Firearm Safety Training with Bill Tidwell
To enroll in any of Bill Tidwell’s courses, please contact him directly:
Bill@Train2besafe.com
(510) 552-4742
Check our current schedule below:
Basic Handgun Course
This course is ideal for the person who has no experience in firearms and is interested in learning safety and basic marksmanship with a handgun.
Students will be instructed in handgun safety, and will become familiar with a selection of revolvers and semi-automatic pistols. On the range, the student will fire both .22 caliber revolvers and autoloaders.
Continuing in the classroom, the course will cover cleaning, storage, and selection of a personal handgun.
The course fee of $225.00 includes all range & classroom fees, books, targets, ammunition and the use of handguns, and eye & ear protection.
During the optional third evening, students will explore additional shooting techniques including shooting with both hands, single handed at different types of targets and will have the opportunity to shoot various larger caliber handguns. Cost for the extra instruction and shooting is $115.00.
NRA First Steps Rifle Course
The NRA First Steps Rifle Course will introduce beginning shooters to the fundamentals of rifle safety and marksmanship.
The course includes familiarization with different types of rifle actions, ammunition, marksmanship fundamentals, cleaning and storage.
Students will fire .22 caliber rifles from various positions on an indoor range. (The fundamentals learned in shooting .22 rifles can be applied to larger caliber rifles as used in hunting and competition.) Approximately 3 1/2 hours usually on a Saturday morning.
The course fee of $225.00 includes all range & classroom fees, books, targets, ammunition and the use of rifles, and eye & ear protection.
UT CCW Course
The State of Utah allows non-residents to obtain a Concealed Firearms Permit that allows for concealed carry in Utah as well as many other states (California is not included).
Currently 35 states recognize Utah's permit. Applicants must be at least 21 years of age, attend a qualified course and submit an application and $63.25 fee along with fingerprints and passport style photograph to the State of Utah.
The four hour course includes firearms safety and Utah law. The course fee is $125.00.
Introduction to Shotgun Course
The NRA First Steps Shotgun Course will introduce beginning shooters to the fundamentals of shotgun safety and marksmanship. The course includes information on the various types of shotgun actions, the uses of different chokes, shotshell choices, cleaning and storage. The many uses of shotguns, including trap, skeet, sporting clays, hunting and self defense will be discussed.
Courses presented at Reed's Indoor Range are oriented more towards defensive shooting with live fire on an indoor range.
The $225.00 per person course fee includes all instruction, range time, materials and use of equipment.
NRA Personal Protection In The Home
The NRA Personal Protection in the Home Course is designed to develop a students basic knowledge, skills and attitude essential for the safe and efficient use of a handgun for protection of self and family.
This nine hour course will cover defensive handgun skills, firearms and the law, differences between concealment and cover, levels of awareness, strategies for home safety, responding to a violent confrontation, selecting a handgun for self-defense and shooting and training opportunities.
Prerequisite for the class is an NRA Basic or First Steps Pistol Course or by instructor's permission.
The course fee is $275.00 per person and includes all range and classroom fees, target, classroom materials and instruction.
Students are required to provide a handgun, 150 rounds of ammunition, and eye & ear protection.
CA Hunter Safety Courses
In-Person courses are now available again on a limited basis (see below for details).
Please register online at the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife website at www.wildlife.ca.gov/huntered. After registering, students will be require to go to Reed's Indoor Range (1100 Duane Ave., Santa Clara 95054) to pay the $20.00 course fee and pick up study materials for the class.
Registration for courses open approximately two months before the class date.
CALIFORNIA 8 HOUR & 16 HOUR AND NRA BASIC CCW COURSE
(Note: Before considering this course, please read the information below* about California CCW Permits)
This Basic CCW Course teaches the basic knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary to carry a concealed pistol for personal protection. Topics include: Firearms safety, Mindset - Responding to an attack and the aftermath, California self-defense law, Basic defensive pistol skills, and Drawing from a holster. Students will fire approximately 130 rounds while drawing from a holster and complete either the qualification course for their County or City or the NRA CCW qualification course. For the 16 hour course, the fee is $500.00 per person and the 8 hour course fee is $300.00 per person. Course fees include all range and classroom fees, targets, classroom materials and instruction.
Students will need to provide a handgun suitable for self-defense, strong side hip holster, 150 rounds of ammo, three magazines or speed loaders, a double magazine or speed loader belt carrier, cover garment and eye & ear protection. For students wanting to submit more than one gun on their permit, a holster and 50 rounds of ammo will be needed for each additional gun.
If desired, students will receive an NRA Certificate that allow them to apply for CCW Permits from Florida and Arizona and possibly other states.
*CALIFORNIA CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS INFORMATION
Criteria for issuing Concealed Carry Weapons (CCW) permits in California are established by the County Sheriff or City Police Chief where you reside.
The US Supreme Court has ruled that States may not require "good cause" for issuing a concealed carry permit. Most counties and some cities are now processing CCW Permit Applications.
California Concealed Carry Permit Information (Updated 2/1/2024)
SAN FRANCISCO/SAN JOSE BAY AREA COURSE INFORMATION
Before taking a course for a California CCW Permit in the Bay Area, you must have preliminary approval by the City or County that you are applying to.
Step by step suggestions:
Check with the City that you live in to determine if they are going to be issuing permits. If they do, apply to the city.
If your city does not issue permits, apply to the County that you live in.
Information, and some applications, for both cities and counties may be posted online on their websites.
If you have not already applied, we suggest doing so immediately as there is a backlog of applications.
Approvals may take months.
After preliminary approval you will be directed to take an approved CCW Course.
Before the new laws went into effect on 1/1/2023 our courses were approved by Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Mariposa, Tuolumne and Calaveras Counties and the Cities of Campbell, Mt. View, Morgan Hill & Sunnyvale (Palo Alto pending).
Santa Clara County has started scheduling interviews and is approving permits for individuals that have met their requirements.
To see the application process and time line for the Santa Clara County permit process, please check out Schedule A at the following link:
About Bill and Cathy Tidwell:
Bill Tidwell and his wife Cathy have been teaching firearms safety and marksmanship in the Bay Area for over 35 years. They are both Certified National Rifle Association Instructors for Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Personal Protection in the Home, Personal Protection Outside the Home, Home Firearms Safety and Refuse To Be A Victim. Bill is also certified in Reloading, Muzzleloading (Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun) and as a Hunter Clinic Instructor for Wild Turkey, Western Big Game and Whitetail Deer.
Serving in the U S Marine Corps from 1968 to 1970, Bill maintained expert ratings for military rifles throughout his enlistment and in recent years has earned Distinguished Expert ratings in Handgun, Light Rifle and Defensive Pistol I & II in the Marksmanship Qualification Program of the National Rifle Association.
From 1983 to 1992 Mr. Tidwell and his wife Cathy served as instructors for the San Leandro Junior Optimist Marksmanship Club.
As NRA Training Counselors, Bill and Cathy conduct the courses necessary for experienced shooters to become Certified NRA Instructors, Range Safety Officers and Chief Range Safety Officers.
Bill and Cathy are also Certified California Firearms Safety Certificate Instructors. In 1995 Bill was named one of the first Master Hunter Education Instructors in the State of California and charged with the responsibility of helping new instructors to become proficient in teaching techniques and procedures. In November 1998, Bill Tidwell was recognized as the first Hunter Education Instructor of the Year for the State of California in a ceremony held at the State Department of Fish and Game meeting held in Yosemite National Park.
Bill and Cathy have taught over 20,000 people how to shoot safely and look forward to teaching many more!