Reviews of Smart Shot Firearms Training (Driving School)

Don Rysdale

The instructor of this program, Doug, provides a clear, concise path through the information required to complete your PAL or RPAL gun licensing. His classroom is comfortable, his manner is professional and he is able to articulately respond to questions. While the amount of information required to successfully complete the course is considerable and intimidating, Doug has the patience to set you at ease, calm your nerves and instil confidence. I highly recommend Smart Shot Firearms Training.

Will Cosentino

Took the course. Was very well constructed and taught. Good for any gun knowledge levels. Would absolutely recommend

David O

Thanks, I've learned alot during my time in class and I've already mentioned smart shot to friends.

L Laister

Doug is a great instructor and great presenter, he keeps your interest and delivers the information in a clear and concise fashion. Although he's an easy going guy he's very professional and a no-nonsense advocate for gun safety.

Drew Unruh

Doug is an extremely knowledgeable instructor. His general demeanour made the 3 day course quite enjoyable. Most importantly I came away from the course with confidence around firearms. Thanks Doug for your professionalism and industry leadership.

devan wilson

Doug is a very knowledgeable, professional and patient teacher. He conducts his class in a very safe and comfortable atmosphere where no question is a bad question. I have completed his course and had nothing but a positive experience. I highly recommended this course to anyone wanting to become more knowledgeable about safe firearm use.

Lily Ruggi

Excellent instructor, provides a great learning environment. Highly recommended!

ED CLEVELAND

My son and I both just completed the restricted and non restricted PAL certification courses this weekend. We were successful in passing, and one of the reasons was the patient and thorough presentation of the materials by Doug. He is determined to ensure all students grasp the materials and learn the safe handling of firearms. Also a great guy and makes the class room experience pleasant. Thanks Doug. Highly recommended!!

Peter Shirley

I took my CRFSC at Smart Shot 2 weeks ago. Doug is a fun guy who makes the delivery of hours of detailed content regarding the safety/operation and legislature around firearms fun and engaging without compromising on content. He is a passionate teacher and enthusiast and it shows in his delivery. If you are a seasoned hunter looking to transition into firearms, a gun enthusiast or even law enforcement looking to get your private license, Doug is the man for you! Thanks again for the great course Doug.

Daryl Martin

If you need your PAL I highly recommended Doug. Makes the class fun and will answer any questions you have and spend the needed time for you to understand and be safe.

Elaine Carter

Great course, very informative, hands on learning, Doug is a great teacher and very patient and professional. Definitely recommend Smart Shot and Doug.

rodney moore

Highly recommend Doug. Very knowledgeable and professional,

Jordan Skoblenick

Smart Shot was easy to find online, had their price list and schedule posted, and in under an hour I was registered for the course. Doug, the instructor, did a fantastic job over the weekend - he is incredibly knowledgeable, but also friendly, approachable, and down to earth. I would highly recommend Smart Shot to anyone looking for firearms training in the area. You won't be disappointed!

Deb Strang

Great experience. Instructor Doug was awesome. The course is well thought out to be informative and interesting from novice to experienced learners. No hesitation in recommending this course designed to help keep people informed, engaged, educated and safe. 100 percent recommend.

Jarek

Doug is an excellent teacher, great overall experience.

D Oh

This course is a great experience. Doug is easy to understand and very thorough. Highly recommend.

Robert Goodine

With having limited experience using firearms before taking the course, the instructor made learning about and handling firearms interesting and straight forward. Since the teacher used personal experiences along with the course material, it made remembering important points for the test much easier.

Kohl chambers

My self and my best friend took this course and Doug was great. Made sure to take the time we needed to be comfortable for the exams. Doug was also super adamant on safety.

corey concessi

I recently passed my non-restricted and restricted courses and it was a blast. Doug is very patient and decicated to his profession. I had a fair chunk of knowledge coming into his classes but after taking them, i feel good and confident that i have learned everything i need to know about firearms training and safety. I would highly recommend Doug from Smart Shot firearms training!

Mike Digiglio

Class moved along at a nice pace. Doug had a good mix of relatable stories and anecdotes to keep it interesting. Really enjoyed the class and course.

Brent Taylor

Doug was a super instructor. His personality clicked with mine as well as most of the rest of the classes.( some were to shy to engage in our witty sense of humour I imagine ) We had an enjoyable learning environment. I am generally a very nervous test writer and nervous at being tested but felt comfortable and confident throughout the entire process.

Manfred boggasch

Hi Guys, It is a great need for me - to submit a comment here. This course was so great - Doug is a great teacher - his knowledge - his explanations - are just great - this weekend (course) was a great experience. I highly recommend this course and Doug to everyone.

Derek Szolucha

Great Place, located conveniently close to QEW. Doug the instructor is very knowledgeable and entertaining instructor. There is a lot to learn during 3 day CFSC/CRFSC training (354 pages) but Doug was able to explain all in very interactive, easy to remember and understand way. There is a lot of practice as well. 2 thumbs up for: a) way the training is organized b) successful preparation for the exam. Thx to Doug teaching skills: 100% of our group - 10 students passed CFSC exams (on Saturday) and 100% of group - 6 students passed CRFSC exams (on Sunday). Highly Recommend SSFT!

Corey Macpherson

Excellent instruction while keeping you interested. Great personality. Thanks Doug.

