Great Instructor and class. Went through a M-4 Class at Russell County Sheriff Dept. Good training…read moreall day in the rain. Sgt Hattaway VPD.

The training is excellent; whether you are a beginner or a novice. The attention to detail is…read moreexcellent and the instructor ensures that you are comfortable handling your weapon, as well as, have a firm understanding of basic gun safety rules. I feel much safer and better prepared having taken this course! The owner works with you to find a time that fits your schedule. Another great bonus to this training!

Has to be the best range in the area. Helpful and friendly staff. Fair pricing. Excellent…read moreselection.

Truly an amazing experience…read more Jim Patterson took the time to educate us on the history of each of the many machine guns that they have available on display and to shoot. It was both educational and much fun. They may have the largest selection of machine guns available to fire. His right hand Wade was a great instructor in how to use a hand gun. A wonderful experience and definitely worth the time and modest investment if you're within 60 miles of Lake Martin, Alabama.

The instructor was very professional and extremely patient, yet required discipline from all in…read moreattendance. She used various teaching aids to enhance my speed and accuracy. I found the Lazer traing to be the most effective to teach me target aquisition and trigger squeeze. What impressed me the most about the instructor was her ability to use her knowledge of weapons safety to teach accuracy and speed. Best training my family has ever attended! It was definitely worth the investment! Mr. C

I want to thank you for the professionalism, organization, and commitment you demonstrated…read morethroughout the training weekend. I left with a strong appreciation for the quality of instruction and the level of care you put into the student experience. * The training stayed extremely well organized. You maintained a clear structure from start to finish, which kept everyone focused and confident in what came next. * The Program of Instruction (POI) was excellent. The flow made sense, the objectives were clear, and each block of instruction built naturally into the next. It felt intentional rather than improvised. * You minimized downtime. Transitions between drills happened quickly, and the pace kept students engaged without feeling rushed. * You demonstrated safety consistently throughout the training. Both physical safety and weapons safety were emphasized. You reminded students to hydrate, monitor their physical condition, and maintain muzzle awareness at all times. That constant reinforcement built trust and professionalism. * Cadre availability on Friday made a strong impression by making yourselves accessible, answered questions, and set the tone for a productive weekend. * Craig followed up on Monday to check on us. That personal call showed genuine investment in the students and reinforced the professionalism of the program. * The student‑to‑cadre ratio was excellent. We received individualized attention, immediate corrections, and real‑time coaching that would not have been possible with a larger group. * The pizza after training was a great touch. It created a relaxed environment to decompress, talk through the day, and build rapport. * The drinks on the firing line were greatly appreciated. Having cold drinks available kept everyone hydrated and helped maintain performance and safety.

TL;DR: This is an amazing firearms training center with outstanding, humble, friendly, and highly…read morequalified instructors. I can't recommend them enough - I bought the lifetime membership! I traveled from Colorado to Alabama to take this two-day shotgun course. Admittedly, I was a little hesitant at first to put such faith in an organization I had no first-hand knowledge of; there was a lot of unknown to me for such an investment. After I purchased the course (which included a Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Semi-Automatic shortgun and other freebies ($1,149 MSRP; $1049.99 on Cabelas https://www.cabelas.com/p/beretta-a300-ultima-patrol-semi-auto-shotgun), I also purchased their lifetime membership which was offered at a very discounted rate after the 2-day course/shotgun purchase. More risk. Lastly, I was hesitant about a semi-auto shotgun (vice a pump) for my primary home defense weapon. After firing this weapon for 2 days, I am convinced it is extremely reliable (and potentially faster and definitely less complicated in a high-stress defense situation) and have been made a "believer." It's replacing my Mossberg 590A1 as my primary home defense piece. Our primary instructors were Carter, Steven, and Ammon. Carter, the lead instructor, immediately set a friendly, humble tone for the class of 12 students, all of whom (in our class's case) were fairly veteran gun owners. Every person there was also kind, humble, and a pleasure to be around. While I believe that most people are genuinely friendly, I also believe that when the tone is properly set, as Carter did, that friendliness is brought to the forefront. Great start. I also learned the qualifications of the instructors (https://patriottrainingcenter.com/about-us/). They are all very impressive with many recognized industry qualifications. The book that comes with the course is spiral-bound and 120 pages. It is an AWESOME reference, both during and after the course. We had about 2 hours of instruction and went to the range. SAFETY IS AN ABSOLUTELY TOP PRIORITY HERE. I never felt concerned, even once. These gentlemen know how to run a range, bar none. The training was fun, engaging, exciting, and challenging. I learned so much. They'll tell you at the beginning that it's "drinking from a firehose," but honestly it felt like a great pace to me. Lunch breaks were an hour, and felt generous time-wise, especially if you bring a lunch - there is a microwave and paper plates, bowls, and plastic utensils available (my experience there). For the course, Patriot Training Center sells the ammo package for $280. If you bring your own, HIGHLY recommend you purchase low-recoil buckshot and slugs (~1300 FPM, **NOT** the 1600 FPM full-power ammo!!). They recommend 00 Buck for home defense. Regardless of which ammo you personally choose for home defense, I recommend bringing THAT ammo to test against the targets - we saw a HUGE difference in shot patterns and spread from the "cheap" to the "quality" ammo (they recommend 2 3/4" Federal FliteControl (LE13300) #00 Buck **8-pellet** (not 9-pellet!!), or Hornsby Versatite Black #00 8-pellet shells. In my case, I did not know this ahead of time and had the 1600 FPM buckshot and slugs. Fortunately, the Beretta A300 is a gas-recoil shotgun which reduces recoil about 40% (per their website). FWIW, I was not sore at all after firing about 180-200 shells over 2 days (all birdshot the first day; birdshot, buckshot, and slugs the second day). Not to humble brag (lol), but I am in pretty decent shape - YMMV, so get the low-recoil stuff. As I said before, I also bought their "lifetime membership," which allows you to go back for their other courses, to include 2-day rifle and shotgun, 2- and 4-day pistol (both with and without red dot), and their 2-day active shooter response course. You can attend as many of these courses as your time allows, and as many times as you want. We had a guy in our class who had attended 10+ times already. Amazing, amazing value if you take advantage of it. To sum up, I couldn't be happier with my purchase: great instructors (as human beings), great instruction, great range, and a great experience. Highly recommend!!

