NRA Instructors

[harleymac1]

I have been comtemplating taking some NRA courses and as I searched for NRA certified instructors I only find one anywhere near Indy. James Heath. Anyone know of any others or ever taken a class with James? Thanks for any info.

 

[VERT]

Which NRA courses are you interested in taking?

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Several NRA Certified Instructors in the area / state. With cooler weather, many are slowing down for the year. Some of us have access to indoor ranges to hold smaller classes throughout the cooler weather.

As VERT asked above, what courses are you interested in taking, because I believe VERT or I could help you.

 

[Jeepster48439]

Chris Pope, Train To Be Safe, Lebanon

 

[harleymac1]

I want to start out at the beginning so Basic Pistol. Then I want to move on from there.


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[VERT]

Basic Pistol can be taken as blended learning where you complete the class portion online and then hook up with an instructor for the range portion. Or you can take the course. I think Powder can help you either way.

 

[harleymac1]

Thank you for your help.


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[Hop]

There's this beginner pistol class on Dec 1. Nearly all of the Revere's Riders instructors are certified NRA instructors. We just don't teach the NRA courses.

https://www.reveresriders.org/event/2018-dec-1-nashville-in/

 

[indygunguy]

Just my personal opinion here, but the NRA basic pistol class is awful (and I'm actually certified to teach it). NRA will teach you all kinds of things that you don't care about, like how to fire a pistol from a bench rest, the steps to cleaning a single action revolver, etc.

Classes offered by Coach, Revere's Riders, or Chris Pope will be a better use of your time and money, will involve a lot more shooting, and will be way more fun.

Again, just my .

 

[GIJEW]

Just my personal opinion here, but the NRA basic pistol class is awful (and I'm actually certified to teach it). NRA will teach you all kinds of things that you don't care about, like how to fire a pistol from a bench rest, the steps to cleaning a single action revolver, etc.

Classes offered by Coach, Revere's Riders, or Chris Pope will be a better use of your time and money, will involve a lot more shooting, and will be way more fun.

Again, just my .

I second that, and I'm also certified to teach that class.

NRA basic pistol tries to be comprehensive, teaching not only safety and marksmanship basics, but also about EVERY type of handgun you might encounter and anything else you didn't know to ask. Like indygunguy said, a lot of superfluous info. As a first class, you might want to consider private instruction where you'll get 1:1 attention instead of an instructor periodically checking to see how you're doing. Fundamentals are the base of the pyramid you're building, you'll progress much faster with a good foundation.

 

[harleymac1]

Thank you all. I will look into some of that. I was, unfortunately, in an MOS during my Marine Corps years that did not require pistol proficiency. I was wearing a third award Expert Rifleman badge when I got out but we shot the .45 in boot camp as a familiarization and never touched them again my four years. That was in the mid 80’s and frankly, when it comes to Pistol accuracy I suck.


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[rhino]

Thank you all. I will look into some of that. I was, unfortunately, in an MOS during my Marine Corps years that did not require pistol proficiency. I was wearing a third award Expert Rifleman badge when I got out but we shot the .45 in boot camp as a familiarization and never touched them again my four years. That was in the mid 80’s and frankly, when it comes to Pistol accuracy I suck.


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Aside from other valid criticisms, the NRA Basic Pistol class is not a great vehicle for addressing accuracy issues. Most of the classes don't shoot enough to get much done in that regard.

 

[VERT]

The updated NRA Basic Pistol actually has an accuracy standard that must be met before a person gets their certificate. Overall I think the Basic Pistol Course is well designed from a safety, terminology and fundamental marksmanship standard. It is not a Defensive Pistol Course. NRA does offer an introductory Defensive Pistol Course.

I am certified in all the NRA Pistol Course. I no longer offer the Basic Pistol or Basic Personal Protection Courses. NRA nixed the FIRST course which I thought made more sense and easier to administer 1 on 1. I do still teach the Defensive Pistol module as it allows a lot more freedom and again can be offered 1 on 1.

