Raytheon Enters the Reflex Sight Game: The ELCAN Spectre 1XL CQS
Raytheon is unveiling a new addition to their line of ELCAN Spectre optics, a reflex sight. The ELCAN line is most noted for their high durability SpecterDR Dual power optics. Their 1-4x and 1.5-6x models have seen fielding during the Global War on Terror. Line and special operations units of several nations fielded the optics with excellent reports.
With the CQS coming to the line Raytheon is expanding their optical offerings to keep in juncture with current battlefield needs.
From Defense and Technology
Raytheon has unveiled the ELCAN Specter close quarters sight that allows ground troops to more quickly identify targets and make better decisions.
Designed specifically for use in close quarters, the new sight uses large high transmission windows, allowing users to keep both eyes open for increased situational awareness.
I’m excited to see these hit the open market and curious to see the price point. The ELCAN Spectre series have a reputation for ruggedness that paces both the ACOG and Aimpoint sights.
Garand Thumb meets the HK Slap, The Zenith Z5
We’ve reviewed the Zenith Z5 here at GAT.
It’s an awesome MP5 clone.
Mike down the Z5, 9mm carbines, MKE, and this roller delayed classic in his newest video
Sentinel Concepts Essential Carbine Employment AAR: Shoot Your Gun, Part 2
Day 2
Fighting Zero
Safety brief. Grabbed magazines and PPE. Started shooting.
Day 2 opened with a reconfirmation fighting zero. An all too common mistake students make is screwing around with their equipment mid course. Trying a new optic or moving it around kills the rifles confirmed zero and it must be reestablished.
At lunch that day a few of us worked with optics, I threw a zero into the MP5. But if there isn’t going to be a zero opportunity don’t rework your critical equipment until after the course. Take notes on what changes you want made for later.
Iron Cross
Building on the suboptimal position drills of day one, the Iron Cross is a brutal familiarization drill.
It’s an exaggerated expression of “get what you can” and then shoot.
It starts with the normal presentation. Easy.
Followed by firing one handed off the strong side shoulder.
Transition and shoot off the support side with one hand.
Finally you start with the rifle hanging on it’s sling and then fire it off hand from the shoulder. Picking it up and leveraging into position is a vastly different muscle engagement. It’s a possible one though, and gaining the familiarity through some repetitions adds it as option.
Hits need to be effective and accurate, but the point of the drill isn’t to make this something to practice religiously. Instead, it’s to remind you and illustrate to you that if you need to take a shot like this DO IT! You can make it work.
By the way… that was only a quarter of the Iron Cross. Repeat those presentations while facing range right, range left, and up range.
Luckily we did all the facing maneuvers the day prior. It’s like Steve planned it or something… The prior day’s work made understanding and working the Iron Cross both easier and safer.
Shooting and Moving
This is a topic that gets way to much overhype. Shooting on the move is always a challenge and it always will be a challenge since you are becoming a moving platform. Because you are a moving platform your brain, eyes, arms, hands, and feet all have a ton more to do.
Don’t over stress it. When the dot/sight looks right, shoot. Don’t worry about rolling heel to toe or any other variation of overstressed detail. Walk, lock on the rifle as best you can, shoot.
Walking and Shooting Laterally
The secret to moving laterally and shooting sideways is…
Walk laterally, left or right, turn your torso and shoot the target. When the sight looks right take the shot.
Posting
Posting is used after rapid movement. You are not going to shoot and sprint simultaneously. Posting is going through the work of stopping your body and rebuilding a shot.
Working quickly is important, however not as important as actually stopping your movement to take the shot accurately. Shooters running this lateral drill who didn’t stop didn’t hit.
Add to the confusion by making different targets at different spacing the requirement at each stop in the drill and each shooter had a royal time doing it properly. Again, these are illustrative capability drills. Shooting it in perfect sequence was never the goal. Starting and stopping smoothly and transitioning targets smoothly was.
Mad Minute of Barricades
60 Seconds on the clock. One shot on each side of the barricade. Most rounds on target wins. I managed to fire 20 shots a tie for the most rounds fired. But only 14 hits, 7 in the score box making my accuracy middle of the pack.
It’s a rough drill if you need to work on cardio.
