In 2023 I started taking firearms training courses with the goal of becoming an instructor. I have enjoyed shooting sports since high school. I was a target rifle shooter in high school and college, and I have long followed the shooting sports events in the Olympics. Now, in retirement, I am again shooting rifles competitively. But this is the first time that I have taken formal classes with the intention of becoming an instructor. It's been great!
The National Rifle Association (NRA) offers extensive training programs in firearms safety, rifle, pistol, shotgun, and self-defense. Click here to see their training catalog.
My goal is to complete six courses in the following three sequences of two courses each:
The first course in each sequence is a prerequisite for the second course, and the second course qualifies a person to teach the first course. The first two sequences are required by Scouts BSA (formerly Boy Scouts of America) to be a merit badge counselor for the Rifle Shooting and Shotgun Shooting merit badges. That was my initial motivation for pursuing firearms training.
In 2023 I completed five of the six courses listed above, all but the Instructor Shotgun course. I plan to take that course in 2024. [See update below.]
I took two of the five courses in Vermont, and I traveled to neighboring states for the other three courses. It's been fun to visit other clubs and meet the instructors.
Here are the five courses that I completed this year:
Taken at the Sportsman’s Club of Franklin County in St. Albans, Vermont, in April 2023. The trainer was John Jacob.
Taken at the Hudson Falls Fish & Game Club in Hudson Falls, New York, in June 2023. This course included basic instructor training (BIT). The trainer was Bill Cole (with assistants). In connection with this course, I also took the NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course again.
Taken at the Pemigewasset Valley Fish & Game Club in Holderness, New Hampshire, in September 2023. The trainer was Jack Potter (with assistants).
Taken at the Harvard Sportsmen’s Club in Harvard, Massachusetts, in September 2023. The trainer was Tim Bradbury (with assistants).
Taken at the North Country Sportsmen’s Club in Williston, Vermont, in October 2023. This course included basic instructor training (BIT). The trainer was John Jacob.
I am now authorized to teach the NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course (cert) and the NRA Basic Range Safety Officer Course (cert). The first course where I will be an instructor will be an NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at the Underhill Rod & Gun Club. I will be teaching that course with assistants. A new adventure!
Are you interested in taking a firearms training course? Click here to search for upcoming courses. (If you are interested in the course that I am teaching on June 22, you can easily find it at that link. Select "NRA Basic Rifle Shooting Course" and search in Vermont. Or click here for the direct link.)
Above I mentioned shooting sports in the Olympics. These include biathlon in the Winter Olympics and several rifle, pistol, and shotgun events in the Summer Olympics. (The target at the top of this post is the 10-meter air rifle target used in the Summer Olympics.) The specific competitions change over time. For information about shooting sports at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, see this Wikipedia article.
UPDATE 06/03/2024: Yesterday I completed the NRA Instructor Shotgun Shooting Course. Taken at Camp Wakpominee in Fort Ann, New York. The trainer was Bill Cole (with assistants). In connection with this course, I also took the NRA Basic Shotgun Shooting Course again.
