First let me preface this review by saying I am a skeptic and at times very cynical. I tend to crack wise in my remarks but beneath the joking exterior is a person very hard to please. I tell you this to lay the ground work for the following commentary on my recent experience at the Storm Mountain Training Center. I am critical of everything and usually look for the hidden hammer when someone hands me a check or complimentary trip to Tahiti. In short, one has to work hard to impress me.
With the above out of the way, you may understand how serious I am
when I say that Storm Mountain Training Center is going to prove
to be one of the premier training facilities on the east coast. The founders,
Rod Ryan and Dave Whidden both share a sharp intellect and a quick wit
-- tempered by a quiet, friendly style that belies their extensive combined
experience. Both men have long backgrounds in the tactical environment,
both police and military. They share a vision of what "real world" encounters
can mean to the civilian and police officer facing a very irate and implacable
foe. These men have, as the saying goes, "been there and done that." I
invite you to visit their website to review their credentials. They are
far too long to list here in the space allowed.
The first thing that impressed me about the instructors is their attitude toward other tactical schools. They are NOT in competition. They suggest a student attend as many and varied a school as possible to hone their skills and find what works best for themselves. While both Rod and Dave are firm believers in their style of instruction, they point out the advantages and disadvantages of several theories of defense. As an example, they taught us some "Quick Kill" methods of putting down an armed opponent quickly with a handgun. No gun sights are used. Aiming is purely instinctual. You literally use your finger or thumb to point your weapon at the assailant and the results are amazing. Instant trauma where it counts. I went from a non-handgun shooting type -- I prefer long guns -- to putting down pepper poppers with monotonous regularity in about 5 minutes. For me personally that spelled success, but they point out there are other, equally successful methods of drawing a weapon in self-defense. Different schools vary in their technique and these gentlemen prefer their students to learn as much as possible. The point here is that, from Rod and Dave, and their cadre of instructors, you will receive honesty above all else. No B.S. sales pitch or Hollywood posturing. Just the cold hard facts.
As Stated earlier, the purpose of our visit was to attend the Basic and Advanced Counter Sniper courses, which comprises two separate weeks of training. The facility is impressive and seemingly vast for something on the east coast. It sports several types of ranges, including pistol, precision 100-yard rifle, moving targets, medium and long-range rifle. I will not spoil Rod's fun and give you the range to the longest target, you will have to mil it out when you get there. If and when you get in the odd head shot at that range, you will know your skills have really improved!
One of the most enjoyable (and frustrating!) things about the facility was its varying weather conditions. This is not a place you go to hone your zero wind, clear sky shooting skill. This was real world weather. The variations in conditions were excellent for training. Some of the best I have seen. The changing wind presented some of the most outstanding preparation a developing sniper can experience. Whether your target is a member of a crew-served weapons team or a crackhead hostage taker at the local 7-Eleven, you will leave the facility with the confidence to take the shot in what ever conditions you face. One afternoon we had a left-to-right 12 mph wind out to 400 yards, a right-to-left 20 mph wind at 450 to 500 yards, and an essentially zero-wind condition from 500 yards on out to the range limit! Doping these conditions, while frustrating, teaches you far more about the effects of wind on long range marksmanship then a calm clear day ever will.
Unexpected fog was another condition we had to deal with. The instructors drove-on and turned what could have been a bust for a training day into a very good lesson in snap shooting at fading or suddenly appearing targets. As a break would appear in the haze, a target would form, you'd dope the wind, get off the shot, and be rewarded by the satisfying sound of lead against steel. When the weather cleared around noon, the instructors picked up the curricula and never missed a beat. Nor was there any candy-ass withdrawal when the rain rolled in. We trained regardless of the conditions.
Which brings up a point: If you are a civilian looking for a gentleman's course on long-range shooting, the counter-sniper course may not be for you. If you are looking for excellent training scenarios, in any weather, in rolling terrain, with stress and confusion, and enjoy the challenge, by all means sign up! Low-crawling in a hot, nasty ghillie is not for everyone. Be sure you are serious before you attend. You will be humping up a mountain, traveling a three klick stalk over hilly terrain, and doing a stress course that is very fun but physically taxing. This is not a course for whiners. It is a course that you will LEARN from if you are willing. Again, I stress, whiners need not apply. This is a Sniper course, not marksmanship training. Remember this before signing up. You must be a fair marksman before you get there!
