What Kind of Training

"You're not NRA certified? That's not good.  That's bad news!"
- NRA certified pistol instructor.

There is a silent tug of war going on out there.  On one side, you have NRA certified rifle and pistol instructors, and on the other side are the "tactical" instructors. At the heart of the matter is the fact that there is no one certifying body for rifle and pistol instruction. This is a good thing.  As with all investments, caveat emptor; let the buyer beware. 

As an example, the typical NRA Basic Pistol class requires 50 rounds of ammo and is 8 hours long.  There is about 2 hours of range time, and 6 hours classroom lecture / examinations.  Meanwhile, a typical tactical pistol is 500-1000 rounds and two days of practical training.   One of these classes is good for practical application, gets people to pay $500 each, and is always full; and the other struggles to get anybody in. 

In the martial arts, disciplines such as BJJ, MMA, and boxing rarely have to advertise that they are good for self defense.  Everyone already knows this.  Meanwhile, the art or sport oriented disciplines are always saying "sure, you can use this for self defense." And usually, their techniques must be drastically altered for actual combat. 

Same with NRA classes vs. Tactical Classes.  Very few big name tactical instructors advertise that they are "NRA Certified." But the NRA certified instructors are always saying they can "teach you how to shoot your gun safely and for self defense." Well, at least one of those things are true. 

This is not a disparagement to NRA Certified instructors.  But, as with all things, caveat emptor. It may not be what you are looking for.