Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 41, Tonight we talk about gun tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear, we’ll also have a new burn on Shit Talker Funky Walker2
We Like Shooting Double Tap 042 – Nervous Breakdown
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 42, Tonight we talk about gun tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear, we’ll also have a new burn on Shit Talker Funky Walker
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Rifle in the Field: Why I hunt with an AR
From 248Shooter.com
A great many people are taking AR’s and similar rifles into the field to chase game. They continue to become a first tier choice in hunting rifles and yet still meet resistance from the legacy hunting community. I personally take my SCAR to the field every November but here Travis goes through the points of why the AR should make your consideration list on the hunt. -Keith
Contrary to what many talking heads say the AR 15 makes an outstanding hunting rifle. It’s been my go to choice for a few years now and I’ve never been happier. Oddly enough, even among other AR 15 owners and pro gun hunters it’s seen as odd. As if I’m Rambo and the deer are a small town police force led by Brian Dennehy. The same folks don’t seem to have an issue with semi-autos like the Browning BAR or the older Remington 7400s. I’m not sure why so many folks see the AR as an odd hunting rifle. When you pause to think about it the AR 15 makes a lot of sense as a hunting rifle.
It’s Lightweight
The AR 15 is quite light, and even compared to svelte bolt actions the AR is often lighter than a more traditional hunting rifle. For examples the Remington SPS weighs 7.5 pounds without an optic. A plain jane AR carbine can weigh 7 pounds and lighter if you want to dump money into lightweight accessories. Even the larger 20 inch barreled ARs are about the same weight as the Remington 700.
It points and aims easily, and as any shooter knows the smaller package the easier it is to maneuver. It’s great for sliding through thickets, climbing a tree stand, or navigating a swamp. With a collapsed stock and a sling it doesn’t exceed your body’s own profile.
The Right 223 Works Just Fine
Obviously the 223 is on the lower end of the power spectrum for hunting rifles and isn’t a round made for hunting large game. However, when loaded correctly it’s a great round for deer, coyotes, and even smaller feral hogs. Specialized rounds like the Hornady Whitetail, and the Remington Hog Buster are designed to maximize penetration and expansion inside an animal.
200 yards is where I draw my ethical kill line, and where most hunters I know do the same. Inside 200 yards the standard 223 load is plenty powerful. That being said the AR 15 platform doesn’t limit you to 5.56/.223. With a standard AR 15 lower you can get larger calibers like the 6.8 SPC or the 6.5 Grendel. If you want more power at short range you can go with the 300 Blackout or 7.62 x 39. Heck if you want to go smaller and hunt varmint you can just toss something like the Garrow Arms 17 HMR upper on your gun and go.
With that in mind ammo selection and shot placement are still the most effective means of killing any game.
Customization
AR’s are endlessly customizable. You can build the exact AR 15 you want or need. Personally I go lightweight and simple. I keep the collapsing stock in place regardless of barrel length so I can compensate for several layers of cold weather clothes.
Lets not forget how easy it is to mount optics to the weapon. You can fit anything from red dots to thermal units without worry about bolt clearance, ejection issues, and a lack of rail space. Also more and more states are allowing the use of suppressors while hunting. This allows you to better protect your hearing without compromising one of the precious senses you need for hunting.
The AR 15 is a natural suppressor host. I’d gamble that most suppressors made for rifles are made with the AR 15 in mind. The shear amount of QD muzzle devices is proof enough of that. (To me anyway.)
Follow Up
Follow shots can be difficult, but aren’t impossible when hunting herd animals. I’ve seen hogs get shot and two to three seconds pass before the herd panics and disperses. That’s plenty of time to take a second shot. Well, it’s plenty of time with an AR 15. It’s a lightweight rifle that’s easy to maneuver with minimal recoil, so secondary shots are easy.
Let’s not forget the ability to take a second shot on a wounded animal before it leaves your line of sight. Or should I stumble across an angry hog I’d rather have the ability to put more than one round out before he reaches me.
Personal Reasons
Now the biggest reason I hunt with an AR is because I already have one, I have a five round mag, a good optic, and I know how to shoot the rifle. I just don’t have a reason not to use the AR as a hunting rifle. Sure, it’s not the best for every animal ever, but it works for deer, hog, coyote, and even turkey. So the biggest reason isn’t a reason, it’s the lack of a reason not to.
AMABILIS: Tactical Inclement Weather Apparel
Quality outerwear is something often hard to come by, but here is an opportunity for all of you that I would be remiss if I didn’t pass on.
