Training Courses anyone done the long range weekend course with Accuracy1st? thoughts?

[KingE]

since watching the MAGPUL The Art of Precision Shooting DVD I was pleasantly surprised to see Accuracy1st offering long range courses at a private range less than thirty mins from my house. I know Todd Hodnet doesn't run these classes in person but has been known to show up from time to time. Just wondered if anyone has done any of the Accuracy1st courses and what the thoughts/feedback was.

 

[bigbear_98]

since watching the MAGPUL The Art of Precision Shooting DVD I was pleasantly surprised to see Accuracy1st offering long range courses at a private range less than thirty mins from my house. I know Todd Hodnet doesn't run these classes in person but has been known to show up from time to time. Just wondered if anyone has done any of the Accuracy1st courses and what the thoughts/feedback was.

My cousin and I signed up for the Feb class. I don't know that much other than watching the video. Are you signing up?

 

[SDTA]

Yes I have. The lead instructor Pete Gould is brilliant. My 15 year old son and I went. By day two my son had zero issues making head shots out to 720 meters. I cant wait to go back. I think the classroom was over my sons head but every once and a while he answers questions from the class.

 

[Graham]

anyone done the long range weekend course with Accuracy1st? thoughts?

Zero issue head shots to 720 meters, eh? Hmmm..... A headshot at 720 is itself an issue.

Some of the theory, like the loophole formula they teach, is unnecessarily complicated. Despite the fanfare, none of what they teach is 'secret squirrel' or proprietary.

 

[SDTA]

What ever you want to think, don't really care. When my son got dialed in we would pick one of the many targets out on the range, laser it, run the Kestral make the wind call and take the shot. We were calling shots and the smallest part of the steel was the head. Your wrong a lot of whats being taught is new. Todd Hodgnet has changed the failure rate in the Militarys sniper schools considerably. If you graduated from Army sniper school 5 or more years ago, the shit has changed big time. Pete has to teach the classes because Todd is like 9 years booked with our military. Shit Todds formulas have changed the field big time. But hey talk away!!!

 

[Graham]

anyone done the long range weekend course with Accuracy1st? thoughts?

Your wrong a lot of whats being taught is new. Todd Hodgnet has changed the failure rate in the Militarys sniper schools considerably. If you graduated from Army sniper school 5 or more years ago, the shit has changed big time. Pete has to teach the classes because Todd is like 9 years booked with our military. Shit Todds formulas have changed the field big time.

Is that what they told you?

New material?
Changed the failure rate?
Todd's formulas?
These formulas changed the field?

Hmmm....

There's no voodoo. And your not getting any secret squirrel shit. Of course, if you think that there is, and that you are, it's a reason to go back.

 

[bogeybrown]

I went to the very first weekend course they offered in the Fall of 2012. I enjoyed the course for what it was. Pete didn't get into the loophole stuff because he (rightly) felt that it wasn't stuff that that needed to be taught outside of the military.

I'm sure the curriculum has changed a bit since the first class, since we were sort of a "test" group and they'd never attempted to cram that much information into a weekend before. There wasn't a lot of actual shooting instruction, but it was a good weekend behind the rifle getting to true out the Kestrel, and shoot a fun steel course to some good distances. Pete's there to help you work out any issues, but it was pretty much set up to give you the information, make sure your rifle and Kestrel was set up properly, and let you just hammer steel at your own pace at whatever distance/targets you wanted.

As I said, I'm sure it's changed, but for the money I enjoyed it. I was the only guy who flew in for it, so it cost me more than the other guys with the flight and rental car, but it was still worth it.

I would HIGHLY recommend staying on-site. The days started EARLY and ran well into the night, so the guys having to drive to the nearest village for the hotel were dragging ass. If you stay at the house then your meals are taken care of, and you walk out of your room to the classroom in the morning.

Feel free to PM me with any logistics questions. I'll answer the best I can with some likely out of date information.

 

[bigbear_98]

Well, I have read many very good things about them. The only bad things I have read are what Graham has stated, though from multiple sources. I am signed up for it regardless and don't really understand why any other would be better if they teach the same things. I have always learned something from every class I have ever taken no matter how mundane or simple. If it puts a 15 year old on a 12" plate at 750 meters first round, without assistance, I think that is a good thing.

