If you’re looking for basic training and safety and firearm use, Tactic Montana (located in Bozeman, Montana) has basic training for handgun and carbine.

Handgun 1

Handgun 1 is the first of four courses to the handgun training series. This would be recommended for everyone who is wanting to learn the basic of safety and handgun proficiency. They provide the firearm and ammunition for the first class, so you do not have to own a firearm to take this class. It would be a great course to take before owning a firearm.

The day started being fitted for a belt with a holster and they provided each of us with a Glock 17. We then went into their classroom where we learned the basic function of handguns. They breakdown the gun into its parts and explain their function. They begin to talk about safety procedures, such as “always point in a safe direction” and “finger high and off the trigger.” There was hands on training to put these methods into practice, then back to the classroom to learn about different things such as trigger control, grip and stance. Next in dry fire practice, we applied these skills to instill basic techniques before live fire practice.

After lunch, everyone drove out to the range where we put these new skills to the test. First we loaded our magazines and watched the instructors demonstrate the drills. First to put in practice trigger control, grip and stance, we took aim at small dots on paper. The direction you missed or hit the target indicated which skills you needed to practice. More drills were put into practice, which reinforced each new skill and built upon the last.

Carbine 1

Much of the first part of the class echoed that of Handgun 1. And like the Handgun series, there are four courses. Classroom instructions and dry fire drills were used to reinforce the basics of safety and operation. For this course, you are required to supply your own firearm and ammunition. They made sure your firearm was safe to use and that you knew how to operate it correctly.

After the in-class portion, we went out to the range. We were first taught how to ‘zero’ our rifles, then went on to other live fire drills that demanded accuracy, speed, and safe handling of the fire arm.

Company & Instructors

The classes are not cheap, but are well worth your money. The owner and instructors are well versed and trained in safety and operation of firearms. While there may be ideological differences between instructors and many in this club, the instruction was extremely professional and the instruction was well done. During training, the instructors are very patient, kind, and encouraging. We highly recommend these classes!

They offer many classes dealing with firearms, survival, conflict resolution and first aid. Check out their website: https://tacticmt.com/