AMABILIS is a brand new tactical outwear start up that has a campaign going on Kickstarter right now.
The great news for you all…
They’ve already surpassed their goal so anything else you contribute just buys you the AMABILIS Kit at a steep discount.
Most notably their Jacket. The Responder Tactical Jacket. We’re getting one in here for evaluation ASAP. This stuff looks incredible and from talking with the AMABILIS Crew I’m confident the product they deliver will live up to their claims.

AMABILIS is offering professional grade tactical outerwear built to military standards. Our founder Brian Abrams spent 25+ designing and manufacturing apparel for the US Military and is now bringing that knowledge and experience to the consumer market.
The Responder Outerwear is tough enough to climb a mountain with, and stylish enough to be thrown on and grab drinks with friends downtown. Plus like everything AMABILIS make it comes standard with a lifetime warranty.
We Like Shooting Episode 221 – Fisting
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 221 – tonight we’ll talk about Ruger, paracord, ATI 410, Holosun, Ryker USA and more!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We Like Shooting Double Tap 038 – Worst date question
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 38, Tonight we talk about tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video!
We Like Shooting Double Tap 039 – Printed Violence
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 39, Tonight we talk about tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video!
We Like Shooting 222 – Be The Wolf
Welcome to the We Like Shooting show, Episode 222 – tonight we’ll talk about FEG pistol, Hogue grips, M&P 2.0 Compact, One Life Defense and more!
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We Like Shooting Double Tap 040 – He ate a baby
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 40, Tonight we talk about tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video!
Sutherland Springs: Lessons from the Ashes
A week after the events in Sutherland Springs, Texas the community is beginning the painful path of healing and recovery after 26 members of the small 600 person town were killed. I urge all the readers here to take the time to listen to the full interview with Stephen Willeford above and, especially as a wider community of firearms owners, absorb the full weight of what this man has to say and what this incident highlights as stark realities.
1. The Will to Act
After Stephen was informed by his daughter that gunshots were heard and confirmed them for himself he made several reactive decisions.
Stephen immediately made preparations to move toward the church and he occupied his daughter to keep her safe. Stephen was an NRA instructor and had likely, at least passively, brain stormed reactive scenarios to the common self defense archetypes of robbery, home invasion, car-jacking, etc.
Only Stephen knows everything he had prepared prior, but what we do know is that it was enough for him to react. Stephen Willeford’s courageous actions are a model for why the Second Amendment is codified in our Constitution.
Defense of Self, Community, and Country.
Stephen saved lives because of his will to act.
Lesson: When you must act. Act now. Paralysis in the face of danger will result in more lives lost.
2. Preparation
Looking deeper into Stephen Willeford and Johnnie Langendorff’s selfless actions to intercede and protect their community we can draw lessons for the future.
Willeford had to take time and load a magazine. In addition he had to do so under the extreme duress of hearing each shot in his own words “meant for somebody else” that Kelley fired inside the church and take action to keep his daughter safe at his home.
This combination had the 55 year old man leaving his house with a partially filled magazine in his rifle and no shoes. At the lethal conclusion outside of town, Stephen checked his magazine and found 1 round remaining.
He was two shots away from being out of the fight against an enemy who had two handguns and plenty of ammunition. Both of those were unknown quantities at the time. Kelley luckily didn’t retain his rifle after being shot twice by Willeford outside the church, but Kelley’s preparation for the fight was perilously close to outlasting Willeford’s and that could have reversed the momentum of the fight back to Kelley’s advantage.
Lesson: Firearms used or staged for defense should be staged at the ready. Having a full magazine or more next to a weapon ready to be brought to bear or keeping the weapon in Condition 3 (full magazine, empty chamber) or Condition 1 (full magazine, loaded chamber) will drastically reduce the time it takes to bring the weapon into the fight and how capable and enduring it is when it gets there.
The time difference between grabbing 60 rounds loaded into two magazines (or other prepared ammunition source) and having to individually load rounds into a magazine, each taking a second or two, is glaringly immense. In the time it takes to ready three rounds into an empty magazine someone can grab multiple ready items properly staged for emergency.
You wouldn’t want to assemble an AED when you need it or fill up a fire extinguisher when the blaze starts. Treat your defensive firearms accordingly.