I was told they needed 5 participants to have a class. Right now I think we are at 2. I need some recruits!!

 

[Graham]

I'm not saying not to learn from them. Go ahead and take the class, by all means. What I am saying is approach the salesmanship and the hype with a critical mind.

 

[bigbear_98]

I'm not saying not to learn from them. Go ahead and take the class, by all means. What I am saying is approach the salesmanship and the hype with a critical mind.

I can understand that From watching the Magpul video. I saw that they push Horus reticles and their ballistic apps pretty hard in the video. Did you experience this in their class as well?

 

[Graham]

I remember Todd from his days as 'Cowboy Doc', when he took a course from Jacob at Rifles Only, before he declared himself a 'sniper champion' and started teaching what Jacob taught him.

 

[bigbear_98]

I remember Todd from his days as 'Cowboy Doc', when he took a course from Jacob at Rifles Only, before he declared himself a 'sniper champion' and started teaching what Jacob taught him.

I am still not clear on what about him or his class that you don't like. What do I need to watch out for?

 

[Graham]

anyone done the long range weekend course with Accuracy1st? thoughts?

I am still not clear on what about him or his class that you don't like. What do I need to watch out for?

All 89 things that are wrong on the MagPul video.?

 

[TxShooter63]

Those of us who understand what long range shooting is also understand what it isn't.....magic. No secret formulas are going to teach you how to read the wind in every situation. Only experience and a good ballistic computer will help you. Long range shooting is about physics. Math, angles, fluids, ballistics, and hard work. ANYONE can take the data from a ballistic table and turn it into a few simple guidelines to help you remember your wind and elevation adjustments. To imply that they have somehow created something is incorrect. They have simply arranged known data in a format that it is easier to remember. To call this type of data assimilation proprietary is questionable at best.

 

[gyz77]

Where are these classes? On Tubbs Ranch?

 

[bigbear_98]

Those of us who understand what long range shooting is also understand what it isn't.....magic. No secret formulas are going to teach you how to read the wind in every situation. Only experience and a good ballistic computer will help you. Long range shooting is about physics. Math, angles, fluids, ballistics, and hard work. ANYONE can take the data from a ballistic table and turn it into a few simple guidelines to help you remember your wind and elevation adjustments. To imply that they have somehow created something is incorrect. They have simply arranged known data in a format that it is easier to remember. To call this type of data assimilation proprietary is questionable at best.

So are they worth taking or not?

Where are these classes? On Tubbs Ranch?

Austin Gun Club

 

[gyz77]

I was hoping to get in on some classes that they were doing in the panhandle. The high angle was intriguing to me!! And the fact that the wind always blows 20-30mph out here!! That's a breezy day. Windy is 50-70mph!!

 

[bogeybrown]

As I said, I attended the 1st weekend course they did back in 2012, so not sure what it is now, but it was nothing like the Magpul video. Pete, the instructor, was a VERY legitimate BTDT guy who had no interest at all in selling anything. He never claimed or represented that Accuracy 1st had invented anything crazy or "new". The outlook was that they were just teaching the same science in a more approachable manner and that over the past several years from real-world engagements the Mil Sniper community had changed some ways they'd taught and done things prior to the war/s.

What I liked about the course, and Pete in particular, was that before they taught something, they tested it. Even if it was accepted gospel in the shooting community and things he'd taught for years in Mil sniper courses, they did the scientific testing on it. He (Pete) does a lot of work with DARPA, and they (Accuracy 1st) apparently maintain close contact with Brian Litz, comparing projections to range observations.

I completely get some of the opinions of the Magpul videos, and I'm certainly not arguing with Graham or trying to "defend" Accuracy 1st, I'm just saying that the class was very low-key with no sales pitches or gimmicks, and was a nice weekend of banging steel.

 

[Graham]

anyone done the long range weekend course with Accuracy1st? thoughts?

Bogey, that is good to hear. There's nothing wrong with taking many different courses, and Texas has a lot of them.

 

[bogeybrown]

Bogey, that is good to hear. There's nothing wrong with taking many different courses, and Texas has a lot of them.

