Range cards and why you need them

The range card; Fall of many an Infantrymen during EIB testing (Expert Infantryman's Badge), to all those Machine Gunners on the ground, essential for planning ahead in your position. The range card has kinda gotten a bad rap among younger soldiers who never had to see how and why these are implemented. Tactical application, defensive application, shooting tool and situational awareness; all the tools that we can implement to enhance our first round success.

Range cards are a simple sketch, as seen from your perspective of Target Reference Points or TRP. These TRPs are known points of interest. From here you identify how far, what direction and what you need to hold in order to achieve success in seconds vs. minutes. Now Range cards are not hasty, or are talking about deliberate positions. Hasty is anything that is only set up to engage in a small window, deliberate is more of a lasting position, anything over an hour is a good rule of thumb. 

As we mentioned earlier there are a few applications, first lets cover Tactical application. For all my hunters out there, if you have not been using one during your hunts, you are loosing out on an opportunity to tag first round every time. Once we have decided that we are going to set up, we do a quick sketch to identify where we think the target is most likely to approach from and head to. So now you have provided yourself with a broader picture of your surroundings. With this picture we know distance, direction and location. This allows us to move directly to the TRP, find our target and engage with our hold. 

As a defensive application, the range card plays a key role in understanding avenues of likely approach. With those in mind, we sketch our TRPs in a manner that allows us to engage our targets on our terms, only allowing them to move to where you want them to. This is a huge tactical advantage. Think about being in a position and being able to rotate out on long over watches, without any degradation on observations in your target area.

Now I know this is going to sound a little crazy. but think about this in terms of our house. We have, in our house, a number of weapon systems that are stashed at different points in the house so that we have access to them if needed. In the same vicinity I have a simple range card, that tells whoever needs to shoot the weapon, where to hold in order to achieve a first round hit. 

As far as a shooting tool is concerned, I do not need to cover that anymore. If you could not discern the shooting applications from the previous paragraphs, then I have lost you. But I'm a nice guy, this tool is almost unprecedented in terms of cost, functionality and increasing first round success. Think about the cost of a miss versus a hit. Add that up a bit and it starts to hurt, why not save money and ammunition at the same time?

Lastly I want to reiterate the situational awareness applications of this tool. The range card allows you a very in depth look at the area around you. Most people will not take the time to look past the 50m target. Once you have used a range card in any capacity, you will see what they are such an invaluable tool. Lets put it this way: You have been in your tree stand for 6 hours now, you have no range card, just an idea of where you want to watch. In your position walks in a nice 8 point. You engage, but then see an even larger deer, you can estimate maybe 12 points or more. Had you of surveyed your area and picked multiple spots to watch, do you think you may have seen that missed opportunity?

There are a few tools that make filling out range cards a whole hell of a lot easier. Having a compass with you will allow you to orientate yourself to magnetic north, giving you a sense of direction on your range card. A spotting scope is a great tool. It allows you to further investigate your TRPs, giving you a better description of the area. Another great tool is a GPS system. I believe that everyone should understand and be able to accurately read a map. 

The GPS system is nothing but an enhancement of that basic ability and should never be relied upon solely as a means of getting from point a to point b. Why this is important is so you can mark different locations that you may want to come back to another time.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence. 

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!

Whats in your range bag?

There are tons of equipment on the market today. At times, it can seem a bit overwhelming. However you do not need it all, depending on what you are shooting, there are only specific items that you need. However, there are several items that should be included in every range bag regardless of what you are shooting.

To start off you should have a round count book. At the manufacturer level, they send a few rounds through the barrel to show that it is capable of holding a group. Included is a count of the amount of rounds through the barrel during testing. This is important because barrels, just like every piece of equipment, have a life expectancy. This is the amount of rounds that can be sent through the barrel before it begins to degrade. 

https://www.triadtactical.com/home.php

Next up is a kestrel. No matter what you are shooting, how far you are shooting, its ability to gather wind speeds, barometric pressure and temperature. All of which will effect your round during flight. In addition it allows you to monitor round performance at varying temperatures. This is important so you can know how your weapon will perform with that ammo lot and weather variables. 

