NVF-1·3-HOUR LIVE FIRE

Own The
night.

A three-hour, live-fire introduction to running your carbine under night vision. Zero and fight off your IR laser, build a passive backup, and learn to handle your rifle safely in zero light — private line, six students max, dedicated instructor. Bring your kit or run ours.

Reserve A Seat → See Pricing & Rentals

Duration

3 Hours

Class Size

6 Max

Platform

Carbine

Round Count

~150 Rifle

01 What This Is

Fundamentals. Not A Light Show.

Night vision shooting at Vantage Defense

NVF-1 is an honest introduction to shooting under night vision — not a CQB course, not a movement course, not a marketing reel. It's the foundation every serious night shooter has to own before anything else makes sense.

Darkness slows everything down. Depth flattens, your field of view shrinks to a tunnel, and skills you own in daylight feel brand new. NVF-1 isn't about speed — it's a safe, repeatable foundation under NODs to build on later.

In three hours you'll zero an IR laser, then spend the bulk of your trigger time driving it onto target — the way most night work actually gets done. Passive aiming stays in as your backup, and you'll handle the gun — reloads, malfunctions — entirely in the dark.

We run a true crawl-walk-run format with a daylight walkthrough first, so the night vision is the only new variable — the drill is already in your hands.

02 The Curriculum

Three Hours, Six Blocks.

A deliberate progression from gear check to a graded capstone. Every block builds on the last — and the daylight walkthrough means nothing is brand new once the sun goes down.

BLOCK 00 0:00–0:30

Safety, Gear & Classroom

Range & medical brief, emergency “white light” call
The four rules under NODs
Helmet, NOD fit & focus, laser-mount and light check
Laser safety: the emitter gets treated like a muzzle

BLOCK 01 0:30–1:00

Daylight Mirror Walkthrough

Dry-run every night skill before dark
Laser-driven shot, passive backup, reloads by feel
Malfunction clearing and the NODs-down transition
The single highest-value block in the course

BLOCK 02 1:00–1:30

Zero The IR Laser

Confirm your optic zero — your backup to the laser
Parallel vs. converging zero, explained
25–50 yard parallel zero

BLOCK 03 1:30–2:10

Laser Work — The Primary Skill

Driving the IR laser onto target, head neutral, no perfect cheek weld required
Engagements at 15, 25, and 50 yards — the bulk of your live fire
Reading offset and splash through your NODs at distance

BLOCK 04 2:10–2:30

Passive Aiming — Your Backup

Indexing the optic through your NODs when the laser isn't the answer
Building a workable cheek weld in the dark
When passive beats active — and why you still need it
Slow, untimed single shots at 15 and 25 yards

BLOCK 05 2:30–3:00

Manipulations In The Dark

Reloads and malfunction clearing entirely by feel
NODs-down contingency: flip up, transition to dot
White light as a last-resort PID tool only — not a primary

03 Prerequisites & Fit

Read Both Lists First.

Night vision multiplies how fast a small handling error becomes a serious one. This course has a hard skills floor — we enforce it because the line stays safe only if everyone on it can already run a carbine cold.

You're Ready For NVF-1 if

You're Good To Go.

You've completed a tactical or defensive carbine course — ours, or a reputable school — or have current/prior military or law enforcement training
You can safely and competently run your rifle in daylight: presentation, reloads, malfunction clearing, muzzle and trigger discipline
You're a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (ITAR — verified at registration)
You own a night-vision-capable carbine and kit — or you're renting ours
You want a real foundation under NODs before chasing speed or movement

Hold Off if

This Isn't The Fit Yet.

This is your first time handling a rifle — book Rifle 101 first, then a defensive carbine course
You've never run reloads or malfunction drills under pressure in daylight
You're looking for CQB, force-on-force, or structure clearing — that's downstream of this course
You're under 18, or 18–20 without meeting our long-gun eligibility requirements
You can't verify U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency

04 The Workflow

How It Works.

Four steps from booking to the line. Pick your gear path when you reserve — everything else is handled.

Reserve

Book your seat and pick your gear path — your own kit, a la carte rentals, or the full turnkey package. We verify prerequisites and citizenship at registration.

Prep

We send a gear and ammo checklist and confirm your start time against sunset. Renting? Your kit is staged and ready when you arrive — nothing to source.

Train

Gear check and daylight walkthrough first, then the line goes dark. Six students max, one instructor, one dedicated safety officer. Every drill observed.

