Excellent training. Could be used along with live fire for developing basic positional mechanics, draw from holster and target accuracy at increasing speed. Unlike live-fire targets, these targets 'shoot' back, so you have to beat them to it. As with any self defense situation, if someone is leveling their weapon at you before yours leaves the holster, they will likely shoot you no matter how fast you can draw and shoot accurately. So the first lesson these simulators are uniquely designed to teach, is reading situational clues that tell you to bring your weapon out and at low ready. The simulators quickly remind you that speed never trumps accuracy , however, as you 'own' and are accountable for every shot you fire in self defense. You are encouraged to verbalize commands, such as declaring yourself a CPL carrier and holding the gun in a professional way to reduce the chance of being mistaken as the assailant. The greatest value of both simulators is in developing situational awareness, evaluating the level-of-threat and split-second shoot/no-shoot decision-making. In the flat projection single screen simulator, the recording shifts perspective to dictate when you are moving. Physically you can perform lateral movements on the firing line to practice 'getting off the X.' In the 300 degree simulator you have a lot of room to actually move to better see threats or get your back against cover, though you can't actually take cover behind anything. The scenarios eventually involved multiple assailants working as a team to decoy and distract you while the primary threat flanks and moves in on your blind side. Keep moving and don't get tunnel vision. Lots of good lessons. The only comparable training is force-on-force with air soft or markers, and that requires more room, a safe area that avoids misunderstanding by passerby, and slower practice/debrief cycles. My Threat Dynamics instructor, a current Army NG serviceman, was enthusiastic and effective. In the debriefs he asked questions to get me to reflect on each scenario and come up with useful conclusions, as well as explicitly laying out suggestions. He addressed the practical concerns for surviving the attack, the legal consequences of different actions (like number and position of shots that a prosecutor might describe as excessive and unjustified, no matter how justified and necessary the decision to shoot,) and the moral dimension. He acknowledged grey areas that are ideally thought through by each armed citizen. All around, an excellent tool run by an excellent instructor. The cost of this one-on-one training is about twice per hour as a live fire class with multiple students on the firing line in parallel. However there are no ammunition costs, which nearly double the cost of live fire tuition (with factory ammo.) You also get as much out of an intense hour or two of simulator work as out of a full day in many live classes. Anyone carrying a concealed weapon in public places should go through this training on a routine basis. The stakes are too high to the individual defending him/herself and the surrounding public to do otherwise. My only regret is that I live too far from the facility to train often. I plan to go back whenever I have a few spare hours in the Portland area. read more