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Occluding the dot…it doesn’t always work.
I had an interesting experience in yesterday’s red dot class. Two people both had different corrective lenses for each eye. The dominant eye was corrected for distance (target focus) and the non-dominant eye corrected for near vision. Normally, when shooting occluded, both eyes are focused on the target plane and the dominant eye sees the dot, but nothing further. The non-dominant eye sees the target. If done properly, your vision stays focused on the target plane and your brain overlays the two images (dot from dominant eye and target from non-dominant) seamlessly into one image and it appears that the red dot is on the target. This forces, your eyes to focus and stay focused on the target.
In the case of these two individuals, their eyes are constantly fighting against each other and the brain‘s ability to converge both images is different than if both eyes were corrected to the same visual plane. Convergence becomes a significant problems in this case. The non-dominant eye, which is corrected to focus close up has difficulty seeing the target with any clarity. The dominant eye, which is corrected to see at target distance, is unable to view the dot properly and because of the occlusion cannot achieve the target focus as intended. The end result was a dramatic shift in their point of impact. The eyes apparently could not properly converge two blurry images and the brain was unable to produce the intended result of seeing the dot on the target (my assessment). Additionally, both people were cross eyed dominant. I don’t know how much more that affected the situation in this case, but they both had a point of impact shift of at least 12”!
If you’ve ever experienced this or can provide more insight, leave me a comment!
What should I bring to a shooting class?
I give the bare minimum equipment requirements for a given class on the registration page, but many people don’t know what to bring to a firearms training class. This is especially true if it’s your first time attending a shooting course. The below list probably doesn’t cover everything, but it is a good starting point for most firearms courses. Certain courses will require additional specialized gear, but this list should set you up for success. It’s important to come prepared for your training. Lack of preparation slows things down for everyone else. Most instructors will have some equipment available to help students and if you have doubts on what to bring, ask questions in advance.
Gun – goes without saying. For a pistol course, a full or mid-size gun is better than a micro compact. If you’re shooting all day, the small guns will wear you out much faster. Nothing wrong with shooting more than one gun so bring what you want.
Backup Gun – if you have one, bring it. Guns break and you don’t want to miss out on training because a gun went down. Just make sure you have the correct holsters for each.
Holster (s) – Kydex or leather. Nylon is terrible and most instructors don’t allow it. Get a quality holster for training and daily carry. The Blackhawk Serpa (or any other active retention holster where you use your index finger to release the locking mechanism) is also a poor choice and banned by some instructors.
Magazines – at least 3 magazines, 5 or more is better (depends on capacity).
Magazine pouches (2-3) – depends on the course, but for training, it’s pretty much a requirement.
Gun belt – lots of options here. You can use a duty belt, competition style setup or your EDC, but the belt needs to be a purpose built gun belt, not your church leather belt. If you’re carrying a gun and multiple magazines all day, the belt needs to help carry the load.
Ammunition – most classes give a round count and this is the minimum to bring. Always bring extra so you can shoot more on a given drill if you want. I generally recommend an additional 25% as a baseline.
Eye protection – Dark and clear lenses. Shooting conditions vary, good to have both.
Ear protection – electronics are highly encouraged and REQUIRED for some classes. As with many things, you get what you pay for.
Hat
Small towel – dry your hands, wipe away sweat, cover your gun if rainy/misty weather, etc,
Lens cloth – keep your optics clear
Extra batteries – for ear pro, optics, etc. Batteries always die when we need them most!
Small tool kit/multi tool – A good tool set is great to keep in your range bag. You’ll likely need to adjust optics, tighten screws on a holster, mag pouch, optic, etc.
Cleaning kit – always good to have a basic cleaning kit on hand and definitely bring one to a multi day shooting course
First Aid Kit – most ranges/instructors will have a decent kit. Bring your own to take care of the most basic injuries or cuts. A tourniquet and the knowledge on how to use them is smart too.
Gun oil
Appropriate clothing – I generally recommend pants if you don’t know the range or if you’ll be getting on the ground. If it’s cold, bring lots to stay warm (hat, gloves, layers). Shooting while cold sucks. If it’s hot and sunny, long-sleeve performance shirts are great. Bring extra clothing, especially if you sweat a lot. Good shoes and extra socks.
Sunscreen & bug spray
Notebook & pen
Chair – every range is different, but smart to have one with you.
Plenty of water/electrolytes – obviously depends on weather conditions, but a good shooting course will typically be somewhat physically demanding.
Lunch & snacks (bring healthy food, not junk!) – many classes don’t provide an opportunity to leave for lunch (too far from restaurants).
Decent range bag – need a place to put all this stuff. A top loading bag is better than just a random backpack. Makes things more accessible and easier to organize. Again, lots of options out there.
I’m sure I’ve missed a few things, but this list should set you up for success. When in doubt, ask the instructor ahead of time. We spend good time and money attending a shooting course so it’s best to be as prepared as possible. Most instructors and other students are always ready to help you out if they can, but it’s better to have and not need than to need and not have.
