The Close Range Rifle/Carbine Essentials course is designed by taking key elements from our Close-Range Rifle/Carbine, Intermediate Distance, and Scout Marksman series and combining them into a comprehensive 2-day course that can be brought directly to your location. This course is focused on helping you build an Individual Protective System centered around your rifle/carbine, tailored specifically to your needs. Whether you’re just starting your journey into personal protection or are further along, this course will prepare you to become your own first responder and give you the confidence to protect yourself and your loved ones in times of trouble.
Starting with developing a Protective Mindset and Spectrum of Awareness, we’ll teach you how to identify potential threats, avoid them, de-escalate when possible, and, if avoidance isn’t an option, implement an action plan for critical thinking and problem-solving—up to and including lethal force application.
On the range, we’ll focus on the foundation of marksmanship, proper zeroing distance and procedures, the rifle/carbine manual of arms, and techniques for engaging targets at close range and extended distances. You’ll gain an understanding of the balance between precision and speed with performance shooting. Human reaction and processing speeds will be integrated with realistic scenarios to teach you how to manage cognitive load for protective applications. We will also cover applied tactics such as movement, cover usage, verbal commands, and post-conflict protocols. By the end of the course, you will have developed a well-rounded system you can trust in critical situations as a well-prepared Armed Citizen.
Prerequisite: This course is not for beginners. However, all we require is that you can safely handle a rifle, come with an open mind, and are ready to train. For questions about prerequisites, please call or email.
Topics Covered:
Protective Mindset and the Spectrum of Awareness
Pre-Fight Indicators, De-escalation, and Giving Verbal Commands
Application of the Fundamentals of Marksmanship
Understanding a Correct Zero and the Zeroing Process
Bullet Weight and Rifle Twist Rate Relationship
Rifle/Carbine Manual of Arms
Ready Positions and Their Importance
Understanding Post-Fight Implementation of the Wyatt Protocol/TECTx3
Target Engagement from 0-300 Yards (Host Range Dependent)
Movement to Gain an Advantage in the Cycle of Initiative
Fighting to and from Cover/Position of Advantage
Fighting from Disadvantaged Positions to a Position of Advantage
Target Discrimination and Dealing with the Surrounding Environment
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Under a Cognitive Load
Reaction and Processing Speeds for Different Fight Indicators
Understanding the Relationship between Reactive and Predictive Shooting
Equipment for Class:
Reliable Rifle – 5.56/.223, 7.62x39, .308
Sighting System – Iron Sights, Red Dot Optic, or Low-Powered Variable Optic
Back-Up Iron Sights
Rifle Magazines (3 Minimum)
Magazine Carrier (2) – Options include battle belt, chest rig, or belt carrier (shooter’s preference)
Rugged Clothing and Footwear
Eye and Ear Protection
Notebook and Pen/Pencil
Lunch, Snacks, and Drinks
Ammunition: 500 Rounds
Duration: 9 Hours per day, 2 Days, 18 Hours Total (with an hour lunch each day)