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This July I was able to attend the Magpul Dynamics Special Purpose Rifle/Designated Marksmen Rifle Class in Yakima, WA. I attended because I wanted to gain a better understanding of the semi-automatic rifle system when used as a designated marksman. I felt this would enable me to better instruct my Reserve Component Soldiers in achieving the maximum usability from their issue weapons. Additionally I felt this class would increase my weapons and shooting knowledge for my civilian job with ATA Tactical. The following are my thoughts and impressions from the course.
INSTRUCTORS
Caylen Wojcik is the primary instructor for this
class. He was an active duty Marine with
a rock solid career. He is also an avid
hunter in his spare time. This really
helps him relate to a large audience of students with his instruction. One of the things that concerned me prior to
arriving at the class was that his military experience would overpower the
course of instruction. I was pleased
that this was never a issue. He did a
great job of bringing his military experience in when it was applicable to the
training or when asked. He spoke very
clearly and at a pace that was not hard to follow. It was very easy to hear him regardless of
what range we were on or what type of training we were doing. Over the course of instruction Caylen strove
to make sure all questions were answered but still ensured we maintained our
training schedule. This was crucial with
the amount of information and tasks we had to cover over the weekend. I could easily see how we might have been cut
short on other training or missed some topics completely if he hadn’t kept the
schedule. Overall, I would have to rate
Caylen as one of the best instructors that I have ever had through my military
career or civilian career.
Tim Estell is the assistant instructor. He was also an active duty Marine who is now
working on a civilian career. He assists
Caylen part time and is also an avid hunter.
His military career and experiences are not to the same of extent of
Caylen’s. Don’t let that prevent you from
taking his advice. He will get you shooting
on target in a heartbeat if you listen to him.
He primarily acted as demonstrator for Caylen and worked with students
individually once we hit the firing line.
He did give some instruction during a few of the classes. He spoke just as well as Caylen and I had no
problems understanding any of the material he presented us with. He is an excellent instructor with a broad
future ahead of himself.
I know what you may be thinking since both of them had
been prior active duty Marines. The good
news is that for being Marines they actually knew how to talk to people. All jokes aside both of the instructors were
great. They were very personable and
able to teach the course material in a manner that each student can
understand. If you were prior military,
they will talk the talk. If you are a
new shooting girlfriend then they will relate the material to you as well. I guarantee it. These guys are so relatable that I am really
motivated to encourage my wife in attending the course. That is huge because my wife can be very
particular about what and who she is willing to tolerate. If you can’t relate to her then kick
off. I am hands down positive these guys
would make the class fun for her regardless of environmental conditions and
without any additional effort. Outstanding guys hands down.
INITIAL LOCATION IMPRESSION
When you first arrive at
the range
it is not quite what you expect. It is a
farm house with a large barn in the bottom of a grassy draw. The location is right out in the open and
completely surrounded by grass farmlands.
I initially thought that this was going to be a meeting location and
that we would continue on to the range.
I was wrong. All of the ranges
are central based right at the main house.
For the training you could easily walk to each of the three ranges used
for this course. Be warned that if you
are scared of getting some dirt on you or weeds in your clothes then you will
want to bring a shooting mat. Caylen and
Tim were kind enough to roll out some big felt mats on the 100 yard range. You will spend most of your time at the 100
yard range so it was a generous gesture.
Be warned that there is no overhead cover offering
protection from the elements at any of the three ranges. If you attend a summertime class like I did
then start thinking about the sun. That
sucker gets hot! A hot like I have only
felt during military training or deployments.
When the wind picked up you felt mixed emotions. On one hand the wind cooled you down, on the
other it would mess with your shot. Some
other students brought one of those sun shade tents. It worked ok but the wind was about to
collapse it whenever the speed picked up.
Additionally, since the sun naturally changes position, the shade would
only be for part of the day. Your best
friend for the UV rays is sun block lotion or spray. I applied it thoroughly every morning and
still got a wicked tan line on my face.
Also, Caylen and Tim will hoot and holler at you to drink water. Listen to them. Don’t bring a 16 oz bottle and think you’ll
be alright. Caylen used a one gallon
jug. By the end of the class there were
a lot of one gallon jugs around. Temperatures
on the range were about 105 degrees during the day. It was even hotter when you were laying in
the prone on the ground. Caylen and Tim
will warn you and it would behoove you to believe them.