Sunday morning excitement
Quick story of my Sunday morning adventure….A pig came out by the range last night and I went to take care of it. As I was walking out, he winded me and started to run off when I shot. The thermal pic is from the moment before the shot…not good. I looked for blood, but didn’t see any and thought it likely I actually shot under him. I decided to come back out in the morning.
This morning I went with my wife and one of our dogs (on a leash) to look. Since I figured it was unlikely we would find him, I only grabbed my carry gun (Glock 19). We poked around for a bit when I finally saw it laying down in some think brush. I yelled to my wife that I found it when he stood up and started to charge me (about 7 yards away). My initial thought was “that’s a big pig!” and I drew my pistol (I was carrying AIWB under my jacket, not because I wanted to be concealed, but because it was cold outside). I got 5 shots off before he ran away from me (but left in the direction of my wife). He got as close as 3 yards. Not sure how many hits I scored, but I’m confident in the majority. Interestingly, this unfolded similarly to the Attack Target I use in classes. Threat started advancing from around 7 yards, I immediately began moving backwards, drew, and engaged until it was no longer an immediate threat to me.
My wife instinctively went back to the house to put the dog up and came back with an AR. We worked our way through the thick brush and eventually found the pig again where I was able to finish the job with the rifle.
An injured animal is dangerous and a wounded boar even more so.
Some good things this event reinforced in my mind. 1) Always carry. 2) Training pays off! I drew from concealment and fired 5 aimed shots in less than 3 seconds. I never thought about the task of shooting. It was subconscious. My conscious brain was focused on the threat and where my wife was in relation to where I was shooting. 3) Whatever you choose to carry, you’ll likely want something bigger and more powerful in the event you need to actually use it! I thought about taking an AR for my initial search, but opted for the smaller option. Again, I felt it unlikely that I had hit the pig last night and if I had, it would either have died or gone much further from where it was shot, never to be found. Both of those assumptions were wrong.
I talk about training all the time. Yes, I love shooting and my range is 200yds from the house so it’s easy for me to practice. However, I encourage everyone who owns a gun to make time to train. Do more to get better than you did last year. Take a class, go to a competition, dry-fire, have a plan and purpose when you go to the range, but put in some effort.
Yes, this was only a pig, but he was pissed and was focused on coming after me. He undoubtedly could have injured me, my wife or my dog, but I’m happy with how quickly and effectively I was able to deal with the situation. Keep training and be prepared.
Competition Improves Competence
If you question the value of shooting competitions as it pertains to overall shooting competence, I encourage you to give it a try. Competition is one of the best ways to improve your skill set and add stress to your shooting. Defensive shootings are high stress events that typically occur in a very short period of time. “Practical” shooting competitions can never replicate a defensive shooting situation (nor are they attempting to), but they provide one of the best opportunities for us to improve our skills while adding pressure to the task at hand. Competitions incorporate a timer (you’re on the clock), pressure from other competitors, pressure from ourselves and force us to think and act quickly under that pressure.
Competition is a great way to test your equipment too. We can learn what works well and what doesn’t. You will learn how to handle weapon malfunctions (they happen far more often at competitions than you might think). You’ll get more comfortable with your gear and, I’ll say it again, learn to deal with a level of stress that you can’t get when shooting by yourself at a static target at you local range.
I can’t encourage this enough. There are lots of shooting competitions out there and typically locations are within reasonable driving distances for most people. As a new competitor, you will find other shooters incredibly friendly and helpful. Go to a local match and tell them you are new…you’ll likely get paired up with an experience competitor, ready to help. Get out and get better!
Good Instructor? Do your homework before taking a firearms course.
I’ve never been one to brag about myself and I’ve always been one to want to improve and get better. I’ve also been around the shooting sports and firearms long enough to know that I provide better training than most of the instructors out there. That’s not to say there aren’t many GREAT instructors who have done this longer than me and are better than me (both with their instruction and shooting prowess), but there are a LOT of instructors out there that have a lot to learn. My competition shooting and military backgrounds, especially my time as the Battalion Commander of the Army Marksmanship Unit, provided me a tremendous opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in the shooting sports that many other instructors lack.
When I got both my NRA Rifle and Pistol instructor certifications and my Texas License to Carry and School Safety instructor certifications, I was pretty shocked with a lot of the candidates in attendance. More than just a few could not meet the qualification requirements and many did not appear to have much, if any, experience presenting and teaching material to a group of people. How can you teach a skill you can’t adequately explain to others nor perform yourself?
It’s also important to know your clients, know their goals and be able to provide the service they are looking for. I pride myself on providing personalized firearms training and it’s why I keep my classes small. I saw an organization close to me that “limits” their LTC class to the first 40 people! Wholly smokes, I’d love to have 40 people knocking on my door every weekend to take a class with me, but there’s no way they get the individual attention and quality instruction they deserve nor the training they need. I realize my location may not be the most convenient, but I’m confident that people have found (or will find) my classes and the environment I provide, to be better than most other facilities. Indoor ranges are nice when it’s really hot or really cold, but let’s be honest, they are ridiculously loud and it is difficult to communicate on the line, even to small groups. This is especially not the environment in which a new shooter will feel comfortable.
Small classes, great location, personal attention….I’m confident you will have a good experience with me so check out my classes or get with me for private training.
Texas Run & Gun
Had a blast today at the RWR Run & Gun as part of the Old Eighteen Defense (OEDefense.com) Rivals competition. First time for me at one of these and it’s been way too long since I’ve shot a competition of any kind. I’ll say I was pretty impressed with the organization of the match, logistics and ROs. All seemed to be great people. Also met a couple people from the TexAgs Outdoor board and ran into a West Pointer I first met in 2007. We had several other run-ins along the way but I hadn’t seen him since 2015. Small world.
My prep for the match was really in 3 areas: equipment selection & setup, cardio, and shooting from non-standard positions. I should have put cardio first.
The run was mostly flat, but enough up and down to give a good workout. The final 200yds was uphill and I was pretty smoked. My biggest takeaway on cardio was that I should have done more runs where I’d stop (for up to 10 minutes) along the way. Waiting to shoot is nice for catching your breath, but my legs tend to get tight quickly so starting the next leg was harder than I expected. I would not have been ready for the 10k.
Equipment wise I had most everything I needed except a chest rig and a new belt. My approach was to stay pretty light. I carried 3 AR mags loaded with 55gr ammo and 1 loaded with 77gr. Planned to only take 4 Glock mags (20 rds ea), but threw one more in the gun before I started because I didn’t know what to expect. I also carried a collapsible water bottle that I’d toss in my pocket while shooting. Just enough water for a cool day and 5k run. Initially, I didn’t plan to take water, but I’m glad I did. I went through several holster setups leading up to the match. Took me a little to configure what worked for me and made a few returns too. Settled on the Safariland ALS, but I still really don’t like it that much. It’s a LOT of holster, but I like their active retention. Not knowing what obstacles there could be, I went with more holster than less. Running in full kit as part of training was critical. I run with rifle slung on my back. Much easier to run IMO, but I had to make various adjustments to equipment. Definitely paid off today as everything felt good.
Shooting went better than I expected. I wasn’t worried about pistol work, but rifle was much more of an unknown for me. Glad I got some practice at 300 & 400yds. Fortunately there was only one stage with targets that went out to 400ish.
Overall, this was a great event. Wish I videoed some, but didn’t want the distraction as a first-timer. I’m going to jump on wait lists and hope I get another chance this year. If not, I’ll be ready to sign up next year. I finished 3rd overall today.
Start the New Year off with a bang!
Don’t put it off any longer. Sign up for a firearms training course. It takes effort to get better. It doesn’t just happen. Dry fire practice a few times each week, accuracy work to start live fire sessions and take a class with someone. Work on things you know you aren’t very good at…like strong and weak hand shooting. Make every round count. If you carry (and you should), be an asset, not a liability!
Should I still get my License To Carry (LTC)?
People ask this question a lot more ever since Texas passed permitless or “Constitutional Carry” last summer. Since then, additional states passed similar versions of permitless carry and the current count is 25. Whenever someone asks me if they should still get the LTC, I always say “yes”. Not because I’m looking to fill my next class, but because the average citizen does not take the time to read the laws. As gun owners, we must understand the law and be responsible gun owners.
Top 3 reasons
There are several significant reasons why getting your LTC is beneficial. First is Reciprocity. You can carry in 35 other states with a Texas License to Carry; 10 more than have Constitutional Carry (CC). Additionally, not all CC states allow for non-residents to carry. These reciprocal agreements are formal recognition between states.
A second reason to get the LTC is that you no longer have to undergo an additional background check when purchasing a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensed (FFL) dealer. Additionally, many private party sellers (at a gunshows or through other advertised means) prefer or require that you have a LTC. This very reasonable requirement shows the seller you are “vetted” and not a prohibited person. The LTC serves as your background check.
Third, the LTC gives you additional legal protection in the event of an honest mistake. For example, if LTC holder mistakenly carries passed a 30.06 or 30.07 sign, is told to leave, and immediately departs the prohibited location, they have a defense to prosecution. Unlicensed carry passed a 30.05 sign does not have the same forgiveness.
Additional reasons for the License to Carry
The federal “Gun Free School Zones” do not apply to a LTC holder. Federal Law prohibits guns within 1000 feet of schools. If you have your LTC, this does not apply. However, if you choose Constitutional Carry, have a gun in your car, and pick up your child at school, you are breaking the law!
Training. As a gun owner, our training should never end! I can almost guarantee you will learn something during the classroom portion of the LTC course. Laws constantly change and we must stay informed. Ignorance is no excuse.
Having the LTC is almost always positive when dealing with Law Enforcement. The police have an incredibly difficult job and as a responsible citizen, I want to make their job as easy as possible. Traffic stops are the most common encounter with LE and immediately notifying them that you have a firearm and your LTC tends to put them more at ease. Again, they know you’ve been vetted.
I could go on with many more reasons, but you probably won’t read much more! Bottom line, get your LTC. You won’t regret it.
Shooting from Cover/Concealment
Shooting from cover or concealment is another important defensive skill to train on. Minimize exposure, train both strong and weak side, and always maintain an acceptable level of accuracy.
Sign up for the Defensive Pistol Skills course on 7 May 2022.
Defensive Pistol Skills