Student Review: Training Weekend May 30 – June 01: Bearcreek
I was very pleased with the practical nature of this class. The how to and why for each procedure was presented in a clear, concise manner. This type of class is not as “cool” as CRM, CRCD, or CP type stuff but it is of vital importance and should be a priority for all patriots, just as much as the the shooting and tactics classes.
This class is kind of a condensed, refresher course in rifle manipulation and malfunction clearance. It is not a substitute for a more comprehensive course such as CRM. I found it to be quite valuable to sharpen and refresh skills that are needed during CRCD. Being able to manipulate your rifle competently during CRCD allows you to focus more on the tactics being taught without having to worry so much about just keeping the gun going. I definitely recommend this class for anyone taking CRCD, regardless of experience level.
This was the second time I’ve taken CRCD and it was as valuable the second time as the first. This is the type of class that I’d be happy doing every other month if I could. It never got old and the lessons learned the first time I believe got more ingrained so that they’ll be there when I need them. A couple take aways/recommendations for folks considering this class.
1. Wrap your mags with bright colored duct tape. You’ll be dropping them in the woods and then looking for them later.
2. If at all possible, bring an AR 15. Believe me, Max will appreciate it and if you’ll keep an objective mind, so will you. Compared to an AK, it’s more accurate, way faster to reload, easier to carry mags for, lighter, easier to manipulate the safety on and just all around a better way to go.
3. I’ll echo what Max said in his post about this class. You’ll get way more out of this if you’re in decent shape. If you are red faced and hyperventilating from carrying an extra 50 lbs of fat up and down the hills you’re not going to be able to concentrate nearly as well on what you’re doing. You’re also going to develop bad habits when it comes time for taking cover because you can’t get down or back up quick enough during practice. Our group for this class were in pretty good shape and we got more out of the instruction because of it. I was particularly impressed with the guy with the Burris MTAC (you know who you are). I’m sure he was at least in his 50s and he kept up with
us the whole time.
I didn’t take this class as it was running concurrently to ours. Based on my conversations with Aaron, Max and a couple of the students from this class I would definitely recommend it. It seems to be particularly valuable for those who either haven’t had formal training before or have maybe taken some square range courses and have seen the need to transition to learning actual tactics that work in the real world. It’s also appears to be beneficial for those with more experience who wish to sharpen and
reinforce their skill
Bearcreek