Use Promo code tacr5 for a 5% discount! Check them out at: https://www.tractoptics.com Most of my military career was around sniper rifles. I have a passion for being able to “see” (understand) the ballistics of my bullets, and consider it a “God given Talent.” Some may just consider that being able to do math in my head fast or being able to follow calculation directions from sniper school fast. However, it flows through my veins and I truly live for hitting tactical targets at extended distances under adverse conditions. Day or night, moving or hidden, on the assault countdown; effective precision fire delivered for the Ground Force Commander, guaranteed.

So, here at Tactical Rifleman, I’m passionate about doing my tactical precision rifle stuff and showing the top-end rifles and optics. However, many of our viewers has expressed in comments (I read them all) that I “greatly overestimate the expendable income of most of our viewers,” and I should also cover great “low-priced” scopes. OK, that’s fair. Let’s clear up one thing first; military guys (even retired E-9s) didn’t join the military to make money. Some vets do better than others, but most are content to be normal middle class citizens. A few are upper class and, unfortunately, more than some are lower class (and too proud to ride the system). Why am I bringing this up? Well, because special forces guys LOVE the great gear we use/used in the military, but couldn’t afford to own. So, we would always hunt around for the “Best” low-end equivalent, so we could have our own gear at home. So, viewer requests for us to hunt for cheaper gear is NOT new for us… We have been doing it our whole career.

That brings us to this video. I’ve been hunting for a new low price-end precision rifle scope to share with viewers. Everyone knows about the great Vortex scopes and a few other brands, that you can see at every precision rifle match across the States. However, I hadn’t seen much about this new company called TRACT Optics. The company is a couple of guys that left Nikon, and wanted to start their own company with a little different business model… high quality sold directly to the consumers (no dealers) to save the consumer money… or something like that. I’m not trying to put words in their mouths, as I won't let them put words in mine.

The Toric MRad is a solid scope so far. I’ve been running it for around 6 or 7 months, only on a 308 rifle. They say it will take .338 LapMag recoil. Hopefully it will, but I have no experience with that yet. I’m hoping to get another .338 (looking for a semi-auto), and will then put this scope through the paces there.

Glass on this puppy is top notch, which is more important than hunters think. Turrets are better than many high-end designs. I actually prefer the turrets on this TRACT Toric over my Schmidt & Bender, and those are great turrets too. It’s first focal-plane; which is a MUST, if you are running any kind of hash-marked reticle (MIL or BDC).

Anyways, I cover all the details in the video. Sorry it is so long, but I wanted everyone to understand that what makes a scope great is not that it “looks cool” or you can dial it up to “Eighty Power.” Rather, it is the small details that makes a $2,000 scope worth more than a $200 scope. Either you need it or you don’t. Either you can afford it or you can’t. Yes, I love a few of the $3k out on the market right now. However, my daughter’s college isn’t going to pay itself. So, next step down (without getting a $200 airsoft scope) in optics is still pricey. You’re looking at spending over $1k for a few great scopes out there, with all the great features, just not MilSpec. If you are looking for a new Precision Rifle Scope, without breaking the bank; please take a look at the TRACT Optics line; specifically, this Toric MRad. This puppy has impressed the hell out of me.

Thanks for watching, Strength & Honor. TR

You best believe that cover from incoming gun fire will be your best friend in that moment. Having a solid obstacle between you and a would be killer is a blessing in itself, but knowing how to properly use that cover is just as important. Think about this. If someone is trying to kill you with a gun and you happen to find yourself a nice piece of wall to hunker behind, how long can you just lay low back there? If you can’t effectively bring the fight back to the killer by having a good shooting position, what is keeping them from maneuvering closer to you so that they can effectively end your life? You hear me (Zee) say that the rifle is really your best source of cover. This is what I mean. The wall keeps you safe temporarily but with no resistance otherwise, the bad guys can potentially close with you and negate whatever safety the wall provides. In short, GET YOUR GUN UP AND INTO THE FIGHT EFFECTIVELY, despite the quality of cover you have even. As long as you have a reliable gun and the bullets to feed it, you have a source of cover (cover fire). Now, I said you have a “source of cover”, but can you properly use it? That is where the training comes in. WHAT ARE YOU CAPABLE OF? Let’s figure out our limitations. Hit up the TACTICAL RIFLEMAN website to find some training courses and come train with myself, Karl, and the rest of the crew. Be a capable citizen, not a liability.

