AAR Bright Firearms Training
BrightFirearmsTraining.com
Private Instruction
Several weeks ago I took a private lesson with Aron Bright of Bright Firearms Training, Coach here on INGO. The lesson lasted for about two hours and focused on improving my ability to shoot quickly and accurately. I have trained at a few other places in Indiana and Ohio in both live-fire and force-on-force classes, but this was my first experience with BFT, and my first chance to focus purely on shooting technique with an instructor who has lots of experience in competitive shooting. Coach is a master class shooter in USPSA, and was able to help me identify a number of improvements that helped me get good, consistent hits in less time.
INGOer rbMPSH12 accompanied me and saved my thumbs by loading mags for me between drills. We began by shooting slow, A-Zone groups so that Coach could look over my grip and observe my recoil control. He explained how to let the gun settle back down from recoil without muscling it, and allowing the sight picture to determine when to break the follow up shot. Coach ran me through Bill Drills, Mozambique, Near-to-Far and a variety of target transition drills with two, three and four targets at a time. We also worked on shooting while moving forward, back, left and right. He gave a concise and thorough explanation of the complications created by moving, as well as directions on how to use heel-toe footwork to smooth out my movement and reduce sight picture bobbing.
Having someone right beside me watching every iteration of the drills enabled me to get the maximum benefit from each minute and each round. I burned through about 450 rounds in the two-hour lesson.
He noticed that I had a habit of waiting to put my finger in the trigger guard until I had reached full extension, and settled. Even though my sights were already on target, I was waiting before I took my first shot. He had me run a few drawstrokes and dry fire to get used to breaking the first shot right as I reached extension, and then we moved to live fire. I was able to get my first hit quite a bit faster just by trusting my sight picture and not pausing to double check it and take a breath before squeezing the trigger. Repetitions on both near and far targets gave me the confidence to begin to move more quickly through the Near-to-Far drill, firing two shots each into four targets at increasing distance and varying heights.
We worked on right and left hand only shooting on groups of two and three targets at a time. Coach explained his normal procedure for hand-to-hand gun transitions and why he prefers to keep the frame plumb when shooting one-handed, even though many other shooters and trainers prefer to cant the frame slightly toward center.
I did the entire instruction block from concealment with a grip-chopped Glock 17. This was the first live-fire course I’ve taken since I put Ameriglo I-Dot Pro sights on, and I like them a lot. I chose the red/orange front sight with the square notch rear, and they worked well. Close up they were easy to pick up quickly and get on target, and at longer distances, the top edge of the front post gave me a clear mark to align my elevation.
After we were done we hung out a bit a chatted about reloading, carry methods, competition shooting and general gun-world items. He had one of his custom competition 1911s with him, and graciously allowed both Rob and me to handle it and dry fire it.
Coach provided a great level of individual attention and detailed critique in a friendly way, and at a very reasonable price. I will go train with him again, and I have already recommended him to a number of others. Because he’s able to tailor the material to your current level of shooting skill, a private lesson with Coach would be a great investment for a total novice, as well as for an experienced shooter. Check out his website at BrightFirearmsTraining.com.
BrightFirearmsTraining.com
Private Instruction
Several weeks ago I took a private lesson with Aron Bright of Bright Firearms Training, Coach here on INGO. The lesson lasted for about two hours and focused on improving my ability to shoot quickly and accurately. I have trained at a few other places in Indiana and Ohio in both live-fire and force-on-force classes, but this was my first experience with BFT, and my first chance to focus purely on shooting technique with an instructor who has lots of experience in competitive shooting. Coach is a master class shooter in USPSA, and was able to help me identify a number of improvements that helped me get good, consistent hits in less time.
INGOer rbMPSH12 accompanied me and saved my thumbs by loading mags for me between drills. We began by shooting slow, A-Zone groups so that Coach could look over my grip and observe my recoil control. He explained how to let the gun settle back down from recoil without muscling it, and allowing the sight picture to determine when to break the follow up shot. Coach ran me through Bill Drills, Mozambique, Near-to-Far and a variety of target transition drills with two, three and four targets at a time. We also worked on shooting while moving forward, back, left and right. He gave a concise and thorough explanation of the complications created by moving, as well as directions on how to use heel-toe footwork to smooth out my movement and reduce sight picture bobbing.
Having someone right beside me watching every iteration of the drills enabled me to get the maximum benefit from each minute and each round. I burned through about 450 rounds in the two-hour lesson.
He noticed that I had a habit of waiting to put my finger in the trigger guard until I had reached full extension, and settled. Even though my sights were already on target, I was waiting before I took my first shot. He had me run a few drawstrokes and dry fire to get used to breaking the first shot right as I reached extension, and then we moved to live fire. I was able to get my first hit quite a bit faster just by trusting my sight picture and not pausing to double check it and take a breath before squeezing the trigger. Repetitions on both near and far targets gave me the confidence to begin to move more quickly through the Near-to-Far drill, firing two shots each into four targets at increasing distance and varying heights.
We worked on right and left hand only shooting on groups of two and three targets at a time. Coach explained his normal procedure for hand-to-hand gun transitions and why he prefers to keep the frame plumb when shooting one-handed, even though many other shooters and trainers prefer to cant the frame slightly toward center.
I did the entire instruction block from concealment with a grip-chopped Glock 17. This was the first live-fire course I’ve taken since I put Ameriglo I-Dot Pro sights on, and I like them a lot. I chose the red/orange front sight with the square notch rear, and they worked well. Close up they were easy to pick up quickly and get on target, and at longer distances, the top edge of the front post gave me a clear mark to align my elevation.
After we were done we hung out a bit a chatted about reloading, carry methods, competition shooting and general gun-world items. He had one of his custom competition 1911s with him, and graciously allowed both Rob and me to handle it and dry fire it.
Coach provided a great level of individual attention and detailed critique in a friendly way, and at a very reasonable price. I will go train with him again, and I have already recommended him to a number of others. Because he’s able to tailor the material to your current level of shooting skill, a private lesson with Coach would be a great investment for a total novice, as well as for an experienced shooter. Check out his website at BrightFirearmsTraining.com.
