Ann Arbor, MI (September 28, 2021) – The .300 Blackout is an exceptional intermediate cartridge born from special operations’ demands for superior performance over the 5.56 NATO while still using familiar weapon systems. The .300 Blackout delivers flatter trajectories and excellent terminal ballistics with supersonic ammunition or a quiet yet powerful option with subsonic rounds. EOTECH has developed a cartridge-specific optic that maximizes this versatile round.
The EOTECH XPS2-300™ HWS works with both ammo types thanks to a specially calibrated, two-dot ballistic drop reticle. It allows zeroing for both subsonic and supersonic .300 Blackout rounds using the same reticle for instant access to both zeros where and when needed. The XPS2-300 model features a laser-etched ballistic drop diagram on the housing, which provides a quick reference for subsonic and supersonic ammunition drop data.
At only 3.8-inches long and a mere 9-ounces, shooters will love EOTECH’s shortest and lightest HWS sight. Its compact profile pairs perfectly on short-barreled weapon systems such as those used on some .300 Blackout rifles. A single CR123 battery powers the sight, adding to its sleek design. The XPS2-300’s small footprint leaves ample rail space for rear iron sights or magnifiers, making it a go-to mission adaptable holographic weapons system.
The XPS2-300 includes a waterproof housing, long battery life, and 20 daylight brightness settings. User-friendly features like auto battery check and auto shutdown ensure the sight powers up when needed and the large 68MOA ring and (2) 1MOA aiming dots offer uncompromising speed and precision for critical shot placement.
Like all EOTECH products, the XPS2-300 is rugged and reliable. The waterproof, fog-proof, battle-tested sight works even if the sight window breaks or becomes partially obstructed. The EOTECH HWS XPS2 is proudly made in the USA and is backed by EOTECH’s 10-year Prestige Warranty.
EOTECH XPS2-300 Blackout Features
Two-dot ballistic drop reticle for both subsonic and supersonic ammunition
Durable housing
Laser-etched hood with custom “300 BLK” logo and ballistic drop data
Lightweight and compact
Long battery life
EOTECH XPS2-300 Blackout Specifications
L x W x H: 3.8″ x 2.1″ x 2.5″ (96.5 x 53.3 x 63.5 mm)
Battery Life: 1,000 continuous hours at nominal setting 12 at room temperature
Country of Origin: Made in the USA
Included in the Box
HWS XPS2-300™
Quick-Start Guide
Warranty Card
CR123 Battery
Protective Case
MSRP: $585.00
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, EOTECH® designs, manufactures and markets the original Holographic Weapon Sight (HWS), and designs and distributes Vudu® rifle optics, thermal and night vision systems, and laser devices. EOTECH’s full line of professional-grade optics is trusted by the world’s tier-one professionals to deliver unparalleled speed, accuracy, and reliability. Since 1996, EOTECH Holographic Weapon Sights (HWS) have been designed, developed and manufactured in the US. In 2016, EOTECH expanded its optics line by introducing the Vudu line of premium magnified optics designed to cater to the most sophisticated of users.Our exacting standards demand continued focus on product quality, not quantity, ensuring that the highest specifications are not only met, but exceeded. Every optic manufactured is treated as if it will be the one that will face a life and death situation. When there are zero margins for error, there is only one clear choice – EOTECH.
Modernizing the AK has been a project the 21st century embraced with gusto. As the AR-15 started sporting ACOGs, EOTechs, and Aimpoints along with laser and grips and all the other ancillaries… AK’s just kinda had their side rail (sometimes) and that was that.
Nowadays, however, the AK in both 7.62 and 5.45 (and 5.56) have come back to match their M4A1 counterparts. Plenty of accessory space and ways to operate with any of the optical options available to the AR’s.
Both the AR and AK not work in modernized spaces, making their operating ergonomics the main point of difference from an end user point of view. The AK still has some slower and more rudimentary operating movements, namely the load, reload, and safety manipulation.
The short of it is that the AK, like the AR, isn’t going anywhere for a few decades yet as it maintains a high degree of effective usability.
Ever since I shot bullseye on the Coast Guard’s team in 2001, I’ve been on-again off-again obsessed with extremely accurate pistol shooting. This obsession was only fueled by my deep dive into Bianchi Cup from 2009-2014, which ended with a top 10 finish at the NRA World Action Pistol Championships in 2014. When I think “long” range for handgun shooting, I’m thinking about shots that are past 20 yards, although there are some people that would consider that medium range. Regardless, for the purpose of this article we’re going to be talking about some tips and tricks to shoot a handgun well at intermediate and long ranges.
The first thing we need to absolutely nail down is that there is no substitute for good fundamentals. To get accurate hits at any range, you must first establish and maintain an appropriate sight picture, then pull the trigger in such a manner that you don’t disturb that sight picture. That’s it. That’s all that marksmanship, any marksmanship, really is. To borrow a quote from Steve Fisher, “It’s all just sights and triggers.” The stuff we do like grip and stance we do in order to make aligning the sights and pulling the trigger easier and more efficient.
With that understanding, we can start to talk about the important fundamentals of shooting a pistol accurately at long range. The first is to completely get rid of the idea of “far” or “close” targets. Just dump it straight out of your brain. There are no far targets, there are no near targets, there are only big targets and little targets. The reason why this is important is a mental trick that I’ve found useful. For whatever reason, when I think about a target being “far” I start to get in my head about it. “Oh, 25 yards is a really long way away,” or “man that pepper popper at 35 yards is a tough shot.” But I also know that I can reliably punch the center out of a 2 inch circle at 7 yards, which presents the same available target MOA as an 8 inch circle at 28 yards. It’s not a close target, it’s just big. It’s not a far target, it’s just small.
98/100 isn’t bad to start
The second step is that you must be absolutely sure where your gun hits under optimal conditions. It doesn’t matter what distance you zero your pistol and sighting system at, whether it’s 25, 15, or 10, but you have to know where those rounds will impact at the distance you want to shoot at. It also helps to tailor your zero to what you want to do with the gun, for example if your heart’s one desire is to shoot a clean slow-fire 100-10x B8 at 25 yards, I would zero my gun for a six o’clock at 25 yards. If your heart craves violence, then a more practical zero like 10 or 15 may be in order, but regardless you still need to know where your gun hits at various distances.
Now we get to the technical bits, and the first technical bit is trigger pull. One of the big problems people run into when shooting pistols at this distance is fatigue. Holding a precise point of aim then pulling your trigger just right takes a lot of concentration, which is why I am an advocate for the “like a bike pedal” trigger pull method. In short, pull the trigger like you’d pedal a bike: one continuous motion that doesn’t stop until the gun goes off. Don’t stage it, don’t prep it, just pull it. If you have a Glock-esque trigger you can prep some of the slack out of it, but I feel like that forces people to think too much. Line up the sights, and just press the trigger to the rear with continuous pressure. The next trigger fundamental is reset, which is namely don’t even worry about it. The problem with “riding the reset” is that you get used to the audible/tactile click becoming your permission to shoot again, and it’s not. Your permission to shoot comes from your sights, not a clicky noise in your trigger. So once you’ve fired that shot with continuous pressure, just let go of the trigger.
