Instructor: Ben DeWalt
Location: Monadnock Firearms Private Range, Fitzwilliam NH
Weather: Beautiful skies, Cool 38-57 degrees
Round Count: 400ish
Time: 8:30-5:00
Class size: 20 students
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The class took place at a private range owned by Monadnock Firearms in Fitzgerald, NH. The range is private, quiet, and professionally set up. Big thanks to Rob from Monadnock Firearms for organizing this excellent day of training.
It was a chilly morning, but Rob’s guys anticipated that and set up large propane heaters we unpacked and set up the range. You could tell who was from Massachusetts and who was from New Hampshire—the Massachusetts folks were bundled, while a few of the New Hampshire students were standing there in shorts and t-shirts like it was just another summer day.
Ben called the group for the pre-class briefing. He introduced himself to the new students, and we went around the group, sharing our names and what we hoped to work on. We then moved into the SAFETY and MEDICAL briefings. Since we were on a remote private range, the medical brief was a bit more in-depth, covering emergency procedures in case something went wrong.
We kicked things off with a five-round walk-back drill, aiming at a 3x5-inch sticker from distances of 3, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 25 yards. No time limit, just clean, deliberate shots. By the time you get to 25 yards, that 3x5 card looks awfully small, but this drill served as a warm-up and a way for Ben to evaluate our skill levels. This group showed up ready, and it was clear from the start that we had a solid bunch of shooters.
Ben then led us through a detailed block of instruction on drawing from the holster. His focus was on economy of motion—cutting out unnecessary steps to get the gun out faster, translating to a quicker, more accurate shot on target. We also discussed the importance of holster placement, especially in a defensive encounter. Can you access your gun quickly and reliably when it counts? Have you practiced it enough for it to be second nature?
Grip was the next big focus—as every good shooter knows, it's all about the grip. Ben didn’t just explain it; he demonstrated by having us feel how much pressure he applied with his shooting and support hands. Most of us realized we weren’t gripping the gun hard enough. His hands-on approach made it clear: sometimes you don’t really know what “firm grip” means until you feel it for yourself.
From there, it was on to trigger press. Ben explained how some of us are guilty of pressing the trigger with way too much energy. With a five-pound trigger, you only need a hair more than five pounds of pressure to fire the shot. Ben had us dry-fire with different finger placements, watching our dots wiggle (or hopefully not wiggle) with each press. It’s amazing how much you can learn from that little red dot when it decides to dance off-target.
Ben briefly touched on sight alignment, reminding us not to over-confirm the perfect sight picture. If your sights are in the desired impact area, send the shot. We didn’t spend a lot of time on sights, since the majority of the class was running red dots. Instead, we honed in on grip and trigger press for most of the morning, finding what worked best for each shooter.
We ran the drills from the holster, including B8 for individual score at 10 and 25 yards, which helped us track improvement and consistency. We also spent time working through multiple shot drills, which really put our grip to the test. It’s one thing to hold onto the gun for a single shot, but when you’re firing multiple rounds, the real challenge is keeping a consistent grip through the recoil. After the first shot, the gun wants to shift in your hands. If your grip isn’t solid or balanced, it breaks down quickly under the repeated recoil, causing your follow-up shots to drift off target. Ben made it clear that maintaining grip pressure between shots is key to keeping control and staying accurate. This drill gave us valuable feedback on where our grip started to fail and showed us exactly what needed more work.
Ben prefers running drills at 15–25 yards, as that’s where fundamental issues show up. At 5 yards, it’s easy to feel confident—even if your grip or trigger press isn’t perfect, you can still get away with it. However, we moved back, especially toward the 25-yard mark, and those small, overlooked mistakes started to scream. A slightly off grip, too much or too little trigger pressure, or just rushing the shot—everything becomes magnified at distance. Mr. Daniel Richardson’s "Dirty Thirty" also made an appearance—it looks deceptively simple, but passing it remains a challenge. I still don’t have a coin.
We also spent time on one-handed shooting, starting with a strong-hand walk-back from 3 to 25 yards. Let me tell you, this was a humbling experience for most of us. Then came the weak-hand shooting. Thankfully, we only had to go to 15 yards, which felt like a small mercy from Ben. There were a few moments when I questioned my life choices, but it was all part of the process.
We closed the day with the OFT New York Qualification Course, which gave us a chance to apply everything we had practiced under a bit of pressure. A special shout-out to Rob for being the only one to nail a perfect score of 100! Finally, we wrapped up with a single shot from the holster on steel at 25 yards for time (out of three attempts)-it was a fun, challenging way to end a full day of training.
Every class has its own personality, and this one was no different. The students were friendly, funny, and welcoming, making it easy to relax and enjoy the day. Ben’s classes always attract the nicest, smartest, and funniest people—seriously, there were some comedians in this group.
As for Ben, he’s a fantastic instructor. He’s knowledgeable, skilled, and manages to be both humble and hilarious. His humor sometimes toes the line of “appropriately inappropriate,” but it just adds to the down-to-earth vibe. By the end of the day, his jokes may have slid downhill, but the learning never stopped. Ben’s approach is hands-on, practical, and easy to follow.
In summary, it was an amazing training day, filled with valuable lessons and lots of laughs. I can’t wait for the next one with Ben and the Monadnock crew.
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