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By Serina Cox, After a somewhat lengthy hiatus from Thunder Ranch, the world famous firearms training center, the lure of a three-day class for women only motivated me to return once more. Three days of basic defensive handgun training provided a great opportunity to review good, solid shooting and tactical fundamentals and fresh inspiration to practice even harder.
We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, which allowed plenty of time to settle in to our cabins for an early start on Wednesday. The cabins were charming, with a nicely outfitted kitchen and panoramic view of the beautiful Texas Hill Country from the front porch. Heidi and Clint greeted us warmly and fed us a wonderful dinner. Students in the women's class literally get more bang for their buck as evening meals and lodging are included for the same price as the regular three-day handgun course without these amenities. It's a real bargain. The dinners gave participants a chance to visit and share experiences with other women who shoot and carry guns as well as hear Clint's stories of buffalo hunting in Texas and Nebraska. We turned in early with instructions to meet at Thunder Ranch's classroom at 8:30 the next morning. Coffee in hand, we gathered in the surprisingly cool morning (late May and early June in Texas can be quite warm) and settled in for an entertaining and very informative lecture by Clint covering safety and an overview of Thunder Ranch tactical doctrine. The lecture lasted until lunchtime and afterwards we met at the Red Range, which was to be home base for the duration of the course. As this was intended to be a beginner level class, drills were very basic and the pace was easy and relaxing. What a difference from the competitive, testosterone-laden, atmosphere of many coeducational classes I've attended. Not that I didn't enjoy those and learn from them also, I did. It was still a nice change though and provided the perfect atmosphere for those women who were brand new to shooting schools. Hardware I've been using the Ashley sights for a while now and like them a lot. Based on the sights used on African dangerous game rifles they consist of a shallow "V" notch rear sight with a vertical tritium bar at the center combined with a large tritium dot front sight. To align them, one simply dots the 'i.' While perhaps not as precise as a conventional sight picture, they are very fast (which is why they are preferred for charging Cape Buffalo) and seem to offer all the precision required for close range self-defense applications. For ammo I chose Winchester ball, which now comes in 100-round "Value Packs" and deserves mention. The cartridges are loose in the box rather than riding in a plastic or styrofoam tray. This was done to cut packaging costs, which are passed on to the consumer but it also made for quicker and more convenient loading of magazines since I could just grab a handful of rounds at once rather than having to pluck them out of a tray one-by-one. We started out with one or two chest shots from the ready position at a range of only a couple of yards but by the day's end students were performing speed loads and moving away from their targets before firing. Including Clint, there were seven instructors on hand, so every one received plenty of individual attention. As mentioned earlier, the atmosphere was casual and relaxed but every one seemed to have worked hard enough to develop an appetite for the delicious barbeque supper. Day two began with a quick review of day one and then progressed to clearing malfunctions. The method taught at Thunder Ranch consists of two techniques, tap, rack, and fire followed if necessary by removing the magazine, racking the slide two or three times, replacing the magazine, racking the slide again, and firing, Clint explained that this method will clear all types of jams with nearly all types of auto pistols and is not brand specific. The first step takes care of a magazine that wasn't properly seated and the second clears stove pipes, double feeds, etc. We then set up the different kinds of malfunctions with our pistols and practiced clearing them rapidly. Muscle Fatigue In the afternoon students progressed to more advanced drills in the form of moving targets, multiple targets and shooting while actually in motion. These exercises were definitely more challenging, but by now everyone had developed the necessary skills to get good hits. The ability to put rounds on a moving target while moving yourself is definitely a confidence builder and self-confidence can be just as much of an asset in a violent encounter as a pistol. Day two concluded with presentations from the holster. Previously, all firing drills had been performed with the gun already in hand which Clint joked is the fastest draw of all. After a bit of working from the holster we were ready to call it a day. The weather had warmed up considerably and the students were hot and tired but another delicious dinner provided much needed sustenance which, along with a good night's sleep in the comfortable beds, prepared everyone for the final day's challenges. Day three began with more review and discussion and then proceeded on to fighting from the ground. While certainly not the ideal location to fight from, the ground is where a lot of real life altercations end up. This may be especially true with women who are defending themselves from attempted rape. Clint stresses a "never quit" mindset and emphasizes that his students need to be aware that getting knocked down doesn't mean they have lost the fight.
Clint, whose vocabulary runs to "colorful" at times and is ever the jokester, told us that the ground fighting exercises were just like being on vacation in Cancun, "Lying on your back in the sun with people speaking foreign languages!" What a character. Before breaking for the noon meal some time was devoted to
firing one-handed. Since either hand can be injured or occupied
with something besides shooting during a fight, it is important
to be able to fire with only one hand. We began by observing Clint from the catwalk as he discussed pieing corners, the proper way to open doors, and other tactical problems. Next, students split into groups of three or four with other instructors and practiced clearing rooms and hallways with pointed fingers. After these dry runs, some returned to the Red Range for more practice and then rotated back for one live fire drill on each of the Terminator's two sides as openings became available.
After everyone had completed two trips through the Terminator, it was back to the classroom deck for handing out diplomas and saying goodbyes. E-mail addresses and business cards were exchanged with newly-made friends along with promises to keep in touch. I, of course, made time to visit the pro shop and rewarded my three days of training effort with a nice Thunder Ranch blouse and scarf. I doubt that there is a single reader of Women & Guns who would not enjoy and benefit from attending this women's only class. Though advertised as a basic level course, those who are more advanced will appreciate the opportunity to review fundamentals under the guidance of Clint Smith and his cadre of expert assistant instructors. Sharing the experience with other women who are like-minded is a refreshing and affirming bonus. No! You are not the only woman out there who enjoys shooting and refuses be left defenseless at the mercy of society's bottom feeders. Join the Thunder Ranch sisterhood. Thunder Ranch |
Director Clint Smith and his wife, Heidi, rolled out
the red carpet for the 15 women and their various companions
that showed up for what turned out to be a great class-punctuated
with wonderful meals and an old fashioned sense of community.
My pistol for the class was my daily carry gun, a
Glock 19 with Ashley Express Sights and a Defense/Carry trigger
job by T.R. Graham carried in a Blade Tech women's holster. I
love my Glock and apparently so do others. A quick count showed
that out of the 15 women, two were carrying 1911s, one an H&K
USP, one a Springfield XD and 11 Glocks. Gaston would have been
proud.
It was about this
time that muscle fatigue began to plague some students, including
me. A day and a half of constant shooting and gun handling had
taken its toll. I experienced one malfunction in the form of
a double feed, which was the result of "limp wristing"
due to the weakness in my arms. Another important lesson was
driven home. We needed to develop more upper body strength and
endurance. Even a defensive situation may last long enough to
cause exhaustion if an attacker must be held at gunpoint for
an extended period.
With that advice
in mind we proceeded to lie down and fire from a variety of positions.
Everyone was carefully coached to keep their hands and feet clear
of the muzzle. It was soon clear to all that very accurate gunfire
can be delivered from the ground with relative ease and we added
another rung on our ladder to self-confidence.
As with my other
trips to Thunder Ranch, this was the most exciting and the most
valuable of all the drills. A very brief time in the Terminator
is all that is required to drive home how dangerous doing this
for real would be. Clint and his crew do a splendid job of making
self-defense training with firearms a fun-filled activity but
work in the Terminator underscores that it is really a deadly
serious business. Never engage in what is called "house
clearing" unless there is absolutely no alternative. If
an intruder enters your home, hide behind a locked door, call
911, and let him come to you.