The last important step to getting good at shooting at distance is to, as Rob Leatham once said about Bianchi Cup: get knee deep in brass. There’s no substitute for live fire, but the nice thing about long range shooting is that you can do a lot of it with fairly inexpensive rimfire ammo. To really master the fundamentals of sights and trigger, you can get a rimfire analog to your carry or competition gun, and start slanging lead at B8 targets or Bianchi Cup targets at 25 yards. A rimfire pistol and a B8 target will very quickly tell you if your trigger pull is deficient, and has been one of the best training aids I’ve ever had for precision shooting.
If you were hoping for some secret sauce about long range pistol shooting, I’m sorry to disappoint you. It turns out that Fisher was right, and it’s really all just sights and triggers. Time to start practicing, right?
Let’s start by making sure everyone understands that I don’t see myself as an expert in the gun world. In fact, the closest thing I have expertise in is remembering esoteric and weird guns. Other than that, I’m an excited and enthusiastic amateur in the big wide world of guns. It’s something I enjoy learning about, so I spend a lot of time studying, researching, and reading. Part of that involves social media, and here I’ve run across a phenomenon as of late where people justify their decisions with the phrase, “It’s Just My Opinion.”
The Just My Opinion phenomenon often justifies a mixture of poor tactics, underperforming gear, and generally just bad advice. It’s a form of meta-ignorance that perverts actual discussion with just bad information. Today I’m hoping to help you debunk the famed, just my opinion.
Why ‘Just My Opinion’ Sucks
It’s easy for new shooters to be intimidated at the prospect of gun ownership. Owning a gun is a huge responsibility, and smart gun owners of any skill level are always looking to be more competent with their weapons. As such, they do the same thing I do and turn to the internet. Here is where the just my opinion crowd lies in wait.
Firearms are serious business, especially when they come to the world of self-defense, home defense, and duty use. Sure, some avenues like competitive shooting don’t have life and death consequences as long as you don’t fail at basic safety procedures. Sadly, the just my opinion crowd really seems to stick to the defensive world of gun ownership.
It’s easy to see why. Competition shooting shows objective data and factual results. Silly opinions, poor gear, and tactics are easily overcome when you divide a group into winners and losers.
Opinions Not Experience
The Just My Opinion crowd hides behind their opinions and not actual experience or scientific fact. They use the opinion aspect to try and throw off criticism when someone disagrees with their advice. An opinion stating that stainless steel guns look cooler than blued guns is harmless.
Stating that it’s better to carry with an empty chamber is not an opinion. It’s factually wrong. Having an opinion that the sky is blue doesn’t make it so. We have objective data we can use to show that carrying with a round chambered makes it faster to get on target, is easier to do, and doesn’t require two hands.
Whenever something comes with the Just My Opinion tag, look to see what that opinion is based on. Is it backed by factual and verifiable information? Or is it just someone spouting off about how the Judge is the best home defense firearm ever without any valid reasons listed.
On Guns
It’s tough to make a gun that doesn’t work well these days, and there is some room for opinion. Glocks are great, and so are CZs. You aren’t wrong for liking one over the other by any means.
Where the bad information comes from is people propelling cheaper and subpar quality guns and ammunition to the forefront of the conversation. With firearms, the typical measure of quality is an exaggerated round count with zero issues. They also might exaggerate accuracy standards that seem a bit silly.
If someone comes at you with the results of a Bill Drill and a B-8, then they might know what they’re talking about, or at least have a more informed opinion. Anything involving a timer and an accuracy standard, like a drill, can be a valuable insight into the experience of the shooter. Nothing’s absolute, but it’s better than, ‘10,000 rounds and zero issues.’
Another argument could be something as simple as arguing what’s the best home defense weapon. Look for people who provide reasons backed by their own experiences and why they came to their conclusions. If someone just says ‘muh stopping power,’ then their opinion is easy to see through.
On Gear
When people start talking gear, you are going to face the Just My Opinion crowd as well, as people
are brand fans. When someone swears up and down that a piece of gear is of high quality, ask follow-up questions. Ask why they like that gear and observe what they say.
Do they come back with numbers and factual information about the product? I love Cloud Defensive lights because they mix well-made lights with 1,300 lumens and 55K candela to provide an extremely powerful light option. That’s how I’d answer the question.
Even better, don’t pay attention to drive-by answers in the first place. A Drive-By answer is someone who just says a brand and product with no reasoning behind it. Online reviews can be tough because some people get paid; others simply don’t really know enough to review an item effectively. Luckily, GAT Daily is here for you!
[Editor’s Note: For those wondering how we get paid to do this, all those banners and stuff we have to add around the content. You seeing and clicking those helps us, so thanks!]
In the Tactics and Techniques World
Finally, the tactics and techniques world shows lots of ‘Just My Opinion’ comments. If you come from a point where your experience is on the low side, then you need to be super selective about who you take advice from concerning tactics and techniques. Some very poorly trained people have quasi-successful Youtube channels.
One Handed SMG probably not the best tactic, but it looks cool.
I stick to known and capable instructors who come to the table with a lot of experience from the field or a lot of time in the world of instruction. I watch videos from people like Active Self-Protection and Aaron Cowan, I follow Sentinel Concepts and Sage Dynamics on social media, and I listen to Primary and Secondary and Gunday Brunch weekly.
When in doubt, look into an instructor or media personality’s website. The qualified will display their qualifications, and an Instagram follower count isn’t a qualification.
Signal to Noise
The good news is the world is getting better. Well, the firearms information world is getting better. Five years ago, I rarely saw good advice in the comments section. These days there is so much good information out there that people are better sorting through the B.S. We can all blame social media for bad advice, but social media has also made things better too. Hopefully, I’ve helped you find ways to decipher the Just My Opinion crowd.
Remember last year when I tried a plot of “Three Sisters” in my pandemic survival garden?
Well I did it again this year, except this time instead of pole-type green beans I used a traditional heirloom black bean variety called “Cherokee Trail of Tears”.
You may recall that the Three Sisters were called such by Indigenous Tribes in the Americas because the three crops – corn, beans, and squash – were grown together in the same plot and were co-dependent in their growth habits.
But modern researchers also discovered that eating these three together in the diet provided the right amino acids for complete proteins and sufficient nutrition to sustain a prehistoric tribe. That right there is good survival garden information, folks.
Given all that, I decided to try my hand at black beans this year because 1) they were traditional, 2) we eat a lot of black beans at my house, and 3) being a novice gardener I hadn’t yet tried growing shell/dry beans.
I planted in late May and now that it’s almost October the pods have been drying and I’m starting to harvest. I am tickled pink at my success! It was basically plant them and walk away (except for a ”minor” detail I’ll mention in a bit).
As a novice, it was interesting to me to watch the bean progression through the growing season. The bean vines grew up and were supported by the cornstalks as expected. Then the pods gradually went from green (like regular green pole beans) to purple pods to dry papery pods with black beans inside. As the pods turned papery I slowly harvested them and let them dry further inside the house.
Black beans turning purple.Black beans in dry papery pods.
After I was sure they were sufficiently dry not to mold, I shelled the pods and then dried/pasteurized the beans in the oven at about 160-200F for thirty minutes. This step was per directions from the NCHFP for dry beans. Apparently this step not only dries the beans further for storage, it also kills any insect larvae that may hatch in storage and destroy your hard work. (Ewww)
Oven dried and ready to store.
