Jerry is a top notch USCCA / NRA Instructor. If you are considering getting you SC or NC Concealed…read moreWeapons Training contact Palmetto Patriot Firearms Training. Glad I did.

From the owner: Jerry Ranson holds the following ratings from the NRA: -…read moreChief Range Safety Officer - Basic Pistol Instructor - First Steps Handgun Instructor - Refuse To Be A Victim Instructor Jerry holds the following ratings from The USCCA, (United States Concealed Carry Association): - Range Safety Officer - Defensive Shooting Fundamentals Level 1 Instructor - Countering the Mass Shooting Threat Instructor - Concealed Carry & Home Defense Instructor - Women's Handgun & Self Defense Instructor. - AR-15 Fundamentals - Non-Lethal Defensive Tools - Concealed Carry & Home Defense Training Counselor - Emergency First Aid Fundamentals He is also licensed in South Carolina to conduct Concealed Weapons Permit Classes and by North Carolina to conduct Concealed Handgun Classes. Jerry has a current certificate from the American Red Cross in Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED, Excessive Bleeding & Splinting. You can see Jerry's training schedule and sign up for a course or individual instruction at ppftllc.com and navigate to the Courses tab on the menu bar, and then click on the tab titled My USCCA Courses & My NRA Courses. Jerry was recently selected to be an instructor for training classes through the Cabela's Shield Program. Cabela's Shield offers mini class instruction as well as state permit classes and Jerry's classes are taught at the Bass Pro/Cabela's location in Ft. Mill, SC, which is across from Carowinds. Go to Cabela's-Shield.com for more information.

I came in with zero experience, having never so much as touched a gun, but with the hope of…read morelearning to shoot so I could concealed carry for self defense. I took two personal instruction lessons with Sam, and he was absolutely wonderful!! I was very nervous, and he was so patient and helpful. He even went over my allotted time to make sure I had enough time to get comfortable shooting. I really appreciated his emphasis on safety and his patience with me when I was overwhelmed. He immediately noticed and politely corrected every mistake I made (and there were a lot), and encouraged me to challenge myself a little when he felt I was ready. After my second lesson yesterday, I talked to Sam about purchasing my own pistol so I could practice with the one I would actually be using. I was considering a new Glock 42, but he pointed me towards a used Sig Sauer P365 380. The whole team was SO helpful throughout the process and helped me get an amazing deal!! I really appreciate that he wanted me to get a gun that he felt was a better fit for me instead of encouraging me to get a new one so I would spend more money. He was genuinely interested in and concerned about making sure I got something good quality that I would be comfortable using. It's clear that everyone who works here cares about each other and truly loves what they do, and it makes for a really awesome environment. Thank you so much to Sam and the whole team at The Range at Ballantyne for making my learning experience so comfortable and for answering all of my bajillion questions! I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone of any experience level.

The best range to go too. They're very helpful and got what ya need for sure. Had to purchase a…read morefirearm from here and everything was smooth.

From the moment I stepped onto the grounds of this world class facility, I knew it was going to be…read morean excellent day. Staff at the Main Office are professional and efficient. Direction to the ranges are extremely easy to follow; You can't get lost. I was amazed at how beautifully groomed and maintained the facility was. Staff up at the range were incredibly, professional, polite, welcoming and kind. Visitors were well behaved and acted appropriately. Overall, staff facilitates a family and safe atmosphere. Price point was extremely fair. Good value! I'm looking forward to my next visit. Today - Saturday - 27 December was a very busy day; - Weather was gorgeous; Nonetheless - Parking was easy and getting around the facility was not an issue. A+ Well designed and kept up!

