Formal Training: A wedding gift to bond with.

[Guest Mike_Parsons]

So it's official, booked our cruise. My fiancée and I will be getting married on August 2nd in St. Thomas.

My dad worked his ass off to provide very well for my mother and I. We never got to go camping or anything when I was young(insert snot nose teenage years here.) Getting out every once in a while and going shooting was the best we could manage, time wise.

So instead of him giving me some material item that I'll forget about and/or break/lose, I was really thinking about talking to him about going to taking a few courses at a place like Thunder Ranch.

I just feel a couple handgun courses and a rifle course may be some great bonding and a worthwhile life experience. Plus we were always competitive so that could be fun.

So I know TR tends to be booked a year in advance. Any other places that anyone could recommend? I am not looking to do tactics/recon, my dad is in his 50's now. He has no disabilities, but I'm just not sure he would find it as fun as he once would.

[Guest Octo]

No recommendations near the Johnson City area. However, I must give you props. That is a brilliant gift, and I must follow your example.

[56FordGuy]

We have some training folks right here in TN, and some here on TGO. CIS is in LaVergne, and Safety South is somewhere around Murfreesboro, I believe. Check with them, they may have something that would work for you.

Great gift idea, too. Good job.

[gunrunner32]

I've been in Mid South Institute of Self-Defense Shooting, not sure if they do anything other than Police, Government/Security Agencys or Military though and it's in northern Mississippi about 20 mins away from Memphis. A decent casino is near by too. I've never been but heard good things about a little place called Tier 1 Group and I wanna say it's in Arkansas.