Bought the BX-25 mag. It would feed 2 or 3 and jam. Tried to exchange or get my money back. They…read moreindicated because of the packaging neither could happen. How are we supposed to know if it's defective without opening? The response was " you could have opened the package instead of cutting it open" . Fair point, but were they going to put it back on the shelf to resale instead of sending it back to manufacturer as defective? Working in retail myself, it appears they do not want to go thru the hassle and paperwork for a defective product. Bad look Shooters, just a bad look. UPDATE-Went back today and wanted to speak with another manager if possible. If I got the same response I would leave the magazine there and contest the charge on my credit card. The new manager listened to my story, went and got another magazine and happily exchanged it, bad packaging and all. To be clear, I did not threaten with contesting the charge. This manager understood what good customer service is about. Changed my rating, if only all managers were like the last one!

Typical know it all gun store employees, there were several people that were nice but the bad…read moreoutweigh the good ones

I entrusted your business with my weapon in good faith, expecting timely and competent service…read more Unfortunately, over the course of several months, the work was not completed as agreed. Despite repeated assurances, the trigger replacement was never successfully performed. Throughout this extended period, I experienced ongoing delays, inconsistent communication, and what felt like a continuous runaround whenever I attempted to get updates on the status of my firearm. This level of service falls far below reasonable expectations for professionalism and customer care. To make matters worse, I was charged for a service that was ultimately not completed. Retaining payment under these circumstances is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about your business practices. I virtually pay you to baby sit my own gun! They gave me back my weapon offer no apologies or explanation also one of the females working the phones covers their unjust practices.

**UPDATE FROM 1 STAR TO 3 STARTS**…read more **Gotta give credit where credit is due. The owner gave me no issues at resolving the problem and bought a new slide of the same model right in front me. Even gave me a full refund as well. Unfortunate that something like this happened to begin with but I guess things like this happen from time to time. I'm sure these guys are good at most things but I'd suggest working on milling for sure. Anyway, thanks for a painless resolution.** Leaving photos to maintain honesty with others considering milling at this location.

Best Pistol training class. Hands on safety, laws, handling, and instruction company…read more They are definitely the finest in dense training with Jared and his staff. Would definitely give them a Five Star out of Five Star recommendation!

Dale and his team are very professional, and you can tell they're passionate about training by…read moretheir preparation alone. The classroom was comfortable and well-equipped with quality equipment. The course materials and supplements were thorough, relevant, and helpful. Even with more experience in the subject matter than many people, I learned a great deal from Dale and his team in the classroom. The professionalism and quality instruction extended onto the range. Dale is a highly-skilled marksman and one of the most patient and supportive instructors I have trained with -- public and private agencies included. I would not hesitate to recommend Dale Carr and Zoie Protection Group to beginners or the highly experienced.

I took the Basic Pistol course, and the instructor Dale and his wife are amazing. The class…read moresetting was comfortable and Dale has a wealth of knowledge that if gives without hesitation and will go over it with you until you understand. I enjoyed myself completely and will recommend people who are looking to receive good knowledge to attend on of his classes.