Rough but illuminating. It can show you easily where you are over and under emphasizing. Are you sacrificing accuracy for speed for no benefit? Or are you taking to much time and not trusting your sight and rifle mount?
Diagnostic Training
Wrapping up this Sentinel Concepts course with a single thought. Diagnostic training is using ammunition and time efficiently to assess skill deficiencies and correct them. Fire the drills, find the weaknesses, work to correct them, and reassess.
Good training is always worth your time. Steve is running a preseason sale right now too. Save 10% on any course you preregister for any course with code YETI2019 off the Sentinel Concepts Course List.
It’s money well invested folks. Put the next rifle/carbine on hold for a bit and shoot the one you have in hand.
Harris and L3 (Owner of EOTech, Among Many Properties) are Merging
A $33.5 billion dollar tech giant. The new L3 Harris Technologies will be a huge influence in the IT and communications portions of the DoD and DoJ.
The new tech merger puts expanded developmental power into the hands of two companies working on FAA security tech, fighter jet communication tech, cell tracking, night vision, and low visibility flight.
In a Sunday announcement, Kubasik said the transaction is intended to create a sixth prime government contractor. The five largest defense contractors — Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics — have dominated the U.S. defense market for years, each of them taking in more than $10 billion a year from the federal government. -From the Washington Post
Man Steals .22 Caliber M4 from a Firing Range and Executes Wife, Mother-in Law, and Dog in the UK
Craig Savage of East Sussex is accused of stealing the rifle from a firing range, which he admitted, and then using it to execute his estranged wife, mother-in-law, and their dog on the 16th of March.
Mr. Savage had indeed gone the way of his name it seems as he flooded his wife’s phone with pleas and threats. Admonitions trying to reconnect were interspersed between threats of revenge porn. Furthermore Savage had apparently vandalized family vehicles, pouring paint on them and slashing tires.
While the UK shows a lower rate of homicide by firearm than the United States the trope that is then correlated is that their “sensible” gun laws prevent such things. Meanwhile London has an atrocious edged weapons crime rate. A rather abysmal violent crime rate all around actually.
But at least gun crimes don’t happen… until they do. If only Michelle and her mother, Heather, had possessed some legal and forceful means to defend themselves within their home. But the UK frowns on such use of force… it’s downright savage in their eyes.
Full story on the BBC here.
Aero Precision AR Pistol
I admit that the first time I heard the term “AR pistol” I was somewhat mystified. I just could not picture the utility of such a thing. But then I discovered that this firearm design fills a niche which lies between a full-length AR (16-inch barrel or longer), and a true ATF-designated short barreled rifle or SBR (barrel less than 16 inches).
Because an AR pistol is a “pistol”, it can have a shorter barrel without jumping through the tax stamp-and-wait hoops of SBR territory. This provides a higher velocity yet still compact home-defense option compared against a traditional pistol.
Although I am not the “Tammy Tactical” type the idea intrigued me. A rifle-like pistol that would be short enough to be maneuverable inside the house for self-defense? One that I “might” be able to transport less conspicuously? I was interested enough to start looking at options.
Build and Components
I was recently presented with the opportunity to play around with such an AR pistol – built with parts from Aero Precision.
No, I didn’t do the building. My gunsmithing skills are improving but I’m not to that point yet. I let someone else do the creating for me this time. But Aero Precision has tons of components so I may be interested in various parts. Upgrades to my existing AR’s as my technical skills improve.
The build parts list included:
– Aero Precision ATLAS Receiver Set and Handguard
– Aero Precision Nickel Boron Bolt Carrier
– Aero Precision/VG6 Epsilon Muzzle break 556SL
– Aero Precision/Ballistic Advantage 10.5″ Barrel 1/7 5.56 CMV Button rifled
-LWRC mil-spec Nickle Boron trigger
-SB Tactical PDW adjustable arm brace
This Aero Precision model, chambered in 5.56 NATO, is was similar enough to my own ARs that I had a good baseline for comparison. That also meant that I already had *mumble mumble* cases of various 5.56 and .223 rounds in my possession with which to range test the gun.
Range Testing
I ran a single cleaning rod patch down the bore to make sure there were no obstructions, lubed up the BCG with Lucas Oil Extreme Duty and headed to my club range early on a Sunday morning.
