Immersion
You have that power too
*Disclaimer: This is my first formal class ever taken and was probably the most “green” person in the class, so if any of this sounds novice in any way you know why.
If anything needs further explanation or if there are questions in general feel free to ask and I shall answer to the best of my ability.
Class Name: Sentinel Concepts – Essential Carbine Employment (ECE)
Date of Class: 5/14/16 – 5/15/16
Class Location: Alliance PD Range (Alliance, OH)
Class Duration:
• Day 1: 8:30 AM – 5:10 PM
• Day 2: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Round count:
• Day 1: ~500 rounds
• Day 2: ~200-300 rounds
Weather:
• Day 1: Rain, overcast
• Day 2: Clear, windy, intermittent snow
Gear Used: AR-15 w/ Aimpoint T2
Expectations vs actual, general notes:
• Since this was my first formal class I did my best not to come into this with expectations given that I honestly did not know what to expect other than the absolute quality of Steve’s instruction and knowledge. I essentially expected not to perform well due to my lack of experience, which certainly showed throughout the two days. These things did not shake me because I saw it all as an advantage since I learned so many new things not only about rifle manipulation, but also about myself and my weaknesses.
• This is a class about fundamentals and not scenarios. Even so, these topics can and potentially even will expose weakness you did not know exist.
• Not all topics were covered, but that was not necessarily bad due to Steve seeing the progress and found it best to stop at a certain point because any further progress would have gotten to the point of diminishing returns.
• Steve always goes over the “whys” to all topics and drills.
• If you have questions/concerns ask them, this is your time to learn and Steve does not mind answering.
• This class is based around standards and if you do not hit inside the area he designates, it is considered a miss. Even if you have a round right on the line of the target, that is still considered a miss.
• After each lesson/drill, we gather around and share thoughts/concerns.
• Steve is a no nonsense instructor (for the most part unless if he’s being jovial) and does not cater to the sensitive as he gives it to you straight whether you like it or not. With that said he is absolutely honest and stands behind what he says/teaches.
• Take as many notes as possible.
• Prepare for the worst weather conditions; this means acquiring proper clothing for the season.
• If you are going to get into kneeling positions, get knee pads.
Day 1:
• The day started off with student introductions and from there Steve went straight into various topics about the rifle such as zeroing, optics, accessories, maintenance, etc. From there he went into the mechanics of reloading the rifle, stock positioning, and the stance one should take when firing the rifle. After all this and before going to the range, he went into his advocacy and strict adherence to safety; in the event should something go awry he went into the medical procedure that would be performed and made it very clear that if he sees any safety infractions that the person responsible for said infraction would be removed from the site.
• Once medical procedures and safety were established and covered, we went straight to the range and confirmed zero at 50 yards and made adjustments as necessary.
• The first major topic covered was holdover and what to expect at various distances.
• The next topic was cadence and how one should go about it at various speeds to show the effects of going “too fast.” Each speed was turned into a drill and we did them at various distances.
• Another topic was ready positions such as high ready and low ready. We were told to switch between the two ready positions as we progress through drills.
• Next topic was reloads (tactical, speed, and emergency). He showed us various reloads and we performed drills on each one.
• To finish the day Steve went over failure drills (head shot, normal failure drill, and enhanced failure drill) and performed them at various distances.
Day 2:
• Similar to the previous day, we started it off with confirming zero at 50 yards and those who needed to make adjustments did so.
• Immediately after confirming zero, we went straight into failure drills combined with a speed reload while transitioning to different areas of the target (center mass to lower pelvic area to head shots) at various distances.
• Next topic covered was different malfunctions (failure to fire, double feed, and bolt override) and how to clear them. He even gave references and sources to supplement this topic. These malfunctions were incorporated into drills; we set up each malfunction and cleared them then fired at the target.
• The last topic of the day was positions (speed kneeling, supported kneeling, double kneeling, and squatting). Each position was executed in a drill and done at various distances.
• To finish off this class, a final qualification was held, which started at 50 yards and worked up all the way to 5 yards. Almost every distance had a different scenario such as different positions, failures, and sometimes speed reloads within a given scenario. The object was to not miss the designated target.
• Once we were done on the range, we had a final debrief which included what we have covered, awards (for top shooter in particular), and certificate distribution.
Takeaways:
• Before this class I really had no way to judge my skills (or lack thereof) and this really opened my eyes to my weaknesses. However, Steve provided the tools for self-diagnosing errors and the means for improvement.
• The way the class is structured to give you a way to train on your own time, which is such a key element in self-improvement and Steve seems to want to make sure everything he teaches sticks with you.
• Have to slow it down between transitions and elevation changes as it can become easy to get overwhelmed. From this you lose the sight and end up chasing it and before you know it you are rushing which can and will cause you to miss.
• Focusing on the fundamentals may seem easy on the surface, but it will take a great amount of practice and training to really make them second nature/muscle-memory.
• Trust your sight because it does not lie.
• Do not give up the gun until you have successfully scanned the area.
• Unless if you are aiming through your sight, keep your gun on safe; this means manipulating the safety selector.
Final thoughts:
• I highly recommend taking a class from Steve as I firmly believe he is one of the top instructors of the industry and you will definitely learn a lot about yourself and in general.
• This was such an eye opening experience because I did not realize how much I did not know prior to this class and it was very humbling to be made aware of my own errors and what needs improvement.
• The group of people involved with this class was great and I really hope to see more of them in future classes.
