Recommended practice information for wife's HCP exam.

[Tobashadow]

It's been quite a few years since I did my HCP and the wife is wanting to get her's soon and I have her shooting good staying in the 7 ring at up to 45 feet with the revolver she picked out and am sending her also to the women's class at Frontier Firearms to prepare her even more but I want her prepared as much as possible for the written test. I can not find a copy of the test or a example of it online, what information is recommended for me to go over with her to make sure its second nature for her. All I really remember since its been so long was 99% of it was second nature and common sense to me but I have been in the game far longer and think differently from her.

 

I'd rather her spend the entire class being reminded of the information I already gave her instead of trying to remember what she was just told. They have prep classes but me training one on one over a longer period of time would set in more.

 

Any help is highly thanked.

[Chadastrophic]

She could sleep through the class and pass.

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[Romad7]

In my class the instructor emphasized the important information so people could take notes. Any notes were allowed to be used during the test. You could talk to the instructors where she'll be testing and ask them about the test to get a feel for the difficulty. Most places want you to pass so they don't make it to difficult. Edited April 15, 2013 by Romad7

[RED333]

My wife passed with no prep, she will be fine.

[GlockSpock]

In my class, there were a few there that had never fired a firearm in their life. Not a single person there failed the class that day. I would not worry about it.

[mikegideon]

If she's shooting good, there's no way she can fail. The written part is too easy.

[Jonnin]

I was recently told that the targets and distances have changed.  Now the target is about 1/2 the size it was, and shooters are having (according to the instructors) a hard time hitting them to pass.   Be aware.   Be able to hit a sheet of notebook paper at 15 yards.

[wewoapsiak]

Fiancee had her class there in January. They emphasized the test during the classroom portion, then had a very helpful Q&A session before the test. Targets were standard size.

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[Oh Shoot]

I was recently told that the targets and distances have changed.  Now the target is about 1/2 the size it was, and shooters are having (according to the instructors) a hard time hitting them to pass.   Be aware.   Be able to hit a sheet of notebook paper at 15 yards.

 

Distances with the new targets are also about halved too, I've read. So don't see why it would be any harder.

 

- OS

Edited April 15, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Guest Cami]

It is really easy.  I had almost no practice and all those years of competition came back.  Easy test, multiple guess.

[Guest kj4gxu]

My wife and I took ours about 3 weeks ago.  Targets were pretty small, but not tiny, My wife who is still working on her accuracy managed to hit about 48 of her 50 rounds on the target and passed the test, the written portion was easy and the answers were pretty common sense.   I believe the shooting distances were 9, 15 and 21 feet. I believe we shot 20 rounds at 9 feet, 20 rounds at 15 and 10 at 21.

 

As long as she's shooting relatively straight she shouldn't have much trouble.

[LagerHead]

This guy passed. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mzcgyk62cHU

 

[Jonnin]

Distances with the new targets are also about halved too, I've read. So don't see why it would be any harder.

 

- OS

 

All I know is second hand from the instructors who both said people were really struggling with it now (the first time shooters).  I agree, from what I could tell (they gave me one of the new targets) its the same "visual" target since it is closer.   But talking first timers, perhaps the smaller target is intimidating or some other nervous or psycho issue is coming into play that causes more misses.   Also (??? unclear ????) hits may have to be in the torso 7 ring or better, whereas before anywhere on orange was given credit before (???).   I dunno, just be aware that people are having more trouble with it than before and if a totally new shooter consider going once on your own to practice ahead of the class, just to be sure.

[Guest kj4gxu]

in the class I took hits in the 7 ring were scored at 2 points, hits outside the 7 ring but still in the black were 1 point.  50 rounds at the three distances I noted above.  I believe you had to score a 74 to pass.

[Oh Shoot]

in the class I took hits in the 7 ring were scored at 2 points, hits outside the 7 ring but still in the black were 1 point.  50 rounds at the three distances I noted above.  I believe you had to score a 74 to pass.

 

Then instructor wasn't following state course requirements, at least up till change in target size.

 

No points. 48 shots. 12 each at 3,7,15 yards, and 12 at instructor's choice. (distances with the original size target, dunno about now).  70% pass, which is 34 hits.

