Meadhall Range AAR

Recently, I conducted one of my seminars covering what I view as foundational hand-to-hand fighting material in Oklahoma City at Meadhall Range. Seeing as how it is not just another typical facility, I thought I would take a moment to write about it a bit.

While it is certainly a shooting range, that is just the tip of the iceberg. The live fire ranges are very nice and well thought out. There are incredibly nice restrooms directly adjacent to the main shooting bay, and by restrooms I DO NOT mean a port-a-potty. These are full size real bathrooms, both his and hers, and for that alone, Meadhall stands out from 95% of ranges. Add to the fact that there are a few steps from the shooting line, and you have serious convenience.

There is an extremely nice outdoor picnic/rest area that is completely covered and protects students from sun and rain, and has plenty of seating spots, and tables. Close by is a dedicated safe gun handling area that protects everyone from being in danger, but still allows for some thoughtful gun handling if needed.

Where Meadhall truly shines above almost every facility I have been to is the indoor classroom building. Not only is it large, well lighted, with excellent heat and a/c coverage and tons of tables and chairs to accommodate a large number of students, it also has multiple TV screens in case there are classes with A/V presentations. All the screens are hooked together and can all show any projections, videos, or power points to ensure that no matter where you are seated, you have a beautiful view.

In addition, there is a large and extensive kitchen attached to the classroom, so food can be warmed up or prepared to let students not have to travel outside the range for meals. It was nice to be able to store Gatorade and water in the refrigerator to be grabbed when I needed them, and still have them ice cold.

The major driver of why the range is so nice is the owner, Bill Armstrong. Bill is a dedicated shooter himself and tries to make Meadhall what he always thought was the ideal training facility. He is a thoughtful host, and is constantly working to make the place even better. And he makes some damn fine BBQ to boot!

I strongly encourage students looking for good training to look at the Meadhall schedule. They are bringing in top notch folks like Craig Douglas, Mas Ayoob, Tim Chandler, Ashton Ray, Darryl Bolke, Chuck Haggard, etc, and it will be as comfortable an environment as you will see. And if you are instructor, I would reach out to Bill and see if you can get on the schedule because you will only have to worry about teaching. It will be a smooth sailing experience. I myself and looking forward to getting back there soon.

The rolling shade structures really puts that place over the top.

Bill has really built an awesome place out there.

There’s a Bolke/Burch/Haggard class there in June that looks seriously baller.

Another thumbs up for MeadHall.

I just finished a MAG-20 class there. Facility is indeed top-notch. I loved the high-tech simulator.

The classroom is perfect for lecture. Accommodates up to 40 or so students comfortably. Three screens, good sound, excellent acoustics, no voice amplification required for the lecturer.

Going over the student evaluations, it got rave reviews. No one had any problems signing up. Bill and Sharla provide superb hospitality to both students and guest instructors. (Sharla's pastry is not to be missed. It's a hallmark of the place, sort of like Janelle Cooper's sun tea in the old days at Gunsite.)

Bill is making MeadHall a university of threat management training. He is bringing in top names in hand to hand, emergency med, and criminal psychology along with combatives and the various elements of the defensive shooting arts. He's gonna make McCloud, Oklahoma a little Athens for that type of training, IMO.

We were very much impressed when we came and taught there last year, and couldn't wait to schedule another round this year. Bill and Sharla have done amazing things with their facility, and it shows. Both thumbs way up for Mead Hall.

Meadhall is an awesome facility. It should be a clue that so many national level trainers teach there and fill classes there. If that many people are making the trip, it's probably worthwhile.

My Analysis
Is it because Bill is a handsome and charming host? No ( :) )
Is it because Sharlas chocolate chip bars are worth killing over? Yes
Is it because the facilities are on par with the best the private sector has to offer and equivalent to many government facilites? Yes
Is it because anyone worth training with shows up there? Yes

Having just completed a two-day shotgun class at Meadhall Range, taught by Rob Haught and @LHS, I can attest that every superlative about this place is true.

The facilities are excellent, the hosts are welcoming and helpful, the chocolate chip blondies are delicious, and it really makes it very easy to just be a student. I will add that the best thing was Bill and Sharla hosting a little BBQ on Saturday evening, letting us students and instructors just hang out and chat and get to know each other better. If you're a student there, do yourself a favor and opt to have that meal at the range -- you won't regret it.