instructors per student....

[milktree]

How many students can a single instructor effectively and safely teach for the following disciplines?

I don't mean in the classroom, I mean on the firing line.

Basic Pistol
Basic Rifle
Shotgun
Black Powder
Archery (elaborate, I don't know very much about archery)
HighPower (like a clinic)
Something else I've forgotten

The obvious answer, and what I've always seen for Basic Pistol, is a 1:1 ratio, but that doesn't make all that much sense for something like shotgun where there's only one person shooting at a time anyway, so 1:5 doesn't seem too bad. Rifles are harder to point in stupid directions than handguns, so I can imagine 1:2 or 1:3 there. I've coached highpower clinics, and it was always 1:1, but that was for people who had shot very little, if any, highpower.

 

[Another_David]

I don't think there's a magic number or formula. I think it just depends on the safety proficiency of the students and how fast you want to teach/learn. In my beginner class there were 2 (very good) instructors and probably 12 students. We started with unloaded pistols and did a lot of dry firing and holster work. Once the instructors were satisfied with our handling the range went live. One person was given a "timeout" at one point for unsafe handling then eventually told to sit out. Sadly that person was by far the oldest in the class and couldn't seem to shake what was probably decades of mishandling firearms.

 

[jasons]

Depends on the course and the experience level of the shooters. For the live fire portion of basic pistol we have one instructor for every two or three students. For the "intro to action shooting" course that we do it's one to one because we have people drawing from holsters and stuff that's a bit more advanced.

Some of the more advanced classes that I've been a student in it's maybe one instructor for every five students.

 

[lupis42]

Depends on a lot of things. I'd be comfortable with a 1:5 or even 1:7 ratio for basic pistol, if the students are ok with taking it slow, but I would prefer a 1:3ish.

I've run an Appleseed for 15 shooters with just myself and one other instructor, and it was workable.

 

[M1911]

I've done as much as 1:2 for Basic Pistol, but that is as far as I want to go. I would start off with one student on the line. If they appeared to have a clue, I would then start the other person on the line. I was within arms reach of both of them. I definitely found it rather stressful. I absolutely prefer 1:1 for Basic Pistol.

I've taken defensive shooting classes from folks like Randy Cain where there was 1 instructor for 10-12 students on the line, but those students were all significantly more experienced than a Basic Pistol student.

 

[Sniper977]

I usually like to stay with 4 students or less if I'm teaching a class by myself. Two shoot while two observe and then they switch.

 

[Ink]

I can comfortably run 6 on a line by myself, but it is a LOT of work.

I prefer to only have 2 or 3 shooting and the others loading mags and observing + a little of the student / teacher method. This being said, for a basic class, on the range, 3-1 is a good ratio. My live fire classes are usually capped at 6 students.... until the classrooms are done that is.

Let them shoot! But, watch and give the extra help to those who need it. 90% of my first timers run their guns like champs the first time on the line, so i have been lucky to have many naturally gifted students.

 

[houdini]

depends on the class size.

 

[el duderino]

Theres a number of factors, such as what is being taught, instructor capabilities and experience level of the students, I would say for most classes beyond beginner that 3-8 students per instructor is okay.

 

[scouter-rick]

How many students can a single instructor effectively and safely teach for the following disciplines?

I don't mean in the classroom, I mean on the firing line.

Basic Pistol
Basic Rifle
Shotgun
Black Powder
Archery (elaborate, I don't know very much about archery)
HighPower (like a clinic)
Something else I've forgotten

The obvious answer, and what I've always seen for Basic Pistol, is a 1:1 ratio, but that doesn't make all that much sense for something like shotgun where there's only one person shooting at a time anyway, so 1:5 doesn't seem too bad. Rifles are harder to point in stupid directions than handguns, so I can imagine 1:2 or 1:3 there. I've coached highpower clinics, and it was always 1:1, but that was for people who had shot very little, if any, highpower.

My 2 cents are as follows:

Basic Pistol - 3 to 1
Basic Rifle - 8 to 1
Shotgun - 1 to 1
Black Powder - Depends on discipline (Pistol, Rifle or Shotgun)
Archery (elaborate, I don't know very much about archery) 8 to 1
HighPower (like a clinic) - I have no recommendation here, my answers above are based on beginners or extremely inexperienced.

 

[Another_David]

depends on the class size.

 

[PATRON]

I usually like to stay with 4 students or less if I'm teaching a class by myself. Two shoot while two observe and then they switch.

This is the smartest way to go.

 

[EddieCoyle]

For the classroom portion, I'll teach 12 by myself. When we get on the range, I like 2 instructors for 3 shooters. We shoot in 4 'heats' of three, with two instructors on the line. The people that are not shooting are watching.

 

[bostonasphalt2]

For the classroom portion, I'll teach 12 by myself. When we get on the range, I like 2 instructors for 3 shooters. We shoot in 4 'heats' of three, with two instructors on the line. The people that are not shooting are watching.

I like using similar numbers as EC here

 

[Bill Nance]

I will not, under any circumstance, attempt to take on more than six students per instructor on the firing line. -And that's at the outside.

I can realistically supervise and helpfully train about 4 people at a time. More than that and it starts showing in the amount of individual attention I give my students. I can manage 6, and have. But the level of individual attentiveness that I can give is markedly different until we get to target examination.

I wont even attempt more than 6. I don't feel that I can both manage safety and give helpful feedback after that number. 6 is already stretching my abilities to the breaking point. We generally have 10-11 students per class with two instructors. Our bread and butter includes 12 hours of classroom instruction. And quite honestly, that classroom instruction when it comes to live gun handling is as taxing as anything we do at the range.