As a competitor in IDPA, I considered myself to be fairly proficient in handgun combat, that all changed when I went to Thunder Ranch.
What I learned was that I didn't know what I didn't know.
Thunder Ranch was started in 1993 by Clint Smith a decorated Marine who served two tours in Vietnam. Clint worked as a Sheriff's deputy for seven years, during which he began training other LEOs as part of the SWAT team. After his LEO career Clint attended and then worked for Jeff Cooper at Gunsite in Paulden, AZ (near Prescott).
Clint eventually bought land in SE Oregon and started Thunder Ranch to impart his wisdom learned through the years to those interested in combat pistol techniques.
Clint sold the ranch in 2023 and has retired from training, but his training techniques and the ranch continue to provide valuable training to those seeking it.
My son B.J. had wanted to attend the class there and instigated the trip. So I flew to Oregon and we rented a house nearby. I brought my Kimber 1911 pistol, B.J. was using a CZ 75 I believe.
That morning we were greeting by a thing blanket of snow.
Thunder Ranch sits at 5,400 feet above sea level, so snow in April is not uncommon. Interestingly, Gunsite ranch is also high desert at 4,790 feet.
The class started as you might expect, the four basic rules of gun safety, followed by anecdotal stories of negligent and accidental discharges and the difference between them. They also touched on the subject of legal defense following a shooting. In this day and age, defending yourself or others with a gun also means you may have to defend your actions in court.
There was talk about flashlights and the trainer had everyone put their lights on the ground so he could highlight the differences between them.
There was a discussion about the difference between cover and concealment, while cover can be concealment, concealment isn't always cover. In order for cover to be cover, it has to over some level of protection from bullets. The level of protection depends on what gun is being shot at you.
Next the trainers discussed proper hand grip, while there are a few ways to hold a gun properly, there are lots of ways to hold it improperly.
Along with proper hand grip, they discussed stance, they didn't discuss the different known stances (Isosceles, weaver, etc.) they did discuss having a good stance and practicing it. Along with this we did both dry fire and live fire practice.
Along with this was practice shooting with either hand, many times in a fight your "good" hand may get injured, so it is important to practice with both.
Next came the draw, they broke it down into 5 movements, 1. hand on gun, 2. remove gun and lift arm, 3. extend arm 4. sight, 5. shoot.
We practiced live fire draws with open sights.
Next, they discussed trigger control, the trainers explained how trigger pull should not affect your accuracy/precision. A lot of people focus on this and spend money unnecessarily.
They also talked about sight wobble, this is when you have to hold your gun on a subject for a period of time and the weight of the gun makes your arm tired and thus the point of aim change. They trained us on focusing on the sights as it sweeps past the target and timing your shots during the sweeps. We practiced this at both 10 and 25 yards.
During this time, they explained shot placement and how important it is, I had always thought that LEOs were trained to shoot for center of mass because it was a larger target, but as it turns out they were actually aiming for the spine. That and the fact that the head moves a lot more than the torso, so it is an easier target.
There was discussion about wounds and how some people can continue the fight with head wounds, teeth, and the round shape of the skull can make head shots ineffective.
We practiced "A-Zone" shots on targets
The next discussion was on controlling recoil, going back to how important grip and stance are. We did both dry and live fire practice.
Along with this they discussed moving target and the importance of rule #4, make sure that there is no one or nothing important behind the bad gun. This may necessitate a move to the side, we practiced live fire moving forward and back and side to side.
We moved on to clearing jams, the old "tap, rack, bang", something that needs to be second nature for people carrying a gun. We practiced clearing our guns and shooting live fire.
Next, we moved to a different location, a building specifically designed to train close quarters combat and room clearing.
Practice was live fire and dry fire, sometimes using only one or two rounds.
One of the most valuable parts of the class is the real-World experience that the trainers can bring, they told us stories of successful home defenses, one involved a woman laying prone behind her bed (concealment, not cover) and shooting under the bed at the intruder's feet.
The class consisted of around 20 people, with varying skills and knowledge. There were 4 trainers who each taught and discussed the subjects.
I polled the class and everyone there thought the experience was worth the time and money spent, including me, my son B.J. and his friend who went with us.
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