NRA Certified Pistol Instructor & Range Safety Officer
I'm Bill Harris — an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer offering private firearms instruction in Montclair and Northern New Jersey. Whether it's your very first handgun or years you'd like to sharpen, we'll move at your pace. You won't be rushed or judged.
Your instructor
I'm an engineer and business owner in Montclair, New Jersey. I started out with more questions than answers myself, and helping other people get comfortable turned into something I genuinely love doing.
As an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer, I teach the way I'd want to be taught. You'll always hear why grip, sight alignment, and trigger control work the way they do — and we'll move at your pace, not mine.
More about my backgroundThe MyRangeBuddy Promise
Every student deserves to be treated with patience, respect, and professionalism.
You'll never be rushed, embarrassed, or pressured. Whether you're purchasing your first firearm or refining years of experience, every lesson is tailored to your goals, your pace, and your comfort level.
My mission is simple: help you become a safer, more confident, and more responsible gun owner.
Every lesson begins and ends with safe firearm handling. Nothing happens on the line until the fundamentals are second nature.
No cookie-cutter classes. Every student learns differently, so every lesson plan is built around your goals and your pace.
Concepts are explained clearly, so you understand why a technique works — not just what to copy.
Respectful, patient, and supportive. No intimidation, no rushing, no ego.
You leave every session with practical skills you can use immediately — and the confidence that comes with them.
Sessions at Cherry Ridge, an indoor range in Belleville, or your own range — whatever suits you best.
Instruction
Rather than a catalog of course titles, instruction is shaped around what you actually want to accomplish.
A calm, patient introduction for someone who has never handled a firearm.
Unbiased help choosing a handgun that actually fits your hand, purpose, and budget.
One-on-one coaching on the line with immediate, constructive feedback.
Defensive pistol skills and safe-handling work for people who carry responsibly. Not a state qualification course.
For experienced owners who want to diagnose and correct what's holding them back.
Thoughtful, practical planning around storage, access, and responsible decision-making.
A private, judgment-free setting with instruction tailored to your goals.
Unhurried lessons with attention to grip strength, recoil management, and comfort.
Safe, structured at-home practice that builds real skill between range visits.
Household safety, secure storage, and age-appropriate conversations with children. I also recommend Block Blaster for kid-friendly firearm safety education.
Who I help
Coaching is shaped around who you are and what you're hoping to walk away with. Here's what that usually looks like.
You've never held a firearm, or only once. We start with the basics, and nothing happens until you say you're ready. We'll move at your pace.
A private, judgment-free lesson. We'll find a firearm that actually fits your hands, and work on grip and recoil in a way that makes sense for you.
Learn together without one person getting left behind. I coach you both individually, so neither of you spends the day feeling rushed.
Limited time and a preference for straight answers. We'll make the most of a couple of focused hours and skip the filler.
No hurry, ever. We work around grip strength, vision, and comfort, and start with mild recoil until you tell me you'd like more.
You've plateaued and you know it. We'll find what's actually causing the misses and fix it one thing at a time.
Nobody gets rushed. We move on when you're ready, not before.
You'll always hear why a technique works, not just what to copy.
Safe handling is a habit we build from the first minute, every session.
Private lessons or a group of two. Never a crowded classroom.
Clear communication, on time, and organized — the way you'd expect from any professional.
You leave with real skills, and the calm that comes with actually having them.
No surprises
Most people are a little nervous before the first one. Here's exactly how the day goes, start to finish, so nothing catches you off guard.
We meet at the range, shake hands, and get you settled. No paperwork surprises — forms are sent ahead of time.
Before anything else, we sit down and talk about what brought you here, what worries you, and what you'd like to walk away with.
The rules that matter, explained plainly — why each one exists and how they show up in everything we do that day.
You'll hold and work with unloaded firearms until grip, stance, and loading feel natural in your hands.
Sight alignment and trigger control with no ammunition involved. This is where most of the real learning happens.
Your first live shots, one at a time, with me right beside you. We go as slowly as you want.
We look at your targets together and talk honestly about what went well and what to work on.
You leave with a short, specific practice plan — and no pressure to book anything else.
Coming soon
We talk before you ever hold a firearm — your experience, your goals, and anything you're unsure about.
I put together a lesson plan around what you want to accomplish and how you learn best.
Structured, unhurried coaching with clear explanations and feedback as you go.
You leave with specific practice steps so progress continues after the lesson ends.
Student feedback
I only publish feedback from students who have given permission, in their own words. When reviews arrive, they will appear here — nothing here is invented or borrowed.
Coming soon
Where we train
Most lessons take place at Cherry Ridge, operated by ANJRPC. Sessions at Cherry Ridge are available when permitted under current ANJRPC range policies and scheduling requirements. For a short indoor introduction with no membership required, an indoor session may be arranged at Bullet Hole in Belleville, subject to range availability, rules and approval. If you belong to a club — or there's a range you'd like to try — we can plan around it.
MyRangeBuddy is an independent firearms instruction service and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any range or facility named on this site. At a third-party facility, that facility's rules, fees and waivers also apply. Full disclosure.
See range session detailsField Notes
Firearms and gear look different after you actually live with them. Follow what we're shooting, testing, researching and sometimes sending back.
How much performance can you buy before the improvements become hard to see? A value look at custom 2011s versus my Perfect Zero-tuned Springfield Prodigy with a Cyelee Bull X Pro.
Why I chose the Cyelee Bull X Pro for my Springfield Prodigy after waiting on the Holosun 507-PROMAX — window size, 2 MOA dot, RMR footprint, and a $237.80 price that settled it.
A productive MyRangeBuddy range session with the Springfield M1A, SIG P320 and Glock 43X, including M1A zeroing progress, optic impressions and a 43X laser check.
Photos
Real photos from the line — me, my shooting buddies, and the ranges we train at. No stock imagery, no staged scenes.
Coming soon
Not at all — first-time shooters are who this was built for. We start with safety, handling, and stance, and we don't move to the line until you feel ready.
No. Firearms are provided for your lesson. You purchase your own ammunition — from the range when available, or bring your own lawfully acquired factory ammunition (we'll discuss acceptable brands and types beforehand). If you're considering a purchase, a selection consultation can help you choose well.
Eye and ear protection are required and are available for purchase at most ranges if you don't own them. Comfortable, closed-toe shoes and a shirt without a low neckline are recommended.
Yes. Sessions are one-on-one or a group of two, so instruction stays personal. Couples and parent-and-adult-child pairs are common.
No. These are private lessons taught by an NRA Certified Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer. They are not NRA-approved courses and are not sponsored or administered by the NRA.
Send a short message describing what you'd like to accomplish. We'll set up a no-pressure consultation and go from there.
Every student starts with a simple, no-pressure conversation. Tell me where you are today and what you'd like to be able to do — we'll build the plan from there.