Thanks so much for the course today! It was wonderful. Beforehand, I was afraid the instructors would be macho guys like the ones who taught the hunter safety course I went to. You can imagine how glad I was to find you an encouraging and confidence-boosting person who wasn’t about to make fun of me for not knowing something! In fact there are a lot of things I was afraid of before that do not scare me anymore. I think the biggest thing I learned is not so much that I can and should do something in the event that I am attacked, but what some of my options are and confidence. If I had been attacked before this, I would likely have frozen thinking, “I should know what to do! I have to do something or this will be my fault!” but draw a complete blank on workable options. Now I know some options and I am excited about learning and practicing more in the near future. I may never have been attacked, but there have been times that fear and emotional intimidation of others has overpowered me because I was afraid it could become physical. It will not happen again though, because I know I can win if someone does resort to physical methods. You may never know what this has done for me, but THANK YOU!
Julio – Rochester, NY
NRA Basic Pistol
Hi Dave, Just wanted to let you know the only reason I signed up for the class was to be able to take the Utah/Florida Non Resident Carry Class. Denis and Matt were very nice, friendly and made the class go by quick. I’ve been shooting for about a year and though I enjoy it, I was always frustrated after shooting because I was not able to hit the target 50 feet away on a regular basis. Denis pointed out to me that my trigger finger was going further than it needed to on the trigger. When the class was done, I left getting the certificate I needed to take my next class. Not once did I think I would be able to shoot better than I did before I took the class. Well, today I went out shooting and I was able to consistently hit the target 50 feet away with my Ruger LCP, Ruger SR9c and my Glock 23. Also, I was able to hit the bulls eye on each of the targets I put up. All by adjusting my trigger finger like Denis instructed me to. Although I’m not going to win Top Shot anytime soon, I’m very thankful to the instructors for making my shooting experience better. Defensive Pistol Skills 101 will be next for me. Thanks and See you guys soon!
Dana Eells – Rochester, NY
Concealed Carry 1 (CCW-1)
Dave, On behalf of myself, Anthony Pata and Matt Moore, I’d like to take a minute to commend your program and especially your staff! We took the CCW1 (2/20/16) with Butch McDonald, Bob Rathke and Chris Schlierf; in Canadaigua. I can’t thank you enough for your guys. On a personal note, I’m extremely new to handguns. I have no family members that have ever hunted or been into pistols so I was very self-conscious and nervous about the classes. Every one of these guys have the skills to not only take the topic very serious but do so in a way that brings humor and kindness as well. They took the time to get to know each of us in the class by name, learn our personalities, and gave quiet corrections. The instructors have a fantastic relationship with each other too which creates an amazing environment. Their professionalism, camaraderie and respect are contagious and because of that the atmosphere of the class is one of encouragement, safety, and enjoyment. Your curriculum is well thought out too. It is clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into developing a progression of skills with real-life scenarios mixed in. Not only are we getting better at the basics of shooting a pistol, we are also being introduced to the overwhelming emotions that we could face in the real world.
Stacy East – Rochester, NY
Defensive Pistol Skills 101 (DPS101)
I recently took Dave’s Defensive Firearms Skills 1 and 2 class and have to commend Dave, and his staff, on a highly professional, yet easy going and fun training session. Dave and his team presented the information in a clear, easy to understand manner with the intensity needed to make all crucial skill sets known. Defensive firearms skills are not a subject to take light hearted or as a game, and Dave made that point clear. What is unique about Dave is that he can present very serious information in a manner that nails the important points across yet keeps you laughing all day and doesn’t make you uncomfortable. For me, a 26 year old female, I was shy at first, and I was hesitant to take the class because I didn’t want to be bombarded by people trying to convince me that I should carry my firearm. It has been something I’ve been considering and this class definitely helped me feel more confident in myself to where, if I would decide to carry, I would know how to properly use my firearm and make it a tool of protection and not harm. Dave makes you comfortable and dose not enforce his views on you, he is there to help you learn what you need to to make the right decision for you and you alone.
A. P. – NY
Basic Self Defense (BSD101)