Black Badge Course..is it too early for me to try

SgtMjr

SgtMjr

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My local range is holding a Black Badge course in 3 weeks. I am very new to pistols and have just purchased one for the first time this week ( shot pistols 30 years ago). Fired 50 rounds so far. I could get three practice sessions shooting and two weeks of general handling and familiarization in before the course starts.

Is this too soon for me to try this course?
 
No, not too soon. Many instructors want to get you before you develop bad habits which are then hard to break.
 
You'll have to answer that yourself. The BB course isn't a shooting course, it's about rules and procedures. Depending on how many on the course, the instructor won't have much time for individual coaching. You're expected to be able to shoot at a level where you can complete the exercises within the allotted time. The only exception to that; don't work on your draw ahead of the course - they'll teach that.
 
I would be a contrarian and say that it's too early.

Can you put a shot on an 8 x 11 paper 10/10 times at 15 yards? If you can, than maybe.
 
Most instructors want you while your new so you can learn the fundamentals first before you develop bad habits, i say go for it. There were a few newbies in my class, one guy was 80 or something.
 
Have you tried to get in touch with the instructor and ask them if they think it would be beneficial for you to wait? Like has been said, they may prefer to get you this early to prevent you from having bad habits.
 
Thanks for the good advice guys, much appreciated. I wasn't sure if the course included shooting, thanks for the clarification. Point taken on the fundamentals that's one aspect I didn't consider. I'll ask the range regarding my status and the course and see what they say.
 
I would just add that you may be able to go to the IPSC Canada website and see if they have the layout for the course to see what skills you need to have. When I took the course about 10 years ago you were required to draw and shoot various numbers of rounds (starting with one and moving up) within a certain time frame (4 seconds, 2 seconds and so on) and make good hits. This was the practical portion , then there was the rules and regulations portion which was a written test. TC
 
I don't think it is too early if you have the required equipment (or can get it in time) and you are comfortable with your firearm. Not just shooting it but with its mechanical function. I have conducted some informal training sessions and have had people that don't know their pistol. When unloading and showing clear they get confused between the magazine release and slide stop and some didn't understand what the decocker was. As suggested earlier if you can hit a sheet of paper at 15 yds and fully understand how your firearm works, go for it.
 
SgtMjr said:
Thanks for the good advice guys, much appreciated. I wasn't sure if the course included shooting, thanks for the clarification. Point taken on the fundamentals that's one aspect I didn't consider. I'll ask the range regarding my status and the course and see what they say.
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The course does include shooting, our course wanted us to bring at least 500 rounds. But your not competiting, your learning and of course shooting, how else can you learn.
 
BB course is not going to teach you how to shoot, they teach rules and procedures.
When I took my BB course I spoke to instructor 3 weeks before course and when mentioned that i just got a brand new gun he almost canceled my registration. I have put 1000rounds in 3 weeks and got fairly accurate with the gun before the course.

Do not take the course.
 
I re-audited the BB course last year as per the rules, due to a lengthy lay off. My wife took the next course and I and others watched and set up a stage for them.

My wife was an experienced CAS competitor, but shooting a semi-auto was fairly new to her. There is no CAS equivalent to the IPSC BB course, arguably one of the best gun handling programs widely available. The course made her a better, more competent gun handler. She quickly gravitated from her SR9 to two 1911's - a Ruger and a Remington. She shoots them better than the 9mm.
 
I recommend getting familiar with your handgun and pistol shooting before you consider the Black Badge course. 'Familiarity' will require not a round count, but instead time spent with intent to improve. Don't go to the range and shoot a hundred rounds and think "oh, not bad". Develop a program for yourself to follow and genuinely work on it (this program should include a lot of dry fire). It sounds like a lot of incredibly boring, nerdy work, but when the time for the Black Badge course comes you will be shooting ahead of your classmates instead of being the one holding the course up.

