Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Look, we get it: training is expensive. Not only is there the cost of the class itself, but there’s the expense of missing work, traveling, and gathering the gear and ammo you’ll need. Sure, there are a few ways to cut corners on costs, but when it comes right down to it, sharpening gun skills costs money—sometimes a lot of money.
Here’s why you still need that training, along with a few tips on how to make it happen—and where.
Table of contents
The Self-Taught Shooter
Speaking as someone whose early years were entirely self-taught, I can attest to the mess this tends to be. It’s not that you can’t teach yourself foundation skills, only that it’s rough. And by the time you start to get them down—or so you think—you’ll also have some bad habits that’ll have to be done away with at some point. When it comes to self-taught, it’s best to keep working after your foundation skills are down cold. And even then, you’ll benefit from the occasional class.
So, how do you go about teaching yourself? There are a lot of YouTube videos out there, many of which are garbage. You can also find books on the subject and countless articles, many written by someone such as myself. When you’re choosing a source for some self-learning, check their credentials. Are they just a tacticool YouTuber whose main goal is looking cool, often with a bunch of carefully edited and possibly sped-up videos? Or is the person in question backed by years of solid, documented experience? Did you hear about this possible source from a reliable person, or was it some Facebook Reel that looked cool? Trainers should be able to document their own training and abilities. Looking nifty or moving fast doesn’t qualify anyone to teach. Gun tricks do not equal talent. There, I said it.
Quick tip: If you’re going to be heavily self-taught, utilize your cell phone to get some videos. It’s helpful to see yourself in action and does make it possible to diagnose issues, albeit after the fact. Consider having a skilled friend watch your videos as well.
The Gun School Approach
Several quality gun academies are located across the country, each with pros and cons for attendance. Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona, is certainly among the best known and has a stellar reputation to back it. Another good one is the Firearms Academy of Seattle (FAS) located in Onalaska, Washington. While FAS doesn’t have the name recognition of Gunsite, the school holds its own and offers a vast array of excellent classes. They also bring in renowned instructors regularly, including Massad Ayoob, Tim Herron, Craig Douglas, and Erick Gelhaus.
Other well-known gun schools with varying levels of name recognition include Firearms Academy of Wisconsin (no ties to FAS), Thunder Ranch, and KR Training. Just like when you’re vetting a specific instructor, go ahead and check the credentials of a brick-and-mortar gun school (as well as whoever’s teaching the class).
Unique Courses
A big pro of attending an actual firearms academy is the opportunity to train in shoot houses and on unique ranges and courses of fire. It also gives you access to skilled traveling instructors you might not otherwise be able to train with. Then there’s the simple fact that you can build relationships at the gun school and become part of a larger community. Even for someone like me who isn’t exactly a social person, that’s a great thing. The big downside of going to a firearms academy is the cost, but we’ll get to that.
Quick tip: Check to find out what class is required before you’re allowed to enroll in more advanced courses. Most academies have that requirement, and for good reason. It’s worth knocking that one out for the ability to attend others, even if that first class seems frustratingly simplistic. You can still get something out of basic classes.
The Traveling Instructor/School
Groups like Rangemaster, which is founded and led by Tom Givens, spend a lot of time traveling across the country to teach. If you check their website rather than only a specific gun school’s website, you’ll find out if they’ll be at a location near you any time soon. That or you’ll find one worth traveling to. Same goes for Massad Ayoob, whose MAG-40 class cannot be missed (although all his classes are valuable). If you check Mas’ site, you’ll find the year’s calendar of training locations neatly laid out. So if you’re looking to train with a specific person or training group, head for their websites first. It can be—often is—worth the travel to get that class in with a renowned instructor.
The Gun Writer
Yes, you can learn quite a bit from good gun writers (or outdoor writers, as we usually call ourselves). Just like taking an in-person class, you take what you can use and leave the rest. Hearing different perspectives or methods can help you grow as a gun owner, and while it isn’t as exciting as live fire classes, it matters. Don’t limit yourself to the internet, either. Good magazines still exist, as do great books. Time spent reading quality gun content counts toward your continuing education.
