AAR: ONSIGHT FIREARMS TRAINING Defensive Pistol Accuracy and Accountability, 10-3-202

ONSIGHT FIREARMS TRAINING
www.oftllc.us
Defensive Pistol Accuracy and Accountability
October 3, 2021​

Instructor: Ben DeWalt
Location: Maynard Rod & Gun, Maynard MA
Weather: Cloudy, light rain on and off, 60’s
Round Count: 350ish
Class size: 16 students

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This class was a GOAL fundraiser. If you live in Massachusetts and you are not a member of Gun Owners Action League, you are WRONG! Change that today. GOAL is doing the important work on the legislative state level trying to keep our second amendment rights intact. They are Massachusetts’s best hope for cock blocking the Commonwealth's desire to take all your gun rights away. Thank you Jon Green of GOAL, Ben DeWalt of OFT, and Jayson for hosting the class at Maynard Rod and Gun.

I have taken this class a bunch of times over the years. Each class is a little different, but in this class, I can say the drills were very different than previous classes. Ben’s classes are always evolving, but have the same result:

• Teach the student how to use the pistol as a tool to place the bullet exactly in the spot of the target.

• Give the student the confidence to place the bullet exactly where you want it each time.

• Have some fun, meet new friends and enjoy yourself.

The class taught the fundamentals: drawing from the holster, proper grip, putting the sights exactly where they needed to be, trigger press without moving the sights, and follow-through all before the lunch break.

We started off with cold guns working the draw out of the holster correctly and safely. Alumnus was encouraged to push our draw as fast as we could, as getting the gun out was pretty darn important in a gunfight. Ben helped some students get the proper grip at the holster and keep it all the way through the process.

We broke off into two groups. One group shot while the other group watched, learned the drill, and how not to make the mistakes the first group made. We did a walk back drill shooting a 3” dot from 3 yards to 20 yards. The wheels start coming off after 10-15 yards for most of the students (me included…) The funny thing about your brain is that even at 10-20 yards focusing on a small 3” circle, 80% of the shots were pretty close to that 3” circle. Give yourself a large target and your shots tend to be larger, focus on a small target your shots tighten up. (Aim small, miss small)


Each group did this walk-back drill twice. I noticed each of the targets around where I was improved on the second iteration. We changed targets to a 3”x 5” shipping label placed portrait on the target, and did it again. Interesting on how the brain processes a different shaped target to focus on.

We shot two hands, strong hand, support hand from all different distances from the different types and styles of targets. Ben would give us different techniques, different grips for two-handed shooting, strong hand, and support hand. He would walk the line and adjust students politely and with respect where needed. We did a friendly competition for score at one point in the day. You and your partner were scored together against the class. It was fun! We did not win. Congrats to Jayson & Justine! You guys ROCKED!

We did some malfunction/reload drills and getting back on target accurately. The first shot after a reload or a tap/rack is always a tougher one. Switch your grip, remove magazine, tap, tug, chamber a round, get the sights back on target, grip it like your life depends on it, and press the trigger to the rear without moving the sights off the intended impact area. Sounds easy, but it takes practice under the watchful eye of a competent instructor to get the technique correctly. Ben says, “first comes correct technique, and then comes speed.”

All-day long we were changing targets and distance to targets working the fundamentals, getting our reps in and then the dreaded timer came out… ARRGGG!! That damn timer or as I call it the brain scrambler….

We did one shot from the holster into a B8, we each got a few reps in and we took our best time. We worked up to the Vickers’s drill. 10 shots at 10 yards in 10 seconds into a B8. We did it as a group and then individually. The parameters of this drill were all 10 shots anywhere the scoring rings in 10 seconds or under. I burned this drill down, it was not pretty but all my 10 shots were within the scoring rings for 5.24 seconds. I was told to tighten the pattern up, I knew I could go as fast as could as long as I kept all the shots in the 8” circle. The next iteration was going to be scored, it was time for me to slow my roll. My next run was at 6.84 seconds and a score of 96. I came in second place to the great Pete who scored a 98 with a Sig P365. Awesome job Pete! Impressive!!

I really like Ben. He is super knowledgeable, skillful, funny, humble, and sometimes appropriately inappropriate. As the day goes on his jokes go downhill. He is a down-to-earth dude, that is easy to talk to, fun to be around. I think OnSight Firearms Training is one of the best training companies, absolutely take his class if you have the opportunity.
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