ive taken to listening to this guys podcasts as i drive around..

…and I think you should too.

Gunfighter Cast

I have only listened to a couple of his casts, but so far I think he is right on the money with his advice. If you like my “Tactical Preschool” stuff but want to hear more detail, this is your guy.

Check it out.

 

gunsite tactical carbine

 

how two of my favorite toys function

 

tactical preschool 31

While this isn’t really a “tactic” per se, it is a fundamental aspect of weaponcraft that is vital to understand when you are using a long range weapon. The thing I am speaking about is what is referred to as a weapons “zero”.

To understand what a “zero” is, you have to understand the fundamental physics concept of  trajectory. A bullet does not travel in a straight line from the barrel to the target. It travels in an arc. Depending on the weight of the projectile, the velocity the bullet is traveling at and various other influences; a bullet rises to a maximum height and then begins to descend under the influences of gravity and the projectiles gradual lessening in velocity as it travels through the resistance of the atmosphere.

In practical terms what this means is that you have to adjust your weapons sight so that it intersects this arc at a known point. Where your line of sight and the path of the bullet intersect is called that weapons “ZERO”. The bullet is not above your line of sight (+) or below your line of sight(-)…it is at 0 deviation.  This way you know that your bullet will strike where you are aiming if the target is at that “zero” distance.

A weapon is “ZEROED” at two points along the bullets path; where the bullet rises to your line of sight and where it falls once again to your line of sight “downrange”. The standard military “ZERO” is at 25 meters and (depending on bullet type) 250 meters.

As a rule of thumb you need to remember that if the target is closer than your “near zero” then your bullet is going to strike low. Between your “near” and “far” zero the bullet is going to strike high. And beyond your “far zero” the bullet is going to start dropping below of your line of sight.

Tinkering with the distances you can zero a weapon at is a topic of much debate. There are varying schools of thought on what the best distance to zero your weapon is. It’s my humble opinion that the “best zero” is the one YOU can remember and utilize most efficiently. I have been schooled and am most experienced with the 25M military zero so that’s what I stick with. Your personal mileage my vary.

 

any wealthy benefactors out there who want to send me a gift…

I’ll take me one of these.

 

AR15 CQC

Here is part 1 of a 12 part YouTube series showing Lenny Magill’s “AR15 CQC”.

 

 

magpul facial recognition drill

I just found a little vid from Magpul that coincides nicely with my last tactical preschool lesson, where I discussed developing  a scanning method for target engagement.

What Magpul instructors have done is design a drill where a shooter is shown two photos of faces. The shooter then runs down range where he has to engage a series of targets with various faces, two of which match his “hit list”. I think that an interesting twist would be to tell the shooter “these are the bad guys, shoot one or both of them if they are a threat” then have one of both of the targets displaying weapons. Not only would the shooter have to find the bad guys, he would have to figure out if  he was authorized to use deadly force as well. Mix targets of cops displaying weapons into the crowd to really add some fun.

 

CY6

 

Alright since so many people ask…a company called “Defensive Edge SLR15 Rifles” taught a rifle class at my dept. They make/sell rifles and train in their use. They gave out a bunch of these stickers which mean “Cover Your 6″. It’s a term that means “watch your a**” and is also a technique where you always check all around you after you are engaged in a gunfight.

 

 

tactical preschool 6

If you are running an AR platform or any weapon system with its sights higher than the bore line, a common problem that is seen is the striking of cover instead of the bad guy. The sights may be clear of the obstacle, but the muzzle may not be. This problem can become less obvious the further you are away from your cover. You need to make a quick visual check that your muzzle is clear then shift your focus to your sights.

This sight/bore offset can also make a difference during close range engagements. At distances of 25 yards or closer you may have to hold your point of aim as much as 2.5 + inches high to place your round where you want it.

 

double feed malfunction drill