Gander Mountain Academy

I had an opportunity to shoot in a Scenario Simulator at Gander Mountain today. First let me say I am not a fan of our local Gander Mountain. I had a $20 gift certificate that was burning a hole in my pocket and the wife and I were running errands the other night so we swung in. We got a chance to tour the facilities and check out the ranges and I was impressed with the simulated ranges, not so much with the live fire range. Did not feel like shooting that night but went back today after an early movie. The room I chose has 300* of screens so threats can come from all angles. For my introduction the guy had me run a batch of steel target 20 total working left to right 300*, 20 shots and 12.7 seconds later he told me I was good to go!

Ran thru a number of scenarios involving defensive shooting, decission making, threat evaluation, multiple threats and knocking down some targets. The guns used were actual real firearms (Beretta 92, Glock 17? I chose the 92), real weight but outfitted with a laser in place of the barrel and a mag with a C02 cartridge that actuated the slide and closely simulated real recoil! It was very enjoyable, educational and the closest I hope to ever get to actually needing to use a firearm in a defensive situation.

There are only six of these in the US currently 2 in WI, KS, FL, MN and Texas with one each. Check them out if you are near one click HERE for more info.

Each scenario will be emailed to me with a link to video of the event and if I don't look too stupid I will post them on You Tube and add a link here when available. If you get the chance to check them out leave some feedback on your impressions. This is no substitute for firing your carry gun with real bullets but worth the money to brush up on some skills. I will go back again. Going to try and talk my boss into a company outing!

Oh all the good guys walked away without injury!

I have been to that Gander last May, ironically while on my way to the Dells to receive a comendation for being in a shootout with an armed coke head, and thought it was a nice facility/idea. I believe that store had just opened at the time, but Gander is doing a good job of being at the (commercial at least)forefront of training and firearms at least in WI.

The simulator is a great training tool for decision making situations. It is the next best thing to simunition rounds as far as training goes. Shooting at a static torso target is all and fine for trigger control and recoil and what not, but its nothing like a moving target that actually it shoots back.

If you aren't out of breath after doing a scenario, even if you don't move your feet, you aren't anywhere near what the stress level will be in a real life situation. It would be nice if our state's new ccw recipients had to go though the simulator to qualify for their permit, instead just having ''training.''

So good for Gander Mtn. for having it, however in true Gander way its expensive!

And also the three good guys went home, the bad guy left in a bag.

Better to leave it up to the permit holder to go to Gander Mountain for such training when and if they wish, then to let some bureaucrat demand that you go before you get "permission" to recieve your permit to protect yourself.

Rob Kovach wrote:Better to leave it up to the permit holder to go to Gander Mountain for such training when and if they wish, then to let some bureaucrat demand that you go before you get "permission" to recieve your permit to protect yourself.

You do and have always had the right to protect yourself, you do not need ''permission.'' Its just like you have the right to freedom of movement and to provide food for your family. Now if you choose to move through society in a vehicle, you need a drivers license (drivers ed, written test, road test.) If you choose to provide food for your family through hunting, 10-15 hours of hunters saftey training and a written test. I am a hunter safety instructor for my dept, and we do not teach how to shoot or aim at an animal, nor is there any live fire shooting, yet that training counts towards ccw.

I understand where people whine about the state requiring a set minimum of training hours because in time it could get out of hand when the libs eventually take over again and making a permit unobtainable. But to change the training requirement from four hours to ''proof of training'' that has no requirements in the training, is a little rediculous.

I agree that the onus should be on the individual to make sure they are a good shot, but there should be at least a required training covering the legal ramifications of use and misuse of firearms and requirements for deadly force.

I am all for protecting yourself and your family in any way, but in all actuality, RANDOM crime requiring deadly self defence(while not at home) is pretty rare. The law here is a good law in prinicle ( an armed society is a polite society), however it was poorly written. Granted it was quickly written ( by the NRA) to get passed, but hopefully the kinks( other than tratraining) get
ironed out eventually.