surferdaddy wrote:I just got home from this last course a few minutes ago. There were 109 students in this class. Probably 8 or 10 women in the class. The main facility is brand new, nice, and big. Classroom was quite easy but different from classes before in that RSD has "given" the troopers the entire class; both the shooting proficiency as they always had and now the classroom section which was previously RSD. The troopers were some of the finest and most patient gentlemen I have ever worked with and they are positively owning this new responsibility. The proficiency section freaked me out a bit but as was stated; it was a cakewalk. Plenty of time for single action on the revolver. They won't "give" it to you, but they stated that they will let you go back through as necessary if you simply have a bad day shooting.
All said, not really any more difficult than your CHL exam was and perhaps easier due to the professionalism of the staff.
Instructor Surfer
I must have been in the same class. I think we were the first class at the new range. I was originally intimidated by the timed, turning targets. I practiced in the hotel room on my shot timer to make sure I could make my single action revolver shots in 2 seconds. When the test finally came, it was cake. It was a very liberal 2 seconds. It was interesting, though. Most people were very relaxed and still got off all their shots in time. I presented like I was battling Jerry Miculek in the Steel Challenge finals. I head the RO press the button and before the air in the compressor finished turning the target, I was on target and cocked. Most people had a relaxed cadence but I was punching out there...unnecessarily. Plenty of time and, while all us Type A gun nuts are trying to win the carnival bicycle by shooting out the X, remember, you only have to put them in the 8 ring. Aim small, miss small...but don't spend too much time drilling out the middle of the X. It all counts the same. A shot breaking the 8 ring is still 5 points. A shot at 2.5 seconds that misses because the target turned counts for 0.
I think the section on laws was weak as many students began looking up the regs and correcting the instructor. The information is changing a lot so I don't totally blame them for that. They kind of mentioned a dozen times that RDS should be doing the law portion. Also, I would have like to have had a segment on the implementation of the course. Show me where I go when I get my cert and how to sign up online or get my password. I have 80 people lined up to take my CHL course and I can't find out how to get logged on to get started. RDS hasn't responded to my emails yet. Got my instructor certificate Saturday (6 days ago). Also, it did seem like the class dragged a bit. 2 full days of instruction to teach a 4 hour class...and nothing on "how to teach" or "how to file paperwork after a class". I think we all know the CHL material in general so we could have sped through that and then focuses on the particulars for actually being an instructor.
The DPS guys are great and most have a great sense of humor. They take range safety seriously, as they should, but it doesn't feel up tight. Plus, I think probably 1/4 of our class was LE anyway (not me, but many others). Many prior military. and I think about 8-9 women, as stated. I think they were all from gun ranges or LGS. On the whole, the instructors were great and the class was great. Sometimes it's hard to run a class with 100+ people.
Not to get political, but if these guys represent DPS and law enforcement at large, it makes it even more abhorrent what's going on in the news right now. Decent guys just doing a largely thankless job and having to put up with thugs on a daily basis.