So, I posted a review of a local ish precision rifle course I attended here in Georgia back in February. (https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/i-attended-a-no-name-class.6989620/) The original post was not meant to smear the local outfit, but to help them better develop a quality program. Although, vetting instruction is important and I don’t want anyone willing to do the research to get tricked into paying for something less than optimal. Shortly after posting my review, @Pbgt (Brian from Pointblank Gun Training) offered me a class slot at his Precision rifle 1 class to review their outfit. Now, Pointblank is in Minnesota, 1,485 miles from my house and 23 hours of driving. I have seen numerous posts here on the Hide where members offer a service, a class or even just company on the range to folks, I don’t believe I have seen many be taken up on said offers. I decided to make the trip and go see what Pointblank was about.
I looked at flights, but driving and camping on the way up was just too hard to pass up. So, I started my almost 3,000-mile journey. The drive up was awesome, I am very accustomed to swamps and piney woods, so the fields, mountains and hills were a welcome sight. I arrived at Pointblank the evening before the class to find Brian, his wife and their awesome dog Cooper waiting for me. They were very welcoming and accommodating. The drive back was a bit more eventful, I may or may not have smashed up my little four banger, luckily no one was injured. I limped that broken Mazda 1,100 miles back to GA.
I have been to quite a few ranges with amazing facilities, some of my favorites include Arena training and Altus. Pointblank, at first glance, doesn’t have all the frills you see at larger training centers, but when you really start to look around, it’s a very well-equipped facility. As you drive up to the parking area, there is a very clean pistol bay with well-equipped and organized Conex storage. On the opposing side is a rappelling tower with zip line and high angle shooting bay. The zero range has quite a few poured concrete and steel benches, with a classroom at the firing line. The longer firing line extended to 750 yards and had staggered firing lines at 2,3,4,5 and 750. The firing lines are set up to accommodate multiple types of positions without obscuring the next line back. There is an onsite bunk room for multi day courses, a woodfire grill, rather large fire pit with gorgeous wood slab benches, a greenhouse for vegetables and the beginning of a multistory timber cabin. I am sure there are other portions of this facility I didn’t get around to or I am not recalling, sorry Brian. I really enjoyed the facility, I brought plenty of camping equipment but never needed to utilize any of it. To be fair, the Pointblank staff offered to put me up in a hotel and I declined when I heard I could camp out, I will take every opportunity to sleep under the stars.
Now onto the meat and potatoes, the instruction! So, the day started, we loaded gear up on the flatbed and rode along on the mounted picnic table, this is an awesome people/gear moving setup. We rode over to the 100-yard zero range and had a brief, but necessary, firearms safety discussion. To ensure people weren’t chasing zero all day, we took individual shots at 25 yards. I know this seems simple and not necessary, but we have all been around that guy who can’t find his impacts. After everyone shot a single round at 25, we moved to the 100-yard range. The instructors put everyone on the bench and them fire 5 round groups while assessing each shooters fundamentals and gathering data on individual rifles. Prior to the course Pointblank asked everyone to submit details about their platforms, this is to ensure everyone has appropriate gear and gives them an idea of what to expect from the students. One thing I enjoyed about the evaluation was the number of instructors, we had a class of six students and 3 instructors for said class. After we did a fundamental evaluation, we were off to the class room, a whole 10 feet away. We discussed good body positioning, natural point of aim, managing recoil and trigger follow through. There may have been a bit more discussed, but these were the highlights. While our instructor went over the basics and kept the class interacting, the other 2 instructors took the compiled data and provided dope cards for the current data and environmental conditions. Each student was provided a notebook (4x6?) and a pen to record notes and dope, the dope cards provided were on a 4x6 label that fit perfectly in the notebook. After we got our data, we went back out to the 100-yard range to verify/refine our zero and do some tracking testing. We didn’t have all 6 shooters on the line firing indiscriminately, we each had our turn and at least 2 sets of eyes on us. Once we had all of our zeroes confirmed, it was back to the class for some discussion. We talked units of measurement, ballistics, wind and gathering/proofing data. I really liked having a classroom and resources right on the range, it made teaching and applying what’s taught very easy. It kept it fresh for application. One thing we didn’t discuss in depth was ballistic calculators, we talked data and what was necessary for using a solver but not solvers themselves. I think this was appropriate for the level the students were at.
