Ridgeline Defense in northern New Hampshire hosts a Surefire event built around the new Surefire RC3 silencer. Instructors explain that the RC3 is a reduced back-pressure design and will be directly compared to the established RC2 on BCM 11.5–12 inch rifles. Day one’s plan includes zeroing rifles, evaluating how the cans shoot, shooting on the move, and spending significant time on a prop line that mimics real-world terrain. Instead of flat range barricades, students work around tunnels, rocks, gates, fences, telephone poles, and flipped cars. An initial 10-round string is fired prone using the magazine as a monopod to confirm function and rough zero. The RC3’s claim of roughly 60% less back pressure is mentioned, but instructors reserve judgment until higher-volume, faster strings are run. The block closes with an explanation of a structured cadence drill that will anchor much of the early training.
The class moves into a formal cadence drill, starting with one-second splits on circular targets to ingrain disciplined pacing. Shooters then apply the same one-second cadence to numbered rectangles, first engaging them in order from one to five, then reversing from five back to one. The instructor stresses managing height over bore so hits land in the center of each rectangle, along with consistent safety manipulation and trigger control. A demonstration of half-second cadence shows how the groups tighten or open as splits change, setting the stage for eventual quarter-second work. Students are coached to use recoil to help drive the gun between targets, re-presenting the sights as the rifle settles and braking the gun to avoid overshooting. After examining the target, one outlier hit is discussed as a learning point. The shooter notes that the Surefire RC3 feels good, with no noticeable gas to the face, before transitioning into drills from low ready and then hot ready.
Instruction shifts to a low-ready drill on 3-inch dot targets to refine presentation and offset awareness. The instructor emphasizes support-hand dominance on the rifle, with a firm but not crushing firing-hand grip to prevent trigger freeze. Students are told to keep weight slightly forward, knees bent, and toes generally pointed toward the target to manage recoil and speed. Mechanical offset is confirmed in a structured way: shooters first hold center on the dot, then at the top of the circle, and finally mirror the initial impact above the dot to visualize height over bore. Par times shrink as shooters work down the column of dots, forcing efficient mount and sight acquisition. Throughout, the RC3’s behavior remains uneventful, with no problematic gas blowback reported. The block concludes with an introduction to the high or strike ready position, setting up later work around vehicles and barricades.
The instructor refines ready positions, showing a low ready with the buttstock tucked under the arm and a high or strike ready that keeps the muzzle elevated for use around vehicles, brush, and water. Students index the support hand, then punch the rifle out while pulling it straight back into the shoulder to create a repeatable mount. Pivot drills are added, where shooters rotate on the foot closest to the target, turning their entire body rather than just swinging the rifle. Previous work on mechanical offset and distance-related point-of-impact shifts from close range out to 100 yards is reviewed to reinforce why these fundamentals matter. A complex multi-target sequence is introduced—1-2-1-3-1-4-1-5-1-4-1-3-1-2-1—to build target transitions. Shooters are coached to lead with their eyes, then drive the gun, using recoil to move between closer targets while still braking the rifle precisely on each number.
Attention turns to how suppressors affect the AR-15 gas system. Using identical 11.5-inch BCM rifles, instructors compare the Surefire RC2 and RC3. The RC2 throws brass to roughly the 2–3 o’clock position, while the RC3’s flow-through design shifts ejection to about 3–4 o’clock, indicating reduced gas in the system. Less gas means slower bolt carrier speed, less sight picture disturbance, and improved comfort, especially on precision gas guns and magnified optics. The instructor explains that more gas and faster bolt speed can make tracking the reticle between shots harder and lengthen effective split times. Fundamentals for moving from standing to prone are then demonstrated, including using the magazine as a monopod, keeping eyes on target, and setting body position so the reticle naturally returns to point of aim. A zeroing adjustment is made—up 20 clicks and left 6 clicks on a quarter-inch-per-click optic—before confirming that gas blowback from the RC3 remains relatively mild, even when prone.
The training block transitions into sling work, treating a two-point adjustable sling as a holster for the rifle that also provides stability. Instructors show how to set up the sling and use its quick-adjust feature to create tension in kneeling and standing positions at 50 yards. Techniques include twisting the support and firing hands to lock the rifle into the body and using sling tension to reduce movement. Students learn to recognize and manage their wobble zone, which often appears as an oval or figure-eight pattern in the optic. Rather than fighting the wobble, they offset the reticle and time their trigger press so the sights pass through the desired point of impact. The “butt tug” method is introduced, where a brief squeeze of the firing hand drives the sights slightly up so they settle back through the target for a precise break. This segment sets the foundation for accurate positional shooting before adding movement.
