Short version: Do whatever you can to attend a class here -- it's a world class facility with outstanding instruction. A class at K&M should be on your bucket list.
Longer version: I have done some firearms training at a few locations, mostly shotgun and pistol. Still, my overall experience with instructional training is fairly limited, especially when it comes to rifle. I read that K&M Precision Rifle Training was a premier destination, so I made the decision to take a course there.
I recently attended an April session of the Basic Long Range Precision Rifle Course. I had registered back in September of last year, as classes fill up quickly. I knew I was in for a good experience because nearly every question I had was already anticipated and answered in the welcome packet that was sent upon enrollment.
The facility, more than 200 acres and an absolute shooter's playground, is located in Finger, Tennessee -- about an hour south of Jackson. It is somewhat remote and offers lodging as part of the enrollment fee. I was with a small group (my brother and my son) and we elected to upgrade and stay in the cabin. The cost was very affordable and worth the decision. The beds were extremely comfortable and everything was spotless. (The facility is more than seven years old now and everything (literally everything) looks like it was just built yesterday.) It is in near-perfect condition and when you walk around, you start to notice endless details that not only point to the level of thought that went into creating the facility, but also the resources that went into the buildout.
I will not go into great detail about the course, as I gathered that, although the basics of the class are consistent, some elements do change from time to time. Rather than convey an exercise that might excite (or bore) you and then find out it has been dropped from the curriculum, I will say that every single slide in the classroom, every single trigger pull on the range has been clearly thought out to get the very most out of your limited time at the complex.
K&M's training is a fire hose of information. From an early start to late afternoon each day, we were given classroom and range instruction that was a lot and often. Thinking about it now, after the fact, that sounds pretty intense but it wasn't at the time. Yes, there was a lot of information and there was a tiny bit of math (!) and it was fairly nonstop -- but during the time, it didn't seem that way. Everything was presented in a manner that made so much sense, that was entirely digestible, and easy to retain. Going back now, a couple weeks later, and looking at the slides presented over the two days (and my limited notes - the slides were so comprehensive), I still retain nearly all of the information -- and better yet -- understand the why behind all of it. I've thought to myself about what might be dropped or changed to slow the pace a bit, but after it's over, I wouldn't change a thing. The pace is quick, but I only had two days there and while there are some things I didn't perfect while I was there, almost everything I can train on at my home range.
The staff at K&M is friendly and helpful. I can't speak to the other courses, but this approachable attitude is exactly what you want for a basic course. While it is helpful to have some experience with a scope and rifle coming into the course, you don't need to be anything close to an expert. Shannon Kay and his instructors are happy to help and K&M is definitely a place where there are no bad questions.
Ultimately, there are many places you can go to take a basic course in long range rifle, but these three elements -- the facility, the well-planned and delivered coursework, and the helpful and professional instructors -- make K&M the premier destination for training. No other place I have been to even comes close. I walked in with a fairly limited skill set behind a rifle and did things I never thought I...
  Â
Read more
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI.