That all sounds easy and good, right? Except there was a fly in the ointment. Technically a beetle – “Mexican Bean Beetles” to be precise.
I didn’t have much of a garden pest problem last year except for the squash bugs, so my beans went totally unmolested. But this year was a different story. What I initially thought were beneficial ladybugs turned out to be invasive and hungry Mexican bean beetles instead. My delay in identification cost my plant production significantly. The bean plant leaves were slowly skeletonized, starting with the green beans and then moving over to the black bean plot. I still ended up with a harvest, but I need to do some reading to see if there are any non-pesticide ways to reduce the issues for next year.
I kept the squash bugs under control this year by diligently picking them off and drowning them in soapy water – adults and egg masses alike – as soon as the first signs appeared. I did that morning and night for months. It was labor-intensive but I didn’t get too much damage in reward for my efforts. I’d like to hope that the same thing would work for the bean beetles, but we’ll see. I just hate to use pesticides if I can get away without it.
Despite the pest problem, these beans are definitely a keeper for next year, and since they are an heirloom variety I never have to buy seeds for them again!
So now that my black beans are ready and my mashed pumpkin is in the freezer, I’m going to try grinding a little of my dried sweet corn into corn meal and making a dish with my three sisters harvest!
This recipe sounds delicious! But I also want to play with one of my own. I can hardly wait!.
[Ed: DRGO’s ‘MarkPA’ first published this piece September 8 on TheTruthAboutGuns.com.]
Much is made of the 1328 Statute of Northampton to minimize or even to deny the right to bear arms. Northampton seems to be the core of the 9th Circuit’s opinion in Young v Hawaii. Northampton is sited by the State of New York in NYSR&PA v Bruen. The latest I’ve seen is a short essay by Jonah Skolnic last week at the Duke Center for Firearms Law’s blog. But I am unconvinced that an English royal decree issued nearly 700 years ago should so influence our contemporary interpretation of the Second Amendment.
So where is the hook? How is it that anything that precedes the ratification of the Second Amendment should color its interpretation?
The amendment does nearly nothing to define the right to keep and bear arms. That right is presupposed to exist and is understood. And so there must be something preceding ratification which serves to illuminate the scope, the metes and bounds of that right.
The 9th Circuit and New York State would have us believe that it’s the 700 year old Statute of Northampton. Skolnic quotes Northampton in part as follows:
” . . . no man great nor small, of what condition soever he be, except the king’s servants in his presence…come before the King’s justices, or other of the King’s ministers doing their office, with force and arms, nor bring no force in affray of the peace, nor to go nor ride armed by night nor by day, in fairs, markets, nor in the presence of the justices or other ministers“
Skolnic’s contribution to the discussion is to draw our attention to Edward Coke’s and Henry de Bracton’s commentary on Northampton.
“De Bracton understood the term weapon very broadly, explaining that armed force existed ‘not only if one comes with weapons, but truly also we designate those armed, who have something with which they are able to harm.’ De Bracton’s interpretation is that the mere presence of any weapon was considered armed force, regardless of the type of weapon at hand. Indeed, de Bracton takes this a step further opining that ‘if someone should come without arms and in a brawl itself picks up wood, sticks, and stones, such things it is said armed force.” De Bracton thus suggests that nearly anything could be considered a weapon and be used for armed force, and Coke by extension in quoting de Bracton suggests that the Statute of Northampton’s jurisdiction is not limited to certain strange or unusual weapons.“
Skolnic concludes . . .
“Barring the exception of the King’s servants and officials specifically stated in the Statute, the Statute and its enforcement made no exception for any types of armed force to be permissible, nor did it make any distinction between the motives of the user of armed force.“
What, then, should we make of this reading of the Second Amendment in light of Northampton? The 9th Circuit, New York State, and Skolnic would have us to believe that the Second Amendment’s rright to bear arms means nothing more than two things:
the privilege by the King’s license (servants, ministers, and the like); and,
“. . . upon a cry made for arms to keep the peace, and the same in such places where such acts happen . . . “
That is to say, what the ratifying generation understood of the right to bear arms meant the right only exists
by the King’s license, or
at the moment and place of “hue and cry”, i.e., on the occasion of an actual emergency (but not in anticipation of the possibility of confrontation).
Does this make sense?
The original Constitution and the Bill of Rights enumerates various rights, privileges, and immunities without spelling them out in detail. E.g., the First Amendment speaks of, “an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government” without spelling out their scope.
Should we understand the limits of these rights to be circumscribed by the law that prevailed in England before the Founding or by the laws and practices in colonial America up to that time? Should the laws and practices of the nascent 13 states which ratified the Constitution and Amendments matter? What is the rule of interpretation in such cases?
Perhaps it’s clear that the Establishment Clause precludes Congress from declaring a state religion. However, whatever the right to the free exercise of religion was in England in 1776 carries forward to the present. Perhaps the defense of truth to a charge of liable is not a part of the freedom of speech secured by the First Amendment.
Is this so? Or, would such a rule of interpretation substantially re-write our rights, privileges and immunities to an unrecognizable degree? One which would have been unfathomable to the ratifying generation as well as to ourselves. Would we be on much surer footing if we looked to the laws and practices of the original 13 states preceding the ratification of the Bill of Rights?
The 9th Circuit and others make much of statutes and cases regulating the bearing of arms both before and after Independence. Let’s acknowledge that these statutes and cases exist and they meant what they said as applied in such cases.
Does any state or municipal legislature or judge have the power to fix to our day the meaning of our Constitution and its Amendments? Does the town of Tombstone’s ordnance barring the carrying arms within its jurisdiction constrain the Roberts Court today?
Plenty of others have already opined that Northampton constrained arms bearing only “in affray of the peace.” I won’t wade into the “affray” issue here. But I have not seen others commenting on Northampton’s prohibition against . . . rid[ing] by night nor by day, in fairs, markets, or in the presence of the justices or other ministers.”
The qualifications here seem significant. They might pertain to Scalia’s “sensitive places” in Heller. Northampton didn’t forbid riding by night or by day upon a public highway, or on a street or footpath. It spoke exclusively of “fairs, markets, or in the presence of the justices or other ministers.” Why those limits?
Perhaps it was conventional for the King’s men-at-arms to be posted in such places to be ready to keep the King’s peace. And so, the statute intended to constrain the right of self-preservation only in such places. I question whether even these particular proscriptions carry any weight beyond Independence, above. But whatever weight they may carry certainly can’t be readily extrapolated to cover the entirety of America’s highways, streets and sidewalks.
Others regularly opine on the statutory phrase “dangerous and unusual weapons.” Was this phrase intended to mean both dangerous AND unusual? Or to mean: either dangerous OR unusual? It’s hard to figure this out absent a richer context. Here, Coke and de Bracton seem to make a useful contribution:
“All things by which individual people are able to harm are accepted by the name of weapons: but if someone should come without arms and in a brawl itself pick up wood, sticks and stones, such things it is said armed force; If someone comes with arms, but puts them down without using them, armed force is said to have happened; Even the threat of arms suffices as it seems to be force with arms. Agreeing with that of the poet, ‘And now fire and rocks fly, fury provides weapons’ “
Carrying this train of thought to its logical conclusion, whenever there is a disparity of force and the intention to use such force, such disparity may be “accepted by the name of weapons.”
