What a day looks like
Hour by hour, so nothing about the morning is a surprise.
This is the first range day. About half the people reading it will decide the classroom session on its own is enough for now, which is a completely reasonable place to stop.
8:45
You arrive at the classroom
Nothing is in the room yet. Coffee, a chair, and a form with your name on it. Several people say this is the part they were dreading and it turns out to be a car park and a room.
9:00
The briefing
The four rules, the range commands, and what happens if anybody says stop. Anyone can say stop, at any point, for any reason, and everything halts. We say that out loud because people do not believe it.
9:45
Handling, with nothing loaded
You hold one for the first time. Empty, checked by you and then by the instructor, and checked again. This is the longest part of the morning and it is meant to be.
10:45
Onto the range
Three of you, one instructor. Ear and eye protection provided. It is loud even through the muffs, which is worth knowing in advance.
11:15
Fifty rounds, at your own pace
There is no shot count you have to reach. Some people fire ten and stop, and that is a completed course. Nobody is behind you waiting for the lane.
12:30
Sitting down again
What went well, one thing to work on, and a written note to take away. Then you go home. There is no sales conversation at the end.
Things people ask on the way in
- You may bring somebody with you who does not intend to shoot.
- There is a chair and a wall to sit against if you need a minute.
- Nobody counts your rounds, and stopping early ends the day as complete.
- There is no sales conversation at the end. You go home.