Heritage Guild training classes

[TheRealDonJohnson]

I've never had any formal training. A buddy of mine who lives in the Garden State, about 45 min from Easton, asked me if I wanted to take a class with him at the Heritage Guild. They offer carbine 1&2 as well as defensive pistol. For $250 I'd like some input from anyone who has taken the classes there before I plop down the keish. This location would be ideal for the two of us. Easton isn't incredibly far from NEPA and it's a nice easy drive for my buddy as well.

[Champagne Lady]

Good afternoon, Real Don. I'm a regular customer at Heritage Guild and have taken several classes there myself. I've found the instruction to be first rate and worth the money. The instructors are very particular about safety and very nice to work with. They're also very patient with the students. Just my 2 cents. I hope this helps.

[Hodgie]

How many hours is the class classroom vs actual range time and whats the expected round count for each class?

Polite and safe instruction is great and needed but what are you actually getting in training for your money, Basic NRA safe handling class with 50-100 rounds of range time or are you getting a 500-700 round day on the range for $250.00?

[TheRealDonJohnson]

How many hours is the class classroom vs actual range time and whats the expected round count for each class?

Polite and safe instruction is great and needed but what are you actually getting in training for your money, Basic NRA safe handling class with 50-100 rounds of range time or are you getting a 500-700 round day on the range for $250.00?

From their site:

What can you expect?
Four hours on the range between demo and range exercises.

This course will culminate in all students being able to present the rifle from a slung position and successfully engage targets at varying distances. This is NOT a slow fire / target shooting course. Students will learn to ready their rifle quickly and engage targets using the combat accuracy principal. Proper stance and movement will be emphasized.

Firearms are NOT supplied in this course. All students are required to bring a rifle chambered in 7.62x39 or lower caliber (such as 5.56x45, etc.), a sling (three point recommended, but single or double will do), double magazine pouch, three magazines, and 250 rounds of ammo.

- See more at: http://www.heritageguild.com/Trainin...rse.aspx#.dpuf

[Hodgie]

I guess that's not too bad for the area or for a range as long as the instruction is top notch. If I had or could find some private land in the NE area big enough to host a 10 man class I could get a private instructor in for pistol, carbine, AK, for a pretty much anything you can think of type of class for around $200.00 per person and it's a minimum of 500 rounds per day for the pistol and close to 1k rounds for carbine.

[TheRealDonJohnson]

I guess that's not too bad for the area or for a range as long as the instruction is top notch. If I had or could find some private land in the NE area big enough to host a 10 man class I could get a private instructor in for pistol, carbine, AK, for a pretty much anything you can think of type of class for around $200.00 per person and it's a minimum of 500 rounds per day for the pistol and close to 1k rounds for carbine.

I would prefer to send more rounds downrange during an expensive class. Like I said, I don't have any formal training. This location (Easton) would be perfect for my buddy and I. Too bad there isn't anything in the NEPA region, otherwise Id host him for a day or two.

[Champagne Lady]

If I remember correctly, the Ladies Handgun 101 class was 2 hrs. classroom and 1 hr. range. The other NRA classes I took were 2-3 hrs. class time and 2-3 hrs. range. I'll have to look up the details as I can't recall exactly at this time.

[Hodgie]

I would prefer to send more rounds downrange during an expensive class. Like I said, I don't have any formal training. This location (Easton) would be perfect for my buddy and I. Too bad there isn't anything in the NEPA region, otherwise Id host him for a day or two.

I'm thinking about putting up a general post seeing if anyone in the area or within a reasonable amount of driving for me since I would have to set everything up ahead of time has the property and would be willing to host it. The class 1 or 2 day would be free of charge for them and if they have the property we can do some really cool stuff.

My friend is a top notch trainer and hosts classes around the country now as well as run's free classes in Florida for board meet up's and other get together events.

[ungawa]

I doubt it can hurt, but this type of training is normally measured in days, not hours.

[PeteG]

Round count is not a good indication of course quality. There are schools and instructors who emphasize accountability on the part of the instructor for every round send down range. That means if there's a round way off in a corner, that instructor wants to know what happened, and wants to be sure the student who fired it knows what happened. That takes time.

Hours, on the other hand, do matter. As I just said, it takes time to analyze what is going on and bring everyone along in a deliberate way.

The converse is the school that has people unloading in the general direction of the targets, unable to tell one miss from another (sometimes even destroying the stands), while telling people what a great job they are doing. Lots of rounds down range, no useful instruction. Their courses are always two days, regardless of the amount or complexity of the technique or information they are supposed to be teaching, because week-end courses are more marketable.

You can turn boxes of ammo into piles of brass all by yourself. No need to pay someone to croon in your ear about what a deadly dude you are.

Note: nothing in this post is intended to reflect upon the Heritage Guild, one way or the other. I don't know them. I am only pointing out that SHORT courses can only achieve LIMITED objectives - and there's nothing wrong with that. Short courses that are represented as covering complex material are not merely suspect; I promise you the are ineffective. There is no "free lunch."