Thanks for applying to join our Travel Insider group at Frontsight. Here are some additional resources and information for you.
First, a list of direct course costs that are involved. I’ll ask you for those items that come to me as soon as I’ve received and accepted your application form.
| Item | Amount | Paid to | Comment |
| Frontsight 2/4 day course and intro class by David | $250 | David | Inclusive price for any items chosen |
| Gear rental | $100/200 | David | If you’re not bringing your own gun and gear. For two or four days. Does not include electronic hearing protection. Plus 7.6% tax |
| Hearing protection | $10/day | Frontsight | Bring your own (recommended, see below) or rent from Frontsight. Plus tax 7.6% |
| Frontsight Annual Background Check | $50 | David | Gives you 12 months of clearance before you need to repeat |
| Ammo | If you rent a Frontsight gun, you need to buy Frontsight ammo. If you’re using your own, you can use any regular ammo you like. Frontsight specify no reloads, nothing ‘fancy’, and not plain lead bullets. Frontsight charge $12.57/box of 50 9mm rounds, plus 7.6% tax. Other calibres are more expensive. |
Here’s a hopefully helpful checklist of things to do between now and arriving in Pahrump. It is really quite simple, and the key thing is to keep me in the loop all the way so I can help ensure you don’t turn up with something forgotten or overlooked.
And, even if you have, that’s usually not a total deal breaker. Just about anything you’re likely to need is available for sale or rental at Frontsight. Remember, they train hundreds of students twice every week, there’s little that will surprise them or throw them for a loop!
| Item | Check | Your Notes |
| Arrange travel to/from Pahrump | [ ] | |
| – possibly air travel to Las Vegas | [ ] | |
| – possibly rental car to Pahrump | [ ] | |
| Book accommodation in Pahrump | [ ] | |
| – possibly Best Western – do this by directly telephoning the property and ask for the Frontsight discount (775) 727-5100 | [ ] | |
| – another choice is the Saddle West Hotel/Casino; we believe they have a Frontsight discount too | [ ] | |
| – possibly Silverton close to the airport in Vegas for the last night of the course, can book any which way | [ ] | |
| Pay David! | [ ] | |
| Do the Frontsight paperwork he forwards on to you | [ ] | |
| If necessary, make sure you have the gear you need and are not renting from Frontsight | [ ] | |
| If necessary, make sure you have an approved locking case for transporting firearms on your flights | [ ] | |
| If necessary, make sure you have enough ammo (200/600 rounds minimum for the two or four day courses) | [ ] | |
| Read through David’s introductory materials What to bring to a Frontsight course – pistol What to bring to a Frontsight course – essential extras What to bring to a Frontsight course – other valuable equipment | [ ] | |
| Check every assumption with David, please! | [ ] | |
I’m not being self-serving when I ask you to check every assumption with me – quite the opposite. I’m trying to help and ensure there are no surprises or mismatch as between what you’re expecting and preparing for and what will happen. I’m here to help, you’re paying me a fee for that assistance, so feel free to get as much value as you can accordingly.
Eye and Ear Protection
One point in particular. If you are renting a Frontsight set of gear, they include wrap-around safety glasses. But I recommend you should bring your own, even if Frontsight are providing you with an included pair. I’ve noticed that the Frontsight ones tend to be a bit scratched, and the last thing you want is anything that annoys you or interferes with your ability to quickly and clearly see your pistol’s front sight and the target you’re aiming at.
Safety glasses are inexpensive (link takes you to Amazon’s extensive line-up), and they are light and don’t take up much space in your suitcase, so it seems prudent to bring your own.
Frontsight also mandate that everyone uses electronic hearing protection. This equipment is so much better than just simple passive hearing protection, because you can hear normal speech; but when the shooting starts, they blank out and block (better to say, reduce) the loud shooting noises.
Frontsight charge $10/day (plus 7.6% tax) for their rental sets of ‘electronic ears’. But you can buy them for about the same as you’d pay for a four day rental, although the best ones do cost quite a lot more than $40. So generally I’d recommend you buy your own electronic ears too, and, yes, Amazon does again have a lot for you to choose from.
When choosing a set, look for their dB rating for how much sound they block. Get the highest dB rating you can cost-justify. Consider 21dB as an absolute minimum, and you’d note an appreciable improvement of sound reduction at 24dB or greater.
Howard Leight and Peltor are two respected brands. Currently, we feel the best is this set from Howard Leight, due to their astonishing 30dB sound reduction. There are several models listed with 25dB reduction for around $25 such as this and this (note the second pair has an indicator light, so you’d not want to use them at night, for real, because you’d be showing the bad guy where your head is!).
