Rimfire Long Range Trainer

Wait what? Long range rimfire? Hashtag - oxymoron.

I know it seems a bit strange but let me clarify. I'm not using a rimfire rifle to shoot long range. I bought a .17hmr to use as a practice gun for precision rifle competition. And before I get into my thoughts about this, the target above was shot from a bench off a bipod with relatively unstable rear support. (I forgot my rear sandbag) The circles with numbers measure approximately 3 inches. So when I say that my best group of the day measured roughly 1moa for 10 shots, please don't crucify me. I'm leaving out other variables like altitude, pressure, and wind just to simplify.

Recently I read an article about what the top PRS (precision rifle series) shooters use during their training sessions and I was intrigued by the concept.  Most of these folks are using .22 long rifle, .17hmr, or .223 training guns.  It makes a lot of sense that they don't use their competition rifle due to the wear and tare and the price of quality match grade ammo.  This resonated with me instantly because I have been contemplating getting into long range competitions this year, and the thought of ammo cost and barrel wear are real issues.  This is not a cheap hobby, and so when I hear that the pros are using a $400 gun and ammo that costs next to nothing for their training, you better believe I'm taking notes.



I bought the Savage 93R17 TR.  TR for tactical rifle. It has a heavy fluted barrel, oversized bolt knob and a stock that very closely resembles the Manners T4 on my competition gun.  Besides the obvious things like lack of recoil and a longer trigger press, I should be able to get the same level of training with this gun as I do with my comp gun.  I will be able to put a lot more rounds down range and not break the bank.  For example: I shot 100 rounds yesterday and it cost me $28.00 total.  One hundred match grade rounds for my 6.5x284 competition gun would have cost me $250.00!  Enough said right?

I know what you're thinking, "but you can't shoot that .17hmr out to 900 yards." This is true, but I can shoot it out to 400 yards.  The interesting thing about ballistics is that often you can find close enough parallels to make one bullet just as challenging to shoot as another.  The .17hmr requires a 23moa elevation adjustment at 400 yards.  My 6.5x284 requires a 23moa adjustment at 900 yards.  Get the picture?  The ballistic corrections I have to perform with the .17 are almost identical to the ones I make with my competition rifle at these ranges.  This make training with the .17 very similar to the big gun. It won't always work out this way of course because the bullets and their ballistics are very different overall.  It works well in this particular case though.

It's all about efficiency.  I have X amount of training time and Y amount of training dollars, and I want to maximize what I get out of both those investments.  Buying a precision rifle trainer accomplishes this for me.  And a 1moa group (top left, just outside the head) at 100 yards, in a stiff wind, out of a cheap .17hmr, is a pretty stellar result in my book.

-ME

My Knife is Better Than Yours

Sorry for the title. Sometimes I can't help but be a little snarky.
If you have been around the tactical industry for any time then you have heard of the knife maker Ernest Emerson.  His knives have become one of the top brands in the world hands down.

Mr. Emerson has trained Navy SEALs among other elite units from around the globe as well as being one of the only knife makers whose work is featured at the Smithsonian. He's kind of a big deal in this industry.
All the hype aside, he builds into some of his folding knives a very unique and intuitive feature. It's called the Emerson Hook.  At this point you've glanced below and have an idea what I'm talking about with regards to the hook. It more or less grabs onto your pocket as you draw, and opens the knife. But why is this so great you ask? In a word, efficiency.

You may not be aware that the human weapon system doesn't perform fine motor functions very well when it's under critical incident stress. To rephrase - when you get ambushed by that thug in the dark alley, your fingers or thumb will have trouble opening your folding knife in a fast and accurate way. Fine motor functions become difficult to perform when our heart rate rises to 120 beats per minute, and they become all but impossible when/if your heart rate reaches 220.  When does your heart rate ever get that high?  When you're attacked at close range and have to fight for your life.  So you have to ask yourself, does my knife work well with what my body is going to do naturally at max stress level?

Can I open my knife by using gross motor movements instead of fine motor movements?  If you said no then it's clear you don't own an Emerson folding knife.

To my knowledge, and I am by no means a knife expert, the Emerson Hook is the only knife of its kind in the world. In my opinion you won't find a better made or more intuitively efficient knife anywhere.

So next time you're thinking about upgrading or adding to your knife collection, please consider an Emerson. You won't be disappointed.

