ACT DP205b Low Light Skills 5DEC15 Riley Conservation Club

[Hop]

You'll need a "night" off not a day off.

If you've never done anything like this you will enjoy it. Coats, gloves, cold, flashlights, shooting steel, figure 8 drill, etc...

I wish I could take it again but am getting my knee cut on soon.

 

[obijohn]

Still a couple of spots open in this class.

 

[jsharmon7]

Time off work has been approved and paperwork/payment sent. Hope to see some smiling INGO faces this weekend!

 

[ColdSteel223]

What time should we be at Bandana's ?

 

[obijohn]

What time should we be at Bandana's ?

If we do the meal before, I think 1530hrs or so would work. I'll need to set up the range prior to eating.

 

[obijohn]

I'll need to know for sure that a Bandana's run is on so I can get my schedule setup of the range.

 

[ColdSteel223]

Count two for Bandana at 1530.

 

[iChokePeople]

Wish I could be there. This class has been on my calendar every year for a while. I'll miss it. Someone keep a handle on the man on man action that will surely occur out on the dark range that night.

 

[obijohn]

Wish I could be there. This class has been on my calendar every year for a while. I'll miss it. Someone keep a handle on the man on man action that will surely occur out on the dark range that night.

You will be missed, brother.

 

[obijohn]

Count two for Bandana at 1530.

Bandana's at 1530 is a go. Be there or be square.

 

[jsharmon7]

I want to say thank you to obijohn and rhino for instructing a great class. I also want to thank the other attendees for making it an enjoyable and welcoming experience. This was my first class with ACT and it will not be my last.

This class was really eye-opening as to what an acceptable level of training should be. My level of training and ability is above the folks who buy a gun and then rarely ever shoot or practice, but well below those who practice seriously and get extra training. I have been through firearms training at ILEA as well as bi-annual training at my department. Due to the logistics involved (experience levels, cost, time, liability, etc.), it is impossible for that training to be all-encompassing. This is not meant to be a critique of those providing that training, but a statement of fact as to the nature of the beast. I was given a lot of tools in my prior training experiences, but learning is not the same as knowing. You can be introduced to low-light shooting, shooting while moving, room entry, etc., but if you don't go out on your own and really work at it then you can't claim that tool in your tool box. "They showed us that" or "I've done that" or "I've thought about that" is not the same as "I can do that."

Moving on to my experience in this class:

Those who have done it know that shooting while moving laterally is challenging. Doing it one-handed, in the dark, at 30 degrees is a whole lot more difficult. There are at least 3 months a year in this great state where that is exactly what you will be facing for a good portion of your time outside of work. Have you practiced it to the point of proficiency? Unless you enjoy collecting spent bullets, you will be moving and shooting in the dark and cold. Have you thought about weapons-mounted lights? If so, are you comfortable pointing your firearm at something in order to determine if it's actually a threat? If not, do you have a handheld light to use in conjunction with the WML? How well do your eyes pick up those Trijicons in the dark? Without giving away too much of the content of this class, there are MANY things to think about when it comes to using a firearm in the dark. This class prompted some excellent questions that we all should consider, but it also provided a lot of answers to those questions. It also provided a great opportunity to test those hypotheses. Instead of saying "this is what I would do," we got to do it and see how well it worked. One of the drills gave us valuable experience in how our handheld light would work with/against cover. It also gave us valuable experience in seeing how different factors affected target recognition and sight picture. These are just a few of the things we did last night which provided real-world experience rather than internet theory. The ability to train in that environment, coupled with knowledgeable instructors, made it a very valuable experience. Both instructors also shot the courses at least once, which gave me the confidence that they can "do" rather than just "teach."

To conclude, no matter what you THINK your level of training or ability is, challenge yourself to take a couple of classes and test it. Our group had folks with military/LE experience who said "I've never done that before." Punching holes in paper is not the same as practical defensive shooting. Don't fool yourself into thinking that if the situation arises that you will rise to the occasion and have the ability to do things you've never done before. It isn't going to happen, and the only way to overcome that is to go out and get the training and experience. Shooting a lot of rounds at paper targets in ideal conditions or saying "I've seen that before" is simply not enough.

ETA: I learned that I am not very good at a lot of the things above. Not only did I learn new skills last night but I identified weaknesses and things to work on. That is probably the most valuable thing to know about your ability.

 

[Jackson]

Thanks to Jsharmon7 for that review and his perspective. Experience and experimentation are important in the learning process. I also think its awesome that an LEO comes out to some of the non-leo training and provides feedback. There are a lot of folks who believe police officers are the only people qualified to provide training. Don't take that wrong, many are highly qualified and police receive training in a lot of areas beyond shooting. Still, there are many areas where our non-leo trainers have a lot to offer the training market and ACT is just one great example.

I wish I could have been there last night. This is the first ACT night shoot I've missed in several years and I always enjoy it.

 

[rhino]

I want to say thank you to obijohn and rhino for instructing a great class. I also want to thank the other attendees for making it an enjoyable and welcoming experience. This was my first class with ACT and it will not be my last.

Thank you for training with us, the kind words, and the excellent review, Joe. You did very well and I'm looking forward to seeing you develop your skills both with us and with our colleagues. You made some excellent points and I hope those who read this will benefit.

I wish I could have been there last night. This is the first ACT night shoot I've missed in several years and I always enjoy it.

You were missed, along with several of our other regulars.

 

[rhino]

Thank you to all who joined us for our annual low light class. Everyone was safe!

Reminder: if you used a weapon-mounted light and/or laser last night, don't forget to clean the len(es) if you have not done so already. The sooner you remove the gunshot residue, the less scraping you'll have to do later (don't ask me how I know).

 

[obijohn]

I would like to add my thanks to Rhino's for all that attended last night. Good group, safe, and those absent were missed. We did get in a few more repetitions with the smaller group, so that was a plus. We saw some gear malfunction and discussed solutions. Even a glock had some hiccups but some fp-10 and all was well. Remember to change your batteries and clean lenses.

Our tentative 2016 schedule will be posted shortly after the new year and of course this class will be there. First saturday in december.

 

[Barry in IN]

Sorry to have missed this one, but we were having our late Thanksgiving then. Any low/no light training you can get in Indiana is special. Doing it with these guys is specialler.