TAKING A SHOOTING CLASS/GUNFIGHTING CLASS? Here are some tips (Part 2)

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Due to the length of this post, I am unable to upload the entire text, list, and links due to forum restrictions on length. Part 1:
continued.....
Bring lots of water, Gatorade. Getting dehydrated must be avoided and you have to keep ahead of it. I like smart water because it has electrolytes, but there are others available. Make sure you bring a lot more than you think you’ll drink. On a hot day, you will sweat under the sun and you will need a lot of water to stay hydrated. Have some Pedialyte in your bag and drink it during the day. (Amazon.com) Whenever you go back and recharge your magazines you should be drinking a lot of water. Every time!

Bring a lunch, snacks, fruit, whatever you normally eat. You need to keep your blood sugar normal and your mind focused on safe gun handling. If you are starving your mind tends to wander. Make a sandwich, buy a sandwich, take some snacks, candy bars (keep them in a cool place or they will melt if it's hot) I like the cheese and crackers, peanut butter, and crackers I leave them in my ammo can so I can snack on them if I get hungry while I am recharging mags.

When you are done recharging your mags, hydrating your body get back to the firing line. Don’t hang out chatting at the loading tables. Some instructors won’t call you over, they will just wait until all of you are back up on the line.

Have your ammo lose in an ammo can. (Amazon.com or Amazon.com) take them out of the boxes at home. If you do it on the range you’ll have a ton of cardboard boxes to dispose of on the range. Keep the ammo can lid closed when you are not taking the bullets out. Keep the sun and rain off the rounds. The sun can get them very hot…

Get a UpLULA mag loader. It is the best and inexpensive. Your hands, fingers, and thumbs will thank you!

A camp chair is nice to get off your feet at lunch or if you have a longer break. I always bring at least two.

D-lead wipes are almost a MUST. Before eating lunch and after the day is over. Use them. Lead poisoning is a real thing! (Amazon.com )

I’ll bring a canopy tent if it's going to be very sunny/hot or raining (Amazon.com )

A foldable utility cart helps (Amazon.com)

A foldable loading table if the range does not have them on the range. Email the instructor and ask (Amazon.com)

The best knee pad I have found ALTA 50413 (Amazon.com)

The best range bag I have used: Cannae Pro Gear Armory Range Bag (Amazon.com)

The best range raincoats I have used: Duluth Trading: Men's Improved No-Rainer Jacket (Men's Improved No-Rainer Jacket) & OR Men's Foray it has awesome side zippers easy access to your gun (Men's Foray GORE-TEX® Jacket)

Favorite pants to take classes with:

  • 5.11 Defender flex straight pants
  • Vertx Defiance Jeans
  • Viktos Operatus XP Jean
Excellent gun belts I own and use:
Excellent holsters I own and use:
Favorite shooting gloves:
  • Outdoor Research Aerator Gloves
  • PIG Full Dexterity Tactical (FDT) Delta Utility Gloves
  • Mechanix Wear: Tactical Specialty 0.5mm High-Dexterity Tactical Work Gloves
Cold weather gear that I use and like for classes:
  • LLbean Apex Waterfowl Vest
  • Carhartt Men's Rain Defender Heavyweight Sweatshirt
  • Baselayer tops & bottoms heavyweight
  • LLbean Double Jeans, Fleece-Lined
  • LLbean Maine Guide Wool Pants with Prima-Loft
  • Winter down coat (I’ll bring an extra one and leave it in the car in case another student does not have one)
  • I like hoodies, you can pull the hood over your ear pro.
  • I get an XL large winter beanie, so it fits over my earpro. I find that putting the earpro over a beanie does not make a good seal on my ears and it’s too loud. If I go that way, I’ll add earplugs and earpro
  • I have tried the battery-operated pants and vests. They work, they are gimmicky, bulky under clothes. The batteries are heavy and awkward. Depending on how cold it is going to be I may wear them. (don’t judge!)
  • Hand warmers in my pockets, when I can, my hands are warming up holding the hand warmers. Bring a lot of them.
  • Fleece neck gaiter
  • I wait until the end of the season and buy down vests, jackets when they come on clearance. I don’t care about the color as long as they are warm. They become training clothes. (I have some butt ugly winter jackets!)
When I go to a new instructor I have a baseball hat with my first name sewn on the back so he/she knows my name when they are behind me. I ordered a uniform name tape from amazon and a baseball cap.

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The first time I met you, it rained most of the day, and we were outside.

Also a good to know is the road to the range. A friend almost got stuck in sand in his small 4 banger fwd car to that class also
 
The first time I met you, it rained most of the day, and we were outside.

Also a good to know is the road to the range. A friend almost got stuck in sand in his small 4 banger fwd car to that class also
Excellent points. Thanks!

I remember that day well. I f***ed up a draw and my gun fell to the ground.... #embarrassing
 
Did I miss footwear and socks discussion in one of the three sections?

I'm a fan of wicking liner socks over heavy-ish hiking socks.......and extra socks.....if your feet are unhappy everything else goes to crap....if its gonna rain then bring extras of everything

Baby wipes.....gotta have baby wipes.....runnin' and gunnin; is no fun with a dirty arse and unhappy feet

Coffee.......dont get between me and my coffee in the morning and no one will get hurt......

Big bottle of Vitamin I too (Ibuprofin)
Can confirm. Last class I took got as low as the teens; unfortunately I left my boots home and had to do the class wearing a pair of vans. I looked cool, but it was miserable.
 
Did I miss footwear and socks discussion in one of the three sections?

I'm a fan of wicking liner socks over heavy-ish hiking socks.......and extra socks.....if your feet are unhappy everything else goes to crap....if its gonna rain then bring extras of everything

Baby wipes.....gotta have baby wipes.....runnin' and gunnin; is no fun with a dirty arse and unhappy feet

Coffee.......dont get between me and my coffee in the morning and no one will get hurt......

Big bottle of Vitamin I too (Ibuprofin)

Crazy glue and steri strips.....and a roll of duct tape.....should be part of every first aid kit
I did talk about footwear, not socks, excellent! Yes, I forgot it. I like tough socks.
Baby wipes, Ibuprofin, tape are in my items in my range bag.
 
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