I had the time of my life today. I spent the day with Ruben learning all about my new gun; learning…read morehow to load, pose, and shoot. He was very patient with me, let me ask as many questions as I wanted, let me know when I was doing something wrong and corrected me, and let me go at my own pace. By the end of the lesson I was hitting the target more than I was missing. I plan on getting more practice and going back to Kuma Tactical for more lessons.

Ruben was super knowledgeable and patient. It was my first class and he took his time and explained…read moreall the fundamentals to me. I never felt rushed and he always guided me and made sure I was comfortable. I definitely will continue to take classes with him- he's super candid and genuine

I took the BPS class with my three daughters. Bertrand was extremely knowledgeable and very patient…read morewith us. The course was all about safety, which made me feel much better since I had no prior experience with guns. We all enjoyed our class. Thank you Bertrand!

I took the BPS (Basic Pistol Shooting) course with Bertrand, who was recommended to me by friends…read morethat had taken courses with him before. Bertrand is extremely knowledgeable and meticulous in his lessons, with safety always at the forefront of everything he teaches. You'll likely walk out with newfound confidence and competency about using firearms, I certainly did. The BPS course was broken up into 4 parts - a self-paced online course, an in-person classroom session, 2 hour private range practice time, and 1 hour gun cleaning session (sometimes the gun cleaning is done at the range, though that'll depending on timing). Detailed information about each section will be provided once you sign up for the course. The classroom session was a group session, and it went almost 6 hours for our class (you basically go over everything that was taught in the online course, and then do some dry-firing exercises). The range time was great because it was a private coaching session, and usually done at non-public hours at the range, so there are no other distractions. One caveat - Bertrand is a bit of a drill sergeant, and while this approach may work for some people, others might prefer a softer touch. That being said, he does make sure you walk out with a wealth of knowledge and is extremely passionate about teaching. I had previously tried shooting once before, and I was taught next to nothing compared to what I learned through this course. An excellent surprise bonus to this course was how well I was able to shoot in our range session, and I definitely give kudos to Bertrand for his excellent course and training. He offers a wide variety of courses and is super responsive. If you're looking to safely learn how to use a firearm, SFE is the way to go.

I had such a great experience with ASP Firearm Training. My instructor was extremely patient,…read moreprofessional, and knowledgeable--I learned so much in just a short period of time. The CCW training was especially valuable. It was very informative, with clear explanations and practical tips on how to be a responsible and confident concealed carry permit holder. I'm really glad I had the opportunity to train with this company. If you want to get quality firearm and CCW training in San Jose, I highly recommend ASP Firearm Training!

Perfect class for your initial ccw training/renewal. The instructors are very helpful and…read morethroughout.

Clay Disneyland is the best way to describe this place now that it is under new ownership (RIP Tom…read moreEbert founder of Coyote Valley Clays). The facility caters to new and experienced shooters on a beautifully maintained world class shooting facility. The facility offers Trap, Skeet, and of course sporting clays. The pro shop offers FFL transfers, cold beverages for sale, and swag (T-shirts, hats, pins, stickers etc.) to show off your school spirit. The staff is extremely helpful and they have BBQ on the weekends! A+ facility!

Excellent focus on safety and detailed demonstration on accuracy. Explanation on stance, breathing…read moreand correct grip. I'd highly recommend not only for first timers but a great refresher for anyone wanting to get back into the sport.

Took my renewal with BAT in San Leandro. Very professional, friendly, helpful. Gregg, Dennis and…read moreNorman were absolutely great! Highly recommend!

My husband and I took Pistol 1 & 2 course couple of weeks ago. Our instructors Norman, Chris, and…read moreDennis were very helpful, knowledgeable, and patient. They explained everything really well for everyone to understand (regardless of experience). Chris was very patient and encouraging during while at the range. He did a great job putting everyone at ease and correcting people in a way that was productive but no one felt embarrassed or stupid. That is a great skill for any instructor to have. He also stayed longer to let me shoot with couple of his guns that I was not familiar with. Thank you so much. Dennis was the one coordinating the schedule when I signed up. He was very responsive and very accommodating. For example, when I asked if I could go to an earlier class, he remembered and called me when they had a cancellation). I will 100% recommend this course, and will definitely take other courses with them.

Wayne was an amazing instructor, my first. So chill, yet so knowledgeable. Just a great guy to be…read morearound. RIP Wayne

Wayne is a very funny and pleasant person to be around with. He's an excellent teacher.read more

Robert and Matt are some of the best shooting instructors that I've had the pleasure of training…read morewith. They were professional, patient, and their attention to detail is second to none. If you're looking for a premiere firearms instruction company then Silicon valley Tactical is the choice.

Rob always provides a safe place to learn and practice all firearm skills. His courses are dynamic…read moreand interactive. He is knowledgeable on anything related to firearms. Highly recommended.

