Class Descriptions
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Practical Carry Skills |
Defensive Shotgun Skills
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Dynamic Pistol Skills
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This course was designed to better prepare armed homeowners and concealed carriers to deal with other persons whose intentions and physical abilities to seriously injure or kill others may span the range from questionable to threatening to outright lethal. Violent criminal assaults, whether unarmed or armed, tend to occur at disturbingly close range, and since they often require the use of ruse or ambush in order to close distance on the intended target there is a strong possibility that the same will have precious little time to see what is taking place, process it correctly, and default to and execute the most appropriate defensive response effectively. The objective of PTG’s experienced instructors is to help each individual student increase their ability to avoid confrontations, manage contacts with persons of questionable intent, and when all else fails respond lawfully with as much aggression and force as required in order to deal with the imminent threat of being sexually assaulted, seriously injured, or killed by learning proven gunhandling and dynamic marksmanship skills applicable to the majority of scenarios in which criminal assaults take place (homes, retail businesses, and transitional areas such as parking lots, sidewalks, and gas stations). This is not a recreational shooting class, but instead a fighting course designed for men and women who, as a last resort, are willing to defend themselves and their loved ones with a defensive handgun. These are the same people who realize that mere ownership of a firearm or recreational or competitive shooting experience only does not equate to competence when it comes to dealing with another person or persons who has set their sights upon them that might care less whether others lived or died. These same criminal actors are likely to be far more comfortable and experienced with violence than their intended victim. Requirements: Reliable semi-automatic pistol or revolver, 100-150 rounds of factory ammunition (100 is minimum), quality kydex holster (leather holsters that do not collapse when the handgun is drawn are acceptable), three magazines or speedloaders (two are minimum), single or double magazine pouch or speed loader pouch, robust belt (concho belts and thin fashion belts do not work), clothes and shoes suitable for weather and season (no open-toe shoes and low cut shirts for women are not recommended), water, snacks, lunch, protective eyewear and hearing protection, brimmed hat or cap, and lawn stool or chair.
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The defensive shotgun may be the single most useful tool one can use during a home invasion or in order to stand down a small group of openly hostile persons threatening violence. Shotguns were reportedly the weapons of choice used by many law enforcement officers dealing with bands of armed looters during the Hurricane Katrina aftermath. A shotgun loaded with buckshot is far more effective in stopping a lethal threat quickly than a handgun, and effective at ranges as far as 40 yards with Federal Reduced Recoil Tactical 00 buckshot. Although used less often, slugs offer extended range, enhanced penetration, and/or more surgical accuracy when needed. A conventionally stocked tube-fed shotgun that holds no more than five rounds is likely legal in every state and will probably be one of the last firearms to be targeted by anti-gunners.
This class covers critical gunhandling and marksmanship skills unique to the defensive shotgun with heavy emphasis placed on always keeping the shotgun up and running and finding the sweet spot between speed and accuracy. Students will learn how their individual shotgun patterns buckshot at close, intermediate, and longer distances as well as point-of-aim/point-of-impact with slugs. Most civilian-sector gunfights are not single-variable static events, which means students will also participate in drills and exercises that place an emphasis on problem-solving and implementation of fundamental defensive tactics. Required Equipment: Pump-action or semi-automatic shotgun, eye and ear protection, clothing suitable for season and weather, 100 birdshot, 25 buckshot (Federal Tactical reduced recoil 00 with Flite Control wad recommended), 25 slugs (reduced recoil recommended), and means of carrying at least 8 extra rounds on their shotgun, belt, or in a pocket. Students will not be permitted to load out of a dump pouch or similar shotshell holder during timed events. Students should also bring water, snacks, lunch, and a lawn chair. 830am to 430pm $150 |
This is an intermediate-skill level class based upon developing greater threat management skills by first addressing absolutely critical gunhandling and marksmanship basics by breaking down the presentation of the handgun from the holster so as to increase the speed at which a handgun that was concealed under a closed garment can be put into play as soon as possible without fumbling, and then into a position that it can fired with a high probability of a well-placed first round hit followed by accurate subsequent rounds fired at a speed that allows the student to make high-speed corrections in order to allow for the movement of and actions taken by the violent criminal attacker. After all, he, she, or they are not going to just stand there frozen in place so that we easily achieve ego-satisfying hits; if so, there is no reason to be shooting them.