https://kestrelmeters.com/products/kestrel-elite-weather-meter-with-applied-ballistics

Coming in third, we have cleaning kits. Not just a cleaning kit, you need to ensure that you have a cleaning rod. I am a big fan of Bore Snakes, but they cannot clear a stoppage. With that said, you should include some sort of rod with your kit, in the off chance you have a round stuck in the chamber or barrel. Having a cleaning kit also helps with those long range days, taking a break to clear out the gunk from shooting.

http://www.brownells.com/gun-cleaning-chemicals/cleaning-rods-amp-accessories/cleaning-rods/cleaning-rods-prod57075.aspx

Honestly this next one should be first on our list, because it is one of the most important item you can pack. It does not have to be fancy, one of those $20.00 kits from Walmart will be fine. You just need to make sure you have a tourniquet with you. Through multiple combat rotations, i have learned that the tourniquet above all else will save lives to stop the bleeding fast. It has a time limit on use, and you should take a first aid course to get the best results.  

http://combattourniquet.com/applications/emergency/

You should have a spotting scope with you also. Spotting scopes allow you to stay in your current position, and verify down range with glass. They help to read wind, find and spot trace and offer a better view of your target. I currently carry a Bushnell 12x36 magnification power with a 60mm objective lens. This scope has great performance out to 800 yards, easily picks up trace and has not led me wrong yet. It does not matter who makes it, but you should ensure that it has a reticle that will allow you to estimate range with.

http://www.safetyglassesusa.com/ezul001ct.html

Lastly you need to include hearing and eye protection. You need to ensure that your eye protection is rated to stop shrapnel. The current rating is Z-87. You can find these in a variety of shooting stores, just make sure they are ballistic eye protection. Your hearing protection is completely up to you. Their are cheap foam plugs, flange plugs, custom fit hearing protection and the ever popular Peltor style hearing protection. 


There are several types of plugs that allow you to open or close a cover to allow for more sound. I prefer to use a pair of Howard Lights, Impact Sport. They allow me to use an amplifier that reduces sound at louder decibels and enhances lower decibel sounds. Which, on the range is huge, allowing you to talk and hear through repeated fire.

Lastly you should include a variety of target rehab materials, tripod, sand sock, shooting rest. These rehab materials should be tape, stapler with staples, target pasties, hammer with nails and anything else you may want to throw in. Tripods in conjunction with sand socks or rest allow you to shoot from varying positions. These are important when shooting advanced positions and sniper training.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence. 

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!

Safe Weapons Procedures

There has been a steady report in the news that goes back as far as I can recall. The issue is proper weapons safety, weapons storage and probably a very heated topic, teaching our children about proper weapons safety. As a gun owner and a veteran, I feel an overwhelming sense to reach out and train everyone around me about safety. We are our biggest advocates for our second amendment rights. We need merely to voice our professional opinion.

We have all seen the, left my gun loaded all night, didn't kill anyone memes. While its true that guns do not kill people, it is the person with the gun that kills:

TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT WHERE LOADED.

I cannot stress this enough. I have seen cases in the military where soldiers carelessly handled their weapons, accidentally shooting another soldier because they did not know the weapon was loaded. As a gun owner you have a responsibility to everyone around you to ensure that you have a positive control on your weapon.

These weapons are capable of producing a violently strong, miniature explosion that propels a small metal projectile at speeds over 2,400 feet per second. That equals over 1,636 miles per hour, just about double the speed of sound which is 343.2 meters a second. Just think about that for a second. All of this in the palm of our hands.

Gun owners should fear that thought slightly. Its not fear, but respect for the fact that this weapon is capable of devastating damage, and I must be responsible and safe in every situation. Be part of the solution, gun safety is everyone's problem. Where do you fit in?

Proper weapons storage is yet another area where people are being killed because someone forgot where they put their firearms. If you need a reason why its important, ill ask that you read the first two paragraphs again. There are a number of methods to secure your weapons that will not lead to degraded performance when faced with an intruder. It merely requires a small amount of practice to familiarize yourself with what you need to do.