The plan was to do this video talking about my favorite 3 items that I always keep in my bag. I thought about doing this video like our series of “survival gear” video, that Randy “Rawhide” Wurst did, and just just point to the bag and say “I’m not gonna get into it.”... Yep, that would have pissed everyone off, as there are a lot of viewers that want to know EVERYTHING that I carry, down to what I keep in my pockets and hidden in my belt (different video). So, I broke down and decided to show everything (within reason) that I keep in my “Woods” bag. This is literally what I carry. When the film crew showed up, they saw it laying there in my office, and asked why we had not done a video on it yet. I had just done a hike through “Garden of Gods” in Illinoi, and it was still packed. All I had to add back to it was my “Woobie,” as I had it out on the couch. Here’s a few notes for your bag. If you make it too heavy, you wont carry it. Better to stay really light, as you are more likely to take it with you. Food/Water/Shelter/Fire/Med/Como; but not in that order Have a knife: I carry a Leatherman Surge in the woods https://amzn.to/2S2acra Fire: 2 is 1, and 1 is none. Plus, Fire can signal, cook food, purify water, warm shelter. Como: If you are going off grid; but a Sat Phone. Phone: Put the “Smart” in Smartphone. Have good apps, like Gaia GPS and Life360 My Mountain Serape is hands down my favorite piece of gear in the woods. Hill People Gear makes it, http://bit.ly/2QWoc5z code "tacrifle5" for a 5% discount Water: If you aren’t in the habit of bringing water with you everywhere, don’t go outside. Ever. Medical: Think Trauma, think cuts & bruises, think multi-use items. Mobility: That’s YOU!!! Stay in shape. Wear good comfortable foot gear. Layer your clothes. Bring extra socks, to keep your feet dry. I hope you enjoy the video, as a small glimpse into my life. Yes, I enjoy hiking. No, I don’t always walk around with a sniper rifle in my hands. I’m actually looking forward to the comments about what gear our viewers would prefer. Thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR

Special “Thanks” to all our Patrons, whos financial support was used to build these walls and purchase expendables and ballistic gel for this video. One of our favorite videos (and most commented) was Karl’s “Best Weapon for Home Defense.” Who would have figured that Karl would pick a rifle? Go Figure. Many of the controversial comments were around the topic of “over-penetration” of walls. There are lots of opinions on the subject, but very little actual data. So, rather than argue back & forth, we decided to do another video focused on the penetration of various walls with various firearms. Great idea for a video, but once we started staffing this, we realized that it was going to take too long and cost too much. Karl hates the word “Can’t” and we made the decision that if we were going to invest a lot of time and money into making a video, then we better go all out and make it a standard that will stand for a while. Which walls to build? Drywall interior wall and Cinder Block were both “No brainers.” We then added the exterior walls of common American homes, both Red Brick and Vinyl/Wood sided. We then noticed that many apartment buildings in “older/classic/historical” areas were using cinder block with red brick on the outside, to make it look “older.” This added another layer of protection; so let’s test that too. Finally, there are hundreds of thousands of Trail/Mobile Homes here in the US. So, we got permission to cut a wall out of a trailer home. That was kinda weird, with the dirty looks the neighbors were giving us. What guns to use? Rifle, pistol, shotgun is obvious; but what types of rounds? We decided to stick with military 9mm ball, instead of the various hollow points, as the ball would penetrate more. We also shot it out of a SIG MPX. The longer barrel allows the pistol caliber round to fully speed up before exiting the barrel. We did this because we didn’t want Ninjas coming back saying that their Glock/SIG/Colt shot faster than our “test pistol” and therefore our findings were invalid. Yes, a 44 Magnum would possibly penetrate more, and a .45ACP would penetrate less. Who the hell is using a .44 Magnum anymore? Dirty Harry? For Shotgun, we went with a common home defense length Remington 870. We then used common 7 ½ Birdshot, common 00 Buckshot, and common 1 ounce Slugs. Yes, “Flight Control” buckshot groups tighter and “Turkey Storm” hits harder; but both are not common home defense rounds and also they would both have little effect on our test. For the rifle, we went with the most common 5.56mm round available in the US; the 55 grain full metal jacket. Yes, AK or 300blk would hit harder. Yes, “Green Tip” would penetrate better. On and on, there are hundreds of variables on loads. So, again, we stuck with the most common. To measure energy after penetration, we used ballistic gelatin blocks, purchased from Clear Ballistics. This is really cool stuff. It’s reusable, once you melt it down. It reacts the same as the standard “FBI” gel that we have used in past videos. So, results are uniform. We hope that you enjoy the video. We will be making more videos along these lines. Again, we couldn’t do this without the support of our Patrons. If you want to help support Tactical Rifleman, subscribe to our channel. If you want to do more; for the cost of a cup of Starbucks, you can support us on our Patreon/Tacticalrifleman. Lots of cool bonus content there, like monthly “war stories” and other perks. Strength & Honor, TR

