Wickenburg, Arizona - After everyone went through American Firearms Training and Tactics' qualifying rounds in Precision Rifle, the top six shooters competed for the title of Top Shot. Here are clips of each performance as they shoot once from the standing, kneeling and sitting positions followed by two from the prone position.
In the end, with a final time of 32.13, the title went to Shawn Bray of the Prescott Police Department.
 Shawn Bray displays his "winnings" to taking the title of American Firearms Training and Tactics' Top Shot in Precision Law Enforcement Rifle.
After two days of training, shooters are tested on the range
 Students ready to fire at the 200 yard line during Precision Rifle qualifications.
Wickenburg, Arizona - Day three of my Law Enforcement Precision Rifle class was a big one. After a quick review of the lessons we learned, it was time for qualifications. The better you shoot, the higher your qualification. The prize, of course, is Distinguished Expert. Quite the lofty goal.
Unsure of where in the qualification ladder I would land, I took to the line confident that I’d land somewhere. All I had to do was remember the training. Keep focused, acquire the target, employ trigger control and fire. Then the American Firearms Training and Tactics crew announced the first stage.
More
NRAblog Editor Lars Dalseide was in Arizona this week for a Precision Law Enforcement Rifle class. Now that he's back home in Northern Virginia, he still has plenty of stories to share about his training in the Grand Canyon State.
Wickenburg, Arizona - Not every shot is taken in the open. At American Firearms Training and Tactics' Law Enforcement Precision Rifle course, Lead Instructor Mark Fricke prepares his students for such encounters with customized barrier trees. From seven separate positions, four teams of seven shooters crawled with their .308s and ARs to the two different trees, careful of the muzzle, and fired on targets a mere 100 yards away.
More
Developing more female NRA Certified Instructors has been a major goal of the Women's Programs Department these last few years. Many women want to learn to shoot and are looking for another woman to show them the ropes - that's where NRA's cadre of female instructors comes into play. Arizona's Amber Kunau recently joined that group, earning her certification as an NRA Certified Instructor. Amber shared her experience with NRAblog and explained what led her to get her certification and how she's using it to train others.
Becoming an NRA Certified Instructor was something I had thought about frequently so when I saw classes listed at my local range (Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club) it seemed like the perfect time to jump in and get to work. I started with the Range Safety Officer (RSO) class done by Jim Neff of Generations Firearms in Mesa, Arizona. The RSO class taught by Jim was interactive, informative and fun. After the great experience I had in the RSO class, I knew that getting my instructor certification with Jim was going to be nothing less than a great experience and the knowledge I would take away would be invaluable to me as a firearms instructor. In fact, I enjoyed that class so much I signed up for several more and went on to get my instructor level training in Pistol, Personal Protection Inside The Home, and Personal Protection Outside The Home and still have upcoming instructor classes in my calendar for Rifle and Shotgun.
The biggest thing that I took away from these classes is that students learn by doing. A great instructor doesn’t just stand in front of the class and just talk. Instead, a great instructor gets the class involved in mock “real life” scenarios and great discussions which gets everyone thinking on their own and working hard for their certification. I also learned that a good attitude is an absolute necessity.
More
Glass reacts differently when shot depending on grade or style
Wickenburg, Arizona - There's a lot more to shooting through glass then just pulling the trigger. The glass can redirect the bullet, shatter upon impact or even create an entirely new threat by way of shrapnel. To prove this point, American Firearms Training and Tactics owner Mark Fricke had us shooting through different grades of glass (windshield, window pane, glass doors, etc...) during out Law Enforcement Precision Rifle class to see what happens on impact.
Wickenburg, Arizona - When I heard there was a night shooting section of the class, my thoughts instantly jumped to images of night vision, tracer rounds and some sort of high tech voodoo that makes it all possible. I couldn't have been further from the truth.
As American Firearms Training and Tactics owner Mark Fricke demonstrated, all those high tech gadgets and gizmos look great in the movies, but they don't react like that in real life. Don't believe me? Then you should have been there for the demonstration.
While we were able to spot him with the night vision scope, figuring out what he held in hand was another story all together. Students were calling out "gun, gun" when in reality, as he later revealed, he was holding a water bottle, an empty box of ammo, a flashlight and few other incidental items. That's why he teaches his students to keep with the white light.
More
 AFTT owner/instructor Mark Fricke discussing shooting positions during his Precision Rifle class.
NRAblog Editor Lars Dalseide is in Arizona this week for a Precision Law Enforcement Rifle class. While there, he is providing daily updates of the experience here on NRAblog.
Wickenberg, Arizona - Day two at American Firearms Training & Tactics Law Enforcement Precision Rifle class started with the promise of 200 rounds. As Owner/Director Mark Fricke says, a guy can buy a hunting rifle and put less than 200 rounds through it in a lifetime. Ten shots to zero it in, two or three shots (if they're on target) during hunting season, another five to ten rounds to zero in for next hunting season and so on. We were going to best that total with today's training. There were plenty of smiles.
We were also promised 300 yards. Although less than 1% of all law enforcement encounters require the team's shooters to deploy more than 100 yards, that doesn't mean they should ignore the training required to make such a shot. But we weren't starting there. The starting point would be the 100 yard line to make sure everyone was comfortable with their rifles.
 Students from AFTT's Precision Rifle class walk 300 yards to check out their target
More
NRAblog's Lars Dalseide is in Wickenburg, Arizona this week for a Precision Law Enforcement Rifle class with American Firearms Training and Tactics. Although he's busy learning the ins and outs of precision rifle shooting and advanced marksmanship techniques, he had time to send us this video featuring a Colt AR-15. He may only be at 100 yards, but he'll be working his way back to farther yardages throughout the course. Keep checking back, because Lars will have more updates of the experience here on NRAblog.
NRAblog Editor Lars Dalseide is in Arizona this week for a Precision Law Enforcement Rifle class. While there, he is providing daily updates of the experience here on NRAblog.
Wickenberg, Arizona - It was a cold night on Sunday in the outskirts of Wickenberg. To be more specific, it was cold night sleeping in the back of my SUV here in Wickenberg while waiting for my first day of Precision Law Enforcement Rifle class. But as is the case when taking part in classes like this, better to be by the action rather then be by the Best Western. Now the other guys, the veterans, are here with RVs and tents and heaters. As the rookie in the bunch I chalk it up to a little self induced hazing.
Mark Fricke, owner operator of American Firearms Training and Tactics (AFTT) arrived early to start the classroom portion of the day. First under tarp and then out in the sun (once the clouds gave way), Mark went over the finer points of what it takes to be a successful precision rifle shooter. The training, the discipline and of most importance … the equipment.
More
|
Keep up to date with NRAblog
Don't miss anything! Sign up for the NRAblog Newsletter
San Antonio Tactical Police Comp
Granddaddy's Gun - Aaron Lewis
|