Tips for you prospective CHL Instructors -
For those of you attending the July course in Georgetown, I thought I'd share a couple of the observations I made about the the Proficiency Exam from the class I attended in June.
There seemed to be a lot of people pretty freaked out about the revolver requirement - I was actually one of them. I had practiced quite a bit with the revolver, but for some reason I was still concerned about it. This turned out to be needless mental torture of course - I nailed it with a perfect score first try. Just practice a couple of times and you'll do fine.
If you aren't familiar with it, or don't remember exactly what the course of fire is for the exam (it's the same as for the CHL license), here's how it works:
The firearms proficiency exam requires the student to fire a total of 50 rounds from a handgun of .32 caliber or greater. This is broken into timed, grouped shots at three different distance ranges:
* 20 rounds @ 3 Yards (9 Feet)
- 1 shot in 2 seconds, 5 times
- 2 shots in 3 seconds, 5 times
- 5 shots in 10 seconds, 1 time
* 20 rounds @ 7 Yards (21 Feet)
- 5 shots in 10 seconds, 1 time
- 2 shots in 4 seconds, 1 time
- 3 shots in 6 seconds, 1 time
- 1 shot in 3 seconds, 5 times
- 5 shots in 15 seconds, 1 time
* 10 rounds @ 15 Yards (45 Feet)
- 2 shots in 6 seconds, 1 time
- 3 shots in 9 seconds, 1 time
- 5 shots in 15 seconds, 1 time.
To pass the proficiency exam (as an instructor), you must score a minimum of 225 points out of a possible 250. (90%) Students will get three opportunities to pass.
I’ve color-coded an example target below to help identify the scoring areas, however the targets will normally be a single color – typically green, red, blue or black. Scoring is based on distance of impact from the X (bulls-eye):
* 8, 9, 10, X Rings = 5 Points
* 7 Ring = 4 Points
* Outside of the rings, but still within the silhouette = 3 points
* Outside of the silhouette = 0 points.
One thing that shooters may not be expecting that you should mentally prepare yourself for, are the turning targets at the DPS range. You'll line up in a row of up to 50 shooters at a time, with the range officer behind you on a PA system. He will be calling out commands over a loudspeaker. When he calls out what the next exercise is, you'll take your ready stance - and at that point the target will be "edged" - it will be turned away from you; not facing you. Sometime in the next few seconds, it's going to turn and face you. That's when time starts. When your time is up, it's up - then it automatically turns away.
This can be a little unnerving if you LET it be. The amount of time you get is PLENTY. Most people were back at a ready stance for quite some time before the target turned back away. That said - don't dawdle. ;)
Something I thought was absolutely crazy - was the number of people who brought brand new firearms they had NEVER fired before. REALLY?? There was one gentleman a couple of lanes from me who brought a low-dollar compact .380 - Jiminez or something - that jammed more than it cycled correctly, and he FINALLY passed on his 3rd attempt, after some emergency lubrication and a bit of voodoo most likely.
People...please...do yourselves a favor. Ensure you're familiar with your weapons, and you're taking something that you know is going to go bang every time. I myself carry compact Sig Sauer .40 S&W's. That said - I took a Beretta M9 to qualify with. Full size, low recoil, 9mm, tried-and-true. Just use your head is what I'm saying.
Standing at ready-aim is NOT the place to "break in" a new weapon, or to "find out" how you'll do with a particular weapon under pressure.
You get three attempts. Most of you I would imagine, will need only one attempt and you'll do just fine. I encourage you to NOT be like the gentleman who brought a $99 compact .380, expecting to be able to pump 50 rounds through it without an issue. We all know - those are junk. He should have known that too. His bad.
Something else - even though it was included in the documentation that was mailed to us - many people completely ignored the instructions, and subsequently there was much scrambling and loaning of hearing protection between relays. OVER the ear hearing protection means OVER the ear hearing protection. If you don't bring OVER the ear hearing protection, you will not be shooting on the DPS range.
Another documented, yet ignored notation - was ammo. Yes, they will be checking. Yes, your ammo MUST be SAAMI approved ammo - period - no exceptions. Luckily, many students brought extra, so everyone got to shoot. Check your ammo - bring approved stuff.
Good luck to all!