This is a Holiday Gift Guide to help those poor souls who don’t know what to buy. These are just Karl’s personal recommendations. We have NOT been pressured or paid from ANY brand to add their product. We only covered 12 items in the video, for time restraint reasons, but there is a larger list below. From cheap to expensive; there is a gift there that will fit everyone’s needs or desires. Sorry, but we could not get promo codes for all items. We tried. Strength & Honor, TR (All amazon links are affiliate links) 1- Leatherman Wave : https://amzn.to/2Kk4o9T 2- EOTech with Green Reticle eotechgear.com Use code: TR10 For 10% off all items in the Gear Store (apparel, sights, etc.). It's valid for one use per customer. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2DQdivv 3- Survivor Filter https://amzn.to/2DAcoSX 4- MGM Plate Rack in a Bucket : http://bit.ly/2DOiArc Promo Code: Unbreakable550 for 25% off most of their catalog until the end of the year 5- Glock E-Tool https://amzn.to/2DPR6BE 6- Lancer Mags: We can’t put a link to Lancers website because of youtube rules but google them and use promo code "TacR15” for 15% off! This code will be good until 1/15/19 7- Hill People Gear Mountain Sherape http://bit.ly/2QWoc5z code "tacrifle5" for a 5% discount 8- Leatherback Gear Bullet Proof Bag http://bit.ly/2PDl1mV Promo Code: TACR10. 9- Tract Optics Toric MRad http://bit.ly/2Dw2OjI Use the code TACR5 for a 5% discount 10- FACT Duty Pistol Camera http://bit.ly/2DwMU90 Promo code: TACR25 11- Taser Pulse Promo Code TASERxTacR15 to get 15%off 12- Tactical Rifleman Hoodie shop.spreadshirt.com/Tacticalrifleman Other Items: walker silencer bluetooth rechargeable Ear Plugs : https://amzn.to/2DQqrER Big Berkey Water Filter : https://amzn.to/2BkGCHY Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener : https://amzn.to/2FsQ682 Leatherman Surge : https://amzn.to/2S2acra Snugpak Stasha : https://amzn.to/2DxPqvy Petzl E-Lite Head Lamp : https://amzn.to/2KjoaCo Arc’teryx Knee Pads : https://amzn.to/2FzbE2W AK Sight Tool : https://amzn.to/2OTr2GP Celox Rapid 3"x5ft Z Fold Gauze : https://amzn.to/2DwkFXY H+H Med Gauze : https://amzn.to/2PFTG3f VTac Targets : https://amzn.to/2zkhEXD 9mm Dummy Rounds : https://amzn.to/2PK17Xh 5.56mm Rifle Dummy Rounds : https://amzn.to/2Tvu1IQ Fero Rods : https://amzn.to/2OVnLGP Karl’s Book List : https://amzn.to/2Bm2zGx Radiation Detector / Geiger Counter : https://amzn.to/2S5mM9b Safariland ALS Holster : https://amzn.to/2OUqqk2 100ft Spectra Line : https://amzn.to/2DzMC0R Trijicon HD Pistol Night Sights : https://amzn.to/2DAdzlm Scope Level : https://amzn.to/2BkIsbU Salomon Forces XA Pro 3D Shoes https://amzn.to/2DOBRJ6 Salomon Men's Speedcross 4 Trail Runner https://amzn.to/2DybSom American Red Cross Clipray crank-powered, clip-on flashlight and smartphone charger https://amzn.to/2DQ4C8m Karl’s Car Kit : https://amzn.to/2OTspVZ InForce WML IR Gen2 LED Weapon Mounted Tactical Rail Light https://amzn.to/2S2uDV6 SureFire X300 Ultra Series LED WeaponLights with TIR Lens https://amzn.to/2S5nCTn Streamlight 69420 TLR-7 Low Profile Rail Mounted Tactical Light https://amzn.to/2DwqVPr Mechanix Wear MPT-72-010 Gloves https://amzn.to/2TtA8NZ Blast Match Fire Starter https://amzn.to/2qVehBR

