Eastridge Training & Consulting (ETC) Pistol Skillbuilder 2 (04-06-2019)

[Kevin Spencer]

Class: ETC Skillbuilder 2 (Drillbuilder), Oklahoma

Instructor: Bryan Eastridge. Bryan is a former Army Ranger and a 16-year police officer at a large metro agency. Along with being a police firearms instructor, he also has experience in competitive shooting.

Date/Location: April 6th, 2019. Jack Oak Private Range, Tuttle, OK

Class Details: The class began with a quick classroom portion dedicated to a safety brief and the points that would be covered on the range. We hit the range within the hour, and started posting targets. Shooting began with a 50-round warmup at five yards on 2-inch circles. We were working in a light rain, and as we neared the end of the warmup the weather took a turn for the worse. The rain increased and lightning drove us back into the range house. We spent about an hour waiting out the weather, and Bryan took this opportunity to discuss concealment theory and equipment selection. Even though we weren’t on the range, he made sure this wasn’t wasted downtime. The severe weather moved out, leaving excellent conditions for the rest of the day.

This class is designed as a follow-on to ETC’s Skillbuilder 1, adding the draw, draw from concealment, reloading, weak-hand shooting, and movement to the shooting fundamentals from the first class. We decided the course could be called The Drillbuilder, because Bryan has selected an assortment of industry drills to reinforce the skills he is teaching. From what I can remember, we shot the Hackathorn Test/HTS Super Test, Wilson 5x5, the Keeper’s Test, Justin Dyal’s Five Yard Roundup, Dave Spaulding’s 15 to the 3rd and 5x5x5, and a modified Rangemaster/Given’s 21-round Casino Drill. Throughout the day we worked on a variety of targets, including the Langdon LTT1, B-8 bulls, and the Pistol-Training PT-Q.

The class progressed from the draw, to the concealed draw, to reloading, and then support hand-only shooting. We then added movement, movement with reloads, and finally close-quarters muzzle awareness work. This work was verified with a modified Burner X-Drill, shooting at 5-yards and incorporating no-sweep/no-shoot targets. The great instruction and good weather in the afternoon made for an enjoyable environment. The fun was amplified with some rivalry when Bryan lined us up for Larry Vicker’s BFD drill, a walk-back exercise that increases distance and eventually starts expelling the slowest shooter until only one stands victorious.

At the end of the day we did a class debrief, where Bryan answered questions and solicited feedback. All the students agreed the class flowed well, provided quality instruction, and is an excellent value. As this was a beta test, I only expect Skillbuilder 2 to improve as Bryan refines his lesson plan.

A note about teaching methods: Bryan took the time to discuss and demo each of the skills he presented, and continued the performance-based model I experienced in Skillbuilder 1. He is concerned with students doing what they can with the skills they have, and working towards improvement. It was interesting to see a class supported by so many drills, which are outcome-based by design, maintain the spirit of a performance-based model. While the drill’s standards are in place, no part of the class was designed to be ego-crushing. There is also discussion about how to take these lessons and drills home, to use them to work independently towards improvement.

Recommendation: I can recommend ETC Skillbuilder 2 for any shooter that in proficient with the safety rules, who wants to improve their gun handling skills, holster work, and who wants to be tested against various industry drills. While anyone could benefit from this class, reasonable marksmanship will make the class more enjoyable. If you’re concerned about your marksmanship fundamentals, I would recommend you first take ETC Skillbuilder 1. Also, while all the students in this class were working from concealment, I think USPSA/IPSC shooters would enjoy and benefit from running this course in competition gear, with the caveat that this IS NOT a class aimed directly at practical shooting competition.

Course Equipment List: Bryan provided a list of necessary equipment to ensure students were prepared.

1. Quality semi-auto handgun, with at least two magazines with 10-round capacity (3+ preferred)
2. Holster, kydex preferred
3. Magazine pouch
4. 500 rounds of ammunition
5. Hearing protection, electronic preferred
6. Eye protection
7. Comfortable attire for weather conditions, rain gear, lawn chair, water, etc.

My Experience: I am a hobbyist shooter with an interest in personal defense and a focus on handguns. I have approximately 160 hours of formal firearms instruction, most of which is LE/government based. I have some experience in law enforcement from years ago, but I have been in the civilian world since 2003. I dry practice occasionally, and try to shoot at least once a month. I’ve attended my first match this year, a local unsanctioned practical match hosted by CCW SAFE at Wilshire Gun Range in Oklahoma City. I also attended ETC Skillbuilder 1 last fall.

My Gear: I attended this class with a GEN5 Glock 17. I used a JM Custom Kydex AIWB1 holster and high mount AIWB magazine pouch. My ear pro was Howard Leight Electronics, and eye pro was Wiley X. I brought ten magazines, and shot 124 grain Speer Lawman ammunition.

Other Students: The class was a beta test for Skillbuilder 2, and had four other students, selected by Bryan. All the students had previously attended Skillbuilder 1, and all the students were safe, proficient shooters. There were no active LE/MIL in the class, although two of us had prior LE experience. One interesting note is the continued renaissance of the DA/SA pistol. Three of the students had LTT Elite Beretta 92s, and a fourth student was running a P226. Only one other student shot a striker gun in the class, shooting both an HK VP9 and a Sig P320 during the day.