Advance

You leave with a confirmed laser zero, a graded capstone, and a clear home-drill plan — plus the path into NVF-2 when you're ready to add movement.

05 Pricing & Rentals

Bring Your Kit, Or Run Ours.

Night vision is expensive — most first-timers don't own a full setup, and that's exactly what the rental path is for. Pick the option that fits what you already have.

TURNKEY · NOTHING REQUIRED

Full Course + Full Rental

$750 / person

The complete package for shooters with no night vision equipment of their own. Tuition plus a full NV-configured carbine, helmet-mounted NODs, and IR laser — all staged, zeroed-ready, and waiting on the line. Show up, train, own the dark.

Build Your Own — A La Carte

Course TuitionWith your own complete NV kit

$300

NODs RentalHelmet-mounted night vision device

+$300

IR Laser RentalZeroed and ready for the line

+$100

Full NV Carbine RentalRifle configured for night vision use

+$200

How to read this: Tuition is $300 if you bring your own complete night vision setup. Add only the rentals you need — NODs, IR laser, or a full NV carbine. Renting everything works out to the $750 turnkey package, which is the simplest path if you're starting from zero. Ammunition is not included; factory ammo only — no reloads, since atypical malfunctions are miserable to diagnose under NODs. Bring eyes, ears, and a sling regardless of gear path.

06 What To Bring

The Kit List.

If you're renting, we cover the night vision side — you still bring the personal items. If you're running your own kit, this is the full requirement.

Your Own Kit

REQUIRED IF NOT RENTING

Night-vision-capable carbine and sling
NV-compatible optic — red dot or LPVO, already zeroed in daylight
Helmet with shroud and a NOD mount
Night vision device — PVS-14 minimum, mono or bino
IR laser / illuminator
Weapon-mounted white light on the carbine
3+ rifle magazines and fresh batteries for everything

Everyone Brings

REGARDLESS OF GEAR PATH

~150 rounds of quality factory rifle ammunition — no reloads
Eye protection — clear or low-light appropriate
Hearing protection — electronic strongly preferred
Sling for your carbine
Weather-appropriate layers — you'll move, kneel, and stand still in the cold
Proof of prerequisite training
Water and a snack — we don't break to leave the facility

07 Reserve Your Seat

Book NVF-1.

Seats are capped at six and scheduled around sunset — they go quickly. Pick a date below, or text us first if you want to confirm your gear path or prerequisites before you book.

Questions before you book? Text or call 781-402-4650 or email info@vantagedefense.com — we'll confirm prerequisites, gear, and citizenship before you reserve.

Not There Yet?

NVF-1 assumes you can already run a carbine cold. If you're newer to the rifle, build that foundation first with Rifle 101 and a defensive carbine course, then come own the dark. Want a custom or private night vision session, or training for a team? Text 781-402-4650 and we'll build it. No upsell, no pressure.

Location

Londonderry, NH

Private range — scheduled around sunset

Call or Text

781‑402‑4650

Text works best for gear questions

info@vantagedefense.com

Private sessions, team & group requests

Scheduling

By Appointment

Evening start — full dark required

Legal Disclaimer Night Vision Shooting Fundamentals (NVF-1) is a live-fire firearms training course conducted in accordance with federal law, New Hampshire state law, and applicable range safety protocols. This is a range-based training course only and does not address or authorize hunting; New Hampshire law governs the use of artificial light, night vision, and thermal devices for the taking of wildlife separately. NVF-1 is an advanced course with a mandatory prerequisite: students must demonstrate prior tactical or defensive carbine training (from Vantage Defense or a reputable school) or current/previous military or law enforcement experience, and must show competent, safe weapons handling before live fire begins. Instruction involving night vision devices and infrared aiming lasers is subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR); participation is restricted to U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, verified at registration. Long-gun instruction is available to students 18 or older, and to students aged 14 to 17 when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, subject to instructor approval given the advanced nature of this course. All students must be free of any state or federal firearm prohibitions; eligibility is verified before training begins. Only factory ammunition is permitted; reloaded ammunition is prohibited. Training rifles and rentals are configured to comply with applicable New Hampshire firearm law. Vantage Defense reserves the right to refuse service at its sole discretion if any safety, legal, or behavioral concern arises. Curriculum, schedule, round count, and pricing are subject to change. Questions about eligibility or course content can be directed to info@vantagedefense.com.