RANGES
The 100 yard range is off to one side and is a pretty
decent setup. The target stands are well
placed. There was no vegetation or
obstacles inhibiting view of the targets at 100 yards. You’re going to spend a lot of time at this
range working on your fundamentals and doing various drills. You are set in pretty close to other shooters
so don’t be surprised if you get a nice hot brass burn on your body at some
point. That being said don’t be a whiner
if you’re getting hit with a searing hot piece of brass. Our class was pretty good in understanding
the situation. A lot of folks placed
packs next to their rifle to prevent brass from ejecting onto the next shooter. It worked effectively and was a very simple
solution. Overall the setup of the 100
yard range is a pretty good. It allows
you to get the training you need and in the most effective manner possible.
The 600 yard range is actually just behind the 100 yard range. You actually setup just behind the 100 yard
targets. Your will be shooting across a
small draw into the base of a decent ridge.
The firing line is nice because you can spread out plenty wide. There is quite a bit of grass and
sagebrush. When you setup your prone position
make sure you are getting a clear lane of fire to view and shoot through. Some of you might consider this a pain
considering your paying money for the class.
I have this to say, “Don’t be a range Madonna”. This class isn’t about how to shoot from the
bench. So take the extra 10 seconds to
select a good firing lane. I personally
felt it increased the training experience.
It helped me feel like I was getting settled in so I could place one hell
of a spook shot on a big mule deer buck or some Red Dawn invader. For the alternate shooting positions this
firing range works just fine. But, as I
stated earlier, there is no shade. None,
zero, zip. You’ll be fine. Apply sun block and drink water then you’ll
have a good old time.
The 800 yard range is down the hill from the house. You have to pass through a corral area and
then on into open field. The firing line
is placed between two large metal tee-pee setups. Our class had to contend with some tall weeds
in order to effectively setup a firing position and gain visibility on the
targets. Caylen and Tim did let us know
that the growth was recent and does get mowed down if they have the opportunity
to do so. They also mentioned conditions
at the range can vary heavily depending on the time of year and farm
cycle. If you attend a course later in
the summer you might wind up in a dust bowl.
So be forewarned. Overall the
targets are fairly easy to spot. You
have to use your eyes and don’t be afraid to dial back on your scope power to
gain a wider magnified field of view. A
spotting scope was very useful on this range.
Again, no cover or shade. We were
on this range during the late afternoon which is the hottest part of the day
there.
Non-Shooting
Classes
There were two locations where we held non-shooting
classes. One was right at the 100 yard
range. As you know there is no shade
there. Those classes can be hot if they
are later in the day. Drink water! A white board is used so you will be wanting
to get that notepad and pencil out for any diagrams or important points that
come up on the white board.
The other location is nice! It’s up on the farm house yard in the shade
of a big tree. Primarily this is where
you will have lunch. We did have a few
classes at in this spot which were pretty nice during the heavy heat of the
day. When you get the chance to enjoy it
then take it all in. But make sure your
brain is ready to leave that spot to do more training. Depending on the time of year you may
encounter some bugs and crawlers. Nothing
crazy though.
For these classes take the opportunity to prepare for
your upcoming shooting block. Drink
water and eat some calories. I ate
Nutri-grain bars. These did pretty good
but I would highly recommend something a bit more substantial. If I do a class like this again, especially
in the heat, I will bring Power Bars or something with better calorie and
energy replenishment. Another item to
bring is a range chair. The list it on
the Magpul website recommends it. While
I survived well enough without a chair it sure would have made that down time a
whole lot easier.
KEY TRAINING
POINTS
Fundamentals
You can put lead downrange right off the bat if you
want. But that would be pretty
wasteful. Thankfully the very first
class you receive from Caylen and Tim is a sit down take notes kinda
class. It’s on fundamentals. To assist with this class you are given a
great training aide. It’s a little
laminated card set with range conversions, ballistic information sheets,
spotter guide, and the fundamentals.
