Took my CHL class

[Dirt]

The wife and I took out CHL class over the weekend and I must admit, we are glad its over with. What a long day that was. It started off good and informative but the last two hours of class was dredfull! I was so damn tired afterwards.

Yesterday (Sunday) we took the shooting test. I shota perfect score. The Glock ran and performed as I expected it to. Wifey started off a bit shaky and her first few shots were a bit scattered, but she was able to button them up after a quick pep talk. She still scored near perfect and her XD-9sc ran perfectly as well.

I must admit, I was a bit surprised at the lack of shooting abilty from most of the other guys there. There were a few that barely passed the shooting portion. Some shots missed the target all together. Some of the guys didnt have pistols of their own and others had pistols that were jamming left and right. I was amazed at the lack of effort the majority of guys put into this and are soon going to be carring a concealed handgun.

I hope Im not around if one these guys gets into a situation and they pull and shoot. I highly doubt they are going to hit the intended target. Espescially under real life conditions.

I am new to all this but I would like to leave a bit of advice to those that have yet to take the CHL class.

The advise is this...

Go out and either buy you a pistol or go to the range and practice with a few and then buy a pistol. Once you are pretty sure you know what pistol you want to carry, buy it and go to the range and practice and get to know that pistol. Dont be that guy on class day that looks like he woke up and decided he had nothing better to do so he took a CHL class. Be that guy that looks like he knows what he is doing and be prepared! Know how to load bullets in your mag and know how to lock it into place. And above ALL... Know how to aim and shoot the damn thing!

A little preperation will go a long way. Getiing you CHL is not cheap. I have already invested close to $1500 on this venture. I also invested the same amount for my wifes CHL. So, if money is a factor then you might want to wait till you can afford it and do it right.

IMHO you should have to shoot a perfect score before you are cleared to get a CHL.

Dirt

 

[Buckles]

Amen. I took mine Saturday and there were several people in my class that had never shot a gun before. It was kinda scary to think they were going to be carrying

 

[cougartex]

And now the wait begins...................

 

[Dirt]

And now the wait begins...................

Haha and to make the wait even longer... All my NRA stuff came in today!

I am a bit displeased with my CHL class. I was under the impression that they were going to do the finger prints and at the end of class I would simply have to put my info in the mail. Well, that wasn't the case. I have to go to a DPS certified fingerprinting place to get them done. I have two options 1. go tp DPS which is the closest to me and, run the risk of the prints having to be redone(which I had to do 3 times to get my PI license) or 2. Drive and hour away to have them done electronically. This place is only open from 8-4:30 so, I will have to take time off work to do it

The good news is (hopefully its true) that Austin is supposedly churning the CHL's out and I should get it back in about 4 weeks from the time I mail it in!

 

[Buckles]

i hope you didnt pay too much for that class if they didnt even do the finger prints. my class did everything i just have to write a check and put the packet in the mail.

 

[Dirt]

i hope you didnt pay too much for that class if they didnt even do the finger prints. my class did everything i just have to write a check and put the packet in the mail.

The cost of the class was $125. These guys said that they have been teaching this class since day one, as in one of the very first CHL classes. You'd think they'd be top notch after all this time. I wont be recommending them to my peers.

 

[navyguy]

Good deal for you. When I told my wife 5~ years ago that I wanted to get my CHL she piped up and said her too. (much to my surprise) I said okay, but you understand they are not going to teach you how to shoot and handle a gun. We'll need at least 5 or 10 range sessions to get you up to speed. I thought that would scare her off, but nope, lets do it she said. And she passed with a perfect score in the shooting.

So you sound like the type that was prepared, and I'm sure will be a responsible CHL person. Congrats, and hope the plastic come soon.

 

[Texan2]

Haha and to make the wait even longer... All my NRA stuff came in today!

I am a bit displeased with my CHL class. I was under the impression that they were going to do the finger prints and at the end of class I would simply have to put my info in the mail. Well, that wasn't the case. I have to go to a DPS certified fingerprinting place to get them done. I have two options 1. go tp DPS which is the closest to me and, run the risk of the prints having to be redone(which I had to do 3 times to get my PI license) or 2. Drive and hour away to have them done electronically. This place is only open from 8-4:30 so, I will have to take time off work to do it

The good news is (hopefully its true) that Austin is supposedly churning the CHL's out and I should get it back in about 4 weeks from the time I mail it in!