Because of its 10.5 inch barrel this is not really a long range firearm so I sighted it in at 25 yards and tried it out to 100 yards. For a defensive weapon that’s all a perfectly reasonable distance. My older eyes with an unmagnified red dot aren’t any good past that anyhow.
After I sighted in my Sig Romeo5 Red Dot I performed a trial with every compatible ammo I had in my basement. This included six different kinds, everything from Wolf to Freedom Munitions to American Eagle to Green tips, 50 grain to 55 grain FMJ and varmint tips in 5.56 and .223.
I also used several different brands of magazine – PMAG, metal mil-spec, Hexmag, and Troy.
I did the initial shoot-in from the bench off of a range bag and an old rolled up jacket I keep in my car. Later shooting I just used the magazine as a monopod. Just 5-round groups with the various kinds of ammo. It was admittedly a seat-of-the-pants operation but I am not a precision kind of gal and this isn’t a precision gun.
Pro-tip: polyester fleece does not hold up well to the heat of multiple muzzle blasts. The rolled up jacket that I used resembled melted Swiss cheese until I was finished. Oops. At least it was fourteen years old and didn’t owe me anything. Lesson learned.
The second range trip was more of a “endurance test” in the last hour before dark on a Tuesday evening. I put up two targets at 50 yards, and shot transitions back and forth, emptying a 30-round magazine of mixed ammo each time, for a total of five magazines.
Results
The gun cycled easily and smoothly. There was no “sandy” feel like I’ve gotten with a few guns in my past. There were no stoppages or FTE’s with about 250 rounds through the gun.
Loading up mixed handfuls of ammo in different 30-round magazines so that no more than two or three rounds in a row were the same. I did this for five magazines, firing until the mag was empty. The gun only cooled for however long it took to load up a new magazine and pick up the brass from the last string. Then the next magazine of mixed ammo went blazing down range.
The Aero swallowed all of this without a hiccup using four different brands of magazines. It didn’t so much as clear its throat. This Aero Precision pistol just kept right on shooting.
This is the kind of reliability I can appreciate. I am not much of a tinkerer. I don’t see malfunctions as interesting challenges. Rather, I see them as temper-flaring frustrations. I want my firearms to WORK. And keep ON working.
This Aero Precision did just that. For that alone, it’s a keeper.
The ATLAS hand guard was comfortable, smooth, and not obtrusive. I didn’t need gloves to keep from snagging myself on sharp corners. The integrated rail would make MBUS attachment easy if I decide to do so.
The SB Tactical PDW adjustable arm brace made fitting to my smaller frame easier. I have largish hands for a woman, but I have short arms, so fit is a consideration. The length of pull adjustment of this arm brace was helpful.
One issue I had with the adjustment though is that in the fully retracted position the guide rods of the brace interfered with my ability to get to the safety lever. I could do it, but it wasn’t an automatic feel and flip maneuver. It did get more intuitive by the second range trip, however.
Additionally while in the fully retracted position those same bars made it impossible to get to the rear take down pin for disassembly. It’s a small thing, but it was an inconvenience for me.
The mil-spec trigger was … mil-spec. Admittedly I am used to a lighter, crisper match-type trigger, but this one had no slop or grit. It performed reliably with zero issues.
The muzzle brake helped to make this Aero Precision AR pistol very flat shooting. While the 5.56/.223 caliber doesn’t have a great deal of recoil to begin with what there is can be accentuated by the shorter length barrel and overall smaller build of an AR pistol. The muzzle break mitigated this effect nicely.
Weight was not really an issue. This is not the lightest gun I’ve ever handled but it was nicely balanced. We all know a little weight can help with felt recoil too. The SB Tactical PDW arm brace also has a QD sling mount point in case one would need to carry the gun around for long periods.
The accuracy was quite acceptable to me, especially given my seat-of-the-pants sight-in at 25 yards. I did try each of the six types of ammo separately within the same magazine, at 25 yards after my initial sight-in. There were subtle differences but they were all acceptable for my purposes.
As you can see even mixed ammo transition drills at 50 yards were accurate enough for me with a 10.5 inch barrel. These would have all been more or less center mass hits. As I said before, I’m not a precision kind of gal.
Even though I’m not Tammy Tactical I did also try moving around my home with this gun while loaded up with dummy rounds – just to see. It worked fantastic, more maneuverable than the youth 20 ga shotgun which I have also used for this purpose.
Summary
I found this Aero Precision AR Pistol to be comfortable to shoot, reliable to operate, and budget-friendly. The design is small and maneuverable enough to be a home-defense gun, and compact enough to be transportable in a gym bag or other type case that doesn’t scream “GUN!”.
The bottom line is – This one’s MINE. You’ll have to build your own!
XS Sights Introduces New DXT2 Big Dot Night Sights
Fort Worth, TX (October 15, 2018) – XS® Sights is pleased to introduce the new DXT2™ Big Dot® Night Sights for exceptional front sight visibility in all lighting conditions. Available in two colors – Optic Yellow™ and Optic Orange™ – the DXT2 Big Dot sights drive focus to the front sight (and thus to the downrange threat) using a large, high-contrast front and a V-notch rear sight for an unobstructed view of the front sight.
The Big Dot front sights use a patent-pending colored glow dot that absorbs light, causing the sight to glow before it is dark enough to see the tritium center. The glow dot also stores energy enabling it to glow brightly for many hours. The V-notch rear sight features a vertical white stripe with a tritium vial at the center, creating a dot-the- “i” sight picture for fast and accurate target acquisition in high-stress situations.
“Our DXT2 Big Dot Night Sights are the most visible night sights on the market today for defensive shooting,” said Zack Kinsley, Marketing Manager for XS Sights. “The industry-leading large diameter front sight increases the amount of light that is absorbed and reflected to the eye. The yellow and orange color options we offer address different needs, since color perception can vary greatly between people.”
Optic Yellow is the most visible color in low light and is a direct replacement for the first-generation white Big Dot sight. In bright light, Optic Yellow outperforms white because it doesn’t wash out on light backgrounds. Optic Orange is the best for bright light settings such as shooting outside in daylight and offers a high-glow intensity that maintains visibility in decreasing light levels. These Gen 2 Big Dots are four times as bright in low light as the Gen 1 Big Dots thanks to the XS Sights patent-pending glow dot. This increased brightness is due to pairing the convex dot with photoluminescent properties. The outward curve of the dot increases the amount of surface area, exposing the dot to more light, and the optical clarity amplifies light absorption, which increases the excitement of the photo-luminescent properties.
DXT2 Big Dot Night Sights are backed by a 10-year, no questions asked warranty and will be available for the following pistol models by December 2018:
- All Glocks
- S&W M&P Full-size/Compact
- S&W M&P Shield
- SIG SAUER P Series (P320, P226, P229)
- Springfield XD Series
- FNH FN509
Retail Price: $132.00
For more information, visit www.xssights.com.
About XS Sights
XS Sights is known for making the fastest sights in any light. For more than 20 years, the XS team has created some of the most innovative sights on the market today for pistols, rifles and shotguns. Whether used for personal defense or hunting, these sights are designed and built to be the absolute best for their specific purpose.
German’s Assault Rifle Trials are Struggling
A few sources out of Germany are saying that the German Defense Ministry is having some more trouble finding a replacement rifle than they originally though.
The Bundeswehr, the German armed forces, reported they were experiencing issues with the G36 service rifles. They have been using the G36 since 1996 and a variant, the XM8, was a front runner for U.S. Service. Reports centered around massive accuracy inconsistencies after heating. This could cost and was used accusing the rifle of costing soldier’s lives.
The result?
In 2015 the German Defense Ministry decided the G36 was out. While the confirmation of the actual problem seemed elusive and H&K complained of moving goal posts for the G36’s performance from test to test this didn’t stop the GDM from prepping to phase out the rifle.
Furthermore, in anticipation of this move, H&K pushed forward their 416 model and their recently developed and cheaper (allegedly) 433.
But these new rifles and their competitors across Europe seem to be falling short of the GDM’s outline.
Do I Really Need To Break In My Barrel
Every shooter knows of someone or has heard of someone who has a rifle that just seems to hit its target every time no matter what it is. Is it a magic rifle? Did its owner conjure some spell to make it so accurate? No, It is simply a rifle where every part is functioning harmoniously like a fine tuned symphony. Your rifle can do that too.
WHY BREAK IT IN
Most guns are mass produced on an assembly line by machines, thus may have small imperfections in the chambers and rifling. We spend a lot of hard earned money on our guns, we deserve the best accuracy possible. Barrel break in is probably the simplest thing we can do to assure accuracy. The break in procedure is designed to smooth out the rough edges, and wear down the high spots formed during the manufacturing process. Breaking in a barrel can seem tedious or very time consuming but it is well worth it in the end.
Hang out at a shooting range long enough and your bound to run into someone breaking in their barrel. They will probably shoot a round or two then clean, shoot a round then clean then..repeat. The next guy might just run 100 rounds through his and clean before calling it good. There are several common methods to break-in or season your barrel. Which method you choose depends on what type of shooting you want to do. Keep in mind the process does not need to be completed in a single day.
COPPER EQUILIBRIUM
The copper equilibrium method is used when the rifle needs to be accurate for numerous shots over varying distances. Many of the long range shooters prefer this method as it seasons the bore to deliver fast accurate first round hits out to and beyond 1000 yards.
One note of caution before starting the process. You want to be very careful when pushing your cleaning rod out of the muzzle end. Try to stop before the cleaning jag exits to minimize damage to the crown. The first thing you want to do is run a patch soaked with your favorite solvent, then a couple dry patches. Your firearm was fired at the factory and I highly doubt they cleaned it. Make sure the solvent you use is NOT a copper solvent.
Fire a shot, then clean with patches and solvent. Bore snakes work well and can speed up the process. We want to repeat this process for the first 5 shots. After the 5th shot and subsequent cleaning we can now go 5 shots between cleaning. Each 5 shot group fired, use the patches or bore snake to clean the barrel.
Firing six 5-shot groups and now we can go 10 shots between cleaning. We are still not using any copper solvents at this time. With five 10 shot groups under your belt you should notice your group size is shrinking. We are not done yet we still have a few steps to go.
Going forward we want to keep track of our shot count. You should be up to about 85 shots. At this point we’re only going to clean after every 15 shot group until we reach approximately 150 rounds down range.
The rifle should be entering the sweet spot. Group size will be minimized, and point of impact will be consistent. To get your most accurate shots possible from the rifle you want to keep it in this “sweet spot”.
BENCH REST METHOD
The bench rest method is used by competition bench rest shooters. This method gives them a gun that is dead accurate for a few consecutive shots. This method also starts with a thorough cleaning. To achieve the utmost accuracy you will need to follow each step.
As with the previous method we are cleaning after every shot. Fire the first shot, and one shot only then clean bore with brush and powder solvent using 10 strokes. Dry the bore completely with several clean patches.
Next comes the copper solvent. Both Otis and Sweets make great copper solvents. Use two drops and run it down the barrel once. Wait about 2 minutes then run a patch soaked with WD-40. Use clean patches to dry the barrel. 
Now you want to apply JB Bore Cleaning Compound to a patch wrapped around the cleaning jag. This is a metal abrasive so be careful not to exit out either end of the barrel until the last stroke. Run the patch through the barrel about 10 times. We need to clean out all the metal abrasive so run at least 5 patches soaked with WD-40 through the barrel. Follow up with several clean dry patches.
We need to complete this process for every shot until the shot count reaches 30. After that we can repeat after every 5 shots for another 30 shots. The bench rest method is very time consuming but if followed properly can result in an extremely accurate gun.
CONCLUSION
No two people or guns that are exactly the same. What works best for one person may not be the best for you. If you don’t break in your gun will it still shoot? Yes, it still has the potential to be a very accurate firearm. If you want the utmost in accuracy then follow one of the two methods above. Unsure which type of shooting would be of greatest benefit? Go hang out at a range and talk to other shooters. Hang out at a competition and watch a skilled marksman with a finely tuned rifle work their magic.
Be warned competitive shooting is addictive and very expensive, ask me how I know…
10,000 Rounds through Springfield Armory’s New 10mm XD(M)
Springfield Armory is pleased to announce a highly anticipated new addition to their polymer pistol lineup, the XD(M)® 10mm. This full-size pistol is the latest variation in the series, now chambered in the popular 10mm round for more power in the highly accurate and reliable XD(M)® platform.
The new XD(M)® 10mm was torture tested to prove the quality and reliability of this new addition to the line, firing 10,000 rounds of Federal Premium® Hydra-Shok® 10mm ammunition through the gun with EVERY round documented on video.