Then we went off to the extended range, we started at 200 yards. The Pointblank team gave no indication as to what was going to happen at the 200 line. Upon arrival they explained there would be a timed stage, they wanted to see how people would react under stress/time constraints. This functions to simulate shooting competitively or a hunting scenario where a rapid engagement would be necessary. This wasn’t a mind-blowing difficulty, we had to take 2 shots at a 2-moa circle at 200 yards. You had 4 props to utilize, a section of tree shaped similar to a funky tank trap, a horizontal log about 2 feet off the ground a y yoke hunting tripod and shooting sticks. You had 60 seconds and had to utilize 2 different props for each shot. Poor positioning on this stage had the possibility of obscuring your target by tall grass. For most of us this seems like a very simple gimmie, for a brand-new shooter there is a level of difficulty. This made people consider positioning and notice wobble that was absent on bench shooting. This was an eye opener for most of the shooters there. After this evolution we discussed positioning, where to compromise and where not to, utilization of props and acceptable sight picture. The timed stage was nice, it evaluated what students would rush, who would wait for an acceptable picture and demonstrated what taking a shot under time was like. I feel some training on the props or a second round to allow the students to try different positions after the fact could have been beneficial. When I used the shooting stick as a rear rest, I imaging there were a few face palms. We then began to move back down the line to the 300-yard line.
At the 300 we went prone, we talked about building a solid prone position and this evolution illustrated the benefits of being proned out. We had a round fellow who helped illustrate high prone. We then stepped off to the 500-yard line, this was an elevated (12 feet) platform with poured concrete benches. These benches were not the most user friendly and I loved it. The seats and benches had odd positioning, the benches had lettering deep engraved in them and getting comfortable was not happening. You were forced to build a position around these obstacles, your bipod would be stuck in a groove and bounce out with each shot or your seat had a huge brace right where you wanted to put your leg. This was a lesson in what not to do and how to manage. Then we moved to the 750, this is where we reiterated and evaluated our proofed data. It wasn’t anything difficult, we had a prone platform and benches to shoot from, get comfy and show us what you learned. At the end we had a discussion on what we learned and some Q and A. One thing I noticed on the 3,5, and 7.5 was the students being more proficient with positioning. In opposition, you were seeing who was familiar with their equipment and who was not. We discussed bipod height briefly but never touched on tensioning the bipod to help eliminate cant. There was quite a bit of teetering going on and I think it could have made a better shooting experience if it had been addressed. On the 500 I induced some poor positioning and was immediately called out. I also placed my bipod feet in the engraved lettering to get some video of the effect that it induces through recoil.
Overall, the instruction was spot on, it was a very adequate basic precision class. I’m not a flawless shooter, I have no illusions about that, but the class was a bit under my skill level. The instructors were able to point out some issues I am aware of and working on and we all had a good time. The students all seemed to enjoy the class and show marked improvement. For a one-day class there was a large amount of info covered but in a very digestible way, breaking up the classroom and range time was a great way to keep the learning fresh. The instructors did a very good job of interacting with the class and keeping everyone engaged. Everyone was used for both examples of what to do and what not to do, including myself. I would not hesitate to attend further training with Pointblank, they were a very professional and knowledgeable staff. Pointblank was very welcoming and made me feel right at home.
The following day I sat in on their Minnesota concealed carry class at a facility in town, it was a pretty standard class for what it is. One thing I really liked was as they explained the different types of firearms, they never once told the students what to buy. They had a plethora of handguns available (and ammo) for students to experience shooting. The Pointblank crew had fabricated an amazing trap for shooting indoors. It was a very impressive setup. I left shortly after lunch on the second day. Speaking of lunch, man they kept me well fed. Home cooked and fire grilled meals for breakfast and lunch, and dinner out every evening. I have never been welcomed like I was with the Pointblank folks, Brian and his family are top notch in so many ways. If you are in the area or even a day’s drive away, consider them for some instruction.