Keep that in your pocket because it is handy! I have been shooting since I was 2 years old
so I felt I had a good grasp on the fundamentals. Let me tell you now, I learned a few
things. Some of the information may be
counter or different to what you know or practice. Well you didn’t pay money to show up and
argue with Caylen and Tim so take notes and try their techniques out. You may just be surprised.
When you actually begin shooting take the time to apply
the fundamentals you just learned. It
was hard for me to change my habits such as trigger finger placement and using
natural point of aim. I recommend that
you get out those cards they distributed and set them up beside your shooting
position. Then take the time to make
sure you are actually performing the actions on the card. Don’t just blow through it because you will
be wasting your ammo. Caylen and Tim
will re-enforce to you that the fundamentals apply to all shooting
positions. From what I experienced I
would have to agree with them. I was
surprised that exhaling completely as I was instructed influenced my shooting
from a braced standing position. Overall
this class was one of the most important classes to me even with having a
lifetime of shooting experience.
Natural Point of Aim (NPA)
Another huge class point to gain from Caylen and
Tim. It was also one of their choices as
the most important tool to gain from their instruction. This was absolutely the hardest skill for me
to place into practice. I think a lot of
the students struggled with this concept.
It didn’t matter if they were new shooters or experience shooters. But after taking the class I am fully aware
of why it was enforced so much. To
simplify the idea of NPA here is how I would explain it. It is setting up into your rifle so that the
firearm points automatically at the target.
By doing this you expend less energy and time finding the target,
engaging the target, and re-acquiring the target. Your NPA will directly affect your follow
through which in-turn decreases the amount of time needed re-acquire your
target. The chain of effect is in full
swing with NPA. So when you hear
instruction to ensure your NPA, do it.
You’ll get faster at this skill with more practice. Remember that you are learning how to do
perform NPA at this class. You can
practice it when you get home. This skill
is actually a part of your fundamentals.
And like the other steps in your fundamentals you will use it from all
shooting positions. And I will
personally swear to you that it will greatly benefit your shooting accuracy,
especially as the distance to target grows.
Alternate shooting positions
You will learn to shoot from many more positions than
just the prone. To be honest, a mind
blowing amount of alternate positions.
To demonstrate the number of varying positions Caylen and Tim will show
you a few common positions with some variations. Then your brain bucket will explode when
Caylen starts whipping his rifle sling around.
You thought you knew how to brace up on a target, well not anymore. Once you see a few different sling ideas for
bracing then the countless possibilities for setting up a stable shooting
position start running through your head.
I’m talking an excruciatingly endless combination of possibilities. On the Magpul website they recommend the MS3
sling. It’s a good recommendation, not
just a product plug. I would expand upon
this by recommending you have quick disconnect (QD) points on both sides of
your butt-stock and both sides of your rail.
You might even want to have some forward points as well as rear points
for your rail. It will only increase the
usability of your sling. Another sling
that received good marks at the class was the Blue Force Gear Vickers Tactical
sling.
Optics
There was, in my opinion, a decent variety of optics
represented at the class. Vortex
definitely made a strong showing. There
were fixed four powers all the way up to a 2.5-15 power. Reticules were vastly wide ranging without a
doubt. I was using a ballistic reticule
that was graciously loaned to me by Greg Hamilton from Proof Research. Caylen and Tim were knowledgeable on all the
optic reticules presented to them and were able to give each student
instruction on how to optimize their reticules.
Needless to say there wasn’t a whole lot I could do with a ballistic
reticule. They do offer some options and
practices that can increase the usability of ballistic setups. I personally won’t be using one in the
future. Additionally, Caylen and Tim did
a great job instructing us in the use of our turrets. It was great being able to come away from the
class fully confident in using my turret adjustments. It doesn’t matter if it’s a minute of angle
or mil turret. If you know how to spin
that dial based off your dope sheet, then your rifle will be set to smoke
targets. I have never used a turret more
then to zero prior to this class. Being
as I had a ballistic reticule making optic adjustments using the dials became
my go to technique. I couldn’t use a
reticule hold like the other guys. When
the time came to switch distance I gave those turrets a twist. It was actually pretty quick to do. I would definitely feel comfortable whipping
them around while hunting provided the animal was calm enough to give me a
second or two of time. Not much more
would be needed. And let me tell you I
used those suckers like a rental car. I
was adjusting up and down like crazy in-between targets. A new distance equaled new turret
setting. My dope was rock solid all
weekend so by the last day I was more than confident in my adjustments. It was AWESOME!