Frangible Ammo was used to film this video. This week, on Tactical Rifleman, we are going to cover Karl’s Top 5 Advanced Drills for CQB Shooting. Yes, there are hundreds of great drills out there. However, first and foremost, new shooters need to develop muscle memory. That takes thousands (7-9k) of repetitions of the same CORRECT movements and actions. That brought Karl to film our first video in this series: “Top-5 Combat Drills”, which was his favorite rifle drills for new shooters. When training to shoot, at CQB distances, it is literally all about repetitions. You’ll see that each of these drills builds on the drill(s) before it; so that you are continuing to push those said movements and actions into your subconscious mind. It’s like driving… the first few months, you had to think about brakes and turn signals. Now, you just drive subconsciously. That frees up the conscious mind to focus on signs, signals, and other drivers. Likewise, you need to push all these basic shooting skills into your subconscious mind. That frees up the conscious mind to focus on “Is it a Threat” and “Is it a Threat that warrants Deadly Force?” Master these basic drills, through lots of repetition of each. If your unit doesn’t have that much ammo, then start with dry firing, and wrap up with live fire. Once, you have mastered them, then add all your critical skills to these drills: Add Transition to Pistol Drills, every time your rifle runs dry or malfunctions Add Tactical & Speed Reloads Add Turning & Moving Drills, to these drills Use Dummy Rounds, to induce Malfunctions during these drills. That’s what this second video is all about. There’s nothing fancy. There’s no “Crazy” shooting from vehicles or hanging from rappel rope. These Advanced Drills are just the same Basic drills, but with short magazines and dummy rounds added in. All of your turning and movement drills, should still be including these same basic drills to allow your subconscious mind to continue to keep sharp. When you are ready to test; use the timed Critical Task Evaluations (CTEs) to see if you make the standard. If you don’t know them, you can find them all in our video archive. These are the same tests used by most SOF units. While the distances and times may vary from unit to unit, the standards are roughly the same. Again, we know there are tons of other great rifle drills out there. I know all the Internet Ninjas are gonna start screaming how “Their Drill is Better” or how we “Obviously don’t know how to Shoot.” Yep, you guys are awesome. However, these are still Karl’s Top-5 Advanced Shooting Drills for CQB. Thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR.