 

[rhino]

The updated NRA Basic Pistol actually has an accuracy standard that must be met before a person gets their certificate. Overall I think the Basic Pistol Course is well designed from a safety, terminology and fundamental marksmanship standard. It is not a Defensive Pistol Course. NRA does offer an introductory Defensive Pistol Course.

I am certified in all the NRA Pistol Course. I no longer offer the Basic Pistol or Basic Personal Protection Courses. NRA nixed the FIRST course which I thought made more sense and easier to administer 1 on 1. I do still teach the Defensive Pistol module as it allows a lot more freedom and again can be offered 1 on 1.

I was ignorant of that fact, sir. Thank you for the correction!

 

[VERT]

I was ignorant of that fact, sir. Thank you for the correction!

I didn’t say it was that hard. 4” group at 10 feet of memory serves for Red to pass, 15 feet for white, 20 feet for blue. So a 4” group at 20 foot is the goal. That is actually a usuable starting point and better then most people can muster.

 

[1stLast&Always]

I did my Basic Rifle and Rifle Instructor with James Heath. He is experienced, professional, passionate and has a great facility. In his handgun course, he will go beyond the basics as he retired from IPD and teaches many officers and armored truck personnel.

I live in Indy and am certified to teach NRA Basic Rifle, not pistol yet. I'd be happy as many others might also be to meet up for coffee or at a range to share training/ideas.

There also are great opportunties for 1 on 1 with any number of local instructors- then its up to you to continue practicing with dry fire and range time. Most ranges in Indy don't have space/personnel to allow dynamic practice, which bores me because it is impractical. If you carry for defense, the draw and fire or moving off of the x is critical.

If you are in Indy and take Jim's class, you can come back and shoot anytime with a little head's up to him. He will let you do dynamic practice.

Most folks who have skills I want have sent me the way of dry fire and private instruction.

You could also try USCCA if NRA doesn't meet criteria and you need a foundational course to begin further exploration into the pistol arts.

I'm still seeking more skills and places to train as I have gone beyond NRA Basic Pistol. I have taken a few extra pistol courses. I will have to get my marskmanship up for the next level of training. I will be seeking some private lessons myself and tune up courses.

As other INGOers have said, there are several options which provide good learning opps and tons of resourceful folks here who are only a PM away. Let us know what you decide!

 

[gopher]

I did my Basic Rifle and Rifle Instructor with James Heath. He is experienced, professional, passionate and has a great facility. In his handgun course, he will go beyond the basics as he retired from IPD and teaches many officers and armored truck personnel.

If you are in Indy and take Jim's class, you can come back and shoot anytime with a little head's up to him. He will let you do dynamic practice.

I have taken Jim's NRA Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, Basic Shotgun and Personal Protection outside the Home courses. I would echo the above comments about Jim's qualifications and the quality of his courses. If you want to take the NRA introductory courses, you could do far worse than taking them from Jim Heath (and, arguably, not much better). Jim was in charge of the IPD armory for some time. His son, Rob, is also a retired police officer and will occasionally help out with teaching some of the courses.

That said, the NRA introductory courses do involve a lot of classroom time (generally the entire morning). When I took the courses, I was just beginning my foray into firearms and needed that foundational information. Others may already know that information and be better served by a course that goes right into more advanced topics and assumes that you know the basics (basic gun safety, parts of a firearm, clearing malfunctions, etc).

For NRA Basic X courses, Jim is a good choice. If you want to go beyond the basics (i.e., really focus on accuracy and marksmanship), several folks on the INGO forums are likely better suited to your needs. I've personally taken several courses with Chris Pope and can give his courses an unqualified recommendation. Obijohn, Coach and BehindBlueEyes are all highly regarded here on INGO and will likely not disappoint (caveat: I have not personally taken any of their courses; I probably need to rectify that situation).

Finally, if you're looking for a "basic" course that eschews much of the classroom topics and gets right to the range, consider Revere's Riders Pistol 100 (upcoming event on Dec. 1st in Nashville, IN) and Rifle 125 (look for our 2019 schedule to be posted soon). These are both excellent introductory courses that will spend significant time on accuracy and marksmanship skills unlike the NRA courses.