Course Testmonials

I recently completed a two-day bespoke firearms course with Nobby, and I couldn't be more impressed. From the moment we started, it was clear we were in the hands of an expert. Hearing about Nobby's extensive background and experience was absolutely fascinating, and it added such depth to the course. He patiently guided us through each aspect of handling and operating the AK-74 and M16, breaking down complex procedures into manageable steps. By the end of the course, my shooting accuracy had improved beyond anything I expected! Nobby's approach is both professional and approachable, making this one of the most rewarding training experiences I’ve had. Highly recommended!

An excellent training opportunity. MK’s passion to continue being of service to others, drives him to offer his elite experiences to a full range of clients, from beginner to proficient. His incredibly remarkable career in military intelligence will floor you. He is an upstanding gentleman in person, humorous and enthralling to work with – I was fully engaged. Thank you Nobby for holding my hand through to the very end! I shall see you again soon.

I came for a seecond time with Family. A tremendous day that I recomend to anyone. An incredible presentation of Nobbys military career that is awe inspiring. the firearms lectures on weapons handling and marksmanship is obviously brief but I learnt such a lot. The instruction on safe weapons handling is incredible and I didn't realise all that is involved. Anyone who takes this course can only be amazed at the professionalism and abilities of our Special Forces.

I was left speechless, which doesn’t happen often, listening to Nobby’s recount of his life in the forces and his teams experiences over the years. KNobby has done it all! He is so down to earth and modest given all that he has done for our country. I was left in awe and have the upmost respect for him. It was a lot to take in, having never handled weapons before and not wanting to get it wrong, I’m still going over it in my mind and learnt a lot in a short space of time. It was exciting and different to have a glimpse into the life of the Special Forces. It was a privilege to have had this experience, one that I will certainly never forget. I would recommend this priceless experience to anyone! Thank you Nobby for a great day and thank you for your service to our Queen and country.

I had the most amazing experience on this course and learnt so much about the weapon systems used within our military. The instruction from Mark was fantastic, clear and easy to follow from start to finish. Mark is an excellent instructor and all round great guy. Could have listened to him talk about the military and his career for hours. Would highly recommend anyone to do this course just for the experience, and for anyone wanting to better their firearms knowledge for practical purposes. Throughly enjoyed the day, thank you Mark.

This day came as a welcome surprise. We ended the day with an excellent shooting lesson with a range of weapons from the AK47 to the Heckler and Koch MP5. The instruction by Mark 'Nobby' Knowles was clear, authoritative and helpful in guiding us towards improvement. We learned how to make safe, ready and fire each of four weapons during the afternoon. We'd also learnt in the morning how to disassemble and reassemble the AK47 and the M4 Carbine fighting rifle. However, the highlight for me of this bespoke course was the first part of the morning session; learning about Nobby's life in the military, some of the operations he'd been on and his determination in recovering from a horrendous accident. He is engaging, inspiring and humble in equal measure and I'd happily sit through it all again. Thanks Nobby for providing this day.

I attended the Special Forces Experience with my husband and son. Mark did a fantastic job of tailoring it to our specific requirments and delivered a unique and memorable experience for my son (and us too). Our day was so well paced. In the morning we had a presetation about the Special Forces. Hearing about Mark's remarkable life in the Marines and SF was something special. It was both humbling and inspirational. Then we watched whilst my son was shown how to strip and re assemble two weapons. Finding out about these firearms, as well as learning a lot about their history was very interesting. After lunch we experienced firing 5 different weapons on the Range. The amount of instruction, information and knowledge I gained during our Range time was extensive. Specific advice and instruction was given to each of us when needed to help us improve. Whilst it is a serious business, I very much enjoyed the Range time. Without hesitation, I would highly recommend Shooting Training Solutions. It really was a fantastic experience.

This was hands down the best choice I've made in a long time and want to express my sincere appreciation for mark and his instruction. Mark was highly professional and concise in his training. He was able to adapt to my training needs easily and made me feel comfortable. Mark clearly reinforced safety and proper use of firearms. I was able to learned a lot in a short period of time. I have left with the upmost respect for Mark and will be highly recommending Shooting Training Solutions.

Our party attended a training session today with Nobby, all of us were experienced and well seasoned firearms users for many years. However, the education and insights that Nobby was able to provide along with his technical analysis, coaching improvement and depth of knowledge was exceptional. Nobby is undoubtedly the master of his craft and it was an absolute honour and privilege to be in his company and learn so much. We all left much wiser and richer for the experience and had a great day, which, included its fair share of humour along the way. Exactly the way learning should be. We are truly grateful for Nobby sharing some of its experiences with us and helping us to improve our game. If you are considering attending Shooting Training Solutions, I would not hesitate in recommending Nobby to assist you with whatever journey you're on. Thank you, Nobby. See you again soon.

Myself and three friends attended the S.T.S Special forces training day with Nobby Knowles and we were thoroughly impressed by every aspect of the day. Nobby's SF experience and knowledge is second to none. it was an absolute pleasure to listen and be taught by him. The weapon handling and shooting was incredible, hands on shooting of many rifles. You couldn't be in safer hands when operating firearms. Its a must do. Thanks Nobby what an absolute honor to meet you and hopefully meet again in the not so distant future. Legend Jamie 'Thomo' Thompson

Amazing training as always. The advice is easy to understand and the style in which it is delivered makes it stick in your mind. Weekends spent here are never wasted.

Mark is a knowledgable instructor who provided us with a bespoke course tailored to our skill level, with the objective of improving our technique and confidence. This is the second time we have sent team members to be trained by Mark. Highly recommended.

Great to do another course with Mark, first class training Highly recommend

Mark was fantastic at training me, I know I had some old bad habits but he managed to break them and get me trained the right way, if you’re looking for an instructor Mark is 100% your man to go to.

This was my second visit to STS and I had a brilliant day. I chose a bespoke experience to handle a pistol and (my personal favourite) sniper rifles. If you want the best tuition you won't do better than having a course with Mark. He was 'top of the tree' and his experience is second to none. He guided me through the safety protocols on using the guns, extremely patient and no question daft enough. The session on sniper rifles was amazing, the different factors to be taken into account ie height, distance, wind speed, humidity etc was an eye opener. After lunch, the business end on the firing range. Thoroughly enjoyable. Mark tinkers with your stance/ firing position and after his adjustments you actually start to hit the target with quite a bit of consistent accuracy. The day ends to quickly. I went away having had a great time.

Just completed the 2-day Ultimate Special Forces Firearms Experience with Mark and absolutely loved it. I have been training with Mark for several years now and this course builds on all the previous foundation layers. Trained with semi-automatic AK, M4 and Pistol with the introduction of training scenarios that require movement and tactics to be applied. Safety is always paramount and Mark’s continuous instruction and oversight provides a safe training environment for these scenarios. The trip was seamless from end-to-end and the accommodation, facilities and equipment were all of the highest standard. Cannot recommend highly enough for people who are serious about training and building their skills. Thanks again Mark and can’t wait to train with you again.

I have been to STS several times over the past few years. It is a fantastic course to upgrade on weapons knowledge, drill training, and safety. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Will be going back again.

I really wanted to improve my weapons handling, shooting, and to get rid of bad habits. Often in military circles you are rushed through training with a large group aiming to just get everybody through asap. With Nobby the coaching and feedback was of a much higher quality this enabled me to improve much quicker. I was able to find out what I was doing wrong, the effect, correct it, and see instant improvements in accuracy and consistency of my shooting. I would definitely go back to develop what I’ve learnt.

For bespoke firearms coaching you can’t get better. Nobby has helped develop drills used by the Special Forces today, he’s also used them on operations and tested them. The experience and the job rolls he’s carried out are extremely rare even in the SF world. His teaching methodology will build you up from where you are, and you’ll develop much quicker in this environment. I really enjoyed the day, and felt like I developed and was challenged. I’ll be booking in again to build on what I learnt in my first session.

A really insightful and fantastic day with Mark "Nobby" Knowles. It was fascinating to learn about some of the experiences Mark has had throughout his impressive career . When it comes to the firearms, you get really involved in many aspects - educational and fun at the same time. I would highly recommend Mark's courses/experiences. It was an absolute privilege to spend the day with him. Thanks Nobby.

Nobby hosted myself and three of my colleagues and friends on Monday 29th July. Some incredible story telling and special memories from your time serving, what a life you've led! A thoroughly enjoyable day. Thank you, Nobby, you were a fantastic host, I just wish I were a better shot!

I highly recommend this experience, not only for the professional education of the use of weapons, but also for the humbling and inspiring experiences shared by Mark. A memorable day on many fronts, thanks Nobby for everything and see you again!

Never having seen a real firearm, it was a real learn from nothing situation. I felt safe and hearing all the experiences of Nobby and his career was rather inspirational. Learning about how to strip the weapons and their safe usage was very reassuring. Nobby watched over each of us and was on hand at all times with guidance. We even managed to improve our aim over the afternoon. A great day, thank you.

The course was great. I was a little hesitant to begin with as I was a complete beginner but I felt safe with Mark/ Nobby the whole time . It was a hugely enjoyable day with highly engaging introduction in the morning and shooting in the afternoon.

Great 2 day course with Mark. Meticulous admin as always Superbly professional instruction in M4. AK 47 and pistols Wonderful attention to detail and clear explanation of working parts and drills Great tactical instruction too from someone who has definitely been there. Done it. And doesn’t need to wear the T shirt !!! Accomodation and transport also excellent Thank you Mark for another extremely rewarding few days. The highest recommendation given. See you again soon.