I really want to tank everyone at Pointblank, you were an awesome bunch of folks to be around. I look forward to next time.
I looked at flights, but driving and camping on the way up was just too hard to pass up. So, I started my almost 3,000-mile journey. The drive up was awesome, I am very accustomed to swamps and piney woods, so the fields, mountains and hills were a welcome sight. I arrived at Pointblank the evening before the class to find Brian, his wife and their awesome dog Cooper waiting for me. They were very welcoming and accommodating. The drive back was a bit more eventful, I may or may not have smashed up my little four banger, luckily no one was injured. I limped that broken Mazda 1,100 miles back to GA.
I have been to quite a few ranges with amazing facilities, some of my favorites include Arena training and Altus. Pointblank, at first glance, doesn’t have all the frills you see at larger training centers, but when you really start to look around, it’s a very well-equipped facility. As you drive up to the parking area, there is a very clean pistol bay with well-equipped and organized Conex storage. On the opposing side is a rappelling tower with zip line and high angle shooting bay. The zero range has quite a few poured concrete and steel benches, with a classroom at the firing line. The longer firing line extended to 750 yards and had staggered firing lines at 2,3,4,5 and 750. The firing lines are set up to accommodate multiple types of positions without obscuring the next line back. There is an onsite bunk room for multi day courses, a woodfire grill, rather large fire pit with gorgeous wood slab benches, a greenhouse for vegetables and the beginning of a multistory timber cabin. I am sure there are other portions of this facility I didn’t get around to or I am not recalling, sorry Brian. I really enjoyed the facility, I brought plenty of camping equipment but never needed to utilize any of it. To be fair, the Pointblank staff offered to put me up in a hotel and I declined when I heard I could camp out, I will take every opportunity to sleep under the stars.
Now onto the meat and potatoes, the instruction! So, the day started, we loaded gear up on the flatbed and rode along on the mounted picnic table, this is an awesome people/gear moving setup. We rode over to the 100-yard zero range and had a brief, but necessary, firearms safety discussion. To ensure people weren’t chasing zero all day, we took individual shots at 25 yards. I know this seems simple and not necessary, but we have all been around that guy who can’t find his impacts. After everyone shot a single round at 25, we moved to the 100-yard range. The instructors put everyone on the bench and them fire 5 round groups while assessing each shooters fundamentals and gathering data on individual rifles. Prior to the course Pointblank asked everyone to submit details about their platforms, this is to ensure everyone has appropriate gear and gives them an idea of what to expect from the students. One thing I enjoyed about the evaluation was the number of instructors, we had a class of six students and 3 instructors for said class. After we did a fundamental evaluation, we were off to the class room, a whole 10 feet away. We discussed good body positioning, natural point of aim, managing recoil and trigger follow through. There may have been a bit more discussed, but these were the highlights. While our instructor went over the basics and kept the class interacting, the other 2 instructors took the compiled data and provided dope cards for the current data and environmental conditions. Each student was provided a notebook (4x6?) and a pen to record notes and dope, the dope cards provided were on a 4x6 label that fit perfectly in the notebook. After we got our data, we went back out to the 100-yard range to verify/refine our zero and do some tracking testing. We didn’t have all 6 shooters on the line firing indiscriminately, we each had our turn and at least 2 sets of eyes on us. Once we had all of our zeroes confirmed, it was back to the class for some discussion. We talked units of measurement, ballistics, wind and gathering/proofing data. I really liked having a classroom and resources right on the range, it made teaching and applying what’s taught very easy. It kept it fresh for application. One thing we didn’t discuss in depth was ballistic calculators, we talked data and what was necessary for using a solver but not solvers themselves. I think this was appropriate for the level the students were at.