 

If any of that has changed, I'd like to hear it from an instructor. One posted here about 2 months ago saying only the size of target and corresponding distances have changed. The actual course requirements are not published on TNDOS site, only the requirements for the range itself for certification, is apparently only in hard copy packet to the instructors, so can't verify online.

 

Seems always varied by instructor whether he counted only inside the rings or anywhere on silhouette, but little matter as never heard  of one who wouldn't let you shoot until you made the grade. Only people who just couldn't do it and failed absolutely shouldn't be carrying, or probably even handling a firearm.

 

- OS

Edited April 15, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[peejman]

I believe the reason option was given for the smaller targets and distances correspondingly reduced was simply to allow more facilities to be used. Has nothing to do with trying to make the test harder, only keep it fair when a short range must be used. My wife took it in January and the shooting portion was exactly as OS described.

[Jonnin]

what they said when we were talking about it was

 

50 shots

70% in the 7 ring or better to pass

format was 3 distances,  and some sort of 20, 20, 10 for the shot breakdown.  Unclear if the 10 were the close or the far shots, probably the far ones (?????).

so 35 hits under those conditions. 

 

Whether that is the instructor's setup or the state's, I do not know.  There could be some discretion on how it is done within some guidelines, like it was before?  I can ask, I see 2 of the instructors almost weekly.

[ghawk249]

The new requirement for the shooting portion is a total of 50 round. This includes 20 @ 3yds, 20@ 5yds and 10 rounds @ 7yds. You must score 70%. 2 points for everything inside 7 ring, 1 point outside, 0 points off the target. My students are having a harder time with the new target especially new shooters

[Oh Shoot]

The new requirement for the shooting portion is a total of 50 round. This includes 20 @ 3yds, 20@ 5yds and 10 rounds @ 7yds. You must score 70%. 2 points for everything inside 7 ring, 1 point outside, 0 points off the target. My students are having a harder time with the new target especially new shooters

 

Thanks for info, this is first time we've heard this from actual instructor about new format.

 

Sounds like you mean 70 points though, and not 70 percent, right?

 

- OS

Edited April 17, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[ghawk249]

The State stills says 70%. You will add their score, then the percentage comes from the possilble total score of 100.

[Oh Shoot]

The State stills says 70%. You will add their score, then the percentage comes from the possilble total score of 100.

 

How peculiar. Thanks.

 

kj4gxu, you had it pert close, sorry for any doubt.

 

- OS

Edited April 17, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[peejman]

The new requirement for the shooting portion is a total of 50 round. This includes 20 @ 3yds, 20@ 5yds and 10 rounds @ 7yds. You must score 70%. 2 points for everything inside 7 ring, 1 point outside, 0 points off the target. My students are having a harder time with the new target especially new shooters

 

 

Is the older method as OS described earlier still an option? 

[Guest kj4gxu]

How peculiar. Thanks.

 

kj4gxu, you had it pert close, sorry for any doubt.

 

- OS

No worries, It wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about something.

[ghawk249]

Is the older method as OS described earlier still an option? 

No, As of April 1st this is the only course of fire.

[Tri-Cities Bob]

I'm a TN Handgun Safety Course instructor and agree with the posting of ghawk249 above.  Our students, even the first time shooters, haven't had much trouble with the new shooting requirements, but we have found that we have to emphasize the importance of sight , alignment.  If you're prepping for the shooting portion of the class, spend most of your time understanding sight alignment and you shouldn't have any trouble.  To restate the new requirements, the target is a B-29 silhouette, which is about 1/4 the size of the former B-27 target.  The B-27 is a reduced version of the 50 yard B-27 which is meant to me used at 50 feet.  A total of 50 shots are fired.  Twenty shots at 3 yards (9 feet), twenty shots at 5 yards (15 feet), and ten shots at 7 yards (21 feet).  Hits in (or touching) the 7 ring (the outside scoring ring on the target) count 2 points each.  Hits outside the scoring rings but inside the silhouette count 1 point each.  Anything outside the silhouette counts zero.  A total of 70% (or 70 points) is required to pass the shooting phase of the course.