I attended the HiTS First Responder Pistol course on April 9-10, 2016 in Carrolton, TX. The class lasted two days and included 16 hours of training.
Instructors
Darryl Bolke and Wayne Dobbs
Introduction
I contacted Darryl less than two weeks before the class started to ask him about pistol training for my son who is currently serving in the military. After speaking with Darryl, I started to consider attending the HiTS class myself. When I learned that they still had an opening for this weekend's class, I decided to sign up. My main personal goal was to improve my shooting so that I could practice with my son when he is home on leave.
I have been a very active rifle shooter and hunter since I was a child. However, the only formal pistol training I had ever received prior to this class was a quick Air Force qualification course in a .38 revolver before I deployed for Desert Storm 25 years ago. I had just started watching the Ben Stoeger videos and was practicing my draw/reloads in the garage at night. I had only carried a pistol while I hunted with my muzzleloader, and I had only competed in a few informal club pistol matches. I was a bit nervous when the class started and concerned that I would be holding back the training for the rest of the class.
As it turned out, my basic shooting was fine. My main struggle was with items that were more "tactical" in nature. I had heard terms like "tactical reload", "tap, rack, bang" etc. in the past, but had never practiced them and felt like I was behind the rest of the class when the time came to demonstrate those skills. I asked for a bit of extra help from Darryl or Wayne. They were very patient and helpful, and only expected me to perform those skills as fast as I could safely do so. If the class would have had only one instructor, I would have been less likely to ask for help. Two highly qualified instructors is a big benefit when training with HiTS.
Students
We had nine students. I enjoyed the other students. They were good, safe shooters and just good all-around people. I would love to sit down at a dinner table with any of them. There was a wide variety in training backgrounds, occupations, and experience. One student was form Florida, one from Denver, and the rest from North Texas. None of the students were law enforcement or active duty military.
Equipment
I used a basic Beretta 92G. I had recently added a Wilson Combat Trigger Bar, a Wilson Combat rear sight, and changed a couple springs. The pistol worked great. I also had a Comp-Tac OWB holster, cheap Uncle Mike's mag pouches, and a Walmart belt. I will definitely buy a better belt before I take the next class. Other students had a Sig P226, M&P, one Glock, and several HKs. We also had one revolver shooter. I really enjoyed having a revolver shooter in the class and was impressed by how well he shot. Darryl and Wayne were very familiar with each type of firearm. Wayne had experience with the Beretta and gave me some very good Beretta-specific training. He shot my pistol very well. I used approximately 600 rounds of ammunition.
Safety
I was impressed by the emphasis on safety. We had a very good discussion about the four basic safety rules, and looked at some applications of those rules that I had not previously considered. I always viewed myself as a safe shooter, but realized that I had become complacent in some areas and was ignorant in other areas. The Saturday morning safety discussion/reminder was worth the price of admission for me. Darryl and Wayne ran a safe range. They actively pursued safety and expected a high level of compliance from the students.
Instruction
Darryl and Wayne tried to instill some basic skills that would be "Hardwired" into our decision making and shooting. They taught several methods, drills, ideas that will make my practice more beneficial. I have been reading about competition shooting recently and placing too much emphasis on speed in my personal shooting. I was outshooting my ability and getting sloppy. During one particular drill, Darryl pointed out that I was trying to shoot so fast that I wasn't even looking at my sights properly. He helped me refocus on being accountable for every shot. I have already decided that I am not going to pay as much attention to my score or rank at the next club shoot I attend. Instead, my main goals are to see the sight track correctly on each shot and move in a safe, balanced, controlled manner.
Comments
I encourage you to attend this course, especially if you carry a pistol for protection or want sound methods to safely improve your skills. I do not know how this course compares to others that are available, but I do know that it helped me and that it was worth the time/money I spent.
Darryl Bolke and Wayne Dobbs have spent decades willingly putting themselves between danger and our families. I am glad they are now willing to help those who can benefit from their years of experience and sacrifice. This weekend, I was reminded of the tremendous amount of respect, thanks, and admiration that we owe these two men and the others that serve the rest of us in a similar way. I need to seek out ways that I can help the police officers in my community and my nation. It was a privilege to spend two days with Darryl and Wayne.
Keith
Reply With Quote
. Snarky and easily butt hurt. Favorite animal is the Cape Buffalo....likely indicative of a personality disorder.
Originally Posted by nyeti