My BB instructor, who I admire a great deal as a shooter, recommended shooting all of your ammunition in groups of three: freestyle, strong, and weak handed. Start at very close range shooting at something the size of a paper plate and move the target progressively farther away when you can CONSISTENTLY put all rounds from a magazine/cylinder/arbitrary number of shots into the target. If you are a bit short on ammunition, focus on the one-handed shooting as it is substantially harder, especially weak-hand shooting. It will be frustrating at first but you will improve if you have any dedication, and the improvement is very rewarding.

I would ask your Black Badge instructor what they recommend as well. If you aren't fairly confident about your ability to shoot the pistol well, take your time practicing and enjoy the gun from that angle. You'll have plenty of time to shoot action games with it later.
 
Hi there

The black badge course I took was more of an informational course. It wasn't testing your accuracy. It just gives you basic handling and operating your pistol. I think it will help you with your shooting.

The one thing that my course instructor asked was to be able to hit an 8.5 x 11 (letter) paper 8 out of 10 at a distance of 15 yards. It isn't a race so line up each shot.

Good luck and remember finger of the trigger!!!
 
I started shooting late last year. I shot a few Club IPSC style matches under the mentorship of an experienced shooter and then took my Black Badge course in late June and got my full Badge when I qualified in July. I learned SO MUCH from my BB instructor. He pointed out things that I needed to correct and gave me things that I should work on. I had so much information and stuff to remember sloshing around in my head after I took the course that I completely tanked the very next Club Match I shot. :p I have become a much better shooter and I credit that to putting lots of rounds downrange and putting into practice the stuff I learned at my BB course. I also receive lots of great advice from more experienced squad mates at matches.
 
I e-mailed the range manager regarding the course, he encouraged me to take it. I need to drop in and pick up the course material and I'll speak to him on this. I have three days of range time I can get in before the course date and time in between for familiarization and dry fire. I'll need to think this over. I may defer until the next course is offered.

I take all your advice to heart, guys you are why forum communities are so great.
 
I just recently took my Black Badge this past month, I am a fairly new shooter, only been shooting for about a year, but I have been a regular attendee to group courses at my local club. The BB course is not a learn to shoot handgun course. You should have the fundamentals down before you attend the course if you want to get the most out of it.

Even if you just take one private lesson from an experienced instructor that shoots competitively, you can learn the proper grip, stance, trigger control, POA, etc., before you attend. This just helps free up time in the BB course for actual shooting skills you will learn for competitive shooting. There is no point in practicing to hit a sheet of paper at 20 yards with the wrong technique, you will just have to re-learn everything again and try to break bad habits.

I can't strive enough, spend a couple hundred bucks on a private lesson and you will save that much in ammo in your first couple months of shooting! BB courses usually run once a month, so why not just take the next one and be the best shooter in the class!
 
moptop said:
I just recently took my Black Badge this past month, I am a fairly new shooter, only been shooting for about a year, but I have been a regular attendee to group courses at my local club. The BB course is not a learn to shoot handgun course. You should have the fundamentals down before you attend the course if you want to get the most out of it.

Even if you just take one private lesson from an experienced instructor that shoots competitively, you can learn the proper grip, stance, trigger control, POA, etc., before you attend. This just helps free up time in the BB course for actual shooting skills you will learn for competitive shooting. There is no point in practicing to hit a sheet of paper at 20 yards with the wrong technique, you will just have to re-learn everything again and try to break bad habits.

I can't strive enough, spend a couple hundred bucks on a private lesson and you will save that much in ammo in your first couple months of shooting! BB courses usually run once a month, so why not just take the next one and be the best shooter in the class!
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any decent bb instructor can take somebody with no shooting experience and teach them the fundamentals of handgun safety and shooting. After that its up to you to practice what you are taught and refine it.

There are different courses for different things, if your looking for a Self Defence course, then BB may not be for you. But it will give you the basics so you can then attend a defensive course in the future.
 
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