Course Testmonials

I thought it was a very fun and good experience with a lot of useful tips and an insight into the life in the special forces

Nobby has a not only a vast experience of the use of weapons but also in training people like me. He acted with curtesy and patience at all times helping me to achieve my objectives. Safe and competent pistol handling and not dropping magazines out onto the floor, not keeping my finger too near the trigger when de-cocking, (ND) Plus hitting the target! Relates well to people with all sorts of backgrounds helping them to find a way through to personal success.

Back for my second trip away. Exteremely efficient course admin. Beautifully comfortable exclusive accomodation in a French village. Nobby is a Cordon Bleu chef. Monkfish and fillet steaks cooked to perfection with delicious wines. With regards to the couse itself an incredible 3 days on the range with full bore weapon systems. Primary and secondary weapons, tactics and movement with a huge emphasis on safety and attention to detail that only Nobby could provide. Built up to a climactic final day of full on action. This training by an expert instructor is second to none and I thoroughly recommend it . Range facilities are brilliant with an incredible range of weapon systems and Mark and Julie were excellent hosts. Your Al Fresco Lunches were excellent Mark. We relaxed in the evenings with a long cool beer or three and finished up with a gourmet feast at a local restaurant that might compare to the Manoir au Quat' Saisons. I personally could not have managed even a Wafer thin mint afterwards. I'll be back!!

Had a great day with STS, Marks experience and calm demeanor makes for easy learning of skills whilst still having a good time. Will defiantly be doing some more courses with him. if Your going to learn might as well be from the best In the buisness.

This course was informative, engaging and a lot of fun. Mark is an excellent teacher and I would strongly encourage others to try this course.

I enjoyed the weapons handling instruction provided by Mark and the live firing of both automatic and bolt-action weapons that we did at the indoor range near Sherborne school. Mark has had a truly amazing military career that he is justifiably proud of and is quite clearly a highly qualified and highly experienced instructor. There was a clear emphasis on safety in his range drills, which was a good job because after 40 years away from using a weapon, I needed drilling as my magazine filling was a little ropey and I shouted 'stoppage' a lot. Although we were shown how to strip a couple of weapons and practised this, don't worry, you won't be expected to actually clean them. From stripping an AK47 I now understand why they are such a popular weapon.

Having just completed my course, I have walked away confident with weapons handling, drills and most importantly the safety aspects of firearms and the dangers that go with them. Mark tailors the training to your individual needs and is very patient with your learning progress. At no point in the course did I feel rushed or pressured, even when it took me more time to learn a specific thing I couldn't get right straight away. Mark builds on your own personal ability very well and binds his professional knowledge to bring the best out in you and your skills! And to add is a nice guy, there are many instructors who quite frankly I wouldn't want to spend two days with. I will continue to train with Mark and would recommend Shooting Training Solutions to anyone. Thank you

Location - easy access from London (2.5 hours) Accommodation Plenty of b+b within walking distance to training location Training area If your from a military background , you will feel at home Basic,functional,clean and meets the needs of the course Instructor I choose this company for my training based on the experience and Calibre of the instructor Mr Mark (Nobby)Knowles MSM QCB Mark,s training is first class and is reflected in the results I achieved on The 2 day course. Mark will not accept second best ,so drills will Run through until you have reached the required level I was privileged to have 1st class training with an instructor of the Highest calibre,and highly recommend this course.

This was truly the best course in learning about different weapons, the safety, how to use them responsibly and all from someone who has the most incredible experience behind his teachings. Learning from Mark is without a doubt, learning from the best. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get into shooting or weapons knowledge in any way.

The best thing I can say about Mark as a trainer is that he is so very patient. He puts you at ease instantly and enviroment is very relaxed which is exactly what you want from an instructor when learning to use a firearm, especially if you don't have a great deal of experience. That is not to say the course is not intensive. In the space of two days with Mark I feel like I've learnt more and developed more than I ever have before having had some previous experience training in the regular armed forces. It was also a privilege to meet Mark and learn about his career and ask him questions, very humbling. Already booked another ciurse. Can't recommend these courses enough if you want to prepare for army or police training in particular.