The weekend format worked well for me, since I only get about 3.5 weeks a year in the States, it's tough to commit a full week to a course. I also didn't want a "tactical" style school where I was running around or even really exerting myself. I know that's weak, but I spend all year in DIRT. During my few precious days at home the last thing I want to do is roll around in more DIRT. Hell, I used a shooting mat for the first time in my life at the Accuracy 1st course simply to avoid laying in DIRT for a full weekend

When I'm home for good I'm looking forward to doing either Rifles Only, or driving over to K&M in Florida. The Accuracy 1st course was good, but now I want a course that's going to expose my weaknesses so I can practice productively.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Those of us who understand what long range shooting is also understand what it isn't.....magic. No secret formulas are going to teach you how to read the wind in every situation. Only experience and a good ballistic computer will help you. Long range shooting is about physics. Math, angles, fluids, ballistics, and hard work. ANYONE can take the data from a ballistic table and turn it into a few simple guidelines to help you remember your wind and elevation adjustments. To imply that they have somehow created something is incorrect. They have simply arranged known data in a format that it is easier to remember. To call this type of data assimilation proprietary is questionable at best.

I second all of these points. The best way to get better is to just shoot and shoot a lot. One class is not going to solve everything and make you a master shooter, it just will get you in the right direction. Once you get everything dialed on your rifle, the rest is reading the wind. That can take years to learn, and it changes with every new area you go to.

To the original poster, let us know your thoughts of the class when you get back!

 

[bigbear_98]

I second all of these points. The best way to get better is to just shoot and shoot a lot. One class is not going to solve everything and make you a master shooter, it just will get you in the right direction. Once you get everything dialed on your rifle, the rest is reading the wind. That can take years to learn, and it changes with every new area you go to.

To the original poster, let us know your thoughts of the class when you get back!

I agree and know perfectly well that taking a class isn't going to make a person magically a shooter. I learned that shooting Uspsa. The classes that I've taken didn't make me a good pistol shooter, 20K pistol rounds a year did. Spartan tactical taught me that the ar15 isn't a short range weapon and that has transferred well into 3 gun. The classes I have taken have shown me how to practice, have a second set of eyes critique my mistakes, and help me to remember the basics.

I think training is a good thing and can't hurt you. The op asked to get opinions of people that have taken the class. I was shadowing his question. Bogey, thanks for all of your info!

There are still 2 spots that need to be filled for the class to go if anyone else is interested!

 

[KingE]

My cousin and I signed up for the Feb class. I don't know that much other than watching the video. Are you signing up?

right now I'm trying to fit this in with business travel and was planning on the 8th-9th, don't really want to wait until April although it will be warmer. I will keep you posted but should know in a few days on whether I will be attending (i am only 30 mins away from AGC)

 

[bigbear_98]

right now I'm trying to fit this in with business travel and was planning on the 8th-9th, don't really want to wait until April although it will be warmer. I will keep you posted but should know in a few days on whether I will be attending (i am only 30 mins away from AGC)

Awesome. Looks like we are in the same vicinity. Keep me posted.

 

[Kjb1796]

I would like to hear about the course hope you will post about your experience. I wanted to attend but my rifle is still in the shop and I don't expect it will be ready in time.

 

[bigbear_98]

I would like to hear about the course hope you will post about your experience. I wanted to attend but my rifle is still in the shop and I don't expect it will be ready in time.

I read something about loaner rifles. You should contact them and not let that stop you!!

 

[bigbear_98]

Something I found yesterday from here

Special Forces Soldiers win international sniper competition | ShadowSpear Special Operations

He attributed their victory to the quality training they received weeks before the competition.
“Chance and I work well together and we went down and trained with Todd Hoddnett, who operates Accuracy 1st, down in Texas. We trained for about two weeks, two months ago and we were actually alternates in this event, but we ended up competing,” explained Homeyer, who’s a native of George West, Texas.

He said that because they are both instructors, finding time to train was challenging.
“We had students, but we had to train when we could,” he added.

Accuracy 1st is a premier, long-range shooting school for special operations and Marine Corps snipers and the training they received in Texas was critical to propelling them to the top of the competition, Homeyer pointed out.

“It was great training with Todd,” he said. “He actually trained the top three teams in the open and service class of the competition.”