I prefer to keep a pistol near the front door, with a magazine in and no round chambered. I keep it in a box with a quick fingerprint reader. Now I know you are yelling right now, angered at the fact that I would keep my weapon in a non loaded status. To me, I can access my gun in under 5 seconds, in that time I have unlocked my case, chambered a round and drawing on the threat. I will only travel with my weapon in a hot status, if I am in immediate danger but cannot identify the threat.

There are a variety of other ways to store your pistol: Inside a locked drawer, inside a gun case, in a closet shelf or the use of trigger locks. Just ensure that they are safely kept out of children's reach. I always teach that if your gun is in eyesight, so should you! Not to mention you are legally obligated when you purchase your firearm to store it properly. You must adhere to local and federal laws.

http://www.cabelas.com/category/Gun-Storage/104730480.uts
https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/

Which brings us into our final point, weapons safety and children. Now, my children where raised from a young age to treat firearms with respect. It started with toy guns, do not stick your finger on the trigger until you are absolutely sure you are ready to fire. Do not point a weapon at anyone or anything you do not intend to shoot.

Around the age of 5, once my children had a good handling with toy guns, I sat them down and explained to them what a gun is, how it works and what it does. I then took my children out to the range to see exactly what a firearm does. Its in a child's nature to be curious, its a parents responsibility to nurture that curiosity and teach them how to be safe.

They must be taught to fear and respect the power that a weapon holds. I also taught my children three fundamental rules when they see a fire arm, and then had them practice it. Those rules are; If you see a gun STOP, DONT TOUCH, TELL AN ADULT. It comes down to mutual trust between the parent and child. Lets start being more productive members of our community and start teaching proper weapons safety. We are the front line on the so called war on gun rights. Education is an invaluable tool to safety, do not disregard either to look or feel cool.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence.

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!

Dry firing and why you should do it more

There are a plethora of discussions out there on why you should or should not conduct dry fire drills. I am of the belief that dry fires are a necessity rather than an optional training method. Dry fires can happen anywhere, any time you have a safe place to train. You do not need ammunition n, there are a couple of products you may want to purchase to enhance the training, however are not a requirement to get the full effect of dry fire training. Lastly it builds muscle memory for your positions, which you then build upon with live fire training.

Before conducting any dry fire drills, check with your weapons manufacturer first to see if they recommend dry fires. Ensure that you have safely cleared your weapon prior to any dry fire drills. All ammunition should be stored separate from the location of where you are practicing. Lastly ensure that you are pointing your weapon in a safe direction. Away from anyone or anything, preferably outside, ensure that you will not have anyone or anything walking in front of your sights.

You can practice any position that you feel you need to work on. You can work on your draw and presentation. Maybe you saw something really cool on YouTube and you don't know how to do it correctly. No matter what it is, conducting dry fire drills allows you to really focus on the position for your body to adapt it naturally.

Dry fire training can be summed up in one expression: Practice makes perfect. It really is a sound expression. The professionals make everything they do, look so smooth and flawless because they have spent countless hours honing their craft. Literal days spent dry and live fire training. So, your welcome for giving you a pro tip, because some people have to pay to receive training like this. Who doesn't like free shit?

Talking about free shit, did we mention that you do not have to purchase ammo to dry fire? Yes we did. Lets do some math: I am going to the range with 50 rounds of 9mm ball, to work on my draw and engagements. The next hour is spent with multiple hits and misses, and I just cant seem to nail it down. I have spent 62 cents a minute, with minimal feed back for a total of $37.50. Now I can go back and spend 2-3 hours working out the kinks in my form. Now if I have purchased more ammo to cover the same amount of time I would be out $75-$113.

There are a few things that you can pick up to enhance your training, and you should. You can DIY most of it. You should invest in targets that you can put up on a wall. This gives you something to aim at so you are not just whipping your weapon all over.

The next item you should invest in is a laser bore light. These are inexpensive and provide you immediate feedback as to where you are aiming every time. They are designed to look just like the caliber round that your weapon shoots. When they are loaded into the chamber and the bolt is closed, it shoots a laser that follows a strait line of bore.

Another item to add to your tool kit are Snap Caps. Snap Caps are a bullet mold, made in different calibers, that fit into that magazines of your weapon and the chamber. This allows you to practice malfunctions and magazine changes. We personally use them when we are training youngsters or someone who has never fired a weapon and are terrified.