Shannon Mcnevin

My children and I just recently took the PAL course with Doug. It was excellent!! All three of us enjoyed, learned and received a ton of new knowledge. Doug was informative and interesting with a lot of hands on training. I would highly recommend this course!

ch wil

Completed my PAL with Smart shot firearms training by the instructor Doug. I would highly recommend this course for both restricted and non restricted licenses. Very Professional, Great standard and well informative on laws and regulations. A+++++ Thanks again!!!

AJ Macca

This class was fantastic. Doug is knowledgeable, approachable, and efficient. The class size was great, and he truly covered the course material in a way that left me feeling confident for the written/practical exams, and confident in safely handling, firing, transporting and storing firearms. I have already recommended this course to others, and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone else!

Melissa Harker

Doug is a very professional, knowledgeable and thorough instructor. He ensures that all in attendance will be confident with the safe handling of firearms upon completion of the course(s).

Emily Simmons

Doug was a very thorough instructor and made sure everyone felt comfortable handling the firearms, and had a solid understanding of firearm safety by the end of the course. Would definitely recommend.

Nikita Haley

I highly recommend taking this course here with Doug Oettinger. I never knew going into it what to expect but upon completion I can honestly say it was worth it and was a wonderful experience. Doug was very professional, patient and does his best at making you feel confident and comfortable with the learning. Thank you again Doug!

David Turner

Great instructor, well taught with some good humour and can tell he clearly enjoys what he does. If you're looking to take a firearms course this is a great choice.

Cristoforo Calabrese

Smart Shot Firearms training was an excellent experience. Conveniently located and a very interactive hands on and learning experience. I really enjoyed it. Doug was a great instructor. I took the course in the pandemic and the course had all the right ppe and safety precautions. Definitely a 5 star facility. If you are thinking about taking your firearms training. I recommend this business.

Gord Armstrong

Doug instructing the firearms safety course was a top notch service and privilege. He has a bounty of knowledge and experience when it comes to firearms. It was fair learning environment where you could ask question before you preform actions within the practice sessions. If the repeated question would arise he would address the class to help everyone learn better during the practice sessions. Was a very personable instructor too, made it fun to learn.

William McNevin

I took Doug’s P.A.L training course. It was fun and Doug was an amazing teacher. He made it easy to learn and you wanting to learn more. If you are taking the P.A.L I highly recommend Doug’s class

phil McInerney

Excellent experience,teacher,class size and all covid protocalls enforced.Would recommend to anyone.

Christian Parker

I would highly recommend this course. Doug (The instructor) was professional in appearance, personable and approachable. He is well spoken and knowledgeable in the course materials and firearm products. He was able to teach students if needed in a variety of teaching styles. He answered all questions both before and during the course and was prompt and friendly with the students. The classroom set up and location was great, with easy access to food and parking for all students. I would be happy to speak to anyone interested in taking the course regarding my very positive experience.

KEVIN STOCKMAN

I would recommend Smart Shot Firearms Training to anyone, It was a fantastic course and Doug was a great instructor!

Irene Lis

Doug teaches very well and makes the material very interesting. His knowledge and passion for the topics are evident and he takes the time (and has the patience) for explanations. He offers great advice and suggestions and even went out of his way to find an answer to a particular question that I had. I thoroughly enjoyed the training and learned so much. The course book is also very helpful.

Robert Walton

This course was done masterfully. Doug is an excellent instructor with great attention to detail. He is also a great judge of character and the course, which had tons of details was made more understandable because of his ability to teach extremely well. I would highly recommend taking his course. He is a valuable, honest, hard-working and conscientious individual. Wearing our masks was not easy; but, Doug made every attempt to do exactly what was right during our COVID-19 training and everyone was made to feel protected during our training.

Aaron Boucher

Recently completed the non- restricted and restricted course through Smart Shot Firearms Training and would highly recommend! My experience was terrific and am stoked about finally completing a long wanted course. Doug is awesome company and a terrific instructor which made those 30 hours fly by! Thanks again Doug and to anyone in search of a professional atmosphere in order to complete their firearms course Smart Shot is the one! See you at the range.

Colleen Stanley

First of all. I want to thank Doug and his mannerisms and his knowledge in firearms and the course material. It was well brought across and I had a lot of questions which were answered. I would recommend anyone who wants to do this course not be afraid and feel like it’s too much reading and it’s too overwhelming that’s what I thought about doing this course a couple years ago and now when I did it. I was saying to myself I should have done it a long time ago and with Doug as our teacher the course materials was brought over with such simplicity and in a unique teaching technique way that allows all members of the class to grasp, learn and participate in class discussion and if you don’t understand he will go over any questions that you might have. Please note to please read the book in it’s entirety and do the review questions as this will help you in learning about the course and retaining this for your own knowledge and help you in passing the courses. Which I did. The non Restricted and Restricted course consists of 50 questions each and the pass mark is 80%. There is also the practical part of handling the firearms and knowledge and safety of all the different kinds of firearms and the the pass mark is 80%. With this been said i would recommend anyone who wishes to do this course go ahead and do it with Doug from Smartshot firearms.

Cooper Sooley

I decided it was time to get my pal jumped on the computer and found smart shot. It was easy and Doug was quick to respond and answer all my questions. two weeks later I was sitting in his class. He was super knowledgable and very personable. I highly recommend him!