You should be able to get your prints done at your local Sheriff's Dept. or Police Dept.

 

[randy_wsk01]

congrats man, just finish my class two weeks ago, it is a relief when you get done with those classes.... my papers came in, about 2 weeks paid 99 for the class

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

Congratulations on completing your CHL class. Sorry to hear about your bad experience. There are plenty of instructors out there who provide a turnkey, all-inclusive class.

 

[Englishman]

IMHO you should have to shoot a perfect score before you are cleared to get a CHL.

Dirt

Dangerous direction, tellin my old Mom and those like her she cant protect herself (i.e. she cannot exercise here right to carry) cos she cant shoot like a Seal ?

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

Dangerous direction, tellin my old Mom and those like her she cant protect herself (i.e. she cannot exercise here right to carry) cos she cant shoot like a Seal ?

No kidding! This is a topic that has been beaten to death. We've got the "shall not be infringed" folks who believe there should be no test at all, and the elitists who believe only the only people who should carry are those who shoot like "me."

So, what about granny? What about the 22 year old college student who gets her license because she was nearly raped? What about the disabled vet with only one arm? If they can't shoot a perfect score, we deprive them of the ability to defend themselves outside the home? C'mon. You can do better than that!

 

[TxEMTP69]

Aww make those who think all should shoot a perfect score do so while being shot at... lol. See how good that shooting is then. Stress fire is a whole different ball game. Then their 250 might not look so purdy. I have heard of officers who couldn't shoot all that great for qual, but out shot the "expert shots" when the fit hit the shan

 

[RetArmySgt]

I dont know if i did my qual wrong but i put them all in the chest except one i put in the groin. LOL. I was told before i ever got to the class that you dont want a perfect score on the qual, if you ever did get in a shoot and killed the guy then the lawyer for the party sueing you could bring up the line "you were an expert shot according to your test why didnt you shoot him in the leg or the arm to stop him? You didnt have to kill him." Even though i now know that the score doesnt get reported its a pass/fail report i still dropped one round. But i got denied due to money issues so dont take my advice.

 

[txinvestigator]

I dont know if i did my qual wrong but i put them all in the chest except one i put in the groin. LOL. I was told before i ever got to the class that you dont want a perfect score on the qual, if you ever did get in a shoot and killed the guy then the lawyer for the party sueing you could bring up the line "you were an expert shot according to your test why didnt you shoot him in the leg or the arm to stop him? You didnt have to kill him." Even though i now know that the score doesnt get reported its a pass/fail report i still dropped one round. But i got denied due to money issues so dont take my advice.

Not against you, but that is an old dumb argument.

There are numerous reasons you don't shoot to wound.

1) It is not legal to shoot a person if DEADLY FORCE is not justified. A good attorney would argue that you didn't believe deadly force was necessary if you INTENTIONALLY shot to "wing 'em".

2) You are TRAINED to shoot center mass. We do not teach you to shoot arms and legs. Your training is a very important part of the justification for your actions.

3) Study the FBI Miami shooting from 1986. A gunman who took a kill shot in the first seconds of a battle with the FBI was able to shoot and kill 2 agents, then wound two others before succumbing to head shots from another agent. If you think you can stop a person by shooting them in the arm or leg............

4) Arms and legs are very small, moving targets. The torso is large and has little lateral movement. Your chances of even hitting an arm or leg when someone is trying to kill you is remote, at best.



I have been shooting for a LONG time.. I have been fortunate that I have been trained by many excellent professional, real world trainers. Growing up my father was a firearms instructor for both the Texas DPS and the Dallas Sheriffs office. As a teen I had the priviledge of being trained some by the local FBI SWAT team instructor. I have gone, on my own dime, to several professional and respected schools as an adult.

I write this not to impress, but to show my experience. If you do something long enough with good training you tend to get fairly good at it. I am a pretty good shot. I would never say I am great, but I have held my own with professional SWAT guys and military operators. When the training gets stressful, no one is worried about getting rounds in the x ring. When you are moving, under time, having to deal with malfunctions (intentionally caused) and competing against other A type alpha egos, scoring positive torso shots are what you want. None but the most highly trained, skilled elite can precision shoot under that kind of stress.

I know my limitations, and I would not attempt an off hand head shot from further than 15 yards. I would not try it while I was moving or the target is moving from more than 7.