Under such circumstances, does it make any sense to regulate classes of weapons according to their degree of dangerousness or common/uncommon use? Does this notion of “dangerous and unusual weapons” require us to draw some line between a derringer and 6-shot revolver? Between short folding-knife blades and those longer than four inches? Or, would our legislatures and courts be on firmer ground in simply distinguishing between the use of deadly force and less-than-deadly force?
In contemporary America more assaults and homicides are committed with fists, arms and feet than by rifles or shotguns.
In the end, Skolnic, the 9th Circuit, and New York State make much ado about Northampton, far more than the ratifying generation could have contemplated. And they do it in a desperate search for ways to preserve and protect current gun control laws that many think are endangered by the current Court.
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— ‘MarkPA’ is trained in economics, a life-long gun owner, NRA Instructor and Massad Ayoob graduate. He is inspired by our inalienable rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and holds that having the means to defend oneself and one’s community is vital to securing them.
Here we go! Keith and Caleb debate what are the three most overrated guns of all time. Will your favorite make the list? Do you hate the same guns we hate? Does Keith hate on 308 again?
Remember as a kid when you shot an arrow high into the air and were delighted when it stuck in the ground, point first? It stuck because its metal tip made the arrow front-heavy. While aerodynamics are more complicated than that, what you should know is that by manipulating your arrow’s FOC (Front of Center) weight, you can alter its ballistic characteristics to your advantage–and the best way to do this is to go with a heavier broadhead.
When a bowstring is released and an arrow takes flight, energy rapidly transfers down the shaft to the tip. Once this happens, the arrow is essentially pulled through the air by the tip, rather than pushed by the nock. This allows smooth steering of the arrow, and also increases momentum and therefore penetration when it strikes a target.
Most experts agree that fixed-blade broadheads fly better with an FOC of 12 to 18 percent, with 15 ideal for most hunting setups.
So why don’t all arrows have greater FOC built in? The main reason is that a 15-percent FOC doesn’t come without some tradeoffs. First, if weight is simply added to the tip, it results in a heavier overall arrow and therefore is slower by a few FPS. Slower arrows don’t shoot as flat, and they don’t sell as well. Secondly, arrows owning a higher FOC drop at an exponentially faster rate as range increases.
“The barricade wasn’t made to force you to learn how to shoot to a high standard through each port, it was made to show you why one position may be better based on your abilities and equipment being used.” Jose Gordon- Retired Ranger and now instructor for Green Ops
After hearing that last statement and switching my train of thought from “I wish I shot better in this position”, to “I now know how to use that position, however I can see more and get shots off much faster in that other position.” It changed my appreciation for the barricade and knowing my weapon system.
From the Designer of the Barricade, Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics
“What are we trying to accomplish? First and foremost, we want to find the positions that work for you. I want students to experiment with different positions to see what works. You can also change the difficulty of the drill by adding support side shooting on the last low hole or shoot the entire drill from the support side.”-Kyle Lamb (Viking Tactics, Guns and Ammo Article)
Note: For the purpose of this article I will be referring to the use of this barricade with a rifle, however it can be used in both rifle and pistol application.
The Viking Tactics Barricade designed by Kyle Lamb
The 9 hole barricade that we see so often on ranges, in military training courses, and being used for shooting tutorials, is known as the VTAC Barricade, invented by Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics (VTAC). It is a piece of wood with 9 different sized and angled ports while also being shaped with your standard 90 degree ledges.
Kyle Lamb invented this barricade after seeing his friends design, Bennie Cooley, of C.R.T.C., INC, barrie, also known as the Cooley Barricade. Kyle states “He had a great barricade design, but I didn’t think it was quite hard enough to shoot through. So, we added more holes that were more restrictive and at some crazy angles.”
The 9 Hole Drill and Set Up
The VTAC is a very versatile tool that can be used with both paper and steel targets. Kyle talks about a mock drill that he likes to run that can encompass each stressor that the barricade brings. In this drill you will place steel at 50-100 yards and engage the steel once or twice from each position, get your hits to move on. If you want to focus on cover and more CQB distance you can place paper at 25yds.
Engaging different distances, especially with different magnification on your optics, can really separate the pack. You will find things out once in those positions that may make it harder to take that shot. The more magnification, the less of an eye box you have, the less wobbly of a position you can build. You also may have to adjust your position dependent on the target you are engaging.
Say you are running just a dot. That may enhance your speed and position building but hinder your accuracy, engagement dependent.
Pushing a person through each 9 holes will allow them to think ahead and call their shots if they want to get faster.
“First and foremost, we want to find the positions that work for you. I want students to experiment with different positions to see what works. You can also change the difficulty of the drill by adding support side shooting on the last low hole or shoot the entire drill from the support side.”– Kyle Lamb
If you are running targets closer in for pistol and low light applciations be sure to place the targets closer to the ground than you normally would due to the difficulty of seeing the targets when in the prone position on the barricade.
Surefire and Kyle go over the proper set up for a night vision drill HERE.
Self Discovery
Note: Self Discovery is a term I learned from the Green Ops instructors. They use it when trying a new thing or playing around with a different way of attacking something. It really makes you remember to not rush through it and to reflect back on if that method worked for you or not.
This barricade allows shooters to be put into positions that they cannot attack as they normally would. “C clamp” grip won’t work in every port. Nor will having your optic and gun in the normal configuration. Oftentimes these ports are angled so that you can pop your gun into the port but the moment you look into your scope you see barricade and not your targets. This causes you to have to move the angle of the gun. Which then causes a chain reaction, adjusting your head, adjusting your body, finding the correct Field of View (FOV). It all becomes new and uncomfortable.
Some ports also cause you to really know how to use your accessories. In some moments a bipod can be deployed and pressed up to the barricade such like a barricade stop. However if you keep that bipod deployed and then move to the lower ports, you are now too high up to see your engagement. Some accessories also won’t fit through the port. (bipods, scopes, etc)
These positions cause the shooter to start focusing on the secondarythings that are not so secondary anymore to making an effective shot.
Calling Shots
“As we squeeze the trigger, we watch our sights. If the sights lift from an acceptable area of the target, which means you have a hit, quickly pull the firearm from the hole and get moving to the next position. I cannot emphasis the importance of this enough. Only those that can make this happen will get a good overall time on the drill.” -Kyle Lamb (Viking Tactics)
Speed. This barricade was designed to learn how to be effective and efficient. Efficiency is moving as quickly as possible while still being effective. To move quickly as possible through this barricade is to call your shots. When shooting on steel, and even paper, having the ability to call your shots will allow you to move to the next place on the barricade without waiting for the feedback. By feedback I mean either seeing/hearing the steel being impacted or seeing your shot impact paper. If you can call your shot the moment you press the trigger by watching where those sights were as the shot broke you can now move to the next position quicker. When you have 9 movements to make…that time adds up. You can also take a follow up shot much quicker if you can call your misses.
The prone position was much different for pistol shooting for a small port. Shift your body to the side helped to get down low enough to see the sights and placing your strong side leg in front of you helps stabilize.