GEAR
I know I have already covered a couple pieces of gear
such as slings and chairs but I want to re-iterate on those items and cover
some new items. Overall the list
provided by Magpul was pretty thorough.
Some of the gear was essential to bring for the class and others not so
much.
Laser Range Finder
Brought it. Didn’t
use it once. Caylen and Tim used theirs
for our range estimation class. It would
have been cheating for me to use mine in that class. Don’t get me wrong it could be handy for the
class but I really didn’t see where we needed one at any point during the three
days. If you want to bring it and have
it in your car I think you would be alright.
Just don’t make plans for hooking it to your kit.
Range Chair
Yup. Should have
brought it. Magpul recommends it and I
didn’t listen. It could have been has
simple as a Wal-mart camping chair or something more high speed. In the future I’m going with the Kifaru
chair. It will be a versatile system I
can use further on for other applications.
But let’s get back on track. A
chair is great for this class for several reasons. You can use the chair for the administrative
classes right off. Another great use for
it would be for spotting your shooting buddy.
It’s okay to be standing while you’re spotting but it would be much
steadier to be able to sit down while you’re calling shots. And lastly a chair would be good to collapse
into when needed. You are going be
exhausted at the end of the day. If you
aren’t then you probably cheated yourself during the course of instruction. I can tell you that I was sore but it wasn’t
from the rounds fired that day. It was
from constantly setting up into the rifle and bracing into firing
positions. To clarify, Caylen places
strong emphasis that you must be fully relaxed in order to get a good NPA. I wasn’t muscle sore from being set in the
prone. I was sore at my points of
contact such as the elbows, knees, and oddly enough my lower rib cage. When you’re laying in the prone all day it
gets a bit sore.
Knee and Elbow pads
I had the distinct advantage of running combat pants and
a combat shirt. There are elbow pads
built into the combat shirt. They aren’t
very thick and are a soft padding. If you
fell on your elbow it would still frickin’ hurt. For lying in the prone the padding worked
great. Many other students had some
bandages on their elbows by the last day and I don’t blame them. Between the heat radiating off shooting
surfaces like the ground and rubbing your skin in the dirt, your elbow is going
to get raw. I would not recommend a hard
plastic elbow pad. From my past
experiences I would say they are too unstable and would be a hindrance.
My combat pants allowed for a light foam insert. Again, this pad isn’t going to do help too
much from a sharp blow. Much like the
combat shirt it worked great in keeping the heat off and the little sharps from
digging into you. When you are getting
up and down from the prone position constantly this is a big benefit. This is especially apparent when you go to
the 600 and 800 yard ranges and there isn’t any felt to set up on.
If you have the equipment or have the time to modify your
clothing consider some nice light padding for your kit. I would recommend picking up some surplus
Army Combat Uniforms. You might be able
to find them in the goofy UCP or MultiCam.
Either way they both accept the foam pad inserts in the knees and
elbows. Some companies offer pretty
affordable alternatives that are well designed for shirts, tops, and pants if
you’re interested.
Sharpie Markers
You’re chuckling right now but guess how many folks were
trying to use a ball point pen that was dried up to mark their targets. And a ball point pen doesn’t do jack when
trying to write your dope down on a laminated smart card. Bring a fine point Sharpie if you choose to
only have one marker. I actually carry a
high temp, fine point, black sharpie and a regular tip silver sharpie. I carry the silver because it will stand out
on a black target backing. In addition
you can use it to mark your equipment at the class in case you need reference
points.
Bandana/Handkerchief
Another item I just happen to have that received a lot of
use. With our class being in the July
sun all of our equipment just sucked in the radiant heat throughout the
day. I used the bandana to layover my
equipment while I was checking targets or going through an administrative
class. I also used the bandana as a sun
shade to better see my ballistic computer (read as phone). The bandana also served excellently for
cleaning my eye pro, collecting brass, wiping sweat out of eyes, and estimating
wind. Really I could keep going on about
the bandana. Some of you might consider
a shemamig if you have to be taticool, but still handy kit. I can see it being just as useful for cooler
weather classes.