• Alliance PD is awesome for letting us use their range. It really is that great of a facility to train.
If anything needs further explanation or if there are questions in general feel free to ask and I shall answer to the best of my ability.
Class Name: Sentinel Concepts – Essential Carbine Employment (ECE)
Date of Class: 5/14/16 – 5/15/16
Class Location: Alliance PD Range (Alliance, OH)
Class Duration:
• Day 1: 8:30 AM – 5:10 PM
• Day 2: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Round count:
• Day 1: ~500 rounds
• Day 2: ~200-300 rounds
Weather:
• Day 1: Rain, overcast
• Day 2: Clear, windy, intermittent snow
Gear Used: AR-15 w/ Aimpoint T2
Expectations vs actual, general notes:
• Since this was my first formal class I did my best not to come into this with expectations given that I honestly did not know what to expect other than the absolute quality of Steve’s instruction and knowledge. I essentially expected not to perform well due to my lack of experience, which certainly showed throughout the two days. These things did not shake me because I saw it all as an advantage since I learned so many new things not only about rifle manipulation, but also about myself and my weaknesses.
• This is a class about fundamentals and not scenarios. Even so, these topics can and potentially even will expose weakness you did not know exist.
• Not all topics were covered, but that was not necessarily bad due to Steve seeing the progress and found it best to stop at a certain point because any further progress would have gotten to the point of diminishing returns.
• Steve always goes over the “whys” to all topics and drills.
• If you have questions/concerns ask them, this is your time to learn and Steve does not mind answering.
• This class is based around standards and if you do not hit inside the area he designates, it is considered a miss. Even if you have a round right on the line of the target, that is still considered a miss.
• After each lesson/drill, we gather around and share thoughts/concerns.
• Steve is a no nonsense instructor (for the most part unless if he’s being jovial) and does not cater to the sensitive as he gives it to you straight whether you like it or not. With that said he is absolutely honest and stands behind what he says/teaches.
• Take as many notes as possible.
• Prepare for the worst weather conditions; this means acquiring proper clothing for the season.
• If you are going to get into kneeling positions, get knee pads.
Day 1:
• The day started off with student introductions and from there Steve went straight into various topics about the rifle such as zeroing, optics, accessories, maintenance, etc. From there he went into the mechanics of reloading the rifle, stock positioning, and the stance one should take when firing the rifle. After all this and before going to the range, he went into his advocacy and strict adherence to safety; in the event should something go awry he went into the medical procedure that would be performed and made it very clear that if he sees any safety infractions that the person responsible for said infraction would be removed from the site.
• Once medical procedures and safety were established and covered, we went straight to the range and confirmed zero at 50 yards and made adjustments as necessary.
• The first major topic covered was holdover and what to expect at various distances.
• The next topic was cadence and how one should go about it at various speeds to show the effects of going “too fast.” Each speed was turned into a drill and we did them at various distances.
• Another topic was ready positions such as high ready and low ready. We were told to switch between the two ready positions as we progress through drills.
• Next topic was reloads (tactical, speed, and emergency). He showed us various reloads and we performed drills on each one.
• To finish the day Steve went over failure drills (head shot, normal failure drill, and enhanced failure drill) and performed them at various distances.
Day 2:
• Similar to the previous day, we started it off with confirming zero at 50 yards and those who needed to make adjustments did so.
• Immediately after confirming zero, we went straight into failure drills combined with a speed reload while transitioning to different areas of the target (center mass to lower pelvic area to head shots) at various distances.
• Next topic covered was different malfunctions (failure to fire, double feed, and bolt override) and how to clear them. He even gave references and sources to supplement this topic. These malfunctions were incorporated into drills; we set up each malfunction and cleared them then fired at the target.
• The last topic of the day was positions (speed kneeling, supported kneeling, double kneeling, and squatting). Each position was executed in a drill and done at various distances.
• To finish off this class, a final qualification was held, which started at 50 yards and worked up all the way to 5 yards. Almost every distance had a different scenario such as different positions, failures, and sometimes speed reloads within a given scenario. The object was to not miss the designated target.
• Once we were done on the range, we had a final debrief which included what we have covered, awards (for top shooter in particular), and certificate distribution.
Takeaways:
• Before this class I really had no way to judge my skills (or lack thereof) and this really opened my eyes to my weaknesses. However, Steve provided the tools for self-diagnosing errors and the means for improvement.
• The way the class is structured to give you a way to train on your own time, which is such a key element in self-improvement and Steve seems to want to make sure everything he teaches sticks with you.
• Have to slow it down between transitions and elevation changes as it can become easy to get overwhelmed. From this you lose the sight and end up chasing it and before you know it you are rushing which can and will cause you to miss.
• Focusing on the fundamentals may seem easy on the surface, but it will take a great amount of practice and training to really make them second nature/muscle-memory.
• Trust your sight because it does not lie.
• Do not give up the gun until you have successfully scanned the area.
• Unless if you are aiming through your sight, keep your gun on safe; this means manipulating the safety selector.
Final thoughts:
• I highly recommend taking a class from Steve as I firmly believe he is one of the top instructors of the industry and you will definitely learn a lot about yourself and in general.
• This was such an eye opening experience because I did not realize how much I did not know prior to this class and it was very humbling to be made aware of my own errors and what needs improvement.
• The group of people involved with this class was great and I really hope to see more of them in future classes.
• Alliance PD is awesome for letting us use their range. It really is that great of a facility to train.