Then we went off to the extended range, we started at 200 yards. The Pointblank team gave no indication as to what was going to happen at the 200 line. Upon arrival they explained there would be a timed stage, they wanted to see how people would react under stress/time constraints. This functions to simulate shooting competitively or a hunting scenario where a rapid engagement would be necessary. This wasn’t a mind-blowing difficulty, we had to take 2 shots at a 2-moa circle at 200 yards. You had 4 props to utilize, a section of tree shaped similar to a funky tank trap, a horizontal log about 2 feet off the ground a y yoke hunting tripod and shooting sticks. You had 60 seconds and had to utilize 2 different props for each shot. Poor positioning on this stage had the possibility of obscuring your target by tall grass. For most of us this seems like a very simple gimmie, for a brand-new shooter there is a level of difficulty. This made people consider positioning and notice wobble that was absent on bench shooting. This was an eye opener for most of the shooters there. After this evolution we discussed positioning, where to compromise and where not to, utilization of props and acceptable sight picture. The timed stage was nice, it evaluated what students would rush, who would wait for an acceptable picture and demonstrated what taking a shot under time was like. I feel some training on the props or a second round to allow the students to try different positions after the fact could have been beneficial. When I used the shooting stick as a rear rest, I imaging there were a few face palms. We then began to move back down the line to the 300-yard line.
At the 300 we went prone, we talked about building a solid prone position and this evolution illustrated the benefits of being proned out. We had a round fellow who helped illustrate high prone. We then stepped off to the 500-yard line, this was an elevated (12 feet) platform with poured concrete benches. These benches were not the most user friendly and I loved it. The seats and benches had odd positioning, the benches had lettering deep engraved in them and getting comfortable was not happening. You were forced to build a position around these obstacles, your bipod would be stuck in a groove and bounce out with each shot or your seat had a huge brace right where you wanted to put your leg. This was a lesson in what not to do and how to manage. Then we moved to the 750, this is where we reiterated and evaluated our proofed data. It wasn’t anything difficult, we had a prone platform and benches to shoot from, get comfy and show us what you learned. At the end we had a discussion on what we learned and some Q and A. One thing I noticed on the 3,5, and 7.5 was the students being more proficient with positioning. In opposition, you were seeing who was familiar with their equipment and who was not. We discussed bipod height briefly but never touched on tensioning the bipod to help eliminate cant. There was quite a bit of teetering going on and I think it could have made a better shooting experience if it had been addressed. On the 500 I induced some poor positioning and was immediately called out. I also placed my bipod feet in the engraved lettering to get some video of the effect that it induces through recoil.
Overall, the instruction was spot on, it was a very adequate basic precision class. I’m not a flawless shooter, I have no illusions about that, but the class was a bit under my skill level. The instructors were able to point out some issues I am aware of and working on and we all had a good time. The students all seemed to enjoy the class and show marked improvement. For a one-day class there was a large amount of info covered but in a very digestible way, breaking up the classroom and range time was a great way to keep the learning fresh. The instructors did a very good job of interacting with the class and keeping everyone engaged. Everyone was used for both examples of what to do and what not to do, including myself. I would not hesitate to attend further training with Pointblank, they were a very professional and knowledgeable staff. Pointblank was very welcoming and made me feel right at home.
The following day I sat in on their Minnesota concealed carry class at a facility in town, it was a pretty standard class for what it is. One thing I really liked was as they explained the different types of firearms, they never once told the students what to buy. They had a plethora of handguns available (and ammo) for students to experience shooting. The Pointblank crew had fabricated an amazing trap for shooting indoors. It was a very impressive setup. I left shortly after lunch on the second day. Speaking of lunch, man they kept me well fed. Home cooked and fire grilled meals for breakfast and lunch, and dinner out every evening. I have never been welcomed like I was with the Pointblank folks, Brian and his family are top notch in so many ways. If you are in the area or even a day’s drive away, consider them for some instruction.
I really want to tank everyone at Pointblank, you were an awesome bunch of folks to be around. I look forward to next time.
