American Rifleman — The National Shooting Sports Foundation held the second of its new Shooting Sports Fantasy Camps in Las Vegas, Nev., April 20-23, 2017, and this time 3-guns skills were the focus, not just handguns. It only takes a few seconds at one them to discover the events are about much more than simply firearm training, though.
The steel poppers weathered my 9 mm barrage unfazed—proud, tall and unmoving in Nevada’s sun. I stood motionless at the sight, the same paralysis I suffered on the trip when I turned a corner in the airport bathroom and discovered a man furiously scrubbing his foot in the sink, with a luffa.
“Never seen that before,” I thought at the spectacle. Shooting pro Tommy Thacker probably felt the same way when my handgun prowess—or lack thereof—went on display the first day of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Shooting Sports Fantasy Camp. Who’s going to clean up that mess?
My pistol skills had expired and were sorely in need of polish. Thankfully, shooters of all levels are welcome, and the only prerequisites are a knowledge of basic firearm handling/safety and a willingness to get out of your comfort zone long enough to learn.
My squad crowded around to hear Thacker’s solutions to my situation and a few even related similar experiences. Questions began to flow as I took multiple turns at the firing line and, thankfully, the reloading gremlins started stuffing fewer blanks in my magazines. The incident broke the ice, got the squad talking (not in a bad way, either) and kicked off a habit of everyone listening to nearly every tip from pros, even if it wasn’t their turn on the trigger.
The rotating group therapy employed by NSSF is a lot more fun than any firearm training I’ve experienced. Strangers I just met became fast friends, and there was no finger pointing or heckling. Broken down into teams of five or six is very effective, according to Houston, Texas-based professional shooter Randi Rogers. “One on one is great, but I don’t think it’s that effective,” she said. “You need to watch someone learn what you’re learning.”
For full article, testimonials, and pictures from the camp click here.