Range Report: DSF105 Cognitive Clinic, 4/28/24

[BassCliff]

Greetings ladies and gentlemen,

I had a little fun at the range today. The Defensive Shooting Fundamentals 105 course is a live fire course that focuses on target identification, threat level, and multiple threat engagement while throwing mental curve balls to cognitively overload your brain. Not every solution is a shooting solution but if you do shoot, you'd better be able to tell the instructor the reason you shot. I was ready to take my new baby, my VP9, to training so that I could get comfortable with it in my carry rotation. I had time today to get the "Rounded by Concealment Express" holster configured the way I like it. First I put on a DCC clip.

Then I attached a Tier1 muzzle pad to make it nice and comfy.

I have a couple other holsters that work with the VP9, Relentless Tactical leather or universal (multi-fit) Stealth Operator, but my modified Concealment Express kydex unit is my go-to.

These two also work with my XD9 but they're not my favorite. Anyway, I loaded up my range bag and headed out the door. I got to the facility a bit early so I perused the showroom. I'm considering an AR purchase soon and I'm trying to decided between an entry level Saint or a decent PSA unit.

About $1K for a Saint here in the store or $600 for a "comparable" unit from PSA. But I digress. After a quick safety briefing and course overview in the classroom we headed out to the range to load up and gear up.

Yes, the orange bag there is the med kit. Dr. Bob was also in class today to lend a hand, just in case. There are a couple of medical doctors who frequent these classes. They are great guys and it's quite comforting having them there. I had set up my kit on my favorite lane #8 and started loading magazines. I shot just shy of 200 rounds of S&B 124 grain tonight.

We started with some warm-up drills at various distances. Targets and number of hits depended on the commands given. I was a little too low when they called number 6.

Our instructors marked our targets after the opening set of drills. Next up they will push us to shoot faster.

We shot #3, then #1, and #4, increasing our 5-shot cadence speed with each number. We started with bang-1000-bang-1000..., then bang-1-bang-2..., then bangbangbang... for our five-shot strings. The instructor noted my accuracy did not fall apart as I sped up. I was able to keep my fist-sized group.

Ashley is coaching on down the line. She and John work great as an instruction team. It's fun training with them.

Lots more pictures. I'll finish up in the next post. Thanks for looking!



Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

OK! Let me finish up this range report. The forum software was complaining about my post being more than 10K characters or something. Hence the split post.

We're on the 3 yard line looking back at the booths. Tonight we shot from 3 yards, 7 yards, 10 yards, 12 yards and 15 yards while pivoting 90 or 180 degrees, depending on the drill.

OK, time for new targets for a new set of drills.

Here we are at the 15 yard line. Depending on the command you'd have to pick your target, a number, shape, color, center mass, or head shot. There were no-shoot targets, even if the command included that target. They were just trying to mess with our minds.

As we changed distances during the drills we'd reload and leave our mags all over the floor. We couldn't pick them up until the range went cold.

Me and my VP9 did better than I thought I would at 15 yards. I haven't had a chance to practice with this pistol at that distance yet. But I will soon.

Here's my target after a few drills. I guess I'm in the ball park. I was real proud of that head shot from 15 yards.

John and Ashley were just making up stuff for us to figure out. If they called a shape it was one solution, if they called a number it was another solution, if they called a color it was a third solution. It can be a lot to process. You have to recognize and identify your target first before drawing your weapon. Don't be searching for your target with your gun fully extended. That's a no-no.

The next set of targets really fried our brains. You'll see different numbers, colors, and shapes again, but there are at least three different combinations of those on these targets.

Again, they would make up drills for us just to mess with our minds. For example, if they call a color: one shot on the color (however many targets there are of that color). If they call a shape: two shots on every target with that shape (however many targets there are of that shape). If they call a number: put that many hits on that target number. We shot these drills from different distances, then rotated the line so we were in front of a different target. One time the instructor yelled "Blue!" Guess what? The target in front of me had no blue shapes on it. But I was smart, I did not even draw my gun that time. Yay me! Later in this exercise the number 2 became a "no shoot" zone. No matter the command, you were not to shoot the number 2. But half the class ended up shooting it a few times anyway. It's amazing how they could keep adding just one more simple thing into the drill until your brain overloaded. That's why we practice this way. A real live situation could be many times more chaotic.

