All students must be legally able to purchase a firearm*. Other pre-requisites to show legal status (one will suffice):
- Kentucky Concealed Carry Permit
- Recent Graduation from a school which requires credentials or character reference
- A personal letter of reference from any Sheriff, Police Chief, or Minister/Chaplain.
*Minor children may participate if they are accompanied by a responsible parent or guardian (who does not have to be enrolled but who must pass the credential requirements). - Military Identification Card
Introductory Rifle Hunter — HR1
$64.95
Hunter Rifle Course requirements:
- Basic rifle skills with a safety first mindset
- Rifle, optics and 80 rounds of ammunition capable of ranges out to 300 yards
- Ear and eye protection
Recommended additional items but not required:
Normal hunting gear setup including sling, bipod if normally used, camelback or canteen hydration, rangefinders and binoculars, insect repellant, sunscreen, raingear and hat.
Classroom training includes:
- Safety briefing including range rules and etiquette
- Fundamental Marksmanship Basics
- Discussion of exterior and terminal ballistics
- Each student will be given baseline trajectory estimation for his/her rifle
- Routine rifle maintenance
Live-Fire training includes:
- Range safety inspection of each rifle
- 100 yard zero verification 10 rounds approx.
- Position shooting 20 rounds
- Field shooting positions-100 yards 15 rounds
- Field shooting positions-200 and 300 yards 15 rounds
- 300 yard bench shot 1 round
CLASSROOM – Safety Briefing:
Firearm safety rules
- All guns are always loaded
- Never let the muzzle cover anything you are unwilling to destroy
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target AND the decision to fire is made
- Know your target and what is beyond it
Safety issues related to hunting
- Muzzle awareness within groups of hunters – hunting vehicles
- Knowing where other hunters are in relation to your stand
- Unauthorized hunters – trespassing
- Tracking wounded game
- Use of flashlights to and from stand
- Communication between hunters and home
- Designated meeting place and time
Exterior ballistics
- Exterior ballistics is the science that includes the free flight of a bullet between the muzzle and the target. Many factors affect a bullets flight, including velocity, weather conditions, altitude above sea level and the bullets ballistic shape (ballistic coefficients)
- Ballistic coefficients of a bullet determines its ability to resist air drag, maintain velocity and energy as it flies, and shoot flat
- Barrel twist and RPM’s (conversion formula)
- Baseline trajectory estimation for each student as related to caliber
- Shooting on incline/decline. Affects of gravity
Terminal ballistics
- Terminal ballistics are directly related to the results and effects of a high-velocity projectile as it passes through any medium or game animal
- Hydrostatic shock
- kinetic energy transfer
- Cavitations
- Avulsed exit wounds
- Type of bullet and its construction
- Velocity (related to caliber)
- Distance to target vs. muzzle figures
Maintenance
- General cleaning procedures
- Lubrication
- Bore condition before firing
- oil in bore or obstructions
- cold, clean bore – point of impact
- cold fouled bore
- warm/hot barrel
Fundamental Marksmanship and Positions
- “Three basics” 1) Position (foundation), 2) Sight alignment, 3) Trigger squeeze
- Improvised shooting positions
- Tree stand issues (positions)
Range Etiquette
- Reminder of four basic rules
- No firearms handling behind firing line
- Bolt action rifles: bolts will be removed until shooters are moved to the firing line
- Semi-auto, lever action or pump action rifles will utilize high visibility chamber flags with rifle unloaded, magazine removed
*Firearm safety is everyone’s responsibility – notify RSO if you observe ANY unsafe condition
Range
- Basic rifle safety inspections done first at range
- Basic function test
- Safety lever inspections
- No “incidental” firing pin let down’s
- Bore obstructions
Range Schedule
- 100 yard zero verification from bench – 10 rounds
- Position shooting: standing, kneeling, sitting and prone 20 rounds
- Field shooting positions 100 yards (3 sets of 5 rounds) 15 rounds
- Field shooting positions 200-300 yards (3 sets of 5 rounds) 15 rounds
- Bonus shot, 300 yards from bench 1 round
61 rounds total
*80 rounds recommended*
Precision Hunter Rifle — HR2
$99.95
Put your rifle to task and reach out and touch game that you didn’t know that you could.
- 1 day
- 100 rounds
- above + terminal ballistics, optics choices, more range, field course with reactives
Sport Hunter Handgun 1 — SHH1
$64.95
Learn the principles of hunting with handguns.
- 6 hours
- 20 rounds
- Entry Level, safety, terminology, maintenance, caliber issues, zeroing, ballistics, fundamental marksmanship
Sport Hunter Handgun 2 — SHH2
$99.95
Put your skills to the test on the reactive skills test.
- 1 day
- 100 rounds
- above + terminal ballistics, optics choices, more range, field course with reactives
Sporter Shotgun — SS2
$64.95
Learn the principles of hunting with shotguns.
- 6 hours
- 20 rounds
- Entry Level, safety, terminology, maintenance., caliber issues, zeroing, ballistics, fund. marksmanship
Shotgun Hunter 2 — SH2
$99.95
Put your skills to the test on the reactive skills test.
- 1 day
- 100 rounds
- above + terminal ballistics, optics choices, more range, field course with reactives
Archery 1 — AR1
$64.95
Principles of archery
- 4-6 hours
Archery 2 — AR2
$99.95
Principles of archery
- 1 day
