After Action Report
Pat McNamara, TMACS INC (
www.tamcsinc.com)
TAPS 2-day Pistol and Rifle Course (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting)
April 13-14, 2013
Council Bluffs, IA
Rob from
www.lhgk.us hosted the training at his range.
Saturday 4-13-13
0800 At the range Mac encouraged us to remove heavy kit and consider running the drills slick, to focus on the technique until we learned it. Mac then conducted a safety briefing and the plan for the next two days. Individual accountability and the student’s thought process was stressed. We also did a review of shooting ballistics and physics.
We started with Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM). We zeroed our rifles at 50 yards with 5 shot groups. We then moved back to 100 yds and did 5 shot groups again. We shot from different platforms and saw the effect of canting the gun, resting the barrel on cover and checked parallax of optics.
1030 50 yd Four Position COF. This Course of Fire required 5 shots at each position, standing, kneeling, sitting and prone. We shot a cardboard IPSC target with a twenty round mag and the hits were scored accordingly. The timer kept us accountable. Throughout these drills Mac demonstrated and gave tips on the different positions and gave insight on how each one of us could improve our stances, grips and shot placement. The more physically fit you were, the faster you could move from one position to another.
1250 After lunch we moved to the pistol. We went over pistol fundamentals and practiced different drills of one shot from high ready, two shots from high ready, one shot from draw and one shot from draw strong hand only. We were taught to always take a second sight picture after we were done shooting, to “check your work through your sights.”
We then shot a 5 second standard. 2 shots from ready position in 5 seconds. Then 2 shots from draw in five seconds. Then 2 shots from draw strong hand only in five seconds. We had to complete this at 7 yds by keeping all hits in the A zone. Then once we “graduated” at that distance we moved back to 10 yds, then 15 yds and eventually 20 yds. We had to successfully complete one distance before moving back to the next farther distance.
1430 Pick Your Poison. We were given the option of choosing a point value for our target. Then we shot at 25 yds, 20 yds and 15 yds. Highest score wins. This challenged me to think through what point value I wanted and why. It gave me an opportunity to be rewarded for my skills but it also allowed me to risk too many points if I didn’t shoot well. I had to think through a shooting plan and be accountable to succeed at it.
1500 El Prez. We then shot a modified El Prez course at 7 yards. We went over the pistol reload sequence. If all of our hits were not in the A zone, we would not be given a time. To be successful at the drill you had to pass the drill three times in a row, with each time being faster than the previous.
Sunday 4-14-13
0800 Safety briefing and plan for the day. We went over rifle reloads and did the Last Man Standing drill. At 7 yds, 3 rounds rifle, reload and then three more rounds with rifle, then transition to pistol and fire one more round. All hits had to be in the A zone. If you missed outside the A zone or were the last one to finished, you had to step out. We shot it repeatedly until one man was left.
1000 Light the Fuse. Rifle. The drill began at 100 yds. We had to sprint to the 25 and back with taking seven shots at different distances. This drill made me figure out how to run safely with my rifle, when to shoot prone and when to kneel and how to manage my breathing when exhausted.
1045 Barricades. Mac demonstrated and explained different ways to use cover and shoot from it. Then we did more “discovery learning” by shooting from the barricades.
The Scrambler. This was a rifle drill, behind the barricades at 75 yards. Mac only gave us limited amount of information on how to complete the course. Part of the drill was forcing us to think. Again, we had to plan our shoot and shoot our plan and figure out how to succeed at the drill. We had to shoot, reload, move and use cover correctly. Whoever had the fastest time won. This was challenging because it was difficult to keep track of multiple things at once. I had to do this multiple times before I did it correctly. It challenged me on my marksmanship as well as my tactical thought process.
1300 Round Robin. Mac set up three different stations each with a different course of fire and we rotated in groups between the three.
The Scanner. This was a version of a Stroops test. From one position we had to read a set of cards that had a number and color. We then had to find the corresponding target in a crowd of targets and make an accurate hit. We had to move enough so as not to hit any non-shoot targets in the crowd.
The Grid of Fire. Six shooting stations in a grid. One shot from each position and movement in between. This was challenging and again showed how physical fitness and speed plays a part in gun handling.
The Grinder. Another grid of shooting positions with multiple targets. Mac only explained a few parameters of the rules and left us to figure out how to complete the drill. Again we were challenged on our marksmanship, physical fitness and thought process.
We ran these three drills over and over again and each time I completed one, I wanted to do nothing but run it again to improve my time or fix a mistake. If we made a mistake or had a miss, we were not allowed to know our time. At the end of the day we did a standing Hot Wash of the last two days and reviewed key points. Throughout the last few days is was clear that if we want to improve, we need to focus on Performance Based Training that encourages a thought process and demands accountability. Instead of Outcome Based Training (just doing something for a certain amount of time or reps).
I enjoyed the course and found the time and ammo spent well worth it. I learned a great deal about both the pistol and rifle weapon systems and gained valuable tips on how to take my shooting to the next level. I was mostly challenged on my physical fitness and thought process. I left with a lot of areas to improve and look forward to training with Mac in the future.
