Tactical Rural Training • Open Country Environment
For Experienced Carbine Shooters Only. Must already understand shooting positions, transitions, malfunctions, and mag changes.
To join this course, you must have completed our Stand-Alone Carbine course (see the link).
Participants need a solid understanding of carbine fundamentals — including shooting positions, magazine changes, and clearing stoppages.
If you’re new to shooting, we recommend starting with our Carbine Course instead.
Rural Carbine is an advanced course designed for shooters who already have solid foundational skills.
This is not suitable for beginners or shooters unfamiliar with their equipment.
To participate, you must meet the following minimum standards:
You must be fully comfortable with:
You must already be able to perform:
Your gear must be set up, understood, and ready to run.
You must be proficient with:
Day 1 includes physical training with kit and carbine.
You must be capable of:
This course assumes you are already a competent carbine shooter with:
solid gun-handling skills
gear familiarity
functional fitness
ability to work under pressure
safe weapon discipline
If you cannot meet these requirements, we strongly recommend completing a Carbine Fundamentals course first.
We use the following ranges for our training. Note: We do not have offices on these ranges. If you want to contact us, please do so via email – enquiries@fortisgroup.co.za
There are no other venues, only these. Because ranges are always situated outside of town, there is some drive (distance) involved.
Pretoria Range:- Out There Adventures
Scroll down for full details and registration
Looking to improve your carbine skills with hands-on experience in a rural environment?
Our Rural Carbine Course takes you far beyond static range drills — focusing on movement, awareness, and tactical application in open, unpredictable terrain. You’ll learn to handle your carbine confidently across real-world conditions, including low cover, varied elevation, and long lines of sight often found in rural and semi-rural areas.
This course is ideal for farm watch members, CPF groups, and private security teams who operate in remote or open environments where engagements can happen across longer distances and under changing conditions.
You’ll develop the confidence, control, and coordination needed to respond effectively and safely — whether it’s during coordinated patrols, rural protection duties, or structured team operations.
Designed and led by Fortis instructors with extensive real-world experience, this course blends precision shooting, tactical mobility, and teamwork to prepare you for the challenges that go far beyond the urban range.
“Being a farm kid, firearms were always a part of what we did. Air rifle, pistol, shotgun and bolt action. Many a happy hour was spent lugging a .22LR around in the off-chance that a possible target would become available. Ground squirrels or Meerkat as we called them were a favourite but they could test your patience and certainly put your stalking skills to the ultimate test. Get it wrong and they would disappear into the burrow for hours!!!
The highlight of course was joining the military and the access to Self-loading rifles! Carried that rifle with complete commitment through basic training all for the opportunity to actually get to shoot it. The first range day came and heaven happened! Everything and anything was overcome just for the opportunity to put rounds down range!! That still applies today!!! Nothing better than spending time in the veldt with any of the Carbine platforms I own!! First prize!!!!.”
After finishing school, Matt enlisted in the South African Defence Force (SADF), where he spent 10 years sharpening his skills across a wide range of shooting platforms. His experience on multiple operations — both inside and beyond South Africa’s borders — forged not only technical expertise but the kind of discipline and combat mindset that can’t be taught in a classroom.
In 2018, Matt brought that hard-earned experience to Fortis, joining the farm security teams on the front lines of South Africa’s rural crime problem. His tactical knowledge, calm under pressure, and no-nonsense approach quickly made him an indispensable asset in real-world operations.
Since 2020, Matt has served as a director of Fortis, where he continues to teach with the same passion and intensity he brought to the battlefield — preparing others not just to shoot, but to fight, survive, and win when it matters most.
In our Rural Carbine Course, you’ll learn and practice essential skills such as target acquisition, shooting positions, movement, and engagement in outdoor environments. The course combines classroom instruction with extensive field exercises that build confidence and competence.
Fundamentals of Carbine Marksmanship; understand and refine your stance, grip, sight alignment, and trigger control. Learn how to shoot your carbine out to maximum range.
Range and Terrain Adaptability
Train to handle your carbine in varying terrains and weather conditions. Learn to use natural cover, understand firing angles, and maintain control across different ranges.
Movement and Positioning
Explore tactical movement skills and use the environment for strategic advantage.
Engagement Techniques
Practice engaging multiple targets, handling reloads under pressure, and making quick, effective decisions on the go. Improve your ability to acquire and hit targets efficiently.
Rural-Specific Defensive Tactics
Develop situational awareness and learn to anticipate potential threats in open, rural settings. We emphasize defensive tactics tailored for expansive outdoor environments.
Duration: 4 modules over 4 days, 1 day per month over 4 months. Final module is a night module.
Location: Will be provided to registrants
Every student enrolling in ANY Fortis course now receives
3 months of Firearms Guardian cover — FREE.
Sponsored entirely by Fortis Pro Active Defence Solutions.
Training + Protection.
That’s the new standard.
Please note: Regardless of any prior training you may have, Module 1 is a mandatory prerequisite for Module 2.
Fortis courses are uniquely structured, with each module building on the previous one.
DO NOT register for Module 2 if Module 1 is fully booked.
If you attempt to do so, your booking will automatically be moved to the next available group.
Thank you for your understanding.