches attached to a G-Code belt mount. MSA Sordin ear protection, Oakley Ballistic M-Frames for eye protection.

I wore a variety of VERTX pants, to include the new Airflow pants. The Airflow pants are outstanding, and I will likely be purchasing another pair or two. It hit the mid to high 90s on the day that I wore the Airflow pants, and they made a huge difference compared to the Original VERTX pants I wore and even the VERTX LT pants I wore. Lowa Zephyr Desert Mids were on my feet, and SKD PIG gloves protected my hands. After going through setup after setup of my gear, I finally feel like I have a setup that works well for me, and I will definitely be sticking with it for a while.

Conclusion:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!


Some JYP around the vehicles.



Getting my reload on.



Working from inside out.


Link Posted: 6/27/2014 10:33:10 AM EDT
[#1]
Link Posted: 6/27/2014 10:51:53 AM EDT
[#2]
Great write up.... planning on taking this class sometime in the future.

Link Posted: 6/27/2014 5:22:43 PM EDT
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Great write up.... planning on taking this class sometime in the future.

View Quote


It's an awesome class, I definitely recommend it once you're ready. Chase is looking at changing some things up in it too, so I'm excited to see what he comes up with.
Link Posted: 6/29/2014 6:01:54 PM EDT
[#4]
Looking sharp as always SconnieVLP. I'd to go war with you any day.



I've been to a few of these, and they are fantastic!
Link Posted: 6/29/2014 10:22:35 PM EDT
[#5]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Looking sharp as always SconnieVLP. I'd to go war with you any day.

I've been to a few of these, and they are fantastic!
View Quote



Thanks man
Close Join Our Mail List to Stay Up To Date! Win a FREE Membership!

Sign up for the ARFCOM weekly newsletter and be entered to win a free ARFCOM membership. One new winner* is announced every week!

You will receive an email every Friday morning featuring the latest chatter from the hottest topics, breaking news surrounding legislation, as well as exclusive deals only available to ARFCOM email subscribers.


By signing up you agree to our User Agreement. *Must have a registered ARFCOM account to win.
Top Top