This isn't a class AAR, but rather a review of a venue from the perspective of an instructor.
Dad and I taught our 2-day Shotgun Skills class at Mead Hall Range in McCloud, OK (just east of Oklahoma City) this past weekend. Weather was perfect, the students were great (That Guy failed to make an appearance!), and the facility/host was amazing. It's probably the nicest privately-owned facility we've taught in. But let me start earlier in the process.
Dad and I were contacted by Bill Armstrong, the owner, saying he'd love to host us. After the usual pleasantries, I called him and we got down to business. Bill emailed me a comprehensive packet with waiver, medical plan information (more on that later), and a link to his website https://meadhallrange.com/. The call fleshed these things out and it quickly became apparent that he had the necessary infrastructure to host our class. Range fees were discussed and set, and we moved forward to scheduling. I booked hotel rooms for Dad, Bob and me using a Mead Hall group rate at the local Hampton Inn (about a 15min drive from the range) and created the Eventbrite event.
Bill and I corresponded several more times over the intervening months, from hashing out some neat ideas based on his range's capabilities, to just general BSing. Lots of fun discussion, and he made sure to publicize the class to his regulars (who attended in droves).
When we arrived early on Saturday morning for the class, Bill and his wife Sharla gave us the grand tour of the facility. The clubhouse had a large classroom with projector and side TV capability; a full kitchen with stove, two sinks, dishwasher, and full-size refrigerator; an armorer's room with bench and basic tools/supplies; men's and women's restrooms; a massive safe for storing students'/instructors' weapons if they didn't want to leave them in the hotels when going out to dinner, etc; and a really neat Airsoft/laser-based simulator system that became a center of entertainment after TD1. A couple hundred yards away lie the range we'd be using. 10 lanes with pivot/moving paper target stands behind a railroad tie barrier, and lines freshly painted to indicate desired yardage (Bill had contacted me a few days before the class to make sure he knew which yardages to paint for our needs). A couple dozen yards behind and to the side of the range, there was a concrete pad with permanent shade structure covering some picnic tables where the students could eat lunch, relax on breaks, etc. This area was provided with a giant cooler full of bottled water as well as ammo cans full of various helpful things, including armorer's tools, sunscreen, bug repellent, lube, etc. There was also a comprehensive trauma kit in a very clearly labeled and red-colored Rubbermaid container, which contained the same pre-written medical plan that Bill had emailed me earlier. This included step-by-step directions to the local hospital and the nearest level 1 trauma center in the city, approximate drive times, and precise GPS coordinates to allow a lifeflight bird to land at the 100 yard line of the range. When we began class both days, Bill made sure to have an appointed vehicle staged for medevac with the keys on the front seat and a path clear to exfil (and we arranged primary and secondary drivers), while Sharla kept all the admin tasks well in hand with ensuring students signed in, filled out release forms, etc.
Next to the shade structure was the target barn and bathrooms (yes, flushing toilets, sinks and urinals maybe 25 yards off the left rear corner of the range itself!). The target barn was well stocked and meticulously organized, and Bill gave us the lay of the land and carte blanch to use what we needed. He had color-coded milk crates stacked up on one side. Black had pasters, staple guns, staples, while green had pasters and spray adhesive. There were organized piles of target uprights, various types of steel, stands (along with the all-important stakes and a hammer to keep them upright under violent shotgun recoil), blue barrels, VTAC barricades, etc outside, and a wheeled cart to haul them to and from the range. On the other side of the shade structure, they'd set up a small three-sided berm with a table for handling/casing/uncasing firearms.
Throughout the class, Bill (who was also a student) was constantly making sure we had what we needed. Not to the point of being a bother by any stretch, he simply paid attention and if it looked like we were looking for something, he'd pop over and help us out (and generally knew what we were looking for before we even asked). And lest I be remiss, Sharla made chocolate chip cookie bars for the students every morning. Students and instructors alike were raving about them.
All in all it was an impressive facility and host, who clearly care about making quality training available to their customers. We will definitely be back, and hope to make it a regular stop on our circuit. I for one can't wait to see how they've improved it in a year's time, because it was clear they weren't done. If you're an instructor looking to put on a class, get with Bill and get rolling.