NOTE: This is in no way to negatively criticize the actions of Stephen Willeford or imply he should have gotten their faster. Willeford’s actions are nothing short of heroic. He is the embodiment of the “I’ll go. Send me. I will fight. Not today.” mentalities that move people to great deeds in times of crisis.
3. The Limitations of the Law
Gun Control made its way into the narrative surrounding this immediately. In certain cases to an almost tragically comic degree of foolishness. See Chain Saw Bayonet, in similar fashion to silencers being blamed in Las Vegas or the bump stock animation that had everything but a bumpstock.
What we do have is a tragic illustration in the limitations that are imposed since systems are only as good as the records that are kept.
Kelley had two for certain, maybe three, disqualifying factors that made his purchase and possession of all firearms illegal.
- Domestic Violence Conviction.
- Dishonorable/Bad Conduct Discharge from the Military
- Involuntary commitment to a mental institution (uncomfirmed, but it was reported he escaped from a facility)
However the two, possible three, disqualifying conditions were never added into the NICS background check system and obviously Kelley did not out himself as a convict to any of his points of sale where he purchased weapons.
The U.S. Air Force is looking into why the records didn’t make it to NICS but the rumor mill is the typical records mismanagement, loss, and lack of priority that is systemic in the military. Ask any Veteran how good the records are… ask me how many times I’ve had to confirm my compliance with a simple upcoming update to the retirement system (five) and those records were lost.
NICS can only catch what it knows. NICS only knows what people tell it. People are fallible and therefore the system is imperfect. NICS cannot catch everything, it cannot predict, it cannot catch false or improper records, it cannot come back with information that it does not have.
Lesson: The Government (Air Force) dropped the ball on this one. But improper reporting and other records errors are an ongoing problem combined with a record lack of prosecution of 4473/NICS violations by prohibited persons. The culture around lying to acquire a firearm has, for years at this point, fostered a “you’ll get away with it so don’t worry” attitude.
Where records and systems fail people must respond and succeed.
There is plenty more we can dig into including physical security, first aid, and media response but those will be for another time.
WLS Double Tap 032 – Wobble Sausage
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 32, Tonight we talk about tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video! All this and more on tonight’s Double Tap
We Like Shooting Double Tap 031 – Roach Coach
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 31, Tonight we talk about tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video! All this and more on tonight’s Double Tap
Episode # 33 This is how we die
Episode # 33 This is how we die
This episode of We Like Shooting – Double Tap is brought to you by Black Rhino Concealment, Nighthawk Custom, Rand CLP and Rubber Dummies.
Welcome to We Like Shooting’s Double Tap, Episode 33, Tonight we talk about tech, we’ll answer your questions on Dear WLS, we’ll talk about NOT GUNS, and revisit past gear on gear chat revisited. We’ll also watch our resident movie critic review another WLS video!
Our panel tonight, the machine gun moses Aaron Krieger, Jeremy Pozderac,Naked mammal; Nick Lynch, and my name is Shawn Herrin
#Tech news
# Dear WLS
Nick E
With the fact that most people don’t need a $2000.00 gun they need a $500.00 gun and $1500.00 in training. Gunsite or Thunder ranch or would you recommend another place that would be the same price/length of course.
Frank C
Would you consider changing this segments name from #Dearwls to Dear Flabby? #skinnypeopledontdrinkdietcoke
Kaleb K
Entry level AR-15: Factory built like Ruger AR556 or S&W M&P Sport 2 or/versus Palmetto State assembled gun.
Main purpose: home defense/ self defense, possibly to take to training, and want to be able to upgrade and update later.
Opinions? Any experiences with the entry level guns?
Mike I
AR pistol, Ok I’m trying to decide 7.5 contour wylde 1:7 for $42.99 or a 10.5 m4 contoured 1:7 for 49.99
Michael H
With Jeremy opening his gun range will it be a gay only range just for him and his lovers or will everyone be welcome?
Submit your questions to welikeshooting.com/dearwls
# Not Guns
THIS WEEKS TOPIC:“how do you think the other cast members are going to die?”
# Gear Chat Revisited:
- Savage1r – Smith and Wesson 6906 mods
- Aaron – Tact-Axe
http://lovewls.com
Find us on ALL the social media and our website
Just a reminder to join a gun related advocacy group (ask the guest about their state) and we always give out the Suicide prevention line, that number is 1 (800) 273-8255
We’re here live every week on Monday and Weds. and on demand every damn day. Go to welikeshooting.com/show to subscribe!
Thanks for listening, and tactical axes for everyone