Students begin shooting on the move, focusing on shorter, narrower steps and heel-toe footwork to minimize vertical and lateral gun movement. The zipper drill is introduced: shooters start low on the target and allow the rifle to climb rounds up through the center mass, effectively walking shots from pelvis to chest and head while maintaining control. A scored movement stage follows, where A-zone and head hits are worth more points toward an 80-point goal. One shooter scores 76 points, prioritizing speed over perfect precision but noting consistent T-box head shots. The BCM15 rifle, Surefire RC3 suppressor, and Aimpoint optic are praised for reliability and repeatability. Instructors then set up a one-reload-five drill using barricades, starting with one round in the chamber and an empty magazine. Emphasis is placed on using cover correctly, changing sides and heights around barricades, and avoiding reappearing from the same position after a reload, with a comparison to enemy RPG tactics in combat zones.
The class revisits core positional fundamentals, focusing on standing, low kneeling, and high kneeling. Instructors stress getting square behind the rifle, aligning shoulders, hips, and toes toward the target to manage recoil and track sights efficiently. Natural point of aim is checked by aligning both hands: when the firing hand leaves the pistol grip and joins the support hand, they should line up with the target if the body is correctly oriented. High kneeling variations are demonstrated, including double-knee and single-knee positions that keep the torso upright and shoulders square. These positions are designed to balance stability with mobility, allowing quick transitions between cover points. Students are encouraged to experiment with knee placement and foot position to find a repeatable stance that lets the rifle settle naturally on target without excessive muscular effort, reinforcing earlier lessons on sling tension and wobble management.
Instruction shifts to integrating sling use with barricades and vehicles. Students learn to wrap the support hand and sling near the magwell, then drive the rifle into a barricade so the gun, sling, and cover form a single stable system. This technique reduces wobble and speeds up accurate shots from awkward positions. The instructor then addresses using vehicles as cover, emphasizing the protective value of wheels, rims, and rotors. These components are highlighted as frequent catch points for skipping rounds, making them better cover than thin sheet metal. Height over bore becomes critical around cars; shooters are shown how to match barrel angle to the line of cover to avoid striking the vehicle. Rolling the rifle sideways over the hood reduces profile and exposure. A reverse kneeling technique is demonstrated for shooting under vehicles while keeping knees and most of the body behind cover, setting up a deeper dive into under-car shooting positions.
Under-vehicle shooting techniques are compared in detail. A reverse kneeling position is shown first, but its drawbacks are highlighted: it can block the ejection port and exposes the shooter’s rear to threats. The preferred method is a supine prone or “Superman” position, where the shooter lies on the back, feet toward the car, maintaining a very low profile and clear ejection port while still being able to move quickly behind cover. Heat management is briefly addressed, with mention of skin sizzling from contact with hot, unprotected surfaces under the vehicle. The class then transitions to a steel target number drill requiring engagement of widely spaced, numbered steel plates in order. Emphasis is placed on wide transitions, moving the eyes before the gun, and maintaining control across the arc. The drill culminates in a required head shot in the red on target 13, reinforcing precision after rapid transitions.
The instructor outlines an urban assault course designed to test all the day’s skills under time pressure. Shooters must fire only from marked positions indicated by whiteboards and engage specific red-head and IPSC-style targets from designated barriers and windows. Each target may receive up to two shots before the shooter must move on, forcing commitment to sight pictures and discouraging excessive makeup shots. The course path weaves through barrels, a bunker, a fence, and conx towers, simulating an urban environment with multiple levels and angles. A mover target is included, with strict engagement constraints tied to its position between certain steel plates. Safety procedures are reinforced, including being timed, maintaining muzzle discipline around barricades, and receiving a final clear and unload at the end of the run. This briefing sets expectations before a guided walkthrough with live fire.
An instructor walks a shooter through the complex stage, calling out target locations, required round counts, and movement cues in real time. The shooter engages from on top of and behind barricades, uses stairs and elevated positions, and times shots on a mover that may only be engaged when it passes between steel targets one and two. Throughout the run, the shooter confirms hits and occasionally clarifies target numbering to avoid procedural errors. After completion, an after-action review highlights a key issue: several shooters allowed their suppressor or barrel to touch hard barricades like cinder blocks, causing significant point-of-impact shifts and misses. The instructor contrasts this with positive performance metrics, noting how quickly students got into position and achieved hits within one to two seconds on sub-200-yard targets using a 100-yard zero. The takeaway is that within realistic threat distances, speed to the first effective hit is critical, but must be balanced with proper barricade technique.
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