Muscle memory was discussed briefly but we are going to give it a little more attention. The benefit here is that when it comes time to do work, your mind is free to think about what is happening around you, while your body is already reacting to the training. This is one of the reasons that our soldiers, law enforcement and security personnel are exceptionally good at what they do. They train. They dry fire, a lot. So when the time comes out on patrol, when the dust is kicking around, you have bullets flying around your head and its shear chaos out there, your training will move your body so you can think about where the next cover is or if you are needing to change magazines.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence.

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!

Pistol Fundamentals

There are a total of five fundamentals for pistol shooting. They are, however, mostly the same as the basic fundamentals for firing a rifle. The difference here being that they are applied to a pistol now which results in some different fundamentals. So what are the five fundamentals? Breathing, sight alignment and sight picture, balance, position and finally grip.

Breathing, as we have already learned, plays an intricate part in our fundamental application. It is no different on the pistol. We are still following our breathing pattern, still firing on our natural pause. You can use your natural aiming area exercise to help with the wobble area and executing a shot.

To identify your Natural Aiming Area, we will assume a standard shooting position. Aim the pistol at your target, close your eyes and rotate your weapon in a clock wise motion. Where your pistol comes to rest once you complete your circle is your NAA. Open your eyes, and readjust your position to your new aiming point.

Sight alignment and sight picture for a pistol vary depending on the type of sight being used. You should consult your manual for exact eye relief distance and proper zero technique. For sight picture, you are going to be aiming through the rear sight aperture, placing your front sight post level with the rear sight, center on target with your focus on your front sight post.

Proper sight alignment and sight picture. (1)

The above photo makes it easier to understand what you should be focusing on. The human brain can only focus on one distance/object at a time. You will need to set your focus on your front sight post. If you instead focus on your target, you will not be able to see your front sight post, making your shot questionable. Don't forget to know your target and what's around it while you are shooting.

Balance and position are very harmonious when applied correctly. Starting with our position we will cover the "Weaver" position and an "Isosceles" position.   The Isosceles position is a standard position, feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent.

Back strait and slightly leaning forward, head erect with your arms extended, ensuring that you do not lock your elbows. The weight of your body should be balanced evenly on the balls of your feet. The Isosceles position is a foundation that is meant to be built upon.

The "Weaver" position is a simple modification of our base position. The only difference here will be your non-firing arm, or support arm. It will be dropped down about 10 degrees. This allows the pistol to be drawn in closer to the shooter. Still apply the basics from the Isosceles previously discussed. Ensuring that you evenly distribute the weight of your body on the balls of your feet. Depending on the caliber of your pistol, revolver or semi auto and the type of ammunition used, will produce a different degree of kick from your pistol. Centering your weight on the balls of your feet allow you absorb that recoil without being thrown off balance. There are many other positions that are used for a multitude of different types of shooting.

Lastly is grip. While grip can be executed the same time as your position, we must highlight it on its own. This fundamental will cause a multitude of shooting errors if not applied correctly. We start out with grasping the pistol in your firing hand by the pistol grips. Ensure that you ride the back strap of the pistol all the way up. Some pistols will have built in safety features, that require the shooter to depress a safety on the back strap of the weapon.

Your pinkie, ring finger and middle finger are wrapped firmly around the pistol grip. Your trigger finger is placed outside of the trigger well, alongside the frame. Your non-firing hand should be placed over your firing hand, with your thumbs lining up under the slide so they are out of the way of the movement of the slide.

Using a firm grip, you should apply slight pressure with the support hand to help with recoil. ensure that you do not "White Knuckle" grip your pistol. This will cause fatigue to set in sooner rather than later. What's important to note, one of the biggest errors happens during this fundamental. A lot of new shooters, and even some experienced shooters, will anticipate the pull of the trigger, afraid of the recoil.

Shooters will break their wrist, moving the wrist up, down, left and right, apply sloppy fundamentals, and ultimately miss their intended target. The explosion that is a result of the chemical reaction inside the primer should be a surprise to the shooter. Do not anticipate. You must also add follow through to ever shot.  

