7 Day precision Tactical Rifle Course, 17th-23rd March 2008. Course Report

Once again the 7 day tactical precision rifle bought students shooting to new levels. Not only did the course include four days calibrating and zeroing at the world renowned Ben Avery Shooting Facility just north of Phoenix, Arizona, but then three days were spent up in the back country near Prescott, about one hours drive from Phoenix. Here students learned how to judge distance, basic camouflage and concealment, stalking and hide building. On a technical level the students learned how to calculate and compensate for shooting up and down slopes.

The class number was a very managable eight, so with an instructor ratio of 1:4 personal attention to detail was assured. Of the eight, two shooters were total novices, having only fired a few rounds from pistols in the past. The remaining six were seasoned shooters from diverse professional backgrounds.

Conditions at the Ben Avery Range were some of the best seen in almost 30 years. Calibrating took place on the benchrest range, followed by tactical shooting exercises from varied shooting positions. Wind was a very managable 2 to 5 knots on the high power range, so we were able to zero out to 800 metres without any great difficulty. Some of the results of the targets can be seen here. A very satisfying result considering that the novice shooters were all coming up to similar standards. One student, a first time rifle shooter, shot a quarter minute angle group at 500 metres, and while yes, this doesn't happen every time, to achieve that after just three days of instruction is good by anyones standards. An excellent student.

Thursday evening saw the course head up to Prescott, and from Friday to Sunday shooting took place at varied sites specially preselected for their features to present a variety of problems. The course found solutions based on what they had learned during the first four days, but in 'real world' situations. Shooting in the backcounty is totally different to shooting on a range, something that many training companies forget. Everyone realised that shooting tactically bore very little resemblance to range drills and a totally different mindset was required. With careful instruction and selected problems, this was clearly demonstrated.

The course finished on a high with the final exercise. By the end of the week all the students were exhausted. The combination of mental games and calculation combined with the more physical aspects of three days walking, creeping and crawling started to show.

On a personal note, students took advantage of the weak Dollar and were able to purchase tactical gear at less than half price than in Europe. Phoenix, AZ has an excellent selection of tactical and hunting stores, and the very competetive prices meant that students came away with a great deal. All of the shop trips were of course courtesy of the ASAA instructor with excellent local knowledge.

No trip was complete without a nightly trip to Olive and Ivy in downtown Scottsdale, just next to the hotel in Phoenix, and as always the students took a wander down historic Whiskey Row in Prescott. No trip to the area should miss these two spots that are frequented by ASAA course members! Most nights everyone was happy to grab a bite to eat and then return to the hotel, mainly due to the intensity of the course.

Once again the annual 7 day precision tactical rifle was a runaway success. The course is normally held once a year. The 2009 dates will be out soon, don't forget to reserve your place.