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Gun Site vs. Thunderanch...

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DisneyPors

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May 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/4/96
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I had been trying to decide between thunderranch, and Gunsite for training
(LFI dropped out real quick). Anyway, I decided on Gunsite...has anyone
taken both? should I still go to thunder ranch sometime or stick with
gunsite. any opinions would be apreciated. - Doug

"Live Free or Die."


Mark Gibson

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May 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/4/96
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In a previous article, disne...@aol.com (DisneyPors) says:

#I had been trying to decide between thunderranch, and Gunsite for training
#(LFI dropped out real quick). Anyway, I decided on Gunsite...has anyone
#taken both? should I still go to thunder ranch sometime or stick with
#gunsite. any opinions would be apreciated. - Doug
#
#"Live Free or Die."

Why did LFI "drop out" real quick?

--
================== http://www.prairienet.org/~gibson/ =====================
Mark Gibson | The Bill of Rights: Void Where Prohibited by Law.
gib...@prairienet.org | Gun control is hitting what you're shooting at.
| The Communications Decency Act is obscene!


Eric Inazaki

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May 4, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/4/96
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DisneyPors (disne...@aol.com) wrote:
: I had been trying to decide between thunderranch, and Gunsite for training
: (LFI dropped out real quick). Anyway, I decided on Gunsite...has anyone
: taken both? should I still go to thunder ranch sometime or stick with
: gunsite. any opinions would be apreciated. - Doug

: "Live Free or Die."

Why not both? Really, unless they both teach exactly the same
things in exactly the same way, it may benefit you to learn
from both then pick and choose what works for you.

Out of curiosity, what DQ'd LFI?

eric

Todd Louis Green

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May 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/5/96
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On 4 May 1996 18:44:42 -0400, disne...@aol.com (DisneyPors)
said to everyone in rec.guns:

#I had been trying to decide between thunderranch, and Gunsite for training
#(LFI dropped out real quick). Anyway, I decided on Gunsite...has anyone
#taken both? should I still go to thunder ranch sometime or stick with
#gunsite. any opinions would be apreciated.

Doug,

I've been trying to make this same decision recently [my
girlfriend is sending me to one or the other as a graduation
gift].

The facilities at Thunder Ranch are, by all accounts,
superior, if for no other reason than they're newer and bigger
[e.g., "The Tower"]. However, I don't know anyone who's gone to
GunSite and not benefitted from it tremendously.

I believe the costs of the two programs are quite
similar. So what did it for me was GunSite's "off site" classes
and their policy WRT them: if you've taken a class "on site" in
AZ then you can attend ANY "off site" class that still has spaces
available [and, believe it or not, they frequently do] FOR FREE.

I live in MD, and Harrisburg PA, one of the frequent
hosts of GS off-site classes, is just a few hours away...

OTOH, I don't look forward to AZ in August. Ugh!


___________________________________________
Todd Louis Green Zen...@cris.com
http://www.cris.com/~Zenwolf/

On your tombstone will be two dates,
separated by a dash.
That dash was your life.
___________________________________________
Check out the Unofficial .40S&W Web Page at
http://www.cris.com/~Zenwolf/40home.shtml


Robb

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May 5, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/5/96
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: Why not both?

Probably cause you need to hock your Explorer to afford the cost of only one.

:)


Mark Cook

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May 10, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/10/96
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DisneyPors (disne...@aol.com) wrote:
# I had been trying to decide between thunderranch, and Gunsite for training
# (LFI dropped out real quick). Anyway, I decided on Gunsite...has anyone
# taken both? should I still go to thunder ranch sometime or stick with
# gunsite. any opinions would be apreciated. - Doug

What part of the country do you live in, and what kind of training are
you looking for? If you're already on the west coast, and are looking
for tactical handgun or shotgun training, you might want to seriously
consider FrontSight Firearms Training Institute instead. The lead
instructor is none other than Chuck Taylor. My wife and I just finished
taking their 4-day Defensive Handgun class, and I can't praise it enough.
They have a full-time staff of instructors and a standard curriculum,
whereas Gunsite primarily relies on "guest" instructors. (The only
permanent staff at Gunsite are administration and support personnel,
and there are only 20 of them at that. I checked: I was there interviewing
them last week.)

One additional advantage of attending FrontSight training is the cost.
A typical 4-day course at FrontSight runs $600. A 5-day class at Gunsite
can cost almost twice that much.

Check out FrontSight's web-page: http://www.frontsight.com. Tell them
Mark Cook sent you. :^)

- Mark C.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
mark f. cook * mark cook consulting * shoestring graphics & printing
2055 sw whiteside dr. * corvallis, or, 97333-1406 * ma...@peak.org
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Colt: The original point and click interface."