If you’ve seen the news over the last few years, Officer Involved Shootings (OICs) seem to grab headlines more often than not. A lot of times everyone is focused on the Body Cam footage, and what it shows. And as we’ve seen all too often, that Body Cam footage doesn’t help us because it’s blocked or for some other reason doesn’t capture the reason the officer pulled the trigger. This has caused quite a bit of public outcry and even violence in many of our communities. Viridian Weapon Technologies has a product out now to change that. The FACT Duty is a camera that mounts on the end of an officer’s firearm, comes on automatically when the gun is drawn from the holster, records in 1080 DP and full HD audio and provides an unobstructed view of what the officer sees. But don’t worry, it’s not just for LE. They have a consumer version out now great for many uses. We’ll get to that in a bit. As you’ll see in the video, I ran the FACT Duty on the range and break down some of my thoughts. For LEOs, this just makes sense. It fits almost all duty holsters and doesn’t require you to get new gear, retrain or otherwise drastically change your approach to drawing your weapon. The camera’s video is top notch and can also be used as a great training tool. At the end of the day, Viridian doesn’t say this is a replacement for Body Cams. They say it can be a supplement for larger departments and a nice substitute that doesn’t break the city bank for smaller cities/towns/forces. What keeps the price down is the manageable amount of data. Body cams can record several hours of footage a day—from each officer! Think about how much that ends up. Now you have to manage that, keep it and/or provide it to someone when the ask for it. The FACT Duty cameras were designed to capture OISs—and that’s it. And most departments want to (or should want to) know why the officer pulled the trigger. And communities do too. Hopefully with this product, if there is a shooting, everyone knows what really happened. After saying all that, let’s transition to the consumer version. For you civilians out there, Viridian has a version for you. It can be turned on and off manually, is easy to get the videos transferred/viewed and is great for hunting, shooting at the range or for legally-armed citizens who want a back up plan in case they ever have to use their weapon in a defensive situation. Viridian has two options—one that is a camera and a light ($399), and one that is a camera, light and laser ($599). Each has its place and I think both can be popular. Think about how cool it would be to film your next action pistol match? Or range session? For legally armed citizens, it can also be evidence to use in court after self defense incident. For a learning tool, I love it. I will run it in my classes, and I think having it on people’s guns will be really telling (and maybe embarrassing for a few)—but very valuable! We have a lot of guys and gals who come in to our classes who can flat out shoot. A few say they can—but the paper and/or steel doesn’t lie. But now with these cameras, I can see what part of the process is the problem and fix it! If you’re not doing it right at the range, you don’t have a chance in hell of doing it right when someone is trying to kill you and/or your family. Believe me, I know. Viridian has created a completely new category for LE and it is great for civilians too. I hope you enjoy the video and get a chance to put one on the end of your gun soon. If you want a Weapon-Mounted Camera, or any other Viridian product, they are going to hook up Tactical Rifleman viewers. Use this promo code below: TACR25 to save 25% off all their products on their website https://viridianweapontech.com . Thanks for watching. Strength and Honor, TR.

Everyone wants “Advanced” shooting drills and they want to be the best. What makes our Special Ops guys “The Best” is that they have mastered the basics. Sounds easy but it is not. Mastering the Basics takes extreme dedication and lots of repetition. Once you have mastered the basics, the subconscious mind will take care of the marksmanship; which frees up the conscious mind to focus on “Is it a Threat? Is it Not a Threat? Is it a Threat that warrants Deadly Force?” So this week’s video, I asked Coach to give us a simple drill for “New Pistol Shooters.” Coach is a walking library of great shooting information and a gifted teacher. Nobody likes missing. This is a simple drill to get your new shooters hits on steel. Once they get more experienced, they’ll quit crushing the gun, and they’ll quit missing “Low Left.” Then, they can start aiming center again. Great technique for raising scores on tests and during competition. Coach’s technique is about “Outthinking the opponents.” Fight with what you have and make the most of it. Thanks again to Coach Jimmerson for taking the time to train the Texas A&M Cadets. These are the future leaders of our military, and they are light-years ahead of the rest of their generation. Coach is truly a great friend and a valuable asset to the Tactical Rifleman team. If you are interested in taking classes with Coach or any other member of the Tactical Rifleman team; you can check out our course schedule at Tacticalrifleman.com or contact us there to schedule custom courses. Thanks for watching. Strength and Honor, TR.