2 BARREL LENGTHS AVAILABLE
Available with a 4.5″ or 5.25″ barrel, both lengths are well-balanced when combined with the full-size grip frame for maximum controllability and comfort while shooting. The 4.5″ model features a low-profile combat rear sight paired with a fiber optic front sight, while the 5.25″ version has a fully adjustable target rear sight with fiber optic front.
15 ROUND 10MM CAPACITY
Holding 15+1 rounds, the XD(M)® 10mm tames this potent cartridge for a comfortable shooting experience with each pull of the trigger.
INTERCHANGEABLE BACKSTRAPS
Count on comfort with 3 interchangeable backstraps. A small, medium and large size are included.
TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF 10MM
Fully supported chambers and ramped barrels are designed for the most powerful commercially available 10mm spec ammunition.
XD(M) 4.5″ 10MM
XDM94510BHCE
Caliber 10mm
Magazines (2) 15-Round Magazines
Barrel 4.5″ Steel, Melonite® Finish; Hammer Forged, 1:16 RH Twist
Sights Fiber Optic Front, Low Profile Combat Rear, Steel
Frame Black Polymer with Changeable Backstraps
Slide Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish
Recoil System One Piece Full Length Guide Rod
Length 7.7″
Height 5.75″
Width 1.2″
Weight 31.2 oz
MSRP $652
XD(M) 5.25″ 10MM
XDM952510BHCE
Caliber 10mm
Magazines (3) 15-Round Magazines
Barrel 5.25″ Steel, Melonite® Finish; Hammer Forged, 1:16 RH Twist
Sights Fiber Optic Front, Fully Adjustable Target Rear
Frame Black Polymer with Changeable Backstraps
Slide Forged Steel, Melonite® Finish
Recoil System One Piece Full Length Guide Rod
Length 8.3″
Height 5.75″
Width 1.2″
Weight 32.8 oz
MSRP $779
Naturalist John James Audobon’s Antique “Long Tom” Sells for $192,000
John James Audubon was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. He was notable for his extensive studies documenting all types of American birds and for his detailed illustrations that depicted the birds in their natural habitats.
The ornithologist used the shotgun to collect specimens for his book “The Birds of America” and was one of the earliest to record and paint the avians in a more natural and accurate rather than artistic manner.
DAKOTA OVERLAND: WISE BEYOND HER YEARS
When I called to talk to Dakota Overland, her mom (and fellow A Girl & A Gun member Tiffany) said she was practicing loading her shotgun so she’d be just a minute.
Talking to Dakota was a delight. The 15-year-old is very thoughtful in her responses, taking a few moments to compose what she wanted to say. Dakota has done interviews across the globe and has even met with members of Congress with The DC Project. She started shooting in July of 2015 when she was just 12 years old. Twelve!
“My dad actually has a friend that had competed for the past ten years or so and has always tried to get my dad into it. But we’re kind of a ‘go big or go home” family so we didn’t need another hobby,” she laughs. Then they watched a Nordic Components match in 2015 and both became interested. “It was our first tactical match and it was frustrating,” she admits. But the thing that sets her apart from others, especially adults? Instead of giving up because it was frustrating, she decided she had to keep trying.
She takes that attitude with her throughout every match. The biggest lesson she has learned in the past three years is that a bad match doesn’t really determine her skill level. “I don’t let that discourage me. I’ve learned that if I have a bad stage to let it go. Because in the end it does a lot more damage if I carry that with me. That’s something I’m really working on because it’s really hard to do. If I do terrible at something it’s hard not go back to it but I need to do that.”
And that is also the advice she would like to give to other junior shooters. “Don’t let a bad stage or a bad match discourage you. I personally use it as a drive to be better. Usually I’ll look at the things I didn’t do well and practice them. And the things I did do well, like shotgun loading, I practice every day for half an hour and then I’m appreciating the work I’ve already done and using my failures as a drive.”
Dakota represented the U.S. in the 2018 IPSC World Shoot. She not enter the Junior Category in case there were not enough entries to meet the minimum criteria to be eligible for Junior Category awards, and she captured the Bronze in the Ladies’ category which included all ages. “It was very different than shooting in the U.S.,” she admits. “It’s such a big match with 700 or 800 competitors from 27 different countries. It was very nerve-racking. But it was also really neat because I got to meet so many different people from different countries but with a shared common interest. I would go back again, it was a lot of fun, and now I know what to expect.”