Spotting Scope
If you have a spotting scope with reticules in it I would
recommend bringing it. I noticed that
when spotting I could effectively call shots with my rifle but it was more
difficult. That is because I was having
to setup on my rifle like I was going to fire in order to remain steady enough for
accurate shot calls. In my experience at
the class I noticed that the spotting scope offered you a wider field of view
at a more comfortable magnification.
Having the spotting scope mounted to a tripod was another great benefit. It provided an easy to use and adaptable
platform. This again made use of the
spotting scope more comfortable. I keep
placing emphasis on being comfortable while spotting. You may be there for a bit if you’re shooter
is having some difficulties. It benefits
your shooter if you can stay calm even if they are getting frustrated.
EQUIPMENT TIP
Rifle
You may have noticed on the Magpul website that there
isn’t a whole lot of restriction or guidelines on what firearm you can
bring. That is because Caylen and Tim
want you to run your gear that suites your needs and requirements. I feel that this is a realistic allowance by
them. But here is the catch and it falls
on you the student. TEST YOUR GEAR
BEFORE YOU SHOW. Don’t just slap some
new parts on rifle prior to the class and expect it to be golden. You might get lucky. Emphasis on the word might. In reality you will have equipment problems
when putting gear together. So take my
advice and make sure you can fire at least 60 rounds on two separate range
visits to shake down your gear. Set your
100 yard zero, mess with your turrets to make sure they are tracking, check
your grouping size, etc. Basically know
your weapon prior to showing. I’m not
going to lie; I showed up and used a loaner rifle. My only advantage was that it was a proven
system that hadn’t been changed prior to my use. When I attend my next precision rifle class,
and I will, I will run it thoroughly prior to the class. I would much rather fight gremlins at home
then to miss instruction because my weapon was jacked.
Ammo
Let’s start out right now by stating that I’m a
re-loader. I didn’t run re-loaded ammo
for this class simply because I couldn’t get enough materials in time. I’m glad I didn’t too. If you run your own ammo absolutely ensure
that you have quality reloads. Make sure
you’re getting consistent muzzle velocities, consistent bullet weights, and
consistent assembly specifications.
Basically, make sure you are capable of producing match grade
ammunition. Will lesser quality ammo
work? Yes. Is it worth your time? Not if you really want
listen to the sweet, sweet sound of copper pinging into steel. I’m going to spend some time really beefing
up my re-loading skills so that I can create production quality ammo or
better. Now for those of who are just
going to be purchasing ammo. Don’t be a
skimpy, penny pinching, cheap son of a…
By good ammo! If you don’t you’re
going to be as bad off as the guy who is reloading. Really you might even be worse off. At least the guy who loaded his own ammo
knows what’s going on with his rounds.
You, on the other hand, are hoping that Bob at the assembly line hadn’t
been drinking that day so the machine dropping powder was calibrated correctly
that day. So bring good ammo and you
will be a lot closer to having an excellent time at these precision rifle
classes.
SUMMARY
If you own a semi-automatic rifle that is equipped with
an optic I feel that you absolutely, positively must attend this class. Regardless of the heat and conditions, the
information and skills that were taught to us by Caylen and Tim are absolutely
phenomenal. The skills learned in this
class can transform the un-educated civilian with a cool rifle he bought in the
scare to an educated and effective civilian rifleman. You as the civilian will be able to shoot
better, hunt better, and defend yourself and family better. It is an all encompassing class because it
teaches you fundamental knowledge of marksmanship. This class is basically the Appleseed program
with optics. You’re paying a lot more
for this class as opposed the Appleseed program I know. But you are increasing your capabilities by
an equally exponential amount. This
program should absolutely be the flagship of the Magpul Dynamic curriculum due
to the vast application it gives to the student. So if you are considering taking this class I
say send in the application right now. I
feel it is absolutely worth the cost involved.
Your instructors will be phenomenal, the training handouts you will
receive will actually be usable, the skills learned can be applied to your
everyday shooting life, and you will freakin’ have fun. With that I leave you. I have a range card to build in my elk
hunting hole.