Quick tip: Please—I beg you—don’t discount seemingly outdated writings and concepts. Guys like Elmer Keith, Jeff Cooper, and Skeeter Skelton have a lot to offer. Remember, you don’t have to agree with every single thing written to learn something important.
Making Gun School Affordable
It’s kind of an oxymoron to talk about an affordable gun school. Classes might be a few hundred dollars or a few thousand—it depends on the location and instructor. And while you can’t typically do much about the cost of the class itself, there are ways to save money in other areas. You could carpool with another student, use frequent flyer miles, or stay with friends or family in the area to reduce travel costs. Ammunition can be gathered over time rather than in one huge purchase. As for gear, take what you need, but don’t assume you need to get fancy to do gun school. You’re there to learn, not to have the coolest pistol or best cargo pants. The grumpy guy with old jeans and suspenders is sometimes the most dedicated repeat student. Never judge a gun student book by the cover.
Training is also more important than getting yet another admittedly cool gun. Rather than getting the latest Boom Blaster 3000, put that money into a good class. There might even be something you could sell off to help fund a class, or a side hustle to pick up to bring in the necessary funds. All that said, we know it is pricey to train and not at all doable for many shooters. Do your best, and utilize the resources available to you.
READ MORE FROM KAT AINSWORTH: Acme Machine AM-15: Made in America
Why Train At A Gun School?
Your firearm skills are perishable, meaning you’ve got to keep training. In addition, there’s always something new to learn. Having a fast draw stroke doesn’t mean you’re great with moving targets. Maybe you’re amazing with handguns, but your long gun skills are sorely lacking. None of us is perfect at every skill with every platform. Training keeps your mind and body working and helps these skills remain fresh. If you’re someone who carries for self-defense or has a home defense plan, maintaining those skills is a must.
Where do you like to train? Share your favorite classes and instructors in the comments.
Here are a few to check out:
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Kat Ainsworth Stevens is a prolific outdoor writer based in North Texas. Her love and enjoyment of firearms extends to both self-defense and hunting, and she’s driven to teach safe gun handling. Kat’s the author of several books and thousands of articles as well as a successful editor with more than a decade of experience in marketing. With experience in everything from defensive handgun use to field dressing a deer, Kat’s background is varied and extensive. She firmly believes in the importance of protecting the Second Amendment as well as the First.
When she’s not behind a gun or processing her own game meat, Kat can be found trapping, boating, doing yoga, and mudding. The outdoors and the Lone Star State are where she belongs.
Experience
Author:
Handgun Hunting and anthologies including The Deer Shot Back: And Other Hunting Tales and How Not to Shoot Fish and Other Deer That Got Away.
Dedicated Outdoorsman:
Year-round enthusiast of hunting, trapping, and fishing.
Advanced Training:
More than 1000 hours of training in defensive handguns, long guns, edged weapons, self-defense law, force-on-force, handgun retention, and related topics.
Focused Specialty Skills:
Expert witness. Massad Ayoob Group certified Deadly Force Instructor and graduate of Active Self Protection The Practice & Preparation of Being an Expert Witness.
i would recommend just using the money on ammo and develop your skills at the range, better to get proficient in general than do something out of the ordinary once!
You left off Lassen College in Susanville California and Colorado School of Trades and several others. 40 years ago Susanville was 40 hours a week for 3 years, graduated in 1986. The first year was just machine shop. All phases of design, function and repair were taught by Bob Dunlap. Stock making and engraving by John Vest. We came out trained professionals, those of us that completed the course.
“Shooting schools are expensive “. Ainsworth is master of understatement. When a young, baby cop, I would faithfully set aside money from every paycheck, and that combined with whatever tax return (when I used to get them) would take considerable sting out of the cost. Find a shooting buddy to travel with, and you just cut your fuel and lodging costs in half. Some schools provide bunkhouses, although often Spartan in accommodations many times that has made a school affordable. There are so many outstanding instructors! John Farnam, Travis Haley, Guardian Tactical, Kagwerks, Rogers Shooting School, SIG Academy, even the NRA classes are all excellent choices. Just be sure to check if that class is a Shooting School, or a Fighting School. You’ll shoot at both, either way