ALTUS Intro to Pistol Course

This course instructed by Josh A. was outstanding. He covered a multitude of topics including various pistol calibers and their purposes, different pistol action types, trigger control, dry-fire techniques, grip techniques for controlling recoil, drawing from a holster, reloading, and shooting on the move. These may seem like topics that would typically be covered after an introductory course, however the way the topics were presented and instructed makes it easy for someone relatively new to firearms gain the confidence they need to become proficient. It takes more than shooting static on a flat range at a single target to become competent with a pistol, especially when training for personal defense, and this course provides the necessary foundation for shooters to continue developing those skills on their own. As someone who has been shooting firearms for most of their life, I was amazed at how much I learned and I realized how much further I have to go in my firearms training.

I wanted to leave this review about Josh but the website wouldn't allow me to post it on the course page. I took this class on 06/25 and I HIGHLY recommend this course to anyone that is new or to anyone that has been carrying for years. Josh has a wealth of knowledge that he clearly wants to transfer to others. I left this course feeling more confident in my pistol handling/shooting skills. The way he articulated the information and taught the class made it very personal and easy to understand. Even though this class was in a group, it was about as one on one as it could get without paying for private lessons. I’ll be looking forward to taking his Advance Pistol class and carbine classes. Aside from Josh's review I also wanted to give a shot-out to how awesome Mikes pictures were. Top notch camera work. Thank you again for taking the time to take pictures.

Intro to pistol was by far the most informative and transformative days I have had behind my pistol. It had the perfect mix of class and range time. One of Joshs best skills as a teacher is that he will meet you at your level and tailor his instruction to the indidual shooter. Often times a one size fits all approach can feel robotic and uncomfortable. Not the case here! There was steady progression and flow from drill to drill that helped me to build confidence with each step. In particular, this class is a must for EDC fundamentals. Good communication and a sense of humor will get Josh some style points as well... Looking forward to taking the advanced course! Well done sir.

Rodney is great! I learned a lot in a day and shoot much better!

Ok, I think it’s well established Matty is a great instructor and that this class is beneficial. It’s true plus he’s smart and entertaining especially for an army guy. I had a hard time deciding wether I should take the intro class since I had a lot of experience but decided to go ahead with the intro to make sure I had good fundamentals. It was the right choice. I also brought my wife along and Matty might have saved my marriage!
I learned Better techniques for:
Reloading
Aiming/not giving up on front sight
Recoil management
Grip technique

My wife got a lot from the course but mostly for her it was improvements in slow fire accuracy.

By the end of the course everyone was faster and more accurate.

Only thing I would change would be to allow some consolations due to weather especially when women or children are involved. I got lucky and the weather was surprisingly good for the day. If it had rained I probably would have either wasted a lot of money or slept on the couch for a while.

Matty, thanks again for the help breaking bad habits forced upon my by the AF. I look forward to taking other courses you teach.

Matty was entertaining and a great teacher! Covered a lot of ground and got in a lot of trigger time. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to up their pistol game.

While I had shot pistols a small amount, I had never had any formal training. If you want to learn the "right" way to build good habits this is the class to do it. Matty Nelson is duly qualified and is able to not only diagnose issues but put you on a path to correct them. This course was a fun filled day with loads of skills and training that you can definitely build upon to become the marksman you want to be. I will definitely be recommending CORE to all my friends and anyone who asks. Thanks again Matty!

I have been shooting for almost 50 years but had never had any type of training before. I took the Intro to Pistol class with Matty Nelson on 9/23/2017 and learned so much. He has a gift for training that makes things stick with you whether on the range or things that you can do away from the range to build muscle memory and continue with drills to practice what he teaches you. He stressed safety first all day and was vigilant in watching us and didn’t mind taking time to explain something. His sense of humor kept the training fun and interesting. I highly recommend Core Shooting and Matt for your training needs, you won’t regret the decision. I also took the Intro to Carbine training 3 weeks later with Matty and again learned valuable skills and tips.

Can not say enough positive things about this class with Matt Nelson. Extremely knowledgeable in teaching fundamentals as well as getting the class to think about the use of a firearm in a defensive scenario. I took so many things away to work on, was the best training investment I've ever made. I will echo all the great comments about Matt's style, just a true professional and fun to be around for a day.

Thanks Matt! For your service to this great nation as well as a superb day at the range.

I recently had the opportunity to participate in the Intro to Pistol class with Instructor Matt Nelson at the CORE shooting facility in Baker, FL. Our class was composed of many varied levels of shooting proficiency from novice to near competition level. As an Instructor, Matt has the uncanny ability to assess the individual needs of each student and to tweak his instruction to challenge each shooter to become more proficient and to exceed their individual goals for the class. His training style is light hearted and entertaining when appropriate, yet serious when it comes to the safety of his students and weapons operation. Matt’s sense of humor is woven through his instruction and makes learning about the safe and proficient use of a handgun a pleasure.
Although I have participated in the shooting sports for more than four decades and have been fortunate enough to have trained with many well-known shooting instructors, I can honestly say that I have never learned as much in a single day as I did with Matt. Regardless of your personal skill level or experience, I would highly recommend this course and Matt as an Instructor.
I can’t wait to train with him again!