Be sure to comment below with your thoughts on knives.
-ME

*I am not a paid spokesman of Emerson

My 24hr Get Home Bag

I recently attended the 4th annual Muster event put on by Imminent Threat Solutions in Texas.
I learned some very useful new skills and would highly recommend this training if you have the time and funds.
Among the skillset talks was one about "bolt bags".  A bolt bag would most likely be kept with you at all times and would serve you well in a situation where you have to move quickly on foot for a short period of time. Bolt bags typically carry less gear and are lighter weight than your larger bug out bag.

Let's preface this by answering a couple of questions. First, what kind of scenario would require the use of a 24hr bolt bag? Second, what gear items are necessary?
The answer to number one may be different for you than for me. I live in a city with approximately 100,000 people. It's lower income and has a fairly high crime rate for Iowa.

A scenario that I would label as "probable" would be the civil unrest situation. Power goes down for a few days in the middle of winter and I can see looting and rioting happening rather quickly in this town.  Let's say I'm shopping at Walmart when crap hits the fan. Angry, hungry people desend on the store looking to steal whatever they can. I move quickly to the parking lot, but find it packed with people and cars unable to exit the area. I grab my bolt bag from my truck and move out on foot towards home. Depending on the situation, this could take a few hours or maybe even an overnight.

Now that we've set the stage, what kinds of gear items would I need in a situation of this kind?
The first picture here is of my Condor discreet sling pack. I like that it doesn't scream "hey I'm tactical and probably have a gun!"  It's slightly smaller than a typical book bag. Just to give you an idea of the size, my 15" MacBook Pro will not fit but my full size IPad fits with room to spare. It's grey in color instead of the standard tactical black or military flat dark earth, and has a plethora of pockets including one extremely well hidden "secret pocket." 

The only things I carry in the main compartment are my IPad, headphones, and charger so I've chosen to only show the outer pocket which carries the bulk of my gear. Here you will find quickclot, tourniquet, knife, snacks, radio, fire starting materials, chem light, bump key hammer, and the tan pouch of goodies I'll get into next.

Inside the tan pouch I carry playing cards (for a morale boost), cash, backup power source for cell phone and/or radio, write in the rain pad and pencil, tactical pen, headlamp, a handheld led flashlight, small gauge cordage, ear plugs, and a 32gig memory card. Missing from this pouch are backup batteries for the lights. (Shame on me) *update - I've added the batteries.

This pack has a compartment that sits up against my body while carrying it that I keep my glock and a spare mag in. Also in this pocket is my escape and evasion pouch which is shown below. The contents of the E&E pouch is as follows: ITS tactical urban survival kit, set of bump keys, jiggler keys, lock pick set, cliff bar, cash, and my multi-tool. 

These constitute the items I think qualify as "necessary" for a 24hr emergency situation where I have to move a short distance, i.e. across town with the main goal being to get home to my family where I have ample gear and food to last for many more days should the situation turn really ugly.  

You may have noticed that I don't have a water source. I'm really trying to keep the weight of this pack down so my thought would be to steal water out of any house or business spigot along the way. In the city, where most water is drinkable, I doubt I will have trouble staying hydrated. That being said, it certainly wouldn't hurt to carry a life straw or similar device that enables me to drink out of a stream or pond. Also absent from my pack, and something I intend to remidy in a hurry is toilet paper. Can't believe I forgot that! #shame *update - TP added.

Why all the burglary tools? Well first, they are not used for this purpose. Second, in a survival situation where I may need to weather a storm overnight in the winter, I'm completely ok with breaking into someone's garage or car in order to stay warmer and have a better chance to survive. The pack is just too small to carry any kind of shelter in my opinion. 

What are your thoughts? Approve or disapprove of any of my choices? What do you think are necessary items for 24 hour emergencies?  Comment below. 

Police MRAPs

I found myself in somewhat of a pissing match on Instagram with a guy who questioned whether law enforcement agencies really "needed" Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. (aka MRAP) Having been in law enforcement for coming up on 6 years, I find myself siding with my brothers in blue.

The guy I was talking to, let's call him Caleb, suggested that these vehicles tend to scare the general public by making police look more like the military. He also suggested that MRAPs lead to or are directly related to abuse of power.  I tried to instruct Caleb on the nuanses of being a police officer and also about MRAPs as the excellent tools they are for protecting officers. Caleb likened these vehicles to tanks and predator drones calling them a clear overstep of authority.

I can see his point a little bit. On one hand SWAT teams have been operating and getting things done for many years without the use of MRAPs.  On the other hand, as criminals become better armed and terrorism finds its way to small-town America, why not give our officers the tools that will help them deal more efficiently and safely with these threats?

