Embrace the Weather
One of the benefits of indoor target shooting, from a training perspective, is that it strips away the annoying environmental conditions that get in the way of making nice, neat marks on the paper. CTIA, on the other hand, follows an all-weather training model, meaning the weather that happens to be on hand for the day of class is invited to participate as yet another instructor on the range. This particular training event, located up a canyon at an outdoor shooting range, started off cold and cloudy. As the day wore on, it rained, sleeted and snowed. By the time students started running the final obstacle courses in the afternoon, the wind had picked up and the early day rain had turned into ice.

Mark Twain once said, “If you hold a cat by the tail you learn things you cannot learn any other way.” This is also true with tactical training conducted in wet, freezing weather. It’s uncomfortable stripping ice out of a shotgun’s action between drills, but very instructive. Here are a few of the lessons brought to bear by Old Man Winter:

• If shooters use electronic sight systems, they should have iron sights in place as a backup. In this case, holographic sights clogged with snow and ice, or they conked out from the cold. Although rifle sights and ghost-ring sight systems are effective, the traditional single-bead shotgun sight can be used quite effectively for placing fast, accurate shots at close range, as well as for making long-range shots with slugs. The key is to create a sight picture in which the bead is level with the top of the receiver.

• In the harshest weather conditions I'm likely to face, the Mossberg shotgun, Winchester ammunition and Sentry Solutions lubricants I have on hand are going to function properly. Some lubricants can get gummy in cold weather and cause malfunctions, so shooters need to ensure they are using the right products for their geography.
 
• All of the benefits and weaknesses of each student’s support gear was amplified by the weather. Ammunition retention systems, gloves and gear that worked well before the weather turned nasty were also useful in the cold. Those that were already hard to work with or malfunctioning only became more of a problem.

• Properly executed loading, shooting and footwork techniques really do work, especially when the ground is slick, fingers are numb and the mind is tired. That's why the military and law enforcement use these systems in the first place.

Final Thoughts
Nothing in the world can replace live fire training conducted by professional instructors. The Counter Terrorism Institute of America's training opportunities are very reasonably priced for the training received, and the staff is excellent. I especially appreciated how I saw the instructors treat new and less-experienced shooters, as well as their non-judgmental willingness to train folks to use the guns and gear they already own or choose to use.