AR-15 DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS

Acumen Tactical, LLC |

Includes Live Fire

- Sun, Oct. 25, 2026
  12:00 PM to 5:00 PM
$95
Acumen Tactical Range Facility
4053 Killian Road
Lincolnton, NC 28092
Range Time
5 Hour(s)

94DAYS

13HRS

4MINS

37SECS

6 seats remaining

What You'll Learn

This course is a live fire training course, which builds upon the skills learned in AR-15 Fundamentals. Students enrolled in this course should be familiar and comfortable with the safe use and operation of the AR-15 rifle. This course includes a variety of exercises designed to enhance students use of the AR-15 platform for personal & home defense, including:

-Accuracy at speed -0Understanding mechanical offset -Target engagement strategies -Shooting on the move -Transitioning to support hand shooting -Use of cover

At the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to participate in a “combat course” where they will assess & engage a variety of shoot/no-shoot targets, while moving and utilizing cover to test the skills learned in class.

Cancellation Policy: Students are required to cancel at least 48 hours in advance of a class date in order to receive a full refund. Classes cancelled less than 48 hours before the class will not be refunded, but may be rescheduled for another upcoming class within a reasonable time frame, at the discretion of the instructor.

What We'll Teach

AR-15 Fundamentals

This classroom and live-fire AR-15 Fundamentals course is designed to introduce responsible gun owners to the safe handling, proper maintenance, and effective use of AR-15-style rifles in the context of civilian home defense and defense.

Classroom topics include:

Overview of basic AR-15 nomenclature and function
Cleaning and maintenance
Accessorizing the AR-15

Live-range topics include:

How to safely and effectively operate an AR-15
How to confirm zero
How to improve skills and precision with an AR-15

94DAYS

13HRS

4MINS

37SECS

Live, Self-Defense Lessons For Everyone

Parents, Teachers, Concerned Citizens, Business Professionals, Churchgoers, and anyone who wants to keep themselves and others safe

What to Bring

Ammunition
Long Pants
Close-toed Shoes
Rifle / Carbine
Water / Beverage
Rain Gear
Pen & Notebook
Bug Spray
Sunscreen
Eye & Ear Protection
Extra Magazines
Range Bag

What is Provided

Water / Beverage
Targets

Training Powered By:

We Educate. We Train. We Save Lives.

Ongoing training to keep your family safe
Next steps you can take in your training to ensure you are prepared
Plus: Live Q&A with USCCA-Certified Instructors

5.0

80 Reviews

What Students Are Saying

Class taken on Sun, Mar. 22, 2026
|Taught by
Instructors
Jon Plyler
Lincolnton, NC
5.0
"Five stars. Acumen Tactical is the real deal. I took the AR 15 Fundamentals and Defensive Concepts courses last weekend, and it was an outstanding experience. Safety was clearly a top priority from start to finish, and the instruction was direct, clear, and easy to apply on the range. No fluff, just solid training that builds real confidence and competence. I’m still relatively new to the AR platform, and these courses gave me a much stronger foundation in handling and running the rifle safely and effectively. The drills were practical, well structured, and challenging in the right ways. Some of the biggest standouts for me were malfunction work, the variety of training exercises, and the live fire course at the end of Defensive Concepts using targets and cover. That final course was a blast and really pulled everything together. I also took the basics course back in February, and that turned out to be the perfect primer for this weekend. The progression of training made a lot of sense and helped me step into these classes with a solid base. Jon Plyler runs excellent courses, and I’m looking forward to taking more of them, especially on the pistol side. I’ll also likely take AR Defensive Concepts again after a few months of training and dry fire so I can measure my improvement. If you want serious training in a safe, professional environment with good people, Acumen Tactical is absolutely worth it."
Submitted on Mon, Mar. 23, 2026 by Chris S.
"Thank you Chris! It was great having you in class, you did awesome! I’m glad that you found the training helpful. Look forward to seeing you in another class soon!"
Submitted on Tues, Mar. 24, 2026
Class taken on Sat, Jan. 25, 2025
|Taught by
Instructors
Jon Plyler
Lincolnton, NC
5.0
"Jon is great! The combination of experience and professionalism makes Jon a great instructor. I recently retired as a Lean Management Consultant Manager. I would have loved having Jon on team as a consultant!"
Submitted on Sat, Jan. 25, 2025 by Wayne D.
"Thank you Wayne, great having you in class with us!"
Submitted on Sun, Jan. 26, 2025

What We'll Teach

AR-15 Fundamentals

Classroom topics include:

Overview of basic AR-15 nomenclature and function
Cleaning and maintenance
Accessorizing the AR-15

Live-range topics include:

How to safely and effectively operate an AR-15
How to confirm zero
How to improve skills and precision with an AR-15

What Students Are Saying

Class taken on Sun, Mar. 22, 2026
|Taught by
Instructors
Jon Plyler
Lincolnton, NC
5.0
"Five stars. Acumen Tactical is the real deal. I took the AR 15 Fundamentals and Defensive Concepts courses last weekend, and it was an outstanding experience. Safety was clearly a top priority from start to finish, and the instruction was direct, clear, and easy to apply on the range. No fluff, just solid training that builds real confidence and competence. I’m still relatively new to the AR platform, and these courses gave me a much stronger foundation in handling and running the rifle safely and effectively. The drills were practical, well structured, and challenging in the right ways. Some of the biggest standouts for me were malfunction work, the variety of training exercises, and the live fire course at the end of Defensive Concepts using targets and cover. That final course was a blast and really pulled everything together. I also took the basics course back in February, and that turned out to be the perfect primer for this weekend. The progression of training made a lot of sense and helped me step into these classes with a solid base. Jon Plyler runs excellent courses, and I’m looking forward to taking more of them, especially on the pistol side. I’ll also likely take AR Defensive Concepts again after a few months of training and dry fire so I can measure my improvement. If you want serious training in a safe, professional environment with good people, Acumen Tactical is absolutely worth it."
Submitted on Mon, Mar. 23, 2026 by Chris S.
"Thank you Chris! It was great having you in class, you did awesome! I’m glad that you found the training helpful. Look forward to seeing you in another class soon!"
Submitted on Tues, Mar. 24, 2026
Class taken on Sat, Jan. 25, 2025
|Taught by
Instructors
Jon Plyler
Lincolnton, NC
5.0
"Jon is great! The combination of experience and professionalism makes Jon a great instructor. I recently retired as a Lean Management Consultant Manager. I would have loved having Jon on team as a consultant!"
Submitted on Sat, Jan. 25, 2025 by Wayne D.
"Thank you Wayne, great having you in class with us!"
Submitted on Sun, Jan. 26, 2025

AR-15 DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS

What We'll Teach

AR-15 Fundamentals

Live, Self-Defense Lessons For Everyone

What to Bring

What is Provided

Training Powered By:

What Students Are Saying

Instructors

Instructors

AR-15 DEFENSIVE CONCEPTS

What We'll Teach

AR-15 Fundamentals

Live, Self-Defense Lessons For Everyone

What to Bring

What is Provided

Training Powered By:

What Students Are Saying

Instructors

Instructors