Hello all-
Just back from a week at Gunsite with my lovely bride. Actually, it was she who announced that we needed to take a rifle class together this year, and we certainly got more than our money's worth over seven busy days.
Instruction was absolutely top tier. We started out with a morning of lecture just to get everyone on the same page regards safety, basic rifle technique, telescope operation, etc. Then it was off to one of the facility's many ranges to establish 100-yard zero and ensure everyone was ready to advance.
I won't attempt to give you a daily blow-by-blow description, as I'm not sure there was a topic that <span style="font-style: italic">wasn't </span>covered throughly. The entire course was fast paced and full to the brim with more information than could be easily digested. I'm not the most diligent note taker, but I came home with twenty some pages of notes, all of it useful info worthy of retaining. Printed material was also made available, all of it full of valuable data.
After obtaining dope out to 800, the major course emphasis was on finding unknown distance targets, milling for range, and reading the wind. Students paired up into shooter / spotter teams, with each getting time behind the gun as well as the spotting scope, so that both of these critical skills could be practiced. Efficient communication within the team was heavily emphasized, and it was remarkable how quickly we learned to relate visible terrain features to assist the shooter in finding some distant and well camoflauged target.
This was my first visit to Gunsite since 1987, when I took a 250 class with Col. Cooper and Louis Awerbuck. That experience was so wonderful and memorable, that I was honestly a little hesitant to return. I can say that Gunsite under Buz Mills remains the premiere shooting school in the country. The facility is vast, with multiple ranges ideally arranged to develop different skills.
"Snipers ridge," the long range practice area, has more steel targets than you can point a muzzle at. Some are obvious, others are devilishly difficult to spot, and all are challenging.
The instructors themselves were superb, and I would like to thank Cory Trapp, Walt Wilkinson and Paul Kultala for a great experience! The other students were all fine folks, very entertaining and enjoyable to share the range with.
Of course results are what really defines a learning experience, and I'll relate one of the last shots my wife fired during the class. I spotted a steel "frank" target way off yonder in the valley. I milled height and width with the spotter, and came up with an estimate of 833 yards.
My wife, who brought a hopped up Tikka Varmint in .223, press checked to make sure there was a round in the chamber, dialed up her 800 yard dope, and waited for a wind call. "Hold at the top of the head babe," I directed, and looking at the way the mirage ran, I said, "hold left edge, send it!"
The rifle barked, and long before the smack of the bullet echoed back to us, we both saw the ten-inch sprung door at the center of the target bounce open, then close again. Was she excited? Yup, you betcha! And this, mind you, is from a girl who wasn't quite sure how to operate the safety seven days earlier.
Cheers... Jim
Just back from a week at Gunsite with my lovely bride. Actually, it was she who announced that we needed to take a rifle class together this year, and we certainly got more than our money's worth over seven busy days.
Instruction was absolutely top tier. We started out with a morning of lecture just to get everyone on the same page regards safety, basic rifle technique, telescope operation, etc. Then it was off to one of the facility's many ranges to establish 100-yard zero and ensure everyone was ready to advance.
I won't attempt to give you a daily blow-by-blow description, as I'm not sure there was a topic that <span style="font-style: italic">wasn't </span>covered throughly. The entire course was fast paced and full to the brim with more information than could be easily digested. I'm not the most diligent note taker, but I came home with twenty some pages of notes, all of it useful info worthy of retaining. Printed material was also made available, all of it full of valuable data.
After obtaining dope out to 800, the major course emphasis was on finding unknown distance targets, milling for range, and reading the wind. Students paired up into shooter / spotter teams, with each getting time behind the gun as well as the spotting scope, so that both of these critical skills could be practiced. Efficient communication within the team was heavily emphasized, and it was remarkable how quickly we learned to relate visible terrain features to assist the shooter in finding some distant and well camoflauged target.
This was my first visit to Gunsite since 1987, when I took a 250 class with Col. Cooper and Louis Awerbuck. That experience was so wonderful and memorable, that I was honestly a little hesitant to return. I can say that Gunsite under Buz Mills remains the premiere shooting school in the country. The facility is vast, with multiple ranges ideally arranged to develop different skills.
"Snipers ridge," the long range practice area, has more steel targets than you can point a muzzle at. Some are obvious, others are devilishly difficult to spot, and all are challenging.
The instructors themselves were superb, and I would like to thank Cory Trapp, Walt Wilkinson and Paul Kultala for a great experience! The other students were all fine folks, very entertaining and enjoyable to share the range with.
Of course results are what really defines a learning experience, and I'll relate one of the last shots my wife fired during the class. I spotted a steel "frank" target way off yonder in the valley. I milled height and width with the spotter, and came up with an estimate of 833 yards.
My wife, who brought a hopped up Tikka Varmint in .223, press checked to make sure there was a round in the chamber, dialed up her 800 yard dope, and waited for a wind call. "Hold at the top of the head babe," I directed, and looking at the way the mirage ran, I said, "hold left edge, send it!"
The rifle barked, and long before the smack of the bullet echoed back to us, we both saw the ten-inch sprung door at the center of the target bounce open, then close again. Was she excited? Yup, you betcha! And this, mind you, is from a girl who wasn't quite sure how to operate the safety seven days earlier.
Cheers... Jim
