June 28-29 Advantage Group Carbine 1 and 2

[Vanilla Gorilla]

I would like to thank everyone who braved the heat to come out and put in reps. Great job guys.

 

[cajun_64]

I saw some pictures. Looks like you had a really good turn out.

 

[JCcypress]

What a great day! I've done a number of classes with these guys and can tell you that Advantage Group Training is hitting its stride.

Let me begin by saying that if you have only shot your carbine at paper while stationary on a 25 yard range lane, you are missing 90% of what your gun is made for.

I came out for a few hours on Saturday for Carbine I and saw some familiar faces and lots of new ones. The class began with zeroing rifles at about 50 yards. Instructor was very patient and individually helped those who were having trouble and/or had never held a rifle in their life. From there we cooled of a bit and went over carbine basics, starting with basic parts of the gun - nomenclature and purpose. Detailed demonstrations on proper form for fighting stance and holding the rifle, with explanations of basic issues such as mechanical offset. We then got on the line and moved on to basic manipulations like mag changes, malfunction clearance and shooting from various positions. I had to roll out by about 10:30, but in the first two hours, a lot of ground was covered. The concentration of this class was what you would expect from an introductory course on how to operate the AR-15 platform (there was alo an AK out there, and when appropriate, Nate provided separate instruction for him.)

Carbine II was the best AG class that I have attended thus far. We started with about 14 guys, and Nate provided an extra instructor who was very knowledgeable and easy to work with. This gave the class the opportunity to break off into 2 groups (when necessary) and kept the tempo rolling. There was minimal downtime, except for those breaks which were scheduled into the class. This was not a good day to be a steel plate- LOTS OF SHOOTING! This class was pretty physical and took the students out of their comfort zones and pushed boundaries. Tasks included shooting/reloading/clearing malfunctions from cover and around/through obstacles, shooting while moving forward and lateral, transitions from primary to secondary weapon, engaging targets at various distances from 15 to 100 yards- all with both strong side and support side. Speed and accuracy took varying and unexpected roles. In one exercise we would move from point to point engaging targets while timed, and the next we would have to stop and take un-timed precision shots. We also covered some combat theory and economy of motion. It was hot and muggy, and everyone was tired and sweating like mules, but no one was complaining. At different points, I saw guys trading off rifles to allow each other to try different gear, optics and equipment arrangements. This was an effective and comprehensive "next-level" carbine class.


These classes are fun and laid back, but safety is priority. The staff was very professional and attentive. If the instructors picked up on too much jaw-jacking and standing around, they would "find" a skill for the students to work on. Everyone has a good time and all shooters are welcome, regardless of age, sex, experience, fitness level, shooting proficiency, gear choices, etc. For the first shooting class that I attended a few years ago, I was nervous about performing poorly, or looking like an idiot- In retrospect, that line of thinking is just silly and I wish I had the opportunity to shoot like this sooner. Safety consciousness and an open mind are all that are required.

I encourage anyone who owns an AR-15 or AK to give serious consideration to taking Advantage Group classes (or some type of training!). All of the students that I speak with leave these classes with a much stronger understanding of not only the strengths and weaknesses of their rifle, but their own capabilities as well.

Further, these regular curriculum classes are in addition to the awesome national level instructors that AG brings in throughout the year!

 

[lukejr]

Most comprehensive training in two days bar none! Also the quality of both the training and information passed along in the class was world class.

thanks for the opportunity!!!

 

[madwabbit]

im jealous

"it was a bad day to be a steel plate"

 

[InterstateGuns]

Great to see some new faces out there! Thanks to those that came by the shop afterward for the impromptu "open house".