The Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Level 1 class takes students from any level through a variety of live-fire drills. The class starts out slowly and builds on different skills throughout the class.
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Sometimes, I would rather be in that group. If they have paid to be taught how to handle a gun safely, they will probably pay attention. I’ve seen more bad habits from range “experts” than novices.
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I am fine with new shooters in class! I want them to learn and new shooters can learn from the new and old shooters can learn from the newbies.
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Yes, if they are being supervised by someone who knows how to operate firearms.
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@Dawn If the participant had some basic safety training and is with a responsible adult. I’m not sure what other states have because I live here in Illinois but gun ranges want an adult along with a beginner, and that adult must have a FOID no exceptions. In contrast years ago when I was young many many of the Chicago Public Schools had .22 cal rifle ranges in their basements, obviously not any longer but back then Yes; the Caveat to that is back then the NRA taught Firearms safety, Gun safety call it what you will it was taught back in the 1950s, early 1960s and prior to the 1950s.
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…sometimes, on the daily public range, I dearly want a IIII+ rig… but ya, if the Instructor(s) have things well in hand shure… And if they don’t I can be as pushy as anyone when it comes to “keep the fire hole down line!”
Very true, @45IPAC! I’ve heard so many stories - and seen my fair share - of new shooters outshooting those had been shooting for ages because they listened and applied the fundamentals where more seasoned shooters may have some bad habits that are affecting them and they don’t even know it.
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I am as long as they are honest with me about their experience. I like to pair off experienced shooters as coaches with the less experienced.
Honestly I see more safety issues with people that have been shooting since they were pups than with newbies. Newbies tend to be inherently fearful of making mistakes and the more experienced, particularly with guys, is that they will just BS their way through anything feigning expertise where they have none.
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In the class -> YES. This group is always supervised, however I do few extra precautions (mostly stay very back when this person is carrying a gun).
I was in CCL class with 3 people who never shot a gun. My first impression wasn’t good. 
But Range Officer took care of these guys and treated them with “extra attention” so rest of us felt safe.
And looks newbies have more respect for firearms that “long time” shooters…
As I have personally been that “newbie” on the range when learning handgun and AR-15 I will tell you that I was timid and waited to be instructed on every detail. I now shoot at the range on about a weekly basis and have gotten the RSO or left my range practice day early to avoid those “experts” who waive their guns around without regard to any of the 4 basic gun safety rules. Safety is my # 1 priority when on the range no matter if I’m surrounded by newbies or experts.
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The difference in a new bad habit and an old bad habit is that the old bad habit has been reinforced for years or even decades and becomes much harder to break.
Newbies are by far easier to deal with in my experience as an instructor and I’ll go so far as to say that women in general tend to make much better students because their testosterone levels never interfere with accepting direction or instruction.
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No I’m sorry I wouldn’t take a course with newbies. I don’t feel like getting shot.
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How proficient should someone be, new or experienced, before CCW in public? For example, able to draw from Holster in 2 seconds and shoot on target 5 rounds in 1 second.
Every one of us was a newbie at one time. Someone gave us a chance.
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@Dawn I recently became a dsf instructor. However for the last 4 years I have been hosting a very similar class of my own. In my defensive pistol class I require all students to have taken a basic class first.
Now, when I do a dsf class, I will open it up to everyone because USCCA rules, I shall follow. But I will tell you from experience as an instructor who has trained approximately 1000 students at a basic level, not all of these students are ready for a dsf class. Some have no idea of the basic safety or even how to load a magazine. No I’m not joking they load the bullets backwards or you don’t watch them load each bullet. I’ve had beginner students try to force magazines in backwards. All of these newby mistakes can be overcome, but takes time.
My fear is these dsf classes are going to start real slow if you get one of these newbies in class. I havent actually done one yet as my instructor certification is only about a week old. I can report back after doing a few classes, but I really feel students should know the basics before coming to a dsf.
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@CHRIS4 no joke, I do wear my plate carrier when I am on the range and I dont care who laughs. I am not doing it to be tacticool, I’m doing it because I have paid attention to those shooters around me more than once and see the kind of nonsense that goes on. I do it because I have had guns pointed at me, on the range and in gun stores, many times.
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That’s kind of the beauty of a DSF class, you can run it for all different experience levels. In the Instructor Training they offered a bunch of suggestions on how to address the difference in the levels of experience as well as how you can always check in with your students before class to make sure that you’ve got similar experience levels in the class.
There’s nothing requiring you to have a brand new student in with very experienced students. But if you’d like to have similar levels in a class, a little legwork before the class would definitely be in order.
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My experience last week was exactly like that. One of the young ladies followed the fundamentals every single shot. Out of 200 rounds nothing was outside of the 9 point circle and most was 
. We went through about 10 targets just so I could go through her shot placement with her.
But all 3 of the young ladies were like that. A couple of gentle corrections and then just round after round through the 9’s.
Even the lead instructor/RSO was impressed with them.
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