No one likes to see the world going to hell in a hand basket, but our best wishes do nothing to stop it from happening.  I say give law enforcement what they need to deal with the threats they face. To include MRAPs.  I have linked an article below that explains why the military gave away so many of these vehicles to law enforcement agencies.
What say you? Comment below.


Repurposed MRAPs Article

Beard Strong

"Whatever it is that motivates men to grow their own,(beard) the trend does raise questions about what is happening to men in our culture and why this sudden assertion of masculinity?" -Coline Covington

 LOL I love this!

I read an article recently about this "new" trend by men to grow beards, and I thought I would make a few observations and comments. My first comment?  It's not new. Men of every culture have grown beards for all of time. Many cultures see men with no facial hair as young and weak or immature. Basically saying that real men have beards. I couldn't agree more. 

I have always had facial hair. Ok clearly I wasn't born with it, but from my early teenage years anyway. My style was the goatee. I guess back then I just enjoyed my ability to have a style that made me different from some of the other kids. As an adult, my beard was attached to (my face) my hunting exploits. I would begin to let my face armor grow at the beginning of the deer hunting season in the fall, and refused to shave until I had killed my buck for the year.  As soon as the meat was in my freezer I went right back to my faithful face friend, the goatee.

These days I'm sporting a full beard.  I deliberately trim it to somewhat of a "point" below my chin. I like the look, but to be honest, having this beard tends to elongate my facial features and helps me appear thinner. I've always struggled with my self image, and my beard helps me feel more confident.
You can see my beard in my Blogger Profile pic.  

My beard is also a representation of the gun culture that I am most certainly a part of.  I'm a cop and a personal defense instructor by trade. Many guys in this industry grow beards. I think for us it really stems from the special operations community.  Seeing pictures of our Nation's best warriors sporting full beards makes us proud. We all want to identify with those guys. In many cases they are what many men wish they were. So If I can grow a beard and it helps me feel confident and warrior-like, then where's the harm in that? 

BUT.... (That's a big but)

Joshua Haarbrink says this -
"Not to be confused with the “hipster” scene where sideburns, handle-bar mustaches, pseudo-rugged goatees and stylish 5 o’clock shadows have become increasingly popular, the tactical beard community has grown rapidly and has spawned community groups like the private Facebook group, the Tactical Beard Owners Club, which now boasts almost 11,000 fans on its Facebook fan page as well as over 1,600 verified members with chapters in various locations around the world. Originally established as a community to provide networking and support for current military operators as well as veterans, this group provides a powerful resource in maintaining morale and connectivity for soldiers and tactical professionals, both in fields abroad and at home. This brotherhood of the tactically-bearded reflects the camaraderie and respect that both military and civilian operators develop in their communities, and the proud display of a fully nurtured beard has become a badge of honor among those who truly deserve that honor as well as a sign of respect and recognition among those who value the commitment of those operators."

Exactly! That is all.

- Me

Tacticool is Not

*** For some reason my picture of a KSG shotgun is not showing up. I'll update soon. In the meantime you can follow this link to see what I'm talking about. KSG Shotgun

This is a prime example of something tactical and cool, when mashed together, just becomes tacticool. Which is actually a bad thing.  On the tactical side of this you have a 13 round short shotgun. Because of its size you can maneuver it easily in and through doorways and other tight spaces.  You could fill this thing with buck shot or heavy bird shot and have one heck of a nice home defense weapon. All of this is assuming of course that KelTec makes a reliable weapon system.  The verdict is still out on that one for me.  Yup I just went there.

On the cool side of things you have mostly aesthetics. This gun looks mean that's for sure! Sometimes that's half the battle am I right? It has an Eotech optic which makes it totally tactical right? Well maybe, but what's going on with the backup iron sights? Honestly does anyone need sights on a close range shotgun? It's clearly not the tool of choice for taking that precise head shot at any distance. Again, short gun, short barrel, ammo that spreads; this equals close range weapon. With buckshot or birdshot in a shotgun, the human weapon system has the intuitive ability to just point and shoot. I'm not even sure what the Eotech is there for.  It looks cool and maybe that's all it's intended to do.

I would personally own this gun if someone could prove to me that KelTec is a reliable brand, but I would not be putting sights of any kind on it.  As I'm saying that it just came to mind that a laser would make a great aiming tool for this kind of setup. And before anyone comments, I'll point out that lasers make a lot of sense.  Without getting into too much science; our bodies tend to tunnel vision on the threat, and our ability to do fine motor skills such as aligning tiny iron sights are made extremely difficult. A laser allows you to focus on your threat and, Oh would you look at that, there's my laser dot easily visible on bandits chest! So i'd use one of these for home defense with birdshot and a laser. The laser to get me roughly on target, and the birdshot to spread out and eliminate my margin of error.

