About US

MISSION

At Bear Arms Training, our mission is to elevate your skills beyond the average shooter. Through exceptional firearms education, marksmanship, and safety, grounded in real-world awareness, Bear Arms Training provides you with the training you deserve.

A NRA Approved Training School

INSTRUCTORS

Nate Bearield

Nate is the owner/founder of Bear Arms Training. His profound expertise is evident throughout the company, an establishment renowned for its exceptional training services extended to active FBI agents, esteemed members of the United States Marine Corps and the U.S. Army. Nate’s accolades encompass a plethora of certifications from the NRA and Range Master, a testament to his unwavering commitment to excellence.

In his pursuit of mastery, Nate has further honed his skills with esteemed mentors and programs. He underwent rigorous training with the Warrior Poet Society in the Special Operations Combatives Program (SCOP) under the guidance of Josh Griffiths. He also graduated from the Range Master Instructor Development Course led by the renowned Tom Givens, where he earned Top Shot in the Casino Drill. Notably, he is an esteemed member of Cohort 7 in the Active Self Protection Instructor Certification Course, a testament to his unyielding dedication under the tutelage of John Correia.

Nate’s unwavering focus centers on devising immersive, real-world scenario-based training to empower law-abiding citizens, equipping them with the skills to safeguard themselves and their loved ones effectively. Furthermore, he is actively expanding his business horizon, working towards establishing Bear Arms Defense, LLC, a venture set to elevate his impact and reach.

Mastering shooting reqires precise technique, unwavering focus, and consistent practice. How you train will determine your success!

– Nate Bearfield

JAMIE ARNOLD

Jamie Arnold is a twenty-seven-year Marine Corps veteran with advanced rifle and pistol marksmanship skills. His expertise is in ammunition characteristics and performance, teaching shooting fundamentals, and advanced offensive and defensive engagement tactics. Jamie is committed to sound and ethical coaching that helps build the shooter’s familiarity and confidence. 

JAMES H. PICKERING, JR.

James “Pick” Pickering served five years active duty in the United States Army and three years in the Army National Guard. He is the owner of Patriots Gun Range, LLC, an NRA Certified Instructor, and is Lead Instructor for Bear Arms Training, LLC.

Testimonials

Basic pistol course Nate was a pleasure to learn from. He challenged my daughter and I during our class instruction because the class was small, there was a lot of opportunity for one on one instruction for all shooters which was excellent. This was my daughter’s first official handgun instructional course and she did awesome. She learned quite a bit from Nate, and he was very informative and hands on in his instruction. That is why we took the course so that my daughter could learn more and become a better, more responsible shooter & future handgun owner. Thank you Nate! Greatly appreciate your help.

Lee Martin
4/20/2024
Highly Recommend!! Do not look elsewhere! Ladies First course was incredibly educational and lots of fun! Nate Bearfield is extremely knowledgeable. The class is very interactive and easy to understand. It is evident that Mr. Bearfield truly cares about your personal growth and knowledge. He even takes his class a step further and offers to assist you make a decision on a type of firearm that is right for you. At the range there was one-on-one personalized training for each of us which was so wonderful since each of us had different needs and areas of improvement. HIGHLY recommend this course!! You will not be disappointed.

Lisa Joy
Real Estate Agent, Lisa Joy, Realtor
1/14/2024
A first-class program! Had a wonderful bonding experience at Bear Arms Training with my son while he was home from college over the Holidays. I loved our training session with owner/instructor Nate Bearfield! Nate is passionate and dedicated to being an extremely knowledgeable and experienced instructor who is committed to developing safe, responsible gun owners and citizens. His classroom and range instruction was masterful and attentive to the needs of each of us (a beginner and a 22-year Army veteran) with the right amount of knowledge sharing, encouragement and self-reflection that made learning fun and memorable. This is a first-class program with its own private range and multiple different firearms available to "test drive" for fit, options, and familiarization. I am already looking forward to my next session with my son!

Steve Swanson
1/03/2024
Instructor Nate I had Nate as a private firearm instructor. He was awesome!!! Incredibly knowledgeable, patient, motivating, encouraging. I loved our session. Nate has a true passion for teaching/helping people...amazing instructor and high quality person. Totally recommend.

Dave OBrien
12/06/2023
Training above and beyond expectations I recently attended a CCW course given by Nate Bearfield. The course exceeded my expectations. Nate is a people person. He genuinely cares about his students. If you want the best possible training with someone who treats you like family, Nate is your guy. When teachers have the ability to make learning fun, you will get more out of the work and hours invested. You will look forward to regular training to keep proficient. I highly recommend Bear Arms training.

John Murphy
Self
11/05/2022
Ladies First Training Course The training was very informative and the manner of instruction was very practical. I could easily relate to the importance of the topics presented and Nate did an outstanding job keeping the training interesting. He also did an excellent job in emphasizing firearms safety and is clearly very passionate about making sure all students understand how important the safe handling of firearms is. I also enjoyed that Nate allowed us to try firing different firearms on the shooting range. That opportunity provided me the chance to personally experience the differences between the different firearms. Overall, this was a fantastic learning experience which I know will be of great value to me as I build my experience on the shooting range.

Nicole Blair
N/A, N/A
8/24/2022
Pistol Fundamentals Class To become eligible for my concealed carry permit, I took the pistol fundamentals course. I quickly came to the conclusion that if you want to own and operate a firearm responsibly, there is a ton of material to learn and analyze. Nate gave students abundant opportunity to ask questions, and his classroom instruction method—a discussion-based approach—allowed for lots of engaging discussion between students and the teacher. Nate took the effort to make sure everyone on the range was comfortable with their surroundings. He also spent a lot of one-on-one time with each student on the range to assist them in determining what they could improve upon. Throughout the whole teaching of the class, Nate's expertise, enthusiasm, and "why" were very evident. It's fantastic that you can tell he genuinely cares about helping people. I wholeheartedly endorse this course for anyone interested in learning how to shoot for fun, self-defense, or simply to get more knowledge about firearm safety. 5 out of 5 would recommend!

Alex S.
7/24/2022
Great Training Nate did a great job training us! If you are looking for a trainer that is not only good at their subject matter but also has a strong why, this is the company for you.

Timothy Nelson
CEO, Bull Run Financial Group
7/24/2022
Masterful Instruction & tons of patience I had never handled or shot a pistol before taking the NRA Basics course with Nate and James (at the range). The classroom part of the class was very informative and relaxed. The relaxed yet very educational environment made it easy for me to listen and learn so much new information. The book provided was very helpful and I love that I can reference it at home anytime I want.
We shot at a private range (thanks James) which put me at ease in that the only people shooting were members of our class. I loved that for the first time shooting a pistol. The hands-on instruction was perfect for me. I was initially unsure of my ability to rack the slide and expressed this to Nate who made me feel very comfortable and showed me how to grip the slide and pull it back properly. My fingers are short and I initially struggled to reach the slide lock and the magazine release but Nate showed me how to do both given my shorts fingers. After getting used to the feel of the pistol (I tried a couple) I really enjoyed shooting. I’ll be back for more classes with Nate. Thank you so much for your instruction and patience!!

Wendie Storm
7/09/2022
Very Informative! I’ve shot a firearm a few times in the past, but taking this course helped me better understand how told
Hold the gun, the parts of the firearm, safety, and more! I couldn’t recommend this course and Nate at Bear Arms enough!m because even if you think you know, you may not and it’s just such a great program to go through. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Ashley Owens
6/25/2022