Travis Haley of Haley Strategic talks about the cross-over capabilities of competition shooting when it comes to training for real.
Forward to 9:12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJ8qUuxLL-w&feature=youtu.be&t=9m12s/
Travis Haley Interview on Competition Shooting
May 25, 2013
Guest Article, Shooting, Video Leave a comment
Special Forces Endorses Competitive Shooting
May 20, 2013
Guest Article, Shooting Leave a comment
Jeff Gurwitch
- Has been a competitive shooter for the last 10 years: USPSA, IDPA, and 3-Gun.
- U.S. Army 3rd Special Forces Group, Ft. Bragg, NC.
- Spent 3 years as an instructor at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School
- Spent 8 years with U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group, Ft. Campbell KY and did 3 tours in Iraq.
- Graduated the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification course in 1998 as a Weapons Sergeant.
- Spent 7 years in the mechanized infantry and Airborne.
- Served in First Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm) in Iraq with the 1st Armored Division.|
- Joined the U.S. Army in June of 1990 as an infantryman.
Here is his endorsement of competitive shooting.
Good Gun Owners
May 12, 2013
Promotion, rant and rave, Shooting Leave a comment
My definition of a good gun owner is anyone capable of keeping and bearing arms without causing vandalism or undue injury to self or others.
If the goal is to produce a pile of brass and a smile, and the gun owner can keep everything downrange and in the berm while doing so, have at it! No need to keep score or record elapsed time. Hell, don’t even bother with a target of any kind. Shoot all your ammo straight into the berm and enjoy making the gun go bang. You’re a good gun owner in my book.
An example. While at Camp Shelby I met a number of the local members of the Moss Branch range, all nice people. One member owned a MG34 and had built a custom mount for it that allowed him to shoot his legally-owned machine gun right out the back of his minivan. Intrigued by this, I politely asked him where the T&E (Traverse and Elevation) mechanism was. He openly admitted not knowing what such a thing was. Upon closer examination I saw the mount had no provision to move the gun in any direction.
His range session consisted of backing the minivan up and roughly pointing the rear bumper at the berm. The mount attached to a trailer hitch and buckets for spent brass and links where positioned to catch the empties. After mounting the gun and confirming it was pointed safely somewhere inside the berm, this proud gun owner gleefully expended whatever ammo he brought for the day’s session, always following range safety and cease fire rules, being careful to change barrels on occasion and not shoot too much as to overheat the gun. Onlookers were welcome to wail a few bursts into the berm if they liked. Use of a target was never considered. After the ammo was gone and the barrels cooled, the gun and mount were carefully stored and the spent brass and links gathered up in buckets to load for the next session. With the ammo gone and the friendly chatting done, he would be on his way home.
This is an example of a good gun owner. He kept his firearms safely, caused no vandalism or undue injury to anyone. He was even a nice gentlemen to boot.
Of course, being a good gun owner doesn’t make one a skilled gun owner… Needless to say, I never consulted with him about machine gun gunnery or other training concerns. But these things didn’t interest him and he should be free to enjoy his equipment how he sees fit.
How many points is one second worth?
May 9, 2013
Guest Article, SensibleShooter, Shooting 2 Comments
Deadeye Steve, who sometimes posts under Sometimes Trouble, had this write up on scoring. Check out his YouTube page (http://www.youtube.com/user/DeadeyeSteve) and the original post (http://www.doodieproject.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=2347)
ALMS Online Training is worse than useless
May 7, 2013
A director of a mandatory military sexual-assault prevention program was arrested for sexual assault.
I figured mandatory military courses like this were useless but it turns out they are worse than that. If the person in charge of such a program can’t keep himself out of trouble, can we finally admit these waste-of-time classes are useless?
The Air Force official in charge of its sexual-assault prevention program was arrested for groping, authorities said Monday.
Lt. Col. Jeff Krusinski, 41, was removed from his position as head of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office pending an investigation, the Air Force said.
When competition shooting is better than formal training
May 5, 2013
Guest Article, MilitaryMarksman, SensibleShooter, Shooting Leave a comment
Going to a formal class from a decent instructor is always a good idea. However, there are several reasons why attending local organized shooting events makes more sense. One of those reasons is on-going availability for minimal cost. Nearly nobody can possibly attend enough formal classes often enough and some kind of effort after class is essential. Attending organized shooting events to periodically test where you’re at is a good way to keep that continuing.
Special Forces on Competition Shooting
May 1, 2013
Guest Article, MilitaryMarksman, SensibleShooter, Shooting Leave a comment
Patrick McNamara spent 22 years in the US Army in several special operations units. McNamara developed a training methodology that is effective, combat relevant and encourages a continuous thought process. This methodology teaches how to maintain safety at all times and choose targets that force accountability. While serving as his unit’s Marksmanship NCO, he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP, and USPSA affiliations. Mac ran monthly IPSC matches and ran semi annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship fundamentals and competitiveness throughout the Army.
He retired from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting).
So, based on his Special Forces combat experience, what does this operator-turned-trainer have to say about competition shooting?
“Though there is no instant solution to shooting well, I truly believe that the illusive shortcut is in competition. How does one compartmentalize the pressures of a gunfight? Well, you won’t learn to do it during the gunfight. Competition forces pressure on the shooter and it is mostly self-induced. We experience anxiety because of self defeating beliefs. The more one trains under pressure, the more he learns to compartmentalize those pressures.
There are many who believe that competing in the likes of an IPSC match has no tactical relevancy, and it is all just a game.
OK, it’s a game where you are shooting your gun at targets, under time, and with people watching you. You must handle your weapon properly, and follow all rules or be DQed (disqualified). You must discriminate between “shoot” and “no-shoot” targets. You have got to move and make use of cover. You will have to fire from awkward positions. You must find a solution to an ambiguous situation within your skill level.”
Patrick McNamara
SGM, US Army (Ret)
The Score Takes Care of Itself
April 25, 2013
Reviews, Shooting Leave a comment
“Even when you have an organization brimming with talent, victory is not always under your control. There is no guarantee, no ultimate formula for success. It all comes down to intelligently and relentlessly seeking solutions that will increase your chance of prevailing. When you do that, the score will take care of itself.”
- Bill Walsh
Will competition get you killed?
April 20, 2013
Guest Article, SensibleShooter, Shooting Ron Avery 2 Comments
Short answer: No. Being complacent, lazy and unwilling to test things out in a formal, peer-reviewed environment is much more detrimental than any alleged downside competition may offer.
I’ll let experienced law enforcement officers take it from here:
More
Larry Vickers “The Test”
April 15, 2013
ConventionalShooter, Shooting 4 Comments
A shooting course used by Larry Vickers.
