Class Review - Rifle Marksmanship

This post to serve as a more thorough review of the class, Rifle Marksman, by Brian Hill of The Complete Combatant. 

Abstract

My reason for taking this class was twofold. First, as someone who identifies as a Rifleman (who also teaches pistol classes), I wanted to see how a rifle class would look as taught by an expert pistoleer. Brian Hill certainly foots that bill. Second, my rifle classes to this point have either been taught from the tactical perspective, the "precision" perspective, or the competitive marksmanship perspective. I wanted to take one from a "sport shooting" perspective more similar to the so-called "run-and-gun" - and this class certainly foots that bill. 

The Instructor

Brian Hill is a distinguished competitive shooter, former law enforcement, and martial artist. He has been teaching firearms for a long time and is well known in firearms communities as an expert in the art of the pistol. As a person, he came across as kind and friendly. It just so happened that for this class, he was staying at the same hotel as my party. 

The Students

Several people cancelled just prior to class, so we wound up with 4 participants. Two of the others there were good friends of mine, one of whom had taken a Brian Hill pistol class prior. The other gentleman was a multiple class alumnus of TCC. All in all, the four of us were "squared away" with solid zeroes, functional rifles, and a foundational ability to handle the rifles. I did not notice any NDs or safety violations. In fact, I do not recall Brian having to remind anyone even once to take a finger off the trigger or anything of the sort. There was also a lady who shot with us part of Saturday and all day Sunday. She was more of an Assistant Instructor (and Range administrator). 

The Range

Georgia Mountain Shooting Association has a beautiful range. There were multiple bays. The bay we had was 50 yards in length (the 75-yard and 100-yard shooting was done on an adjacent bay that went out to 300 yards) and about 30 yards wide. More than enough for what we were doing. The grounds were clean and well maintained. There was a restroom a mere 15 feet from the shooting lanes. 

The Class

Over half the class was spent at 15 yards or closer. The rationale is that 15 yards is a long hallway shot. Make no mistake, we shot from 25, 50, 75, and 100 as well, but those sections were not the main gist of the class. By and large, the curriculum was designed like this: alternating between marksmanship modules and performance (speed) modules. Topics included proper marksmanship, body positions, gun positions, malfunction remedies, reloading, height over bore, and more. The clear underlying factor was the application of the balance of proper marksmanship principles and performance mode (speed). The "run - and - gun" connection was quite clear (and exactly what I wanted!). 

The Difference

Most classes teach the topics spelled out above. What made this class different was the instructor, his expertise, and coaching. Brian's background in Martial Arts helps him identify opportunities for improvement using his understanding of kinesiology. Brian's attention to detail when demonstrating how the body works best for stability, recoil control, etc. is unmatched. As a result, I took 19 full pages of notes. 

Also, whereas some schools will put drills in designed to humble the shooter and make you think the instructor walks on water, TCC is not like that. Make no mistake, several of the drills were challenging. And some were modified to be more challenging. This was done to make clear what each shooter needed to work on. 

The Result

We went over the round count - but that was primarily because all shooters were squared away and we were able to do more modules and different modules than the ones normally covered. Each of us received a lot of 1-on-1 coaching and suggestions for improvement. A beginner wants to hear how good they are, and an expert wants to hear how to get better - and Brian gave me several suggestions which were immediately put to use, resulting in better performance. It was also good to see my friends get better, as well. 

Summary

Take a class with the Complete Combatant. Definitely worth it.