Efficient Movement
“I push shooters to move the firearm from hole to hole quickly. With a carbine, this translates into pulling it up over your shoulder, then driving the gun to the next target. If you leave the carbine on your shoulder and move your entire body to get to the next hole, it is going to be slower than driving the gun from port to port. This applies directly to movement inside of a vehicle, a confined space or around cover. Ensuring that your safety on the carbine is engaged before moving to the next hole. (Safety first.)”– Kyle Lamb (Viking Tactics)
Hand placement is huge in this aspect as well. Keeping your hands in a place that you know they will need to be for the next shot will keep those adjustments at a minimum when getting onto the target.
“What I like to do on the front of the gun, is to make a simple “C-clamp” effect with my hand. The rear of the carbine will be stabilized by keeping the my back knee up. This may be different than you have previously been instructed, but take the time and try it, you might just like it.” -Kyle Lamb
Legs are are also important to move efficiently on this barricade. Say for some reason you like building your position with a two knee kneel. This can hinder movement and add time and imbalance to move from one position to the next.
Double kneeling limits you quite a bit. Remain flexible.– Jose Gordon (Green Ops)
The VTAC barricade also has 90 degree standard ledges. Support side knee down and strong side knee up helped me stabilize my gun against the barricade and handle recoil. This can be an issue if using the barricade for concealment however I knew I could put effective shots down range with this position. C Clamping onto both the barricade and my gun helped. USE THE BARRICADE, it’s already there and the most solid thing during the shot.
Effective Shots
One thing that the VTAC barrier has been seen to do is put shooters in a place where they may forget to think about gun placement. So many things are happening when you are mounting a port that you forget about how a gun works. Barrel harmonics are huge on these firearms. How can you hinder these harmonics? By resting the barrel of your gun on the barricade. The VTAC barricade does a fantastic job of making the shot position so awkward that somehow we think we can’t fit our gun into it as we normally would. During class it was seen, a student placed their muzzle device onto the barricade (it was still safe to allow them to take the shot) and he missed the engagement every time. This is due to added tweak to the barrel. Everyone loves their free-float barrels right? Well they aren’t doing anything for you if you’re still loading them incorrectly.
Effective Body Placement
This topic will always be a fight due to everyone using different techniques that may work for them better than others.
In precision rifle I am always trying to think about building the most solid base which means kneeling and allowing my strong arm to be supported by my knee. During standing shots I try to use a wide and locked leg space and bending at the hips.
Kneeling can be done with one leg or two. With gas guns I like to run one strong side knee up (to support a calm trigger press) and support side knee down. Especially if I know I’m going to need to get up fast and move a lot between positions keeping one knee up still allows an effective shot to be taken while also giving me mobility.
With heavy bolt guns I do tend to double kneel sometimes if I cannot rest my strong arm on my propped up knee due to the barricade being too high. The double kneeling does tend to feel more comfortable when the gun is heavier.
The concept of the VTAC barrier design came from a cover and concealment type of application. When you decide that you can take EFFECTIVE shots on this barricade it is then you can start thinking about where your body is as far as concealment on the barricade. (remember, not everything is proper cover even if it is concealment ie. Cars, bullets go through car doors)
What’s the Standard?
With steel at 50 yards, I want everyone to shoot this drill in under 60 seconds. More than likely, a shooter won’t make it on the first attempt. I have seen some students shoot one shot per hole (with good hits) and complete this drill in under 30 seconds. That is a smoking run.– Kyle Lamb (Viking Tactics)
Below is myself running the 9 hole drill for the second time ever at a Green Ops Defensive Pistol II class. Take that as you will as far as a “standard.” Notice the different way that both shooters are using the barricade. One is shooting through the ports off the barricade and I am on and using the barricade.
Note: If using the shoot through the port method, this can be faster if you are putting effective shots down range without the additional support of the barricade. Also remember height over bore..thankfully Kyle designed this barricade using wood so a bullet hole will be “just” a bullet hole.
I love weird guns, especially when they are cheap and functional. As such, I knew I needed a Heritage Arms Rancher Carbine as soon as I laid my eyes on it. A Rough Rider 22LR revolver turned into a rifle at a very affordable price point. How could I not want such a silly little gun? Especially with a retail price of only 250 bucks. I purchased the Rancher Carbine with a small understanding of why revolving rifles kind of suck, but let’s dig into why this is such an unusual option and why revolving rifles seem to be so rare.
The Problems With A Revolving Rifle
First, revolving rifles were only ever created because people wanted repeating firearms, but metal cartridges didn’t exist just yet. Colt designed a revolving rifle that offered five to six shots in a world where most rifles offered one muzzleloading shot. Revolving rifles largely went the way of the dodo when lever actions and metallic cartridges became a thing.
Back then, the big problem was chain fires causing all five or six rounds to fire at the same time due to paper cartridges and loose black powder. This ended up hurting quite a few soldiers during the civil war and the Indian War.
These days the big problem with guns like the Rancher Carbine is the gap between the forcing cone and cylinder. That area blasts out burning gas and delivers quite the sting to the forearm if you fire the Rancher in a traditional rifle firing position.
Heritage advises you shoot the Rancher with both arms behind the cylinder in a goofy, but admittedly not a very bad position. I did try to shoot the Rancher with a traditional grip, and I will advise even 22LR delivers a sharp sting and burn.
Breaking Down the Heritage Arms Rancher Carbine
The Rancher Carbine is just the classic Rough Rider with a stock and 16.125-inch barrel. It’s a 22LR from the factory, but you can toss in a 22 WMR cylinder for a modest price, and you get a fair bit more oomph. This is a single-action-only firearm with the same silly Rough Rider safety we all know and loathe. It’s avoidable but kills the look of the gun as far as I’m concerned.
Heritage Arms includes a cute little leather sling with the gun, and it comes equipped with sling swivels. The sights are a buckhorn design with a decent sight radius. The firearm is 32 inches long overall and weighs only 4.12 pounds. This makes it one of the lightest repeating 22LR rifles on the market.
The rear stock is a fine-looking wood that gives the gun a very classic look. I adore looking at this gun and find it to be a whole other kind of cool. The trigger guard has a little spur you’ve likely noticed, and that spur helps you use an odd but effective two-handed rear grip.
Ergonomics of the Revolving Rifle
Let’s talk about that weird two-handed grip and shoulder method. The only reason it works is that the gun weighs so little. It’s super well balanced and doesn’t feel front-heavy or difficult to hold or shoot with both hands behind the cylinder. It feels a little crowded, but that extra spur does wonders for giving you a little room to hold onto the gun.
The length of pull is short and sweet, right around 12 inches and some change. It’s perfectly sized for younger shooters and gorillas like myself. My son has no problems handling the little guy and putting lead on steel. Reaching the hammer is easy and honestly, putting the safety on and taking it off is easy from a shooting stance.
You get a nice cheek rest, and you won’t have issues getting behind the sights and lining your shots up with the Heritage Rancher Carbine. Sadly the design doesn’t make it easy to do any kind of supported shooting. Your only option seems to be to rest and barrel on something, and that doesn’t play well with accuracy.
At the Range
As you’d imagine, the single-action trigger is quite crisp and very light. It certainly helps with accuracy. The buckhorn sights are new to me, but I’ve learned that for shots on larger targets, you can get behind the sights and take fast snapshots with the large open portion of the sight. For more precision, you sink into the sights and use the tip of the front sight.
