Overview
Most defensive firearms training happens on flat indoor ranges with stationary targets and no environmental variables. Real defensive encounters don't work that way. This course takes your skills outside and introduces the complexity of real-world environments — distance variability, vehicle dynamics, physical barriers, and stress-inducing drills that replicate the physiological response to a genuine threat.
Outdoor Defensive Pistol is the capstone of the pistol curriculum. It assumes you have solid fundamentals and puts those fundamentals under pressure. You'll leave with a more realistic assessment of your actual capabilities and a clear picture of what to continue training.
Curriculum
Vehicle Defense
Fighting from, around, and out of vehicles. Shooting through windows, using the engine block for cover, the dynamics of vehicle-involved encounters, and the Texas law around vehicle carry.
Barrier Work
Using vehicles, walls, and other environmental features as cover. Shooting around barriers on both sides, minimizing exposure, and moving from cover to cover.
Distance Variations
Shooting at realistic defensive distances — 3 to 25 yards — in a context-appropriate way. Understanding your effective range in a defensive context vs. a marksmanship context.
Stress Inoculation Drills
Exercises designed to elevate heart rate and replicate mild stress before requiring accurate shooting. Timed standards, movement, and scenario-based pressure that reveals how your skills hold under load.
Low-Probability, High-Consequence Scenarios
One-handed shooting, shooting after physical exertion, shooting from non-standard positions (ground, seated, behind cover). The situations you haven't prepared for but might face.
Integrated Scenarios
Full scenario-based exercises with role-players or simulated environments. Debrief covers both the shooting performance and the decision-making process.
Capstone Assessment
Timed standards and performance benchmarks. Honest debrief on strengths and development areas, with a specific training plan for continued improvement.
What to Bring
- Your defensive pistol and holster
- 150–200 rounds of ammunition
- Minimum 3 magazines
- Appropriate outdoor clothing (closed-toe shoes required)
- Eye and ear protection
- Water — this is an outdoor course
Who This Course Is For
- Concealed carriers who carry outside the home daily
- Graduates of Indoor Defensive Pistol or equivalent training
- Experienced shooters seeking scenario-based, applied defensive training
- Anyone who wants an honest assessment of their real-world defensive capability
Who Should Consider a Different Course First
- Shooters without solid fundamentals and prior defensive training — work through the pistol curriculum progressively