Impressed by my first visit to this facility, which appears to be a partnership between Cleveland…read moreCounty government and the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Seems to be a well run partnership at first glance. Suggestion: prior to visiting, head to the website, watch the orientation video, and complete the online waiver. They'll have it waiting for you to sign at the office. The office is your first stop, where you'll sign the waiver (after watching the video, if you didn't already watch it online) and pay your fees. A single fee gives you all day access via wristband, and just a couple dollars more pays for the target stands you'll be using. One free target comes with the fees. Staplers and staples are provided free at each range. Office staff can answer your initial questions and get you in-processed quickly, then let the range officers know you're coming their way. Suggestion 2: weapons brought into the complex must be cased and unloaded. Do this before you arrive, and everything will go smoothly. Range officers are helpful, friendly, and not drill sergeants. Listen to them, follow their instructions, and enjoy the day. They've all got different personalities, of course; the Range 2 guys were pretty lackadaisical, while I appreciated the efficiency of the Range 3 crew. The facilities I saw were all clean and well equipped. Nothing fancy, mind you, but still far nicer than most of the public ranges I've seen. It's a shame there aren't more facilities of this caliber dispersed around the state. I certainly wish there were one closer to where I live. But going here was worth the drive. And for those of us who are veterans, there are discounts for visiting on weekdays. Maybe I can take advantage of that some time soon.

Pappys Gun Shop awesome place to come and shoot ur guns for…read morecouple of hours only 20 bucks per lane

This is my hidden gem, been coming here for a couple years, staff is very friendly and helpful, it…read morehas really good price!

With full honesty I will say my experience attending a class here is without a doubt one of the…read morebest experiences I have ever had. In my years I have experienced different instructors, but none have shown the perfect balance of comfort, hands on training experience and knowledge presented in such a manner that is relaxing, stress free and to top it off... the ability to build confidence. Jim has a natural ability to place a student at ease, to answer any questions even if they seem simple, encourages discussion and provides education in a manner anyone can understand and relate to. In addition, the method he teaches seems personal and more attentive rather than a large class which seems impersonal and crowded. This allows the student to feel more relaxed and able to soak in the knowledge being presented. A portion of his class was in his classroom which was filled with educational material and material that we could inspect and learn from. He provided lunch then transportation to finish the second part of the class which was held on a private range which was quiet and private. The range portion was just as excellent as it provided an area where we could qualify without the distractions and onlookers a public range would have negatively provided. If you are looking for training whether a beginner, refresher or to gain your certificate this is the best place to choose and I wholeheartedly recommend Jim at Stars & Stripes!

As a unit commissioner with Scouts, and as a shot-gunner, I want to be available to coach Scouts…read moreinitially through their Shotgun Merit Badge program and later through the Shooting Merit Badge. Scouts require that these two merit badge counselors be NRA certificated instructors in Shotgun and Rifle. I found Jim Elliott and it was a great find. Jim teaches a raft of NRA programs which include pistols, rifles, shotguns, reloading, range safety and other programs, like home defense. Just what I was looking for. The initial shotgun course was in his basement home in Tega Cay. Absolutely one of the best small classroom operations I have experienced. Worth a tour. He has great displays of ammunition, guns, training aids and actual guns. You just don't talk about things, you actually can touch them. A very fine set-up. Jim is a super instructor. Emphasis is on safety and applying what you learn to actual operation. You take weapons apart, compare ammunition, watch videos and, ultimately, as part of the training, go to a range and fire the guns. It was a very full day, which included a simple lunch and he drove us to and from the range. A very nice, sincere guy. I am very appreciative of his approach-ability and willingness to teach. I will most likely take other courses that he offers. If you need any type of fire arm training, give him a call. At a minimum he can recommend others, like him, that really care about what they are teaching.

Hunting Creek Preserve hosted my son's shooting team district competition this past weekend, and…read morethe experience was exceptionally well executed. Managing an event of that size is no small task, but everything was handled with impressive organization and efficiency. From the flow of participants to accommodating a large crowd, the team ensured things ran smoothly from start to finish. The venue itself is well suited for events like this, and it's clear there's a strong attention to detail behind the scenes that makes a difference for both competitors and spectators. Overall, it was a great experience, and I'd like to sincerely thank Hunting Creek Preserve for hosting such a well run event.

I'm a terrible shot but I really enjoy shooting clays. The course is a lot of fun and I think…read morechallenging for any level of shooter. The owner, Ralph cannot be a nicer guy and very welcoming. Well worth the drive up from the Charlotte area. Gun rental and ammo sales are very reasonable.