Your comments are always welcome...

-ME

Gun Disarm Yes or No?

Take a look at this short 1 minute video from Victor Marx and then comment with your thoughts on attempting to disarm an attacker.  

My personal take on this is to just simply give the attacker whatever they want. Usually they are just after your valuables and don't really want to risk jail time for murder.
However, should you decide to fight back there a few things happening here strategically. Number one, Mr. Marx is moving his head and shoulders "off the X" laterally as he reaches for the pistol. This is key! Chances are, you aren't going to be as fast as he is and the bandit will likely get at least one shot off. Obviously you don't want your head in line with that barrel if a shot goes off.
Second is that he's starting the gun grab from a "hands up" posture. Not only does it signify a defensive and submissive attitude, but it allows his hands to have to move a shorter distance. This is important to remember as action will always be faster than reaction. The faster he can get his hands on the gun, the less likely it is for the bandit to out-flinch him. There are a few other tactical tidbits here that I will forgo for now.

From a common sense approach, I'd like to point out a few things. First, this guy has practiced this gun disarm over and over for years. Literally making it the most often practiced drill in his arsenal.  I don't know that for certain, but you don't get this good at something without time and sacrifice. He's put a lot of time into it and has sacrificed practicing other skills in order to acquire the time to practice this one. Second, I would offer that the bandit could turn this gun grab into a wrestling match.  A close quarters retention fight for your sidearm is never a good plan, so if your disarm is successful, I recommend creating some serious distance as fast as you possibly can.

Again I just think it's a poor decision to attempt a disarm like this, but what are your thoughts? Let's discuss.

- Me

New Year. New Direction.

This year my blog will become an outlet for opinions on tactics, training and gear as they relate to the firearms industry.  I resolve to post three new articles every single week, typically on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I will be interviewing other shooters in the industry, and will be attending events where my goal will be to report on the positives of that culture.
As a man, I am as common sense as they come, (read unintelligent if you wish) and I hope to discuss these categories in a way that everyone can appreciate.  Hopefully offering a different angle on many of the established norms in our industry.

Let's kick this off right -
I've noticed a disturbing trend over the past few years that has got me asking some unique questions about our gun culture.  In particular it seems like we've got four different camps of shooters in the U.S.  Please watch Colion Noir's video. It so accurately pinpoints the differences of these four groups, and is darn funny to boot.

I find myself somewhere between the tactical and hunting guys represented in that video. I've been a lifelong hunter and have a law enforcement background. So on my tactical side I would argue that pistols are defensive tools period. There is no other purpose for them than to protect people. On my hunting side I would say that all firearms are useful for the purposes of taking animals for food and sport. I have wandered into the realm of competition shooting various times over the years.  First with IDPA, then with 3-Gun, and now I'm getting into precision rifle competition.  My problem with competition is that it's a game. Which is totally the point for many shooters, but my tactical side screams out, "it's not realistic to know what threats are going to pop up and be able to plan for it!" Therefore I can't label myself a competition shooter in any way.  As far as the "gun collector" goes - I own a collection of guns, but to me, they are all tools.  I don't idolize my tools, I use them. I could care less if my guns have dings and scratches.

My beef with all this is the growing "in fighting" between the different camps. Like on Mr. Noir's video, the tactical guy says "you're useless" to all the other guys and sets his mind to believe there's no point to their particular view of gun culture.
Folks this is wrong! We have go to stop fighting each other and unite behind our common goal, which is to maintain our firearms related freedoms.  It's like trying to support multiple conservative presidential candidates at the same time. Your support for one hurts the other, and at the end just insures that several good guys end up going home broke and defeated. Why don't all conservatives rally behind one candidate early on, and unite for the common purpose of defeating the liberals?
The different camps within the gun culture are acting no differently, and it's disgraceful.  It's actually just tearing us apart.

Tactical guys, you could learn a thing or two about having fun from the Competition guys.
Collectors, you might really enjoy taking down an elk from 800 yards with that $7000 rifle. The Hunters will gladly teach you how.

Wake up and realize that Tactical Tim's overly prideful opinions are just as worthy as your particular perspective on the gun culture. How about you prove your devotion to our cause by trying something outside of your comfort zone this year?  For me that's precision rifle competition...oh and I promise to stop harping on the worthlessness of the 1911 platform...

- Me