Calaveras Tactical

I just finished a private handgun lesson with Steve Nelson — Calaveras Tactical. Before anything else, Steve stressed safety. In each activity, safety was at the forefront. He has a practiced eye & misses nothing. Each activity included that focus.
However, the content was not just a safety lesson. Steve has a very structured approach that covered all of the material I wanted plus more. He wasn’t concerned about time and never rushed it. He is patient — very patient and yet gives great feedback. Steve pointed out some bad habits I had developed and worked with me to overcome them. At the end of the class, I was tired but extremely pleased.
His follow-​up was refreshing. Steve gave me exercises I was to do and some great recommendations. The next day he sent me a recap with everything I needed to keep in mind and work on for live fire and dry fire.
If you’re thinking about a class, I’d contact Steve Nelson first and ask for lessons at the Copperopolis Gun Club. That was the perfect environment.
Jim

This class delivered. Let me start by saying this was my second CCW class that I have taken. Steven made the classroom portion easily understood and applicable to circumstances that can come up and cause a person to have to draw a firearm. During the class it was also detailed what to do AFTER drawing a weapon, which is something I had not considered and this issue was not covered in the class I took from another organization. Steven keeps his class sizes small to make sure everyone gets the attention they need and keeps everyone feeling safe and comfortable during the dry-​fire and live-​fire portions of the class. Overall, I believe this is a fantastic option for anyone wanting to continue his or her gun safety/​education. I look forward to taking other classes soon.

My boyfriend and I took the concealed carry CCW class on Saturday. It was an 8 hour course. The first half was going over course material which was actually interesting not boring. Sometimes PPT slides and just the material can become daunting, however Steve made it enjoyable and easy to understand. If one had questions he would answer them until you felt comfortable that you understood. He also was funny. When you take his class make sure you have some sarcastic remarks, he looks for this :-). It was a very comfortable environment. After lunch we went to the range. I was very nervous. Although I have been around guns for 17 years (since meeting my boyfriend) I am not familiar with guns like he is. I am used to a revolver but made more sense for me to go to the range with a semi automatic. I used a 40. Steve was very safety aware and made sure at all times we were all safe. Steve knew who were the students that were very familiar with guns and those that were not, therefore he split us up, relay 1 were the advanced and relay 2 were the new and not so advanced so that he truly provide the additional attention that we required. At first I was nervous as again the semi is not something I am used to, he had us practice everything several times to make sure we all knew how to handle the gun from being unloaded to loaded. I would highly recommend this class with Steve. Very knowledgeable and very patient. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.

I recently took a private basic Pistol course with Steve Nelson in Copperopolis, whom I didn’t know and have never met before. I started out with no gun experience and very afraid of them. By the end of the course the major fear I had was gone! My lesson with Steve was worth every cent! He was very patient and worked closely with me to help me overcome my fear and teach me the importance of hand gun safety. He also taught me the importance of properly handling and using a Pistol. I was able to rent a Pistol from him for the course and tried a few different ones. He gave me the confidence I needed to move forward with purchasing a gun. When I’m ready to advance my training, it will definitely be with Steve.

Steve Nelson is a great instructor. Wether your a proficient shooter or first timer Steve is great. I would recommend anyone to come shoot here in copper. It’s a amazing setting outdoors and rustic. After shooting outdoors With Steve I would never take a class indoors or a crowed class indoors.

My first class was an individual one with Steve on Handgun Basics. I learned so much in those 4 hours that I couldn’t wait to go to my next class. I highly recommend doing a one on one with him because you have the time to really focus on your areas of weakness. I got to fire multiple handguns after the instruction session was over and I realized that the gun I purchased was not the right one for me. I even got to shoot at targets in the dark with a flashlight (not very accurately YET). Then my next class was the CCW class, again I was blown away by how much more I learned. I felt so much more comfortable going to the range after the classroom session because I had taken the private lesson first. Steve is extremely knowledgeable, focused, attentive to all his students and very articulate in the way he explains each step. I cannot wait to continue with my practice, reading the books he recommended as well as taking more classes to advance my firearm knowledge.

Steve Nelson is a safe and very knowledgable instructor. My friends and I had very little firearm experience. Steve was able to make a hybrid class of handguns and shotguns, just for our small group here in San Jose and provide a great introduction to basic safety and operations. Would highly recommend him for team building and corporate events!

My friend and I took the NRA Basic Pistol course with Steve Nelson. For a quick summary, this was a great course for people of all experience and confidence levels. Very educational. Lots of great practice. Instructor was great. Highly recommend for anyone interested in learning and practice with handguns.
We had no experience or background going into the class. The first half of the course focuses on gun safety and understanding how they work. The second half of the course involves practicing dry firing (without ammo) before shooting live ammo. This class is well tailored to people of all experience levels. Lots of practice before shooting live ammo, helpful drills and practice with live ammo.
Steve is a great and patient instructor. He was very well educated and eloquently communicated the implications of shooting a firearm.
I would highly recommend this class for anyone interested in learning and practicing with handguns. I had no experiencing going in and it provided me with the fundamentals and starting points to pursue it further.

My wife and I took a private lesson with Steve Nelson, the owner of Calaveras Tactical. We had previously taken the NRA Basic Pistol class with Steve so were familiar with his teaching style.
Our total handgun experience prior to this lesson consisted of the basic class and 3 sessions at various ranges so we are both novices. Steve emphasizes safety and the lesson began with a refresher. The three hours were packed with drills and resulted in a substantial improvement in our basic performance plus introduction of new techniques and drills that could be performed at home.
My wife had been uncomfortable handling a larger caliber, but Steve transitioned her off the 22lr handgun immediately and by the end of the session her comfort level and performance with the 9 mm had increased dramatically. I was able to learn the basics of using a holster and identify some grip and trigger issues to work on.
I would definitely recommend Steve for either group or private instruction

I participated in the NRA basic pistol class and I can highly recommend it. Steve is a patient and very knowledgable teacher with a strong emphasis on gun safety, which is something that cannot be overemphasized

Took the NRA Basic Pistol Class with Steven. Steven was great! Steven was very knowledgable and friendly. He knows his stuff and is really clear in explaining and demonstrating proper handling of pistols.
As a newbie with guns, I was hesitant and even a bit intimidated about the whole idea of firearms but felt I needed to be well educated and safe before purchasing my first gun.
We got to practice a lot with fake guns and ammo before handling the real stuff. We went over all the parts and safety aspects and drilled a bit on safe handling of pistols. This made me more confident than just picking up the real guns immediately.
We did a lot or repeated drills until we were comfortable. At the end we shot a bunch of Glocks: a 19, a 17, and a 22. I got a good feel for each pistol and I’m ready to purchase my first pistol. It’ll be a Glock, of course.
We also shot an AR-​15 for fun, and it was fun. I wasn’t thinking rifle at first, but with Steven’s intro the his AR, I’m thinking an AR is in my future.
Great instructor and great class. I’ll be taking the NRA Basic Rifle Class next with Calaveras Tactical.

Attended this basic pistol class and was very happy with the knowledge and fun class. I am very happy with the information in safety and handling. Steve and staff are accommodating from beginning to the end of the class. Oh yeah I even got to shoot his AR-​15 but my AR is better. LOL! I would recommend them to my friends. Thanks, Calaveras Tactical

A friend of mine told me about Calaveras Tactical, I thought I knew guns until I took Steve’s class. During the class I gained a lot of knowledge, and had a lot of fun.
Thanks again