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence.

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!

1. http://s146.photobucket.com/user/jdlv4_0/media/SIghtalignment-sightpictureEDITED.jpg.html

Positve Identification

Its 3 AM, you didn't go to bed until midnight. You hear rustling downstairs, so you grab your gun and go investigate what you heard. About this time your adrenaline is pumping, heart is racing, hands maybe shaking. This is the point where people will make mistakes, they don't think clearly about what is happening around them.

Lets say for this situation you have attended a Defensive course, does not matter who but hopefully ours, and you have a realistic understanding on how to approach this situation. I want to discuss with you about positive identification and how a split second can change everything in your life.

Grab your weapon, attain a good defensive stance, which is weapon at the ready and head in the direction of the noise you heard. Keeping your weapon postured is important because it means the difference between having an advantage on your target or becoming the target. All ways assume someone is armed. When you come at the ready, move some sort of obstacle between you and your target. You never know when you will need it.

As you see your target, you must discern first who it is. Is it one of the kids? Is it your spouse? Or is it an armed robber. You must do this without thinking to hard, remember you only have a split second before you loose the advantage you have. So how do you positively ID someone?

First, check to see if they have a weapon and or are in a defensive posture as well. You maintain your weapons posture no matter what, shout commands that instruct the intruder to get down. If they become non compliant, your spouse or kids or yourself should have already called the cops and you wont need to wait long.

Alternately if you come down the stairs or come around the corner and have already positively identified the intruder, you are clear to engage. Be mindful of where you shoot, what kind of gun and ammunition you have as well. You want to make sure your impact is on target, not out a window and into the neighbors house.

Look up your states Stand your Ground laws (Castle Doctrine), while most states have them, they do not all perceive property and domicile the same, or if you have to retreat first before using deadly force. Do not let yourself become the victim, instead dominate the situation with confidence and a thorough understanding of your rights.

I was deployed in 2003 during the invasion of Iraq. Now during that time I saw my fair share of what happens when you do not properly ID your target. I've seen years worth of work go to shit real quick, because a soldier did not ID their target, instead killing a local civilian. There were countless shoot don't shoot situations that arose, through proper training however, I knew that I always engaged the right target and kept collateral damage as minimal as possible.

Its not about being aggressive, or about being a gun nut looking to shoot something. We are developing tactical thinkers. Individuals who know when they need to pull the trigger, and only do so as last resort. Its time we as an industry, community and family make a positive impact in our nation.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence.

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!

Range cards and practicle applications

What the hell is a range card? I know what those are, why would I need one of them on my hunts? How can I apply this to my home defense? These are but a few questions I get when I talk about range cards in my classes. From it we can use holds with confidence. We will not have to guess about where my target is in relation to what's around me.

I have a 50 meter bubble theory here. I believe that, more often than not, individuals are only concerned with what is directly in front of them. Everything outside this bubble is unknown, and everything inside is reacting. Instead, pick your gaze up to 300 meters.

Opening your field of view up to see everything around you. In a metaphorical way, its training yourself to identify potential problems or threats before they arise, and you are able to plan and adjust rather then reacting.

Whether you sitting in your tree stand, have a blind or are shooting on a tripod, range cards will play a pivotal role in your first round hit. Range cards are applied from the shooters position. With it we can sketch out our field of view. This allows us to range every road, creek, shack or whatever is in your field of view.

Once the shooter knows how far everything is, as soon as that big game comes into your field of view, you will know how far, what you need to hold and engage your target. All this within seconds because you know your surroundings.

Applying a range card to home defense is just as important. While the above still applies we also have the added benefit of using our hallways and rooms to our advantage. With this we can plan evacuation routs incase of an emergency. We can identify safe rooms for cover, and where we can make our last stand in our home more effective.

As a sniper and squad leader on multiple deployments, we always made sure the first thing we did was sketch out our target areas. Not only did it give us a sense of our surroundings, it gave us confidence in our ability to effectively engage our targets.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence.

Stay tuned to our blog for the rest of the series. Head on over to Facebook and Instagram and give us a like and follow. Message us today to find out when our next event is and how to schedule your training in the West Valley of Phoenix!