The months of May and June are jam packed with work, graduations and other family events, so there will be no classes until July (at the earliest).  I’m hoping to schedule some HT1 & HT2 classes between July and September and then wrap up the year with another multi-state carry class.

If you would like to schedule a private class, please contact me!  Getting time at a range is getting more and more difficult these days with the number of shooting events and other things going on, so private classes are a nice option if you have a safe place to shoot.

In the meantime… stay safe out there!

Last year I presented an abbreviated version of the Refuse To Be A Victim seminar to Logistics Health Inc, for their brown-bag lunch event.  If your business is interested in hosting a similar event, please use the Contact Us page and let’s see what we can work out.

MN/WI/FL/AZ Carry Permit

The next multi-state carry permit class is coming up on Saturday, March 24th at the La Crosse Rifle Club.  Space is limited, so advanced registration is required.  Cost is $150.  The application can be found on the FAQ page.  This course will not be offered again until much later this year – so sign up today!

How do you know who the “good” ones are?  My advice is to ask around.  Check in at your local gun club or someone you know in the shooting community.  Ask someone that is actively involved in the shooting sports or on the board of a gun club.  The next time a gun show is in town, stop in and talk with the vendors that offer training services.  How do they strike you?  What qualifies them to be an instructor?  How long have they been shooting?  How many rounds a year do they shoot?  Which guns/gear do they like best and why?

I hope to see you at the next gun show or at the range sometime.  Let’s talk about your training needs or just shooting in general.  To quote Will Rogers, “A stranger is just a friend I haven’t met yet.”

Click this link to read Mark Thole’s bio.

Here’s what students are saying:

I was worried this class would be boring/lecture time, you did a great job of keeping us engaged and interested.  Encourages me to look into more of your courses.  Thank you!

Appreciated the balance between presentation and interaction.  Well done.

I’m glad I came… will recommend to others.

All well done.  Glad I spent my money with you!

Great class all around!  I will take further classes from you.  You made it both interesting & informative.  Fun too!

A lot of knowledge about the difference in laws and appropriate times for varying levels of force.  I thought the course was very well run and in a manner to keep interest & participation.  Very well run course, will be making recommendations.

Mark – Thanks for a great class.  Really learned a lot and can’t wait to get started! Thanks again.

Great class, excellent material, well worth it!

Two new dates have been added to the calendar this year:

• Saturday, March 24 – MN/WI/FL/AZ Carry Permit Class at the La Crosse Rifle Club. Cost $150. Class runs a full day (9-5pm) and requires a 40 round shooting qualification.  This class is for the person that is fairly familiar with handguns and can pass a shooting qualification.  If you’ve never fired a handgun before, you will not pass.
• Saturday, April 14 – NRA Basic Pistol at the La Crosse Rifle Club. Cost $125. Class runs a full day (8am-6pm) and meets the requirements to obtain a resident WI or non-resident FL/AZ permit. This class is for a person that is new to handguns as it is a basic class. We will only briefly cover the laws on use of force. The majority of the course is about safety and the fundamentals of shooting.

Advanced registration is required for all classes.

The months of May & June are mostly booked with shooting matches or family commitments.  Look for more dates in July through October for more carry permit classes and Handgun Techniques 1 & 2.

If you’d like to hold a private class, we’ll do our best to arrange a date that is agreeable.  Use the Contact Us page to send an e-mail and let us know what you’re thinking.

To help the registration process a new form will be ready soon. You’ll be able to download it, fill it out on your computer, then print, sign and mail it in with your payment. Actually, you can find it right here: Application for Training.

More dates will be added to the calendar soon!

Stay safe!
Mark

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USPSA Level 1 RO (Range Officer) Class – Dec. 17th & 18th

Holmen Practical Shooters will be hosting a USPSA Level I Seminar on December 17th & 18th, 2011 at the Holmen Rod & Gun Club, Holmen, WI.

Club Address:
W7503 County Road T
Holmen, WI 54636

Map:
http://holmenrodandgunclub.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=73

The cost of the seminar will be $40.00 per student (payable to Holmen Practical Shooters) and should be mailed along with a completed application by Dec. 3rd to:

Lori Casper
W13520 Swede Town Rd,
Alma Center, WI 54611

Instructor: Perry Wilson

Application:
http://wisconsinshooters.com/documents/uspsa/NROI_Level_1_Seminar_App.pdf

Contact info:

Lori Casper
715-896-1966
lori@casperracing.com

This is the final reminder for this coming Saturday’s MN/FL/WI carry permit class at the La Crosse Rifle Club.  Cost is $150 and the class runs from 9am-5pm.  We have 5 spots left and this is the final class for 2011.  Remember that this class is based on the MN requirements which include a shooting qualification.  WI does not require a shooting qualification, so if you’re only interested in obtaining the WI permit, please call.  Advanced registration is required, please call or e-mail to sign up.

Finally, if you haven’t heard already, the WI DOJ released their “emergency rules” for the issuance of concealed carry permits.  That document can be found here.  On page 19 of this document it spells out the requirements for the training certificate and also states, “(3) The department shall prepare and make available to the public on its Internet site a model training certificate that provides the information required”.  For those of you that have not obtained a permit from another state (MN or FL) and require a proper WI training certificate, we will be able to issue those once the DOJ posts their model certificate.

There is a lot of misinformation out there these days about what is required for the upcoming WI concealed carry permit.  The WI DOJ is playing some games with what they will “accept” as certification of training even though Act 35 pretty explicitly spells out exactly what those requirements are.  According to the law that was passed (and not what the DOJ may come up with in their “rule making”), the Midwest Marksman MN/FL carry permit class will meet the training requirements as we are certified by both the NRA and the MN DPS.

Space is limited and we require a four student minimum to hold the course.  Payment must be received by Saturday, October 15th to secure your place in class.

The shooting qualification is 40 rounds: 15 at 15 feet, 15 at 21 feet and 10 at 40 feet.  Please bring a centerfire handgun, 2 magazines or speedloaders (if you have more, bring them!), eye and ear protection, note taking material and an open mind.

This course is not for the beginner.  If you’ve never handled a handgun before, you’ll not pass the shooting qualification.  We understand that, per Act 35, a shooting qualification is not required for the WI permit – however, it is for the MN permit.  If you’re only interested in WI, please contact us and we’ll work something out.

If you have any questions, please call 608-790-6324.

The training requirements are very much like for a FL non-resident permit: hunter safety, any NRA firearm safety class, DD-214, etc.  This means that for those of you who’ve taken the MN Carry Permit course from us at Midwest Marksman, you should be able to use that certificate for WI as well.  Additionally, if you have a permit from any other state, that will also qualify.

MN residents – this is good news for you as well!  The language of SB93 say that it will honor all other state’s permits.

Finally, the new law removes the requirement to unload and case your handgun in a vehicle or boat.  I’m sure there will be more updates as the bill gets closer to becoming a law and we get the final language.

Midwest Marksman will be seeking certification from the WI DOJ to conduct WI specific training classes.

With that said, it looks very promising that any training requirements will be easily obtained.  Midwest Marksman, Inc will stay on top of the situation and schedule classes as soon as reasonably possible.  Please subscribe to our e-mail list to stay up-to-date on current course offerings.