A sniper must be able to perform in almost any condition. He does not just sit around plinking at targets of opportunity. He is neither a prima donna or a loafer. He is a grunt first, a technician second. At SMTC you will acquire plenty of technical skill, but you will have to "grunt" your way to the objective. You will be expected to range walk to the firing points, with all your gear. You will move tactically through hilly terrain and heavy vegetation, again, with all your gear. You will train regardless of weather. You may even sit out a scenario for hours on end, deep in your hide, waiting for the green light to take the shot. With the exception the Marine Corp Sniper school, this is training at its best. My only negative comment here is that the course could have been more physical. We worked hard, but I felt the instructors tailored the regimen toward the fact the majority of students were civilian. That was a judgement call on their part, and probably a wise one.
I highly recommend this course for SWAT members and other individuals who are expected to take a shot on close to medium range targets. Call it remedial training. You will be experiencing an incredible gain in confidence when you start drilling targets at very long ranges in wind. You will find your 100-yard precision skills growing in quantum leaps. Confidence is everything and the only way to get it is to shoot over long distances. Period! Rod Ryan stressed this point repeatedly. My 100-yard groups were averaging .50 to .80 inches at the beginning of the course. By the middle road I was putting groups into the .190 to .30 range. On the final day of the Advanced course, every shot I fired in the final 100 yard precision test went into one raged hole. I had learned to truly concentrate. As you improve you will only be limited by your firearm.
A note on range practice is in order. My impression is that most police snipers do not practice at longer ranges and frankly, this is a sad situation. More then anyone in this line of work, a police sniper needs the confidence to take the shot and win the day. Innocent lives ride on his confidence and character. A confident idiot will get people killed. A less than confident shooter will not take the shot, and the results may end up the same. Better to KNOW from experience that you can make the shot now! Studying at a professional facility with quality instructors of Storm Mountain's caliber will go a long way to building that confidence. Get the training. Fight for it. The public deserves your best, just as you deserve the support of your superiors. Even if your department picks another training facility separate from SMTC, insist it has ranges out to the limit of your rifles ability. Consider 500 yards mid range. As an aside, a head shot at 340 yards became common place with the students during this course. Are you up to that? If so, a short-range shot suddenly becomes cake.
One of the more exciting things I want to point out about the Storm
Mountain Training Center are their tactical scenarios. The staff
is comprised of a cadre of instructors who are available for various tactical
training situations. This is as real as it gets as far as training goes.
The staff members have taken part in enough real-life fur-balls that they
can replay a pretty decent scenario complete with blazing gun fire. One
scenario I took part in was very realistic. I could have been watching
it all play out on the evening news, were it not for the fact that I was
viewing it through a 10x B&L Tactical scope, from 325 yards. Another
scenario ended with a movement to contact. Our team had to cover the withdrawal
of the second team and while moving to our position we were informed that
enemy snipers were operating in the area. In a moment a target was up and
we had to drop and take a shot. For me, this meant sitting in a pile of
rock and shooting through a thicket of brambles. Very good stuff! I would
liked to have seen a little more of this style of training during the two
weeks of the course but time, as always, is the limiting factor. As it
was, every day was filled with useful instruction and not a moment was
wasted.
In closing, I want to impart to you my general impression of the facility. These are dedicated, professional, and experienced people who have much to teach their students. They will adapt the course to the student if necessary and are not troubled by Mr. Murphy. When it hits the fan, they adapt and overcome. They are neither braggarts or blow-hards. You can simply look at them and realize that they have been through it and know how to teach it. They teach very well indeed.
The facility itself is a work in progress. So far, the ranges are mostly in place and improvements are in the works. Range towers, sniper blinds, shooting platforms, a Fun House, rappeling tower, automobiles with pop-up targets -- everything is either in the works or nearing completion. There are some truly high-speed things I cannot tell you about (yet) but, when they are in place, Storm Mountain will shine as the place for the professional tactical team to train. Check out their website at:
http://www.stormmountain.com
Or call 304-446-5526.
I highly recommend Storm Mountain Training Center as the facility, particularly on the east coast, for your tactical, defensive, and specialized training needs. This applies to both civilian, military and police.
When you call SMTC let them know you first heard about them here at Sniper Country!
For another report on the Storm Mountain Training Center, see Mr. Bain's Review.