It works, but the Rancher Carbine isn’t inherently super accurate. It’s minute of squirrel accurate at 25 yards. At 50 yards, I can hit a 4-inch gong in a kneeling position. However, I can’t produce super tight groups worth measuring with an MOA app. I’m talking 1.5 to 2-inch groups at 50 yards. The Rancher Carbine offers you absolutely zero options for adding optics or swapping sights, so you get what you get.
As you’d imagine, the Rancher Carbine has almost negative recoil. It bucks and barks like a big dog but handles like a kitten. The gun is super easy to handle and predictably kid-friendly. Just make sure they keep their arms to the rear. As a single-action revolver, reliability isn’t an issue either. It’s not going to jam or fail to extract. As long that rimfire primer ignites, the gun will reliably go bang.
One issue outside of the muzzle blasts scraping you if you handle it incorrectly is that a lot of gas and unburnt powder comes flying back. At least once per cylinder, the gun gives you a kiss and stings you as burn throws back. This is the type of gun that makes eye pro an absolute must-have.
It’s also the loudest 22LR rifle I’ve ever handled. Maybe because of that cylinder blaster, but it surprised me the first time I lit a round off.
So What’s the Point
The Rancher Carbine seems like a silly rifle. It’s a novelty that’s nowhere near as handy as Ruger 10/22, Marlin Model 60, or other similar rifles. So what’s the point? Well, it’s a ton of fun! It’s just a fun gun that’s just fun to shoot. It’s delightfully weird, and the low price point of the rifle combined with the low price point of the ammo makes it a blast to shoot.
If you just want a fun gun, then the Heritage Arms Rancher Carbine is for you. If you don’t mind the downfalls and just want a fun gun that’s a little different, then here you go! If you want something a little more practical, stick with the Ruger 10/22.
The ‘Recce’ rifle concept came out of the earlier Mk12. It was once again a purpose built bridge between a more compact fighting carbine and a precision rifle. (Subscribe to Inferior Rifles too btw)
And like many of the neat GWOT era system, is has been left behind by advancements in quality.
Today’s AR’s (and most competitive carbines) have the accuracy and durability to serve either role. Look at the USMC’s M27 and M38, the same rifle with a different optic. The standard rifle has progressed to a point where the old ‘Recce’, often pronounced “wreck-ee,” which stood for a reconnaissance rifle.
The reconnaissance elements of forward forces and intel gatherers needed a quiet and accurate rifle and NSW wanted something even more compact than the Mk12. This is more of the building specialty tools for specialty roles instead of general purpose rifles like the M16 and M4 are.
The ‘Recce’ was a specialty that had about the space requirement of an M16 while being well suppressed and accurate thanks to the barrel selection and the optic was more powerful for observation and engagement. But with the mass acquisition of LPVO optics and the advances on the M4A1 (URG-I 11.5″ and 14.5″) the Recce has been out developed and is instead just another well built AR.
But it was a good concept, and led to the advancements in technology that we enjoy in the current industry. All hail Recce, well done. Enjoy the retirement slide, say hi to the M16A4 too.
Today on the adventures of the traveling semi-professional shooter, we’re talking about actual traveling, specifically driving across state lines to attend matches. In this article we’re going to cover things like how to secure your guns legally, safety at rest/gas/overnight stops, carrying, and a few other general safety tips. I’ve been traveling to fly-away matches since 2010, and in that time I have learned a few handy tips and tricks. Hopefully you can stay out of trouble, keep your gear safe, and focus on the match by following these travel guidelines!
Why drive instead of fly?
There are a lot of considerations for how to travel to a major match. I have driven and flown to matches, and each mode of travel has its own benefits and its own drawbacks. The biggest advantage of driving is that it has the least complicated logistics of travel, since you can pack all your own gear, bring your own ammo with you, and saves the expense of a rental car at your final destination. For many people it’s the best choice, and in some cases it’s the only choice.
FOPA
What’s FOPA? The Firearms Owners Protection Act, and it’s what allows you, the law-abiding gun owner, to transport your firearms across state lines legally. FOPA is why, if you live in Indiana and are shooting a match in Missouri, you can drive through Illinois and stop for gas with a gun that’s not registered in IL or a FOID card and not be breaking the law. But FOPA doesn’t apply to concealed carry, and in order to be in compliance with the letter of the law, your gun needs to be locked in a secure container and out of your immediate access. The glove box does not count. The idea here is that you’re truly transporting the gun, so to be safe keep it locked up in a box in the back.
Unfortunately, FOPA has a major weakness. It won’t stop you from getting pulled over and arrested if a local cop, say in a place like New Jersey, decides they want to mess your day up. This has happened too, where people were in full compliance with the federal law and were stopped by police and arrested for violating one of the state’s gun laws. This usually happens in New York and New Jersey, who have reputations for not really giving a crap about FOPA.
Stay out of trouble
There are ways to keep yourself from getting in trouble though, and the first should seem obvious. Don’t speed. Want to avoid having to explain to a Colorado State Trooper why you’ve got 30 round mags in your car? Don’t go 85 in a 70. I have lost track of the number of photos I’ve seen from friends on their way to classes or matches where they’ve been pulled over, because they like to get their lead foot on. I have nothing against speeding, but I would say that when you’ve got 2 competition guns and 1000 rounds of ammo in the car, maybe it’s time to set the cruise control at 78 and just chill. Iwill note that having said all of this, I do still speed. My rule of thumb though is no more than 10% over the posted speed limit, so if I’m in a 65 I’m doing 71ish, a 70 I’m doing 77 or maybe 78. My thought process on that is I’m not the fastest or slowest thing on the road, so I’m not likely to attract attention, because attention is what we want to avoid.
Don’t make yourself a mark
Now that we’ve covered “not getting hemmed up” let’s talk about how to avoid making yourself a target for thieves. I have heard of cars getting broken into at gas stations, restaurant parking lots, and a bunch of other places. First things first: don’t have any gun-related stickers on your car. If I see a car with an NRA sticker and a Glock sticker in the back window, I know there’s an unsecured pistol in the glove box or center console. Don’t tell people “oh yeah there’s a gun in here” with stickers and decals! Stopping for gas and a restroom break? Park the car where you can see it from the inside of the store; and try to keep bathroom breaks as short as possible. Same if you stop for food.
I know this may seem a little paranoid, but be especially observant when you’re leaving the range after the match. There are documented incidents of criminals following cars leaving the gun range and then pulling a quick smash and grab on that vehicle when the driver is getting gas or stopped somewhere. While it feels weird to say “make sure you’re not being followed”, it’s also worth making sure you’re not being followed.
Carrying across state lines
Last but not least, let’s talk about about actually carrying a gun. If you have a concealed carry permit, make sure you check the reciprocity laws of the various states you’ll be driving through. For example in IL, even if they don’t honor your permit, you can transit the state while carrying…so long as you don’t stop and get out of your vehicle. This isn’t legal advice, but in general make sure you’re 100% sure that your permit is good in State X before you carry your gun across its lines. Sure, you may not plan on getting stopped or needing to leave your vehicle, but sometimes bad things happen on road trips.
Summary
Let’s put a bow on this: don’t speed, take those stickers off your truck, pay attention to your surroundings, and don’t break the law. Pretty simple, right? Hopefully this will come in handy next time you’re planning an out-of-state trip for a match or a class.