I didn't take any close ups of any of these targets because the whole class of 10 took turns shooting at all of them. This was a fun exercise, different targets, different scenarios, different solutions, different distances, facing different directions, all while trying to identify the target before employing a solution. Can you say OODA loop?

With our gray matter overheating and our ammo almost exhausted, we picked up our magazines, packed up our kit, and got our debrief in the classroom. Most of the students know each other because we've been taking these classes together for a couple of years now. The camaraderie is fun. I'm not sure what my class will be next month. I really would like to take their shotgun training classes here. We'll see if I can get on the schedule. I'm also thinking next weekend I will meet a friend at his outdoor range if the weather is nice. I'll let you know.

Thanks for coming along with me. Stay safe out there. Blessings to all.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[belladonna]

Well done Cliff! Nice shooting!!

 

[Belt Fed]

Nice shootin sir, all dead bad guys again. that's a nice range too and i gotta comment on the gun shop. that's a really nice gun shop. i'd like to browse around in there. pretty sure @BET7 hasn't been there yet or all those cabinets would be empty. also where's the Hi Point cabinet.

 

[somorris]

Looks like fun, Cliff, as well as messing with your mind! Good shooting!

 

[ECS686]

Good deal!

I wish there were more Cognative type matches/stages or training. Or at least interest in it. That would do more to prepaid folks than running a prescribed set of rounds with no penalty misses and or no penalty for muzzle sweeping all the no shoot targets and friendlies (a felony in most places)

We try to have at least one blind stage on our CCW matches (like IDPA but not the restrictive rules) no walk through shoot it as you assess it!

 

[Annihilator]

I’m still jealous of your indoor ranges….. good shooting sir!

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Well done Cliff! Nice shooting!!

Thank you madam. I'm looking forward to your next trip to the range too.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Nice shootin sir, ... also where's the Hi Point cabinet.

Thanks!

Next time I go there I'll take a few more pictures of the gun shop. It's a large showroom with lots of toys in it. I'll make sure to point out the Hi Point selection.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Looks like fun, Cliff, as well as messing with your mind! Good shooting!

Yes, the instructors have a lot of fun messing with my mind. It's kind of fun for me too.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Good deal!

I wish there were more Cognative type matches/stages or training. Or at least interest in it. That would do more to prepaid folks than running a prescribed set of rounds with no penalty misses and or no penalty for muzzle sweeping all the no shoot targets and friendlies (a felony in most places)

We try to have at least one blind stage on our CCW matches (like IDPA but not the restrictive rules) no walk through shoot it as you assess it!

This is all training. The only competition at the range is informal stuff like bowling pin shoots, dueling tree matches, and paper target accuracy leagues which are shot during the week whenever you can make it. They do have a mock household set up in the back where they teach home defense with sirt pistols. I need to take that course. I hear it's a ton of fun.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

I’m still jealous of your indoor ranges….. good shooting sir!

Thanks!

After class the instructors were encouraging us to offer suggestions to the owners about how to improve the training, like buying an outdoor range.

Ya know, I've heard you can make a small fortune by starting with a large fortune and buying a gun range.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[belladonna]

Hi,



Thank you madam. I'm looking forward to your next trip to the range too.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

I truly wish the range I belong to offered courses like that. They offer very basic stuff like basic handgun familiarization and CCW classes. We have a couple of outdoor ranges that offer some tactical stuff in the summer, but that’s it.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

...We have couple of outdoor ranges that offer some tactical stuff in the summer, but that’s it.

It wouldn't hurt to take those courses when you can. They are fun and help get your brain and body prepared for real life situations, as well as they can be simulated anyway.

There are ways to spice up your range time in the booth too. Rather than shooting at a the same spot on a static target, draw different objects on a large blank page and have your partner call different shapes and numbers. Practice multiple target identification/acquisition. Sometimes I'll tape some 3x5 index cards on a larger target and transition between those. Then when I start falling apart, I go back to slow fire accuracy fundamentals. It's a never-ending battle.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff