Aiming Is Useless Video

Ran into this video of Rob Leatham explaining why aiming is useless. Take a few minutes to watch it and you might learn something along the way.

Harris Bipod Swivel Pivot Lock

I recently found myself in the market for a bipod and settled on a Harris, not a knockoff, and opted for the 6″-9″ with a swivel. I must say finding information on the bipods was almost painful. I settled on the HBRMS which is spring loaded and has notches for 1″ increments. There is also the HBRS which is not spring loaded and does not have notches, but is the exact same price. There are options without the swivel and with longer legs, but for my purposes a 6″-9″ will work just fine.

Anyway, the Harris HBRMS comes with a knurled knob which is very difficult to grasp. For that reason there are many aftermarket pivot lock handles. After dropping the coin on the bipod, I really did not want to spend much on a pivot lock handle. After reading some Amazon reviews I settled on the Caldwell which at the time was $9.99. It is made for their Harris knockoff, but also comes with an SAE adapter which fits the Harris. Putting it on was a cinch. You remove the nut on the Harris with a 1/4″ socket or nut driver and after removing the knob, thread on the SAE adapter. Then put on the handle and using an allen wrench, 2.5mm IIRC, tighten down the screw for the handle. After that you are ready to roll. It took longer to find the tools in the toolbox than to change out the knob for the handle. I especially like that I can lift the handle if I need to reposition it to make it tighter or looser.

Anyway, if you need a handle for a Harris bipod with a swivel I recommend the Caldwell. The price is right and it only takes a few minutes to install!

Be Careful Instructors, Students Are Depending On You

I was disappointed recently by a fellow instructor who discouraged a former student of theirs from pursuing a firearm which has not yet been released. It was obvious the student was drawn to the firearm which IMO is one of the first steps in deciding if you want the firearm or not. Sure if you are going to conceal the firearm you need to think about many, many other topics, but to discourage someone from considering a firearm you have not held, touched, read range reports on, and fully investigated is the equivalent of poor parenting. As an instructor you should assist the student to the best possible firearm for their budget and needs. Had this particular firearm been out on the market with substandard reviews then my opinion of the situation would be much different, but because the only tangible reports were tactile from Shot Show 2017 and the gun is not on the market, to tell a student to overlook it is bad form. I’ve actually had my eye on this particular firearm and believe it may turn out to be a winner. I’ve been wrong many times in the past, but this one looks to me to be on the right track to be a great firearm for IWB carry. Anyway, if you are an instructor and have a favorite manufacturer do not allow that bias to carry over into the decision making process for a student. Just because I am a Ruger fanboy does not mean I would tell someone to avoid an S&W, Bersa, or Taurus, I would fully research the firearm they are considering and would probably head to a large firearm store to put my hands on it and decide for myself before offering an opinion. There is no way I would tell a student anything about a firearm which is not yet on the market other than to read the articles out now and I will be glad to assist them with an evaluation once the firearm has been released.

NRA Facebook Change

I received a notification of change for the National Rifle Association Facebook page. It is now the NRA Institute for Legislative Action and I must say I despise the change. I hated it when I would get all sorts of political notifications from the NRA before I opted out and in the American Rifleman magazine I skip all the political articles to read about firearms, ammo, etc. I’m not sure why the NRA has decided to make their Facebook presence all or nothing, but if I’m someone looking for Refuse To Be A Victim I would be turned off when I get directed to a Legislative Action page instead. Bad move NRA, don’t make everything political when so much good comes from training and programs.

H.R. 367 – Supressors Finally?

On January 9 H.R.367 – To provide that silencers be treated the same as long guns was introduced. Hopefully this will pass and suppressors will finally be off the NFA list. The $200 tax stamp and lengthy process for procurement is what has kept me from pursuing a can, but if this makes it through my excuses to keep me from purchasing will be eliminated. Fingers crossed as this could make a world of difference for hearing protection and places which may allow ranges.

Another Like Us On Facebook Request

We have 131 people following the blog via email, but only a handful of folks who receive it in their Facebook feed. If you are on Facebook, please take a minute to LIKE the page, not a single blog post, but the Facebook page. Thank you for your support, it is appreciated!

Catch An Officer Doing Something Right

Hopefully in the future we will see more examples of Police Officers doing something right. It seems as of late we only hear about them doing something wrong. How about more like the officer who talked the guy out of jumping off the bridge, stopped the active shooter, arrested the super villain, or got the cat out of the tree. OK, that last one is a fireman, but you get the drift. I hope to find more positive police related posts in the future myself, it seems most as of late have not been stellar. With that in mind, tomorrow (or in the near future) I plan to focus on an officer who should be reprimanded and fired. Be on the lookout.

Browning Sound Shield

When I first say the Browning Sound Shield glasses mentioned on Guns.com I thought what a gimmick. They are simply safety/shooting glasses with built in ear protection. Then the more I thought about it the more I approve. I traditionally wear glasses and electronic muffs, but have found myself in situations where I had to borrow either eyes and ears or both and the beauty of this is you could have a pair in your range bag or vehicle and always be ready to go since both are together. The ear plugs are rated with a NRR of 25 dB although the Browning website lists two other NRR ratings. The plugs store in the ends of the glasses and have retractable cords which keep them attached. Also the plugs are replaceable.

The MSRP is $29.99 and online it appears the price is going on some web retailers very close to that. I’m not sure if they are worth that premium, but at $20 they are a no-brainer. Replacement plugs are available for and MSRP of $22.99 for 12 pairs and again at that price I might hesitate, however I found them at one website for a little over a buck a pair which is again a no-brainer. These would be great for students to know they have the required protection or for anyone who might have a problem keeping their shooting protection together.

Facebook – (Please “Like” The Page)

Most people must subscribe to the blog since we have 125 people receiving it on a daily basis. If you are reading this, swing over to Facebook and like our page there and you can receive the content in your feed.

What Does It Take To Shoot 1,000 Yards?

Ever since Ruger came out with the Precision Rifle I have had the question what would be needed to shoot 1,000 yards running around in the back of my brain. I know practically nothing about how to shoot long-range so I decided to do a little research into the topic. Even after some cursory research I still see I have much to learn on the topic.

If you to are interested here are a few links to check out:

Field & Stream

ITS Tactical

Shooting Illustrated

RifleShooter