I have put in more deer season prep this year than I ever have in the six or so years I’ve been trying to learn to hunt this property. I sure hope this pays off, because doing every single bit of it myself as a novice can feel a bit overwhelming at times.
I mentioned in Part 1 the various things I was “planning” to do. Now I’m going to tell you about the execution of the plan, and additional items and issues I added to the list.
The writer scouting out spots on family property.
Blind
I did get the blind up several weeks ago and got my two additional new cell-cams positioned in areas that are adjacent to where my blind is. My idea was to watch what was happening “around” the blind in addition to what was right in front of it.
I installed the roof poles in the blind that I had forgotten the previous trip and added a couple more guy lines for stability. Snow can happen up there in October, so I don’t want the thing collapsing before I can even use it. I also dragged along a few large pieces of cardboard to use as a “floor”. I didn’t want leaves and sticks crunching under my feet as I shifted position. At least I “think” this is a good idea – we shall see.
My blindCardboard on the floor and legroom to boot.
Stool/Lounger
Ok, don’t laugh, but instead of my usual uncomfortable three legged stool for my bind, this year I bought a camp cot.
It’s really more of a lounger, because the head end can be adjusted upward. I saw it online and thought it might be perfect for my needs – low enough that my head doesn’t scrape the ceiling of the blind, wide enough that I can change my position periodically so my butt doesn’t fall asleep, and with a back/headrest so I could even take a lil nap when I get bored. I’ll let you know what I think in real life after the season starts.
Camp cot turned blind chair – the experiment.
Sled
On the advice of a brilliant friend I purchased a molded plastic “sled” of sorts to use to help me drag my (hopeful) success to the car. It’s really more for ice fishing, but the less friction on the drag the better as far as I am concerned, especially since I’d be going uphill to the car. Additionally, since I have a Subaru Forester – not a pick-up – any carcass is going to have to go “in” the car. The sled should help contain any leaking fluids during transport.
CWD Area
As if I weren’t putting in enough effort already, I also found out that the property is now in a Chronic Wasting Disease area of the state. In an effort to control the spread, the Game Commission places even stricter rules in place in the areas that they are monitoring for disease.
-Urine lures of any kind are prohibited and illegal to possess in the field. So any mock scrapes I wanted to make could only have my “own” urine in them. *sigh*
-Feeding anytime of year is prohibited. So that corn I wanted to put out before the thirty day limit was a no-go as well. *sigh*
-No transporting a whole deer carcass out of the area either. The neural tissues- like brain and spinal cord – have to stay within the boundaries of the control area. That means that I can’t take any deer carcass home to process. That further meant that I needed to find a local approved processor to do it for me in case I had a successful hunt.
I did finally find a candidate and called them to be sure of procedures. They do offer an after-hours drop-off cooler, so that helps mitigate the PIA of having to drive an hour south to drop off my deer. At least it’s more or less on the way home.
I should probably write up an entire article on CWD since there was so much reading I had to do.
Lodging
Then, since the property is a five-hour round-trip from home, it’s exhausting and not long-term feasible to just make Saturday day trips to hunt. That means I needed not only time off work for long-weekends, but also a place to stay.
I’ve stayed various places up there before including an historic B&B, an old railroad hotel, and a modern chain hotel. But this time I’m trying an Airbnb efficiency room about ten miles from the property. I’m thinking that a single room with an outside entrance should help with the muddy boots and wet gear issue. Not something I want to inflict on an historic B&B with antique carpets.
Barriers
All of these issues just serve to illustrate some of the problems with trying to get new hunters into the field. I am a female, hunting alone, pushing age 60. I at least have the financial resources to tackle some of these complications and am bull-headed (I mean motivated) enough to try to not let these barriers deter me. But even for me it takes months of planning and $$$ of spending. Thus it’s not a surprise that other younger people often decide that all of this is just too damn much trouble. But I’m keeping my head down and keep on plowing forward toward a hopeful goal.
I am guilty of this sin too, but I recognize it and work to correct it. This stems off the prepping conversation Caleb and I had over on Gunday Brunch.
What scenario are you prepping for?
The raid on the Bin Laden compound?
The apocalyptical end of civilization because of [Insert Favorite War, Monster, and/or Alien Here]?
The 2AM/2PM kick in the door at home?
Or the belligerent at the StopN’Rob gas station/convenience store?
Two of those scenarios have realistic odds of occurring, to a point where they warrant serious consideration, preplanning, and preparatory action. The other two are science fiction and urban mil-sim fantasy.
Granted, that very fact makes those two very fun to “train” for… however, being good at clearing room to room in a team or squad format with nightvision on isn’t super helpful when the task before you is ‘shoot the carjacker pulling you out of your car at knife point by the gas pump, while your toddler is strapped into their carseat in the back.
I am well aware that isn’t the ‘fun’ scenario. Training should have fun elements. But we add the human tendency to get very lost in something we enjoy and we can defeat some of, even much of, the purpose of training.
Another subset of the same phenomenon is trying to progress to the ‘advanced’ level before understanding what that is. Most instructors of ‘advanced’ training will tell you (once you get to the course and you are invested) that there is no advanced training…
What!? I want my money back!
No, you don’t. Because what you want isn’t advanced training, it is training in the proper and integrated fundamentals of shooting, moving, and using your equipment properly.
Yeah! Advanced!
No single element of those is very hard. But missing one of those elements makes tasks that require them extremely hard. So good instructors instead look at where students are strong in the fundamentals and where they are weak. They work to improve the weak points until those skills are at a level where they can integrate with other skills.
Thus, that stairwell. Students often see the promo video of the SWAT/SF/Direct Action Coolios using the integrated skills in an applied way (or even more often, just a well choreographed shot to showcase the application.. because marketing) and they want to do that.
Many of these students, regardless of background or professional involvement in shooting where carrying a gun is part of your job and you have more than the average concealed carrier’s investment and liability if you pull the trigger, do not have a good grasp on which fundamentals they need to polish… or sometimes all the fundamentals which were neglected starting the moment they passed whatever ‘qualification’ standard they needed to meet.
A ‘qualified’ patrol officer probably can’t shoot well enough to clear that third step, taking a random one off the street, and probably have deficiencies in steps one and two. Your average state CCW/CPL holder has taken enough time and training, assuming a quality instructor and program, to be comfortably learning the first step, but no further.
But… that officer has probably been shown and taught, at least in an introductory fashion, all of those steps. A CCW holder, depending upon the course, instructor, and round count, may have been taught things on all of those steps except the final one.
This introductory familiarization, especially if not properly contextualized, can too easily create a false sense of competency when in reality there is only a passing familiarization with the concept. We see this constantly in internet discussion where someone who has learned of a concept then parrots it verbatim without being able to contextualize around that concept.
Example:
Dude Almost-Joined McBroVet says 5.56x45mm is a great CQB round. He is correct. But he has no clue why. When challenged on it he’ll respond with answers like ‘SWAT uses it’ or ‘The SEALs’ or something invoking the expertise of use. It’s the appeal to expertise, using someone to make their point for them.