Professional & really down to earth guy. Could not have asked for a better day! Worth every penny. Fantastic intro course on safe handling of weapons & firing. Left me wanting more, can't wait to go back.

I Recently completed a course with mark knowles and could not be happier with how the two days went, mark is great at what he does and you can tell he really knows his stuff it was so Interesting to hear about his Experiences whilst learning. I learned exactly what I wanted to know and he was great at directing me when I was unsure or didn’t know something. All in All a great experience and I will definitely be returning.

superb introductory course. Nobby teaches safe use of arms and combines this with motivational and inspiring stories. It was an excellent day of fun and learning.

Mark Knowles is without a doubt the best teacher I've ever had in my life. All of his experience, knowledge and instruction makes the course that much better than anywhere else. I enjoyed the course so much and feel like I gained tons of knowledge from the course. He was very thorough and went over everything he taught us so we knew it and above all else his number 1 priority was health and safety so I felt safe and secure with everything I was handling at all times. I would highly recommend this course whatever your experience he will tailor to your needs

This was my 4th time on Marks course. The mixture of theory and practical instruction gives a balanced training day that is second to none. Informative and enjoyable.

An amazing course run by a top instructor. Nobby's professionalism and expertise is evident in every part of the course. His emphasis on safety allows you to be confident on the range . Genuinely can't fault any part of the day. I will definitely be returning.

Fantastic experience and top quality training. Pay attention and listen to his every word; his experience spans decades and his knowledge on the subject is vast! Mark tailors the course to suit your needs and gives solid training on the weapons covered. He makes you feel extremely safe and drives in those safety drills until you're saying them in your sleep! I highly recommend the company and will definitely be booking another course with them in the future.

Attended this course to refresh my knowledge on weapon systems that I used when I was in the military, I had experience on the subject but I still learned a great deal of new techniques that make a lot of sense. Mark is a very professional instructor and has a huge experience of the subject and a lot of knowledge that he is willing to share. The course is very well balanced between classroom and range and it is a must for all MSO's and others individuals who intend to join the Security industry. I highly recommend this course and will definitely be back for more. thank you for everything from Jason and Kane Malta.

This was another excellent day's training provided by Mark, I would recommend this to anybody thinking about completing their MFCC.

I spent two days with Mark, running through absolutely everything I need to know about the SA80, this was invaluable to me as it will help me in my future career, Marks knowledge of the subject was exceptional and was able to explain everything very, very well, I would highly recommend a course of any kind with such a skilled instructor.

What an amazing day we had, Nobby is a fantastic instructor. He ensured that everyone succeeded and learnt a great deal. As a very busy team having a day which challenged and inspired us was perfect. When can I come again?!

Excellent day. Extremely interesting, informative and enjoyable. Would recommend to anyone. Thanks again.

There is a reason Mark only gets five-star reviews on here. I had no previous experience with firearms before joining, but Mark carried me along slowly but surely towards a firmer knowledge. Mark has spent his life handling weapons in all kinds of friendly (and unfriendly) environments, and it shows. This is the perfect course for someone who has not touched a weapon before. Mark will tailor the course to cover your needs and will go over the exercises again and again, (and again) until you get it. There are probably easier ways to get to shoot an M4 down range. My advice, though, is to not cut corners and compromise on safety and the proper handling of the weapon. Go spend a fews days with Mark instead.

Mark Knowles is an excellent Firearms instructor, with years of special forces experience behind him, with a very impressive long military record, that we were all privileged to learn about. The instruction he offers in my view is second to none. The emphasise on safety is instilled from start to finish with no let up under the intense method of special forces training experience that is offered on this course, safety safety all the way. I for one would attend further courses under Mark's tuition and would highly recommend the instruction offered and the training venue, I rate the course 10 out of 10, and look forward to booking further courses with Mark. Stephen D Davey

The one day course that I attended was brilliant, the instructor was professional to the upmost degree, with knowledge to match. Simply learning about the life of the people serving in the military services and special forces was inspirational to me and I have learnt a plethora of skills in weapon handling that will be invaluable to me in my future career. To round all that off the day was immensely enjoyable and I look forward to doing it again! Would highly, highly reccomend.