I took Fighting Rifle 1 + 2 over the weekend and had a great time and learned a ton. I went from…read morenot knowing how to rack the rifle, to knowing how to zero a rifle, confident with manipulations, and knowing what my limits are in terms of shooting, stress, and movement. It was also a lot of fun Brian really donates all of his energy into this, and goes above and beyond. He's not here to give you a simple low effort easy experience that you can feel good about later. He wants to challenge you. He really wants you to grow as a shooter and share with you his passion for this activity and skill. I saw a few people here post about the drive up so I want to help inform others with this aspect-- I will say that its a very doable drive if you can drive twisties. I have performance driving experience and it took 50 minutes from the base of San Jose. I will say if you are less experienced, budget 1.5 hours. And if you lack confidence driving, budget 2 hours. Its not a difficult drive as in there is no risk, as long as you drive within your limits in terms of speed. Feeling not confident? Just slow down. Some people were driving 15-20mph which is totally fine for these roads. But if you are the type of person that cannot confidently put their car where they want it to go, I would skip this trainer and find a closer place to town. His range itself is off road. I would say its in the beginner off road level of driving. Meaning treat it like driving on road. There isn't really anything that can damage your car. But you will be driving on dirt, and if you are not used to that it might concern you. But don't worry off road is only tricky with hills, ruts, or rocks, which there are none. With a standard sedan, drive up to the bathrooms. Any further and you will get bigger hills. With fwd, if you are a confident driver you can make it down to the classroom building. However I would not suggest driving down to the range unless you have AWD as you may not have enough traction to go back up. I will say that if you do not consider yourself a skilled driver, do not drive back at night. Plan to pack up at 5 and leave at 6 minimum (assuming 7 is sunset). I drove back at night, and had to manage deer (saw two packs), fog, rocks on the road. It was raining that day so maybe my drive back was trickier than normal. These things are not an issue during the day, however at night you do need to be attentive.

I don't write many 2-star reviews, but I think this experience warrants it. I took the firearm…read moresafety class with Brian, and unfortunately I can't recommend it. Brian was unprofessional, rude, and had a habit of belittling students. He made the learning environment uncomfortable by embarrassing people rather than constructively correcting them. While I understand that it's not an instructor's job to be friendly or to "hold our hands," there's a difference between being direct and being outright disrespectful--and Brian crossed that line. In terms of content, the class was heavily skewed toward theoretical discussions, such as legal frameworks for self-defense and broad topics on conflict and society. While some of this information was interesting and well-explained, it dominated the day, leaving little time for actual hands-on firearm training. The balance between theory and practical instruction was way off. Additionally, while Brian welcomed questions, he often responded by making students feel stupid instead of providing clear, direct answers. This approach, combined with his condescending attitude, discouraged people from asking questions at all. A firearms class should foster confidence and competence--not intimidation. I gave it 1 extra star because instructor Spencer was amazing. Overall, I did not gain much practical, in-depth knowledge about firearms or safety. If you're looking for a class that prioritizes hands-on training and a professional learning environment, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

Manzano Tactical: The Efficiency Course That Gets You HOOKED!…read more I initially joined Manzano Tactical just to enjoy my range days, but their Rifle Efficiency Course on September 27th completely changed the game--I'm now hooked on competition and eagerly look forward to participating in the member pistol matches and 2-Gun matches they host with the club! This course is a must-do if you are serious about improving. The course description holds true: they immediately incorporate fundamentals with serious movement and variable challenges. We spent the day pushing our limits with demanding standards, striving for those "Demigod gold standards" while shooting both handguns and rifles. The training gave me a clear, honest assessment of my current abilities and showed me exactly where my weaknesses lie. What truly set this apart was the personalized instruction from the lead instructor, Kyle. He is a master at identifying specific struggles, even managing to see and correct my flaws while I was on the move. Kyle carved out time to help solidify those exact skill sets. I walked away learning to shoot efficiently, mastering reloads and weapon manipulation on the move, fixing frustrating ammo misfeeds under pressure, and achieving seriously fast target acquisition with my optics. They even provided insightful feedback on flaws in my equipment setup! The course was fun, incredibly safe, and, by the end of the day, I had gained massive confidence in my skills. If you want to move past casual shooting and get a clear, detailed path to mastery, book this course. Highly recommended!

Kyle and the guys at Manzano legit brought 2A to the bay…read more Gun shops have always seemed intimidating, but all the staff over at Manzano are extremly knowledgeable and happy to answer all sorts of questions. They aren't salesman, they are shooters trying to help, regardless of our skill levels. I was luckily enough to take their Pistol Match Efficiency class, Jake put together a solid class with an abundant amount of information and drills to get introduced to shooting at a pace that was productive in learning. Being a member has its perks too where we can really try to better our skills in a variety of ways. Rapid fire, holster work, and even comp days. With more than competitive pricing, the ability to source things that aren't available in the shop to get products we want, Safety is also a top priority. Kyle and the team educate and demonstrate how to be efficient with firearms.

I attended the 15 day accelerated EMT course this past August. I thought that there was no way I…read morewould have been able to complete this course still in person with COVID, but I am so glad the owner Randy was allowed to run this course with necessary precautions such as masks and a reduced class size. Learning all the skills, in addition to reading the 40+ chapters in the textbook, was definitely not easy in such a short time frame. But, the EMT's who taught this course were very knowledgeable and truly cared about your success. I think just about anyone can get through this course if you have enough dedication and truly devote all your time and energy into it for the 3 weeks it runs. For anyone looking for a place to get your EMT certs in a short period of time, this is the place to go.

This company is great & very knowledgeable. They are at all my kids football games ready to help if…read moreneeded. Lisa & Randy are great & very helpful (like all their staff)!