Training starting point

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Shooler12

    Plinker
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 15, 2014
    13
    1
    Plainfield
    I am a relatively new shooter. I have been going to the range and shooting very regularly for a little over a year now and I am ready to take the next step in becoming a proficient shooter. Anyone have a recommendation for classes or private instructors that work on basic handgun and/or rifle fundamentals?
    Thanks.
     

    brianheeter

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Nov 24, 2012
    268
    18
    Bloomington
    First, welcome to INGO! :welcome::ingo:

    For rifle I can heartily recommend Project Appleseed. You will not find a better value for your training dollar than a Project Appleseed event. We teach the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship. We aren't run and gun, shoot and move, door-kickin' whatevers. We teach the foundational skills that all the more advanced stuff relies on. And, as in most things, the fundamentals will take you a long way in most situations. Learn more here: Project Appleseed Home

    As for handgun there are plenty of good options. Keep hanging out in the Tactics and Training subforum and you will see lots of opportunities. I recently had the pleasure of taking a Bright Firearms Training course and I can recommend Aron Bright without reserve. A top-notch shooter and instructor. He goes by Coach here on the forum.

    Like I said, there are plenty of good options and Coach is just one that I have personally experienced.

    Attend the monthly meetings at your range and you will likely find some folks who are offering classes at a discount to members. Take some shorter, less-expensive ones to just get into it and find out who does good work and who you will learn from effectively. If your range doesn't offer courses maybe it's time to check out some other ranges. Marion County Fish & Game and Parabellum in Avon spring to mind.

    Best of luck to you on your journey.

    C ya,

    brian

    Brian Heeter
    Project Appleseed Instructor
     
    Last edited:

    ratames

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 14, 2012
    408
    28
    Coach is good. I've taken a couple of classes from him but I also like the classes offered by Bud Lich from The Shooting Institute. You might want to check them out as well.
     

    pudly

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    35   0   0
    Nov 12, 2008
    13,329
    83
    Undisclosed
    I'll also throw out ACT, Tactical Firearms Training, and Indy Gun Safety as very good trainers in the Central Indiana area. You can find listings and reviews for all of these trainers on INGO.
     

    Coach

    Grandmaster
    Emeritus
    Trainer Supporter
    Local Business Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
    13,411
    48
    Coatesville
    Really appreciate the informative response Brian. So glad I discovered INGO. I will definitely check out Project Appleseed.
    Thank you

    I can do private instruction over the winter at Parabelleum in Avon. You have to cover the lane rental. If interested send me an email. abright@ccrtc.com

    Thanks for all of the recommendations gentlemen.
     

    bingley

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 11, 2011
    2,295
    48
    I find that it helps to do a shooting sport -- IDPA, USPSA, trap, skeet, etc. If you're primarily interested in self defense applications, sure, all of these are games, not direct preparation for a real conflict in the street. However, you'll get to practice body mechanics, improve your marksmanship, and keep motivated. Shooting sports are also a lot more fun than self-defense drills.

    I learned a lot under an excellent instructor whose teaching focus was self-defense. However, it was hard to replicate the training scenarios on my own. It was also hard to stay motivated over the long term. The thousands of dollars I poured into those classes would have become memories had I not found a way to keep myself engaged through shooting sports.
     

    craigkim

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jun 6, 2013
    674
    28
    Fishers
    I'd like to piggy back onto this thread rather than start a new one, because I have the same question, but I'll offer a little more info. I have had a little difficulty trying to find training that is right for me. Most of my rifles and handguns are tactical or self defense centric setups and my initial interest was for self defense training, however I am starting to believe that, like the above poster states, some sort of game application may be of interest to me, to practice and develop skills, but also to have fun.

    The courses I have done have either been very nice intro to the defensive shotgun, carbine, handgun, or more of a "tactical" genre. I liked the intro courses in order to pick things up in a logical progression, but wanted more training with drills. More recently I took a course that was overly tactical. I liked weak handed shooting with pistol and carbine, which were both new and VERY challenging to me. I like reload drills, etc, but I didn't like team tactical shooting. It felt very cheesy to me and I felt like we were "playing soldier". To each their own. I guess I wanted more individual skill building and shooting drills.

    So, any suggestions as to classes that may cater more toward a gaming setup like I am describing? Thanks.
     

    Jackson

    Master
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Mar 31, 2008
    3,337
    63
    West side of Indy
    I'd like to piggy back onto this thread rather than start a new one, because I have the same question, but I'll offer a little more info. I have had a little difficulty trying to find training that is right for me. Most of my rifles and handguns are tactical or self defense centric setups and my initial interest was for self defense training, however I am starting to believe that, like the above poster states, some sort of game application may be of interest to me, to practice and develop skills, but also to have fun.

    The courses I have done have either been very nice intro to the defensive shotgun, carbine, handgun, or more of a "tactical" genre. I liked the intro courses in order to pick things up in a logical progression, but wanted more training with drills. More recently I took a course that was overly tactical. I liked weak handed shooting with pistol and carbine, which were both new and VERY challenging to me. I like reload drills, etc, but I didn't like team tactical shooting. It felt very cheesy to me and I felt like we were "playing soldier". To each their own. I guess I wanted more individual skill building and shooting drills.