Second, students will participate in a series of brief lectures followed by live-fire exercises based upon events in which concealed carriers have actually been attacked in parking lots, around automobiles, and in homes. And finally, students will participate in several low-round count shooting tests designed to first help them identify any areas in which they should expressly work on in practice sessions after class plus allow the instructors to group them by present skill level into two groups. Both groups will then participate in a four-stage skills match where they will compete against other students in their group for the sole purpose of performing under low-grade stress. This not only help familiarize the students with dealing with the stress but allows them multiple opportunities to work through that experience under the watchful eyes of experienced instructors who can immediately offer useful feedback after each stage. Prospective students who think that this class sounds too intense are encouraged to remember that it pales in comparison to what happens to a person that finds themself the target of violent criminal actors whose objective is sexual assault, armed robbery, aggravated assault, or murder. PTG’s sole objective is to help its students have a large say in the outcome if the day comes that the unimaginable becomes reality, and a big part of that may very well be that specific training makes it easier for the body to go in a direction in which the mind has been before. Requirements: Reliable semi-automatic pistol or revolver, 100-150 rounds of factory ammunition (100 minimum), quality kydex holster (leather holsters that do not collapse when the handgun is drawn are acceptable), three magazines or speedloaders (two are minimum), single or double magazine pouch or speed loader pouch, robust belt (concho belts and thin fashion belts do not work), clothes and shoes suitable for weather and season (no open-toe shoes and low cut shirts for women are not recommended), water, snacks, lunch, protective eyewear and hearing protection, brimmed hat or cap, and lawn stool or chair. 830am-430pm $150 |
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Defensive Carbine Skills |
Red Dot Pistol Skills
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Contact Distance Defensive Skills
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The PTG Defensive Carbine class was designed to develop fundamental gunhandling and marksmanship skills unique to what is commonly referred to as the Modern Sporting Rifle (AR-15 and AK-47 or similar rifles); however, students who opt to use semi-automatic .22 LR carbines, pistol-caliber carbines, AR, Scorpion, and Charger pistols, and even lever-action rifles are encouraged to attend. This is a great class for shooters who have a spouse or child 18 and older that is not interested in shooting per se but would be well-served by owning a Ruger 10/22 or similar firearm and having the ability to be their own First Responder in the event that one or more criminals were attempting to break into their residence.
Class objectives include learning effective defensive tactics relevant to the most common self-defense scenarios likely to be encountered by civilians in which use of a carbine is appropriate, developing a robust operating system designed to keep the carbine continuously in a state where it can be quickly put into action, and increasing the students’ ability to make fight-stopping snapshots at distances ranging from 3 to 50 yards and precision hits on targets that are either more distant or partially occluded. Required equipment: Semi-automatic magazine-fed centerfire or rimfire carbine and at least 120 rounds or lever-action centerfire carbine and 80 rounds, sling, eye and ear protection, brimmed hat or cap, water, snacks, lunch, and lawn chair. Recommended is a low-profile single mag pouch or high-profile double mag-plus chest or leg rig. Lever-action centerfire carbines users should use a buttstock shotshell carrier. Ruger 10/22 box magazines can be carried in pocket if desired. 830am-430pm $150 |
Red Dot Pistol Skills (Lead Instructor is Hany Mahmoud)
Most shooters who own handguns equipped with a red dot sight (“RDS”) may note that it may be difficult to find the dot during presentations from the holster, keep the dot in the RDS window during rapid fire, or be difficult to make precision hits at distance due to the manner in which the dot wobbles all over the desired target in spite of the shooter’s attempts to hold it steady. The objective of the PTG RDS Skills class is to ensure that students leave the class with both a solid foundation of the critical RDS principles and the knowledge necessary to refine their RDS handgun skills afterwards through recommended practice sessions. The transition from iron sights to RDS also offers many positives for shooters who plan on running both sight platforms in the future for the simple reason that persons who have learned to run a RDS-equipped handgun typically find that their performance with iron-sighted pistols has been significantly enhanced also. The RDS Skills class will end with a scored test and four-stage competition based upon skills that focus upon fast presentation from the holster, multiple target engagement, rapid fire on a small target at close range, and making quick hits at longer distances. Required equipment: RDS-equipped handgun, three magazines, appropriate holster, at least one magazine pouch, 150 rounds of factory ammunition, and 25 rounds of preferred carry ammunition. Handgun zeroes will be confirmed at beginning of class (we recommend an initial 10-yard zero). In addition, students should wear clothes and footwear appropriate to season and weather and bring eye and ear protection, brimmed cap or hat, water, snacks, lunch, and a lawn chair. Students who plan on purchasing a RDS prior to class should a choose a quality RDS matched to their expected mission (duty/concealed carry vs. recreational/competition). 830am-430pm $150 |
The objective of the Contact Distance Defensive Skills class is to equip the concealed carrier, security officer, or law enforcement officer with additional defensive skills that can help address encounters with others in which a handgun is too much force, not the appropriate defensive tool, or it is necessary to survive and remain functional enough to fight our way to a holstered handgun and then not have it stripped away. This is a monthly training event with classes that will include instruction on topics such as the following:
· Managing contacts with persons of questionable Intent · Defense from standing and grounded positions · Retention position shooting techniques · Handgun retention skills · Handgun disarming · Use of defensive small knives · Control techniques · Pre-emptive striking · Adaptive striking · Sap and blackjack defensive skills · And other topics relevant to self-defense Required items are loose-fitting clothes, spare expendable tee shirt (needed to participate in some blocks of instruction), inexpensive boxing gloves, protective eyewear (inexpensive safety goggles), and mouthpiece. The protective eyewear and mouthpiece are for use as a precaution in the event of accidental light contact. This is not a hard-contact class. This is a great class for those who would like to train weekly but are unable to. 100pm-500pm $75 |