Jim:
Reading the letter from the gentleman who mentioned on all the western states instruction opportunities compared to the eastern ones, I noticed my all-time favorite instructor was not mentioned: Pat Goodale, of Practical Firearms Training. His primary range is located in West Virginia, and I wholeheartedly recommend his courses.
Last year I decided I was slacking off with my practice and signed up for a full summer of his courses (he also owns a company in Montana, so there are courses offered here as well). I took Defensive Handgun I, II, and III, Precision Rifle, Tactical Rifle, and will be taking Defensive Shotgun this year. His courses run about $150 per day, are limited in class size, and are an incredible value. I’ve been to Front Sight, and while it was good training, I think it was nowhere near as fantastic as what I’ve
learned from Pat. In the handgun courses we expended 500 rounds per day – same for tactical rifle. It’s fast-paced training, and well worth anyone’s time to take the trip to Alderson, WV or Billings, MT for the course. If you can get 8-10 of your friends to pitch in, Pat will even come to your location and customize courses for you.
I have sent half a dozen students to Pat; some driving all the way from Florida and Ohio. Everyone says the same thing – take advantage of this top-notch instruction while you can. I can certainly assure you it’s the best training I’ve received to date. You (or your readers) can check out my class reviews here:
Enjoy. 🙂 And if any of your readers go, tell Pat that Kit sent you. – Kit