Don Calderwood

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May 11, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/11/96
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On 10 May 1996 14:55:32 -0400, ma...@PEAK.ORG (Mark Cook) wrote:

#DisneyPors (disne...@aol.com) wrote:
## I had been trying to decide between thunderranch, and Gunsite for training
## (LFI dropped out real quick). Anyway, I decided on Gunsite...has anyone
## taken both? should I still go to thunder ranch sometime or stick with
## gunsite. any opinions would be apreciated. - Doug
#
#What part of the country do you live in, and what kind of training are
#you looking for? If you're already on the west coast, and are looking
#for tactical handgun or shotgun training, you might want to seriously
#consider FrontSight Firearms Training Institute instead. The lead
#instructor is none other than Chuck Taylor. My wife and I just finished
#taking their 4-day Defensive Handgun class, and I can't praise it enough.
#They have a full-time staff of instructors and a standard curriculum,
#whereas Gunsite primarily relies on "guest" instructors. (The only
#permanent staff at Gunsite are administration and support personnel,
#and there are only 20 of them at that. I checked: I was there interviewing
#them last week.)
#
#One additional advantage of attending FrontSight training is the cost.
#A typical 4-day course at FrontSight runs $600. A 5-day class at Gunsite
#can cost almost twice that much.
#
#Check out FrontSight's web-page: http://www.frontsight.com. Tell them
#Mark Cook sent you. :^)
#
# - Mark C.
#
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------
# mark f. cook * mark cook consulting * shoestring graphics & printing
# 2055 sw whiteside dr. * corvallis, or, 97333-1406 * ma...@peak.org
#-----------------------------------------------------------------------
# "Colt: The original point and click interface."
#

I don't think that the info on Gunsite that you gave is entirely
correct. I am looking at a 1996 schedule of classes and price list.
The general pistol course is a 5 1/2 day course which costs $750 (not
quite the $1200 that you said). In addition, I have taken a two day
course from an instructor that is a full time employee of Gunsite. As
a final point I would say about 99% of all shooters have heard of Jeff
Cooper and Gunsite. I doubt that they are that well known without
having the goods to back it up.

I can't say enough good things about the training. Your self
confidence will increase substantially. My life long dream is to take
about two months off of work and go to Arizona to take every class
that Gunsite offers (pistol, shotgun, SMG, edged weapons, etc).

Mark Cook

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May 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM5/14/96
to

Don Calderwood (dcald...@ctc.net) wrote:

# I don't think that the info on Gunsite that you gave is entirely

# correct. I am looking at a 1996 schedule of classes and price list.
# The general pistol course is a 5 1/2 day course which costs $750 (not
# quite the $1200 that you said).

You're right. I spoke w/o having the Gunsite catalog in front of me.
Now I do. The course "Gunsite #250 - General Pistol" is 5 1/2 days
and costs $750. The FrontSight "Defensive Handgun Course" is 4 days
and costs $600.

# In addition, I have taken a two day
# course from an instructor that is a full time employee of Gunsite.

My previous remarks about visiting instructors were verbatim repetition
of what our "tour guide" told us at Gunsite Ranch last week. According
to him, and Dick Jeans (the Ops Mgr.), there are only about 20 permanent
personnel at the range, and most of them are either administrative,
maintenance, or work in the custom shop. (I personally know that no less
than 5 work in the custom shop, 2 work in the pro shop, and 4 work in the
main office. That accounts for over half the permanent staff, and doesn't
include the folks who work in the "barn" building and repairing the target
systems and other mechanical components used on any of Gunsites 30 ranges.)
While there may be one or two permanent instuctors on staff, the bulk of
instruction comes from visiting "experts".

# As
# a final point I would say about 99% of all shooters have heard of Jeff
# Cooper and Gunsite. I doubt that they are that well known without
# having the goods to back it up.

Bear in mind the Col. Jeff Cooper is no longer affiliated with the Ranch
in any way, other than to have his permanent residence on the property.
Gunsite Ranch, and it's curriculum, are owned lock, stock, and barrel by
Richard Gee. Also, consider that Gunsite advertises more than almost
any other firearms training facility in the world. While I respect Gunsite
and their quality of instruction, name recognition does not automatically
equate to superior product (in this case, firearms instruction.)

OTOH, FrontSight instruction is actively headed up by Chuck Taylor, a man
who is at *least* as well-known as Cooper, and just as well qualified (if
not more so. Cooper comes from "old money" and pretty much "bought" his
way into the biz. Taylor did it the *hard* way: he got shot a lot. When
that happens, you either get dead, or you get *very* good at defending
yourself.)

- Mark C.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------


mark f. cook * mark cook consulting * shoestring graphics & printing

2055 sw whiteside dr. * corvallis, or, 97333-1406 * ma...@peak.org

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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