Shoot him in the arm or leg indeed. I would think if you barely passed the shooting test that it would be easier to make a case that you recklessly killed or injured an innocent third person (if that happened) than it would be to try to make it out that you should have shot the knife out of his hand.

But that's just my opinion. What do I know?

 

[RetArmySgt]

TXI- Me personally if i get in the situation to pull the trigger it will be center mass that is how i was trained growing up and while in the military but for some reason when i got to the qual i felt like putting my last round in the groin of the target. I believe that the court scenario is a load of crap but i put it out there for other people to see what has been going around. I will not fire a weapon without the intent to destroy whoever is standing in front of it.

 

[Dirt]

So, what about granny? What about the 22 year old college student who gets her license because she was nearly raped? What about the disabled vet with only one arm? If they can't shoot a perfect score, we deprive them of the ability to defend themselves outside the home? C'mon. You can do better than that!

Dangerous direction, tellin my old Mom and those like her she cant protect herself (i.e. she cannot exercise here right to carry) cos she cant shoot like a Seal ?

everyone is entitled to "their" opinion and "my" opinion is definitely your Ol mom, granny or the 22 yr old rape victim or anyone wanting to be licensed needs to score near perfect and know how to handle the weapon they are going to carry. There were guys taking their test that couldnt even clear a jam, guys that missed the target all together at 15 & 7 yrds and missed the qual rings at 3 yrds. I mean c'mon!

I guess I took all this a little more serious than I was supposed too. I mean after all, carrying a loaded weapon is a pretty serious responsibility and I don't think you should be able to get one just because you are with in the law to do so and you have the money to spend on it. The written test and the shooting test are WEAK and need to be beefed up to keep from having licensed idiots running the streets armed. I have met plenty of idiots with near perfect records and I would hate for those jackass' to have a gun on their hip.

thats a brief insight on how i feel about that

 

[Texan2]

everyone is entitled to "their" opinion and "my" opinion is definitely your Ol mom, granny or the 22 yr old rape victim or anyone wanting to be licensed needs to score near perfect and know how to handle the weapon they are going to carry. There were guys taking their test that couldnt even clear a jam, guys that missed the target all together at 15 & 7 yrds and missed the qual rings at 3 yrds. I mean c'mon!

I have met plenty of idiots with near perfect records and I would hate for those jackass' to have a gun on their hip.

there is a standard set for qualification. The guy that puts all his rounds in the dirt wont meet that standard and therefore wont be able to get a CHL.
Carrying a gun IS serious, and hopefully those that carry take it seriously.
I am more worried about the jackass that misses the point about when its legal to draw more than I am the one that misses the 10 ring.

 

[Dirt]

I am more worried about the jackass that misses the point about when its legal to draw more than I am the one that misses the 10 ring.

cant argue that!

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

everyone is entitled to "their" opinion and "my" opinion is definitely your Ol mom, granny or the 22 yr old rape victim or anyone wanting to be licensed needs to score near perfect and know how to handle the weapon they are going to carry. There were guys taking their test that couldnt even clear a jam, guys that missed the target all together at 15 & 7 yrds and missed the qual rings at 3 yrds. I mean c'mon!

I guess I took all this a little more serious than I was supposed too. I mean after all, carrying a loaded weapon is a pretty serious responsibility and I don't think you should be able to get one just because you are with in the law to do so and you have the money to spend on it. The written test and the shooting test are WEAK and need to be beefed up to keep from having licensed idiots running the streets armed. I have met plenty of idiots with near perfect records and I would hate for those jackass' to have a gun on their hip.

thats a brief insight on how i feel about that

Yep, and your insight missed the point of the entire program. I'll agree with you regarding the caliber of shooting we commonly see at CHL classes, but our Founding Fathers didn't place a qualification on "shall not be infringed," did they? You're coming off as a bit of an elitists, as in YOU shot at a certain level, therefore only people as good as you should be allowed to carry. What if I set the standard and decided that only people who shoot as good as me can shoot. What if someone at a skill level significantly higher than me sets the standard?

Texas is a "shall issue" state, which means that if you meet the requirements, you get the license. Everyone should strive to be better than bare minimum.

Let me ask you this: When you got you driver license, did you wait until you were an expert driver, or did you just want to pass the test? Don't you think THAT test should be a little harder?

And speaking of standards, I invite you to join us in October at the next DTI tactical training. You might develop a new definition of the term "competent shooter."