There are ideas that just plain make sense. Whether it's bringing extra magazines to a training class to save time on loading, having backup sights on a rifle with optics in the unlikely event of catastrophic failure or simply having contingency plans for various possible events. Leupold recently introduced the company's Optics Academy to bring quality training to shooters that use optics on rifles, carbines and/or pistols.
From the company website:
Leupold Optics Academy is the training division of Leupold & Stevens, Inc. It is designed around the fact that the optic on a firearm is one of the most critical components of the shooting system and should be a known constant, not a variable. Although most experienced shooters are reasonably versed in the function of their optic, few know more than the basic operation. Our uniquely designed academy focuses on the optic in addition to the platform it’s mounted on, and can take a shooter to a new level of understanding of the shooting system as a whole. Whether a novice, or an expert, a new hunter or an old-hand, the Leupold Optics Academy will help you take your skills to the next level and help guarantee success in your quest for that next epic moment.
We constantly stress the importance of quality training. It is absolutely critical to keep skills fresh and to learn the best ways to accomplish tasks, whether that means taking a class at Gunsite Academy on running a 1911 quickly, working with masters like Todd Jarrett or Rob Leatham to improve your competitive edge or learning how to make best use of your rifle, carbine or pistol optic at Leupold Optics Academy.
The Optics Academy currently offers the following courses:
General Scoped Rifle
Precision Scoped Rifle 1 (PSR-1)
Dangerous Game Scoped Rifle
Patrol Designated Marksman
There's a schedule of the various courses on the Academy's website, as well as additional contact information should you be interested in attending one or more of these classes. Whether you've been thinking of equipping a handgun with a micro-dot, putting an intermediate-range scope on your 3-gun rifle or setting up a precision long-range rig, it certainly can't hurt to get training from the folks that literally built the gear.