RECAP - AMERICAN RIFLEMAN

---

💥 American Rifleman: Marksmanship & Home Defense Clinic 💥

 The American rifleman has long been defined by two responsibilities: the ability to place accurate shots at practical distances and the ability to defend home and family when necessary. This course develops both. Students will build practical marksmanship, confidence, and safe rifle handling while learning to effectively employ the rifle in a home-defense role. There are no gimmicks or tactical theatrics, just sound instruction, disciplined practice, and practical skills that serve responsible American rifle owners. 

This class is right for you if:

✅ You prefer a class environment built around mentorship, camaraderie, approachable instructors, and continuous improvement rather than ego or intimidation.

✅ You want to become a more accurate and confident rifle shooter for defense, hunting, or preparedness.
✅ You’re new to rifles and want a solid foundation in practical marksmanship and defensive rifle skills.
✅ You’re an experienced shooter looking to sharpen skills and correct bad habits.
✅ You own a lever gun, bolt gun, AR15, or classic battle rifle and want a class  to better understand and employ your firearm.
✅ You want to focus on practical rifle skills rather than gear, gimmicks, or internet trends.
✅ You believe that responsible rifle ownership begins with accuracy, discipline, and sound judgment. 

“A good shot must necessarily be a good man since the essence of good marksmanship is self-control and self-control is the essential quality of a good man.” - Theodore Roosevelt. 

Calendar

📅 Sunday, May 3, 2026 - SOLD OUT!

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026

📅 Sunday, December 13, 2026
📍 Mountain Top Gun & Archery Range, 11564 Harrison Ferry Rd, McMinnville, TN

🕗 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM Central Time 

👉 Seats are limited — lock in your spot today! 

American Rifleman develops the knowledge and skills needed to confidently employ a rifle for both practical marksmanship and home defense. Students will learn proper rifle setup, safe gun handling, sight picture, sight alignment, trigger control, recoil management, and the effects of mechanical offset at close distances. Instruction emphasizes building solid fundamentals that produce consistent, repeatable hits from across the room to practical field distances.

Building an American Rifleman requires more than shooting groups from a bench. Throughout the course, students will confirm their zero, refine their equipment setup, and apply marksmanship fundamentals from practical shooting positions. Instruction also covers sling use, optics, iron sights, loading and unloading procedures, malfunction clearance, and practical rifle handling. Every exercise is designed to develop safe, confident rifle owners who can employ their rifle effectively whether protecting their home, hunting game, or enjoying a day at the range. 

Whether your rifle is intended for defending your home, harvesting game, or simply becoming a more capable rifleman, this course provides the foundation upon which all other rifle skills are built. American Rifleman welcomes AR-15s, lever-action rifles, bolt-action rifles, and classic battle rifles.

Have a lever-action, bolt-action, or classic battle rifle gathering dust in the safe?

American Rifleman was built with you in mind. While modern sporting rifles are welcome, this course was intentionally designed to help shooters develop practical skills with virtually any traditional shoulder-fired rifle.

TOPICS INCLUDE

• All Patriot Training live fire classes have a thorough safety briefing and medical plan. 
• Proper sight picture
• Sight alignment
• Proper grip on the gun
• Good fighting stance
• Recoil control
• Practical marksmanship from 50 to 200+ yards
• Common fighting rifle zeroes and implications
• Rifle setup
• Sling setup and use
• Optic setup
• How to zero the rifle
• How to deal with stoppages
• Most common shooting positions - standing, prone, bench, and variations. 
• Field applications of each skill will be applied. 

FAQ

• NO PREREQUISITES!
• BEGINNERS - feel free to use a scope or optic. 
• EXPERTS - challenge yourself: shoot this class with iron sights!
• All PATRIOT TRAINING Class pricing includes any applicable range access charges - no surprise "gotcha" fees!

