Tactical Pistol 1 at Makhaira Group

My wife and I went up to Northern Colorado this weekend to take the Tactical Pistol 1 course from Makhaira Group. What an AWESOME day! Taught by Makhaira Group's President and former Navy SEAL Mark Hotaling, the course was simply excellent. Mark and his co-instructor Dan took us through a fairly fast paced course that went through fundamentals and theory and then we immediately applied what we learned on the range. Don't misunderstand me -- Mark moved out. This was an excellent introduction into the practical use of handguns as a defensive weapon. Mark covered firearms and tactical safety, weapon and ammunition selection, tactical presentation and the practical aspects of concealed carry, use of cover, tactical reloading, drawing from holsters (including concealed), malfunction clearance, and tactical gun-handling. We left the range motivated, confident, and measurably more competent.

My SIG SAURER P226 and my wife's Springfield XD(M) performed superbly throughout the day. Our accuracy improved even as we learned to use it while drawing from holsters, shot multiple targets, and conducted live tactical reloads and malfunction drills. Mark and Dan provided enough time to each student to coach individually in the use of our weapons. Mark was a former SEAL, he carried the P226 as his service sidearm for seven years and made sure I made the most of my handgun.