Why is the HK416 superior to all other ARs ever? St. Larry Vickers said so and he was Delta Force, my dudes. Appeal to authority argument. Not getting into the development and evolution of the 416, which Larry himself does, and why decisions were made. Even acknowledging the faults and limitations that exist in this advanced rifle and consulting with peers on their opinions.
None of that matters to McBroVet or his friend Prep ButDoItWrong. They are looking at highly unrealistic situations due to a fictional sense of dangers. For any number or reasons this may be the case but the end result is the same, they are preparing for the wrong fight. They are therefore more likely to lose the fight that comes and fail their family, their friends, and themselves to do the one thing they purport to want to do… survive.
Put in the right reps.
Running the CQB house with lasers, lights, NODs, suppressors, and so forth for various visible and passive aiming training and familiarization is fun. That’s why we want to do that.
100 dry reps drawing your EDC piece is more productive though. Unless your day (night) job involves raids with all that equipment then all you’re doing is a fun familiarization. Even when you’re good at it, it isn’t the practical emergency tool that being able to clear your cover garment and get your pistol out is.
So train according to need. But you don’t have to skip the fun stuff if you keep it in its proper context.
One of the biggest cancers in society is Facebook, and this applies to the regular world as well as the gun world. In the gun world, Facebook groups tend to be garbage. There are good ones like Tactics & Applications, Concealed Nation Extra, and the numerous Primary and Secondary groups.
However, many are full of bad information, and people use their emotions and lack of training to guide their tactics and purchases. They then reinforce others with tactically stupid information.
I’ve seen themes of bad, tactically stupid advice permeate these pages. They seem to repeat these nine pieces of tactically stupid information over and over. So I’ve decided to gather them all together today to share with you. Maybe you’ll get a laugh, or maybe you’ll learn something.
You Carry a Gun, Two Knives, A Spare Mag, and a Challenge Coin but No Medical
EDC dumps have quickly become one of the cringier things on the internet. What started as a means to share what you carry has become this weird competitive non-competition of how much junk you can carry. Dudes will often show their gun, a multitude of knives, their subpar holster, reloads, and then some random challenge coin or giant keychain for some reason or another.
The Guys at ITS Tactical have a solid EDC with Medical and nothing useless.
Among their massive pocket dumps, they carry not one bit of medical supplies. No TQs, no ankle kits, no mini belt kits, not a single bad-aid even. How about you dump the multiple knives, the weird tokens, and pack something that’s useful? Medical gear might not be sexy, but you won’t look tactically stupid.
You Have a Truck Gun, But no IFAK.
Keeping up with that theme, let’s talk about an IFAK. An IFAK can be tough to carry on your body, but keeping one in a vehicle is just common sense. A good IFAK is well suited for emergencies, including car accidents, work accidents, etc.
IFAKs cost a lot less than your next AR 15
Lots of dudes will keep a ‘truck’ gun just in case the Russians attack. But they keep absolutely zero medical gear in their vehicle for emergencies that are much more common than alien invasions If you have a truck gun, cool, if you have a truck gun but no IFAK, well, you’re tactically stupid.
You Keep Tampons/Pads for Wound Care
Having an IFAK or medical gear on your body makes a lot of sense, but make sure you have quality gear inside it. I use gear from North American Rescue. I trust them, they make high-quality stuff, and it’s been proven over and over. Sadly, even in 2021, people are still suggesting feminine hygiene products for wound control.
Tampons are not medical gear
That’s dangerous and tactically stupid. Tampons and pads absorb blood, and you want your medical product to prevent bleeding and encourage clotting, not absorption. It’s dangerous and stupid, especially when gauze is super cheap and widely available. If you keep tampons and pads in a medkit for their intended purpose, well, cool, that makes sense. They don’t sense for wound care.
You Think Red Dots On Pistols Are Unreliable
Red dot pistols pretty much dominate the market these days. Hell, even the US Army just adopted a pistol with optic compatibility. Police departments and concealed carriers have long carried red dot-equipped pistols. However, the fudd remains strong, and plenty of people assume a red dot sight is useless and fragile.
Others might claim you don’t need a red dot for self-defense ranges! Muh 3-3-3 rule! Well, as we know, that’s just silly. Red dots allow a shooter to shoot faster, further, and with more accuracy. Plus, a professional-grade mini red dot is pretty damn tough these days.
You Use Birdshot For Defensive Use
As a shotgun aficionado, this is my biggest pet peeve and the most common piece of tactically stupid advice I see around the internet. As a shotgun guy, it makes me ashamed to say I’m a shotgun guy. Birdshot does a poor job of killing birds, and that’s why a lot of bird hunters get skilled at ringing necks.
It offers poor penetration to a human target and abysmal spread. People love to say, ‘it acts as a slug at close range!’ Well, maybe it does if you mean point blank when you say close range. I’m not letting bad guys get that close to me, so I’ll stick to buckshot.
You Use a Car Holster
Car holsters, be they magnets or beyond, are tactically stupid. You already have a holster for your car, and it’s the same one you have for your body. Removing your gun from your body holster to a car holster is silly. If you find it uncomfortable, get a good holster. May I suggest Phlster? It encourages unneeded admin handling of your firearm and takes the concealed out of concealed carry.
Second, what happens in a car accident? Will gun flies out of your holster and into the ruckus? Lord forbid something finds its way into your trigger guard and discharges your weapon. A car holster puts you, passengers, and first responders at risk in the event of a car accident, so just say no.
You’ve Said Olight “Is just as good.”
I’m not a pure Olight hater who comes at everyone packing an Olight. I like the OPen 2 and the Obulb just fine. I dislike their weapon lights because they suck. They have parasitic drain, poor designs, drastic and rapid step down, and the batteries die quickly.
They are not ‘just as good’ as Streamlight, Surefire, modlite, or Cloud Defensive designs. An Olight WML is a hobbyist tool at best and shouldn’t be used for defensive or duty use.
You Cover Your Brass Deflector
This one is largely harmless, admittedly but seems to be a growing theme in the tactically stupid community. People are getting upset that their brass deflectors are deflecting brass. When brass deflectors deflect brass, they get a little scuffed up.
That’s what they are supposed to do. However, a small industry popped up selling brass deflector covers. It sounds dumb because it is dumb.
You Think You Can’t Use Your Sights in a Gunfight
Finally, the ninth and maybe oldest piece of tactically stupid information is that you can’t use your sights in a gunfight. I’ve seen this touted for years before Facebook groups, and these days It’s quite popular on the ‘Classic Fighting Handguns’ page. Using your sights in a gunfight is possible and very advisable.
Unless a bad guy is on top of you, you can use your sights. In every firefight I was in Afghanistan, I used my sights. It wasn’t tough to do, and with training, you snap right to them. Admittedly, a red dot works better, but we know how the tactically stupid feel about handgun red dots.
Get Smart
I’m not the brightest bulb, I’m not a Mensa member, but at least I don’t go to sleep every night thinking birdshot works well for self-defense. My best advice is to take everything with a grain of salt. If it seems fishy, the google machine can point you in the right direction most of the time. If not, ask follow-up questions.
Ask for evidence, sources, or a point of reference. There are lots of good subject matter experts out there, and they often have business pages chock full of free information. Better yet, take a class, and ask your questions even if they seem dumb. You’re paying for an expert’s knowledge, so make sure you get your money’s worth.