GUNS & GEAR 

• Magazine fed rifle PREFERRED
  • Bolt action, etc. welcome.
  • Chambered in .223/5.56 or larger is welcome
• AR15 PREFERRED!!! 
  • .22 Rifles welcome!
• LEVER ACTION RIFLES WELCOME!
• BOLT ACTION RIFLES WELCOME!
• Old-School Rifles WELCOME!
  • M1 Garand welcome!
  • SKS Welcome!
  • M1 Carbine Welcome!
  • Mini-14 Welcome!
  • Mosin Nagant Welcome!
• 2 or more magazines.   Please feel free to prep mags ahead of class. 
• 150 rounds ammunition - same brand, same type 
• No green tip or armor piercing ammo.  We will be shooting steel targets. 
• If you wear prescription lenses / glasses - BRING THEM!  
• A BACKPACK to rest your rifle on (see video below)
• Bipods welcome. Not required. 
• Notepad & pen 
• Eye protection & ear protection. 
• Tools to make sight adjustments.
• WATER! 
• Food - there is no place nearby from which to buy lunch / snacks.
• Tools to adjust your optic or iron sights. 
• Sunscreen, bug spray, etc.
• Lawn chair optional
• Shooting Mat is optional. 
• Elbow pads optional
• Medical Kit / IFAK optional

DO NOT BRING

• No green tip or armor piercing ammo.  We will be shooting steel targets. 
• DO NOT bring steel cased ammo for your AR-15. You will hate yourself. Consider yourself warned. 
• Hand-loaded ammunition is not permitted in class. Bring quality factory brass cased ammo. 

LOCATION

This class will be held at Mountain Top Gun & Archery.

11564 Harrison Ferry Rd., McMinnville, TN 37110

CLASS IS HELD 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM

STANDBY

Most Patriot Training classes sell out quickly. However, we frequently have participants who have schedule changes, and cannot make the class they bought for whatever reason. Therefore, we offer a "STANDBY" list. Of course, this does not guarantee you a spot. However, most classes get one or two reschedules - usually the last week right before class. 

IF this class sells out, email us and we will put you on standby for the class at no charge. Of course, if a spot opens up, then you will need to act quickly to buy that spot! 

REFUND / RESCHEDULE / TRANSFER POLICY

REFUNDS

Patriot Training does NOT offer Refunds. 

* Tuition sale is final and is a commitment to train with Patriot Training at the date and time scheduled.

* Tuition paid guarantees your spot in class. Patriot Training does not overbook. 

* Your payment secures a spot in a specific class, and nothing more. Patriot Training cannot and does not guarantee individual performance or results. Therefore, failure to pass a course (such as a carry permit evaluation) does not qualify for a refund.  

* Patriot Training does not offer refunds, reschedules, or transfers to students who fail to show up for class. If you decide not to attend, that’s your decision. 

* This policy is firm and there will be no exceptions.

Why? 

- Because if you decide the day before class that you don't like the weather forecast (or insert whatever excuse here), we will not have time to sell that spot to a serious participant that has been turned away. 

Limited Exceptions:

• More than 30 days prior to class, with written notice: Patriot Training may consider a partial refund, contingent upon being able to reopen and fill the vacated class slot with another paying student. If the vacated slot is not filled, no refund will be issued. Approved refunds will be subject to a processing fee ($50 for most classes). 
• Emergency situations may be handled on a case-by-case basis. 
• Examples of legitimate emergencies may include major medical emergencies, serious injury, family tragedy, or similar unforeseen events beyond the student’s control. 
• Work scheduling conflicts, poor planning, bad hair days, imperfect weather forecasts, or similar will not qualify as emergencies.

RESCHEDULE

Patriot Training classes cannot be rescheduled. 

LIMITED TRANSFERS

Can't make the class and want to transfer (give/sell) your spot to someone else?

If you want to transfer, sell, or give your seat to someone else, that’s entirely up to you and is fine by us. 

You must notify us no later than Thursday, 6:00 pm, prior.  

If that person cannot make it, the same no refund policy applies. 

CANCELLATIONS

In the unlikely event Patriot Training is forced to cancel a class, refunds and reschedules will be offered.