On January 16, 2016, I had the pleasure of teaching a Handgun Fundamentals course to six ladies at Fair Weather Farms in Monroe, Georgia. The weather was perfect, and they provided the most incredible venue imaginable to teach a class. Fair Weather Farms is actually where I had my wedding, and is a wonderful property with a ton of wildlife and a Lodge that is simply amazing.

The owner of the property had purchased this course as a Christmas present for the people that took the class, and all of the ladies present where incredibly appreciative. We covered some topics that were specific questions from these participants, including discussion revolving around firearm safes and how to balance the need for security from children against speed of accessing the weapon during an emergency. 

After our classroom portion of the class, we made sure that everyone could sufficiently apply what they had learned by using an Airsoft gun to shoot at a target. Once everyone was satisfied that they could apply the 7 Fundamentals of Shooting correctly, we headed out to the range to shoot some steel.

As is usual for our Handgun Fundamental & Safety courses, we started everyone on a .22LR handgun to make sure that they were not intimidated by the additional recoil and noise from a "real" bullet. This also reinforces to each participant that they do know how to apply the correct fundamentals and hit the target- a lesson that comes in handy when they switch to their own firearms.

Every time I teach a basic handgun course, without fail there will be participants who bring their own firearms that they already "like" to shoot. In an effort to not discourage the new shooters nor pit myself against a husband or friend who might have purchased the firearm for them, I simply allow them to shoot multiple different types of handguns and draw their own conclusions. Without exception, the people who bring the small, double-action handguns leave with the mindset that they will be purchasing a different weapon in the immediate future. (For more information about this, please read our Random Rant: Why I Don't Recommend Small Handguns.)

I was pleasantly surprised at the level of enthusiasm and willingness to participate from this entire group. We didn't have anyone who was "less engaged" than the other participants, which kept the pace of content to a healthy rate and the discussions fruitful and thorough.

To end the day, I stayed an extra hour and ran a brief private lesson with the owner of the property, who is a friend of mine. His skill sets were ahead of where I expected them to be, and I was pleased at the pace he was able to push to and still maintain acceptable accuracy at a distance of 7-10 yards. He and I discussed having more training courses become available at this location, and I encourage everyone to stay tuned for more training opportunities at Fair Weather Farms. Even if you didn't hear a word that was taught- this magnificent property is worth the tuition just to explore the beautiful scenery. I look forward to many more classes with this group and at this location.

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