When asked what advice would she give to junior shooters about their parents, she characteristically paused to give her thoughtful response. “Appreciate what they do because I know that without my parents I wouldn’t be here now. I wouldn’t be able to do this without them. Really appreciate what they do and understand the sacrifices they make. Also don’t be afraid to express yourself. There have been a few times when I’ve just had to say, ‘This doesn’t really work for me.’ We don’t always see eye-to-eye so we need to be able to communicate and talk with them.” Over the past three years, Dakota’s parents have also learned a lot. “Over the time that I’ve been doing it they realized I have my own way of doing things and now they let me do things because it’s worked out better,” she laughs.
So what advice does she give to the parents of the junior shooters? “Don’t discourage them. My parents are really good about not discouraging me. There’s a few junior shooters that I’ve knows where their parent has pushed them really hard in their sport and they burn out and then don’t want to do it because its not fun anymore. Don’t be too hard on us, let us do our own thing but with some guidance.”
Dakota can’t say enough about the support of the shooting and competing community. “They are open and supportive. You don’t have to be a top shooter for them to accept you. You could finish last in a match and they aren’t going to judge you. They are so open and honest, it’s the only sport where your competitor will tell you how to beat them,” she laughs.
She has a hard time choosing a favorite memory so far in her short career. “Every match that I go to I see a lot of people and have a great time at all of them. But one of best was back in 2016 I had been shooting for about a year and I was able to attend MGM Junior Camp. Just going to camps and meeting juniors from across the country who share your interest is great.” Then she adds, “It’s also where I met my best friend.”
Dakota is grateful to her sponsors, Federal Premium, Benelli, JP Enterprises, Vortex Optics, Gunfighter Targets, and Arnzen Arms. “A giant thank you to them. Other than my parents, they [sponsors] are the people that allow me do to this sport and give me the chance to do this. My sponsors have given me opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise.”
SOURCE ARTICLE: https://www.agirlandagun.org/dakota-overland-wise-beyond-her-years/
Move Over California, New York, and Chicago IL. Washington State Looks Hard at Gun Control
I-1639 is set to push Washington into the top line of gun control states. It is a veritable buffet restrictions are that pretty much only omit an outright ban on firearms.
Initiative #1639 would implement restrictions on the purchase and ownership of firearms. These restrictions include background checks and waiting periods for purchasing semiautomatic assault rifles―as defined by the initiative—as well as increasing the minimum age to buy semiautomatic assault rifles to 21. The measure would establish requirements for storage of all firearms. Section 13 of the measure, which would establish age requirements, was designed to take effect on January 1, 2019. The rest of the measure’s provisions would take effect on July 1, 2019. – From Ballotpedia
On the list of changes include:
- A fresh definition for semi-automatic rifle: Any rifle which utilizes a portion of the energy of a firing cartridge to extract the fired cartridge case and chamber the next round, and which requires a separate pull of the trigger to fire each cartridge. “Semiautomatic assault rifle” does not include antique firearms, any firearm that has been made permanently inoperable, or any firearm that is manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action.
- A new background check requirement with a written permission slip for “assault rifles”
- Age of purchase for semi-auto rifles to 21
- 10 day waiting period after the background check and application are processed.
- Mandatory training before purchase
- Purchasing fee, $25.00 for all your extra work.
- Storage law update with felony penalty
Proponents are claiming it will be a wave in new safety and accountability while data and common sense quash that dream. This is yet another attempt at a gilded package to grasp safety that will just result in hinderance and frustration to people who follow the rules.
Because it is the law abiding that must bear the burden of dangerous few.
The Holosun 507C, A Different MRDS Option
MRDS or Miniature Red Dot Sights are continuing to gain ground on sidearms. As this occurs the options for sight selection continue to grow too.
The most famous sight and probably the most popular is the Trijicon RMR. The Leupold Deltapoint is another very popular contender in the microdot market.
However the wave making Holosun has come trying to earn their spot as a solid optical choice in the whole of the reflex market and the 507C is their microdot offering.
Sage Dynamics picked up their challenge.