AR Level I and II at Shoot Smart - Course Review

[Sangiovese]

I attended the AR Level I and II classes with my wife at Shoot Smart (North Fort Worth) this Thursday and Friday. (http://www.shootsmartusa.com/)

AR Level I is the real basics. The course started with a safety brief and an overview and then we tore into the mechanics of the rifle (literally... we stripped 'em down as far as the bolt carrier group). After we put humpty dumpty back together again, we covered stance, aim, and trigger control. We then walked through malfunction clearances. After that, we headed to the range where we started with some very basic drills and worked up from there. There were 8 students and two instructors, so we got a lot of feedback. I think this class is invaluable for a new AR owner or inexperienced shooter. Three hours of solid instruction for 60 bucks is a heck of a bargain in my book.

AR Level II continued where level I left off. We spent a little more time talking about the various equipment options that are available, and everyone got good information for their specific setup. We again covered safety and malfunction clearances in the classroom before we went to the range. We also covered additional firing positions and movement. After that, we went to the range and did a lot of fun drills that involved movement and shooting from various positions with and without cover. With only 4 students and 2 instructors, we again received a lot of individual attention. This course was a little more expensive than Level I, but I still think that it is affordable at the $90 price tag.

The instructors for both classes were Aaron and Andrew. Both were great. They gave good information and provided a lot of encouragement, but were quick to step in with a correction when they spotted something that needed improvement. Any chance to shoot my AR is fun... but these guys really made for a good training environment.

Although I consider myself a pretty advanced pistol shooter, I went into the Level I class Thursday night as a complete AR newbie. I left after Level II on Friday feeling very comfortable with the AR platform and my weapon handling skills. I'm certainly not an AR expert after 6 hours of instruction and 300 rounds downrange, but I definitely have a solid understanding of the fundamentals and know that when I continue to practice in the future I will be building off of the good practices that I was taught, rather than learning and reinforcing bad habits on my own. I definitely recommend AR Level I to anyone new to shooting ARs. And even experienced shooters will probably benefit from Level II. Shoot Smart also offers a Level III course which I plan to take when my schedule allows.

We had a great time in the class and learned a lot, so I figured I would share the experience here for anyone else in the DFW area who is looking for training.

[fickman]

What does the price include?

Do they use range ARs? Allow personal ones? Require personal ones? Do you provide your own ammo?

Sounds intriguing - thanks for the write up.

[Sangiovese]

What does the price include?

Do they use range ARs? Allow personal ones? Require personal ones? Do you provide your own ammo?

Sounds intriguing - thanks for the write up.

The price included the classroom and range instruction and targets.

Students provided their own firearms and ammunition. My guess is that they would rent an AR for the class if the student needed one, but you would need to check with them to be sure.

[Paladin]

Thanks for the review!