Shotgun Course

NRA Basic Shotgun Shooting Course
General Info
Course Title: NRA Basic Shotgun Shooting Course
Class Date/Time: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 7:00 PM
Register By: Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Cost: $10.00
Initial Deposit: $10.00
Address: Cornerstone Church
901 4th Ave. SW
Red Bay, AL 35582
US


Sponsored by Cornerstone Church Royal Rangers. Shotgun Course geared toward youth shooters. 7:00-8:00 PM Wed Nights Jan 29, Feb 5, 12, & 19. Range Day: Sat, Feb 22 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM.
NRA Certificate upon completion.
Classroom is upstairs with no elevator available.

Love to be there and bring my AR/ER boys. 

Next month a guy at church is organizing a ccw class held by an NRA instructor. He's only charging $45. I don't need it for permit as I have one but an opportunity to shoot for a few hours with an NRA teacher would be alright at that price. Who knows maybe I can network with him to get the shooting safety badges taught. I'd love to get an instructor to teach each of these annually in my Royal Rangers outpost with others welcomed.

I actually set this up as a favor for my #1 Ranger (the kid who NEVER misses a meeting).

He already has his Basic Firearms Safety Merit, and has said for months that he would like to shoot some Trap.

I have a small trap machine and a couple of cases of clay birds, so I thought that we need to do a small class prior to shooting, then figured that we might as well meet the course standards so that he can get his Shotgun Merit for it.

If I could get NRA certified I'd offer all the safety courses.

Certification courses are running between $200.00 and $525.00 per course.

Back in 1982, I got certified as a NRA Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Home Firearms Safety Instructor, and Wisconsin State Hunter Safety Instructor for about $125.00 total.

But back then, you could buy a new Toyota Celica GT Liftback off the Showroom floor for under $6,000.00.

How would I become knowledgeable enough to pass the instructor tests?

You have to take the Instructor Certification Course.

I am not an Instructor/Trainer, so I don't have how many hours the Instructor Certification Courses are, but it looks like they are about 12 to 16 hours, with a pre-certification requirement.

I think that the course that I took was about 24 classroom hours (1:00 to 5:00 for 6 weeks).

When or if I do the instructor course it will teach me everything I need to pass the paper test and hands on demonstration?

If you go to

http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

you can do a search for Instructor Courses on the right side of the page.

A "Pop-Up" Requirements Page with the Performance Course Standards should come up when you check a course.

There is also a written test at the end, but all of the answers are given during the class, or from take-home materials.

Is it open book?

Man, that was 30 years ago!

I do not believe so, as the tests for the Basic Firearms Safety Courses are not Open Book.

But most Instructors have a review of materials on the written test before you take it. So you should be able to pass it, if you have a 24-hour Retention Span.

The Practical Hands-On Test is the hardest part, as you have to do the Performance Tasks virtually perfect to pass. (Obviously, they are not going to certify you as an Instructor, if you cannot demonstrate how to handle a firearm safely.)

The boys have had 3 Wednesday Night Classes (we were set back by weather), and Class #4 is this week.  

On  Saturday, they are coming out to the Range from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  They will each shoot 25 rounds at clay birds, 1 round of shot into a waterfilled 2-liter jug (to see the destructive potential of a shotgun), 2 slugs at a bulls-eye for familiarization, demonstrate how to unload, encase, and climb into (and come down from) an elevated hunting stand, and clean a shotgun.

Written Test & Graduation are next Wednesday Night.

What gauge are the boys shooting?  I know 12ga slugs can hurt for awhile for an adult.

We have 2 boys that are over 5'11" and over 180 lbs. They will be shooting 12 gauge.

2 younger guys (about 90 pounds each) will be shooting 20 gauge.

(And I think that I have some reloaded 12 gauge slugs. They're not quite as brutal.)

I usually go for the copper plated sabot hollow points in 3" size for hunting. For a day at the range I'd use the small ones. 

Is there a proficiency requirement or just safe handling?

There are 3 levels of qualification available to the boys:

They get the "Shotgun Safety" Merit by just completing the course, and passing the Safe Handling & Written Tests.

They qualify for the NRA "Basic Practical" Rocker by shooting at clay birds thrown from a machine trap. My book is in the classroom, but I think that it is only 3 of 25 needed for the Rocker.

In order to qualify for the R/R Shotgun Shooting Merit, they must score 13 of 25 clay birds, two times. So no one will make all 3 at once. They would have to come back and do another 25 birds to obtain the Shooting Merit.

Are they al shot from same position?  At mens advance we shot twice from 5 different positions.

No. The NRA Course Program of Instruction just says to "vary the angle" that the shooter has to the targets. This can be done by just turning the Trap Machine slightly.

Last night, I had two boys show up who hadn't been around in 6 months.

They said that they couldn't understand why they can't go the the Field Day on Saturday, just because they missed the first three nights of classes.

(They're also the ones who are never around to repair the tents or clean the cooking utensils, but are always there when the food is served.)

A political analogy comes to mind but I think you can read my thoughts on this one!

RRCmdrBennett wrote:A political analogy comes to mind but I think you can read my thoughts on this one!

Reads loud and clear Dan, and I definitely agree!

I also agree with your decision Claymore. As commanders we're there to love, help, encourage, and TEACH. Many times the greatest life lessons don't come from the RR material, but through the life experiences. They need to learn that benefits without any work is a false notion.

Don't misinterpret me here. I know salvation is a free gift, but living it out is hard work. "...I'll show you my faith by my works..."

I also had a situation happen in Milwaukee a few years back.

About 8 kids took a Firearms Safety Course, and on Range Day we went to a Sportsman's Club to shoot .22 bolt action rifles.

Everything was great.  At noon, we broke for lunch, I made hot dogs, and after the kids ate, they went to a small playground at the Sportsman's Club.

I then learned that they maliciously destroyed some toy cars & trucks that belonged to the Custodian's kids and were in the sand-box.

I paid the custodian for the damaged toys, and told our kids that if I cannot trust them with toys in a playground, I shall not trust them with loaded firearms.  We packed up the vehicles and shut down the operation.

I was chewed up-and-down by a mother who said, "That's not how Jesus would have handled it."  My stance was that we are trying to teach the kids RESPONSIBILITY.

(I did give the kids another chance.  I opened the Range the next week, and they were allowed to finish the Course of Fire; which I had planned on.  I just wanted the kids to see that there were consequences to bad actions with firearms.)

By the way, I believe that the instigators of the act were two sons of a divorced father. They lived with their mother. She didn't attend our church, but the father did. And while I understand that the incident may not have happened if it was only kids from the Church, they had to understand that Safety is a Shared Responsibility when you are engaged in Shooting Disciplines.

If they're not faithful in the small things, how can they be rulers over much??

Everybody is so soft today when you try to have any reasonable discipline they cry its too harsh. Old days if kids ran around the church or were playing in the pews they were dealt with firmly. I've had to give some kids some very DIRECT commands to park it and show respect for His house. 

I drill safety into kids during firearm safety course. I tell them plain these weapons can kill. They are designed to kill something. Not necessarily people but to a hunk of metal its makes no difference if you're young, old, boy, girl, or animal. Where does safety start boys?  Right here (points to my head). 

When Jesus got riled up he went Indiana Jones style on them money changers for cheating the people. When the pharisees were looking for an occasion to arrest him he told parables that were aimed at them. When they attacked he called them names like vipers. 

If we do any of the above we're unChristlike...?

...Only when someone doesn't like what you've said.