    So, any suggestions as to classes that may cater more toward a gaming setup like I am describing? Thanks.

    So, you understand the fundamentals of marksmanship? You understand how to manipulate your chosen gun efficiently? Put together your own drills. Go shoot some games.
     

    The Bubba Effect

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    May 13, 2010
    6,221
    113
    High Rockies
    I started with Appleseed. It is cheap, good instruction, and helped me understand what to expect from firearms training courses (as far as format, gear list, etc).

    The best thing I can suggest is for you to just take a class and get started. I would suggest starting with one of the less expensive classes out there.
     

    Coach

    Grandmaster
    Emeritus
    Trainer Supporter
    Local Business Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    3   0   0
    Apr 15, 2008
    13,411
    48
    Coatesville
    I'd like to piggy back onto this thread rather than start a new one, because I have the same question, but I'll offer a little more info. I have had a little difficulty trying to find training that is right for me. Most of my rifles and handguns are tactical or self defense centric setups and my initial interest was for self defense training, however I am starting to believe that, like the above poster states, some sort of game application may be of interest to me, to practice and develop skills, but also to have fun.

    The courses I have done have either been very nice intro to the defensive shotgun, carbine, handgun, or more of a "tactical" genre. I liked the intro courses in order to pick things up in a logical progression, but wanted more training with drills. More recently I took a course that was overly tactical. I liked weak handed shooting with pistol and carbine, which were both new and VERY challenging to me. I like reload drills, etc, but I didn't like team tactical shooting. It felt very cheesy to me and I felt like we were "playing soldier". To each their own. I guess I wanted more individual skill building and shooting drills.

    So, any suggestions as to classes that may cater more toward a gaming setup like I am describing? Thanks.

    I would say you are looking for supervised practice. Why not just set up your own drills and practice. Maybe find a like minded friend or two and coach each other.
     

    dprimm

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jan 13, 2013
    1,742
    83
    Just West of Indianapolis
    I am going to suggest taking the intro to competition class offered at Parabelleum by coach. I took it to see what competition is like and pick up what pointers I could. I don't have the budget right now to compete, but can see how it could drastically change my shooting.
     

    gregkl

    Outlier
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    33   0   0
    Apr 8, 2012
    11,868
    77
    Bloomington
    Well, it has already been said ad nauseam(this is the correct spelling, look it up:)) on this thread but Coach is good and I would highly recommend Appleseed.

    Some don't like Appleseed because it is not run and gun, but like most everything in life it is better to crawl, walk, run. Appleseed will teach you about sight picture, NPOA(yeah, I had no idea what that meant prior to Appleseed), shooting from various positions and shooting without support aside from yourself. Plus people will realize that a sling is more than just a tool to carry a rifle in and out of the woods.

    I have taken several classes from Coach and a few others. There are good classes out there. Just don't expect a lot of individual attention in a group class format. One instructor can't spend all their time with one person. For me being new, I imagine it could take a lot of the instructor's time trying to teach me!:)
    I really should take some individual classes...
     

    craigkim

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jun 6, 2013
    674
    28
    Fishers
    So, you understand the fundamentals of marksmanship? You understand how to manipulate your chosen gun efficiently? Put together your own drills. Go shoot some games.
    Good points. I'd answer your questions as mostly and kinda. I guess I want a more beginner class verging on intermediate without the uber tactical swat training feel. Carbine 102 you might call it.

    I could practice on my own but I am still at the stage that I may be repeating and building upon mistakes. Like practicing a sloppy golf swing over and over.
     

    mpd

    Marksman
    Rating - 66.7%
    2   1   0
    Aug 10, 2014
    198
    18
    Westfield
    I am a relatively new shooter. I have been going to the range and shooting very regularly for a little over a year now and I am ready to take the next step in becoming a proficient shooter. Anyone have a recommendation for classes or private instructors that work on basic handgun and/or rifle fundamentals?
    Thanks.

    Good points. I'd answer your questions as mostly and kinda. I guess I want a more beginner class verging on intermediate without the uber tactical swat training feel. Carbine 102 you might call it.

    I could practice on my own but I am still at the stage that I may be repeating and building upon mistakes. Like practicing a sloppy golf swing over and over.

    I am in the same situation as these guys. I'd like to find more "real world" / tactical firearms training. Probably leaning more with Force on Force courses. I took the skills builder course with Coach in the fall. It was exactly what I was looking forward too. I'd like to find more of these opportunities. I have tried contacting by email two different companies:

    1)
    http://mindsetlab.com/main/

    2)
    Modern Defense Tactics Self Defense Tactical Firearms Training, "firearms training indiana, firearms training indianapolis, firearms training carmel,pistol classes indiana, pistol classes indianapolis, carbine, carbine training carbine training fishe

    However I have not heart anything back from either one of these companies. Would anyone have suggestions of where to take a Force on Force course? Or something similar?
     

    Site Supporter

    INGO Supporter

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    524,489
    Messages
    9,794,213
    Members
    53,638
    Latest member
    Dhlawson
    Top Bottom