This is a Product Review of the new Taser Pulse, that is designed specifically for use by civilians in public areas where firearms and other self defense weapons are not allowed. We were not paid to make this video. If you would like to get one head over to Taser.com and use the code TASERxTacR15 to get 15%off Yep, the title is “Click Bait” to get us the views, but seriously, this thing is awesome and I want to spread the word to as many law-abiding citizens as possible. Special “Thanks” to Jason. Yep, he is a real SEAL; and yep, he got shot by a College Girl. I’m a big fan of Tasers. Our law enforcement officers have been running them for decades. They are safe and very effective. People bitch that they have a high failure rate, and that they kill people. First, if you shoot them correctly, and get two good probe strikes, it is 100% successful. I watched it knock down a 300 pound Samoan. Want to see a cool video? Pull up “Bull shot with Taser” on YouTube. Now, I did mention that you needed two good probe strikes. That’s why the new LE Tasers have the second laser; so you can see where each probe with fly, so you can adjust your aim, if the suspect is lying at an angle or sideways. Second, as for Tasers killing people; these things are the safest type of non-lethal force that I know of… much safer than them beating you down with a Billy Club. Yes, people have died. However, these people had pre-existing conditions. They would have died if you snuck up behind them and yelled “Boo!!!” I have been tased several times. Yes, it sucks. However, it was not as bad as OC/Pepper Spray and if leaves no scars compared to blunt trauma from rolling around with three Police officers. So, again, I’m a big fan of Tasers. While I was walking the floor at the NRA convention, I stopped at the Taser booth to chit chat. They showed me the new “Pulse” and I knew immediately that this would make a great Tactical Rifleman video. Pocket sized, and they ride the lightning for 30 seconds!!! I’ve been wanting to do a whole series of videos about home defense and self defense when in public situations. I figured we could cover tips and techniques and also touch on some of the great gear that is out there available to the public. As both my kids are in college or out in the big world, this subject is dear to my heart. Our first video was on the Leatherback Gear book bag, that doubles as Armor. Then, we got into a bit of different weapons (and preferences) for home defense. Now, we have the Taser Pulse. We are going to follow this up with more great self-defense videos. I hope you enjoy the video. This product sells itself. If you ever find yourself in a “gun free zone”, such as a church, school, or workplace; you may want to consider this great new tool. Think about it… every Active Shooter situation could be quickly diffused if every one of the victims and bystanders had this little gem in their office desk drawer, briefcase, diaper bag, podium, or pocket. You can have $100k worth of guns at home, but they wont help you a lick if you don’t have them with you. Double check local laws, but I’m sure that you will find that this puppy can go with you almost everywhere. Thanks again to Jason for taking one for the team. He is truly a great friend and a valuable asset to the Tactical Rifleman team. Now that he has retired, he is making a living training America’s finest. If you are interested in taking classes with Jason or any other member of the Tactical Rifleman team; you can check out our course schedule at Tacticalrifleman.com or contact us there to schedule custom courses. Thanks for watching. Strength and Honor, TR.

I was out at the rifle range, working with some Air Force Medical people, and they had brought about a dozen crates of good military 5.56mm ammo. Each crate has two ammo cans. Each ammo can, when opened, provides you with a number of cloth bandoliers. Each bandolier has 4 cardboard sleeves, a speed loader, and a black safety pin. Each cardboard sleeve contains 30rds of ammo on three 10rd stripper clips (for use with the speed loader). That makes for a lot of trash when you’re doing 4 hours of Failure and Box Drills out on the hot range. What prompted me to do this video was when some of the Air Force guys were saying that they had no idea what the bandoliers or the safety pin was for. It was all just trash to them. I started having flashbacks to my time in different military schools and times when seasoned soldiers took the time to explain it to Private Erickson. So, let’s share a little military history, or at least, this is how it was explained to me. You’ll know why I grab the bandoliers and safety pins at the range now, when no one else will; and you’ll never look at those ammo bandoliers the same again. Thanks for watching, TR.

Ok Tactical Rifleman Nation, this week I am giving my loyal viewers my Top 3 shooting drills. As we all know, shooting drills can be anywhere from super basic to ultra-complex and everything in between. Throughout my career I have honed my rifleman skills utilizing a variety of these drills. In the Teams, I would say we train both for marksmanship and instinctive fire. The 3 drills I chose are essentially a hybrid of those disciplines. I believe that zero time is ever wasted training and constantly revisiting fundamentals. Additionally, a slow and steady evolution in your shooting speed is also a must. These drills are perfect if you have confined range space but unfortunately, I don’t see them being allowed in an indoor facility. I am sure these drills are nothing my advanced marksman viewers have seen as my intention is also to reiterate to my novice shooters that there is nothing wrong with mastering the basics. On the Tactical Rifleman Team, there are hundreds of years of experience and just as many varieties of shooting drills to keep clients busy for days! But rest assured, the basics will always be revisited. Pro Tip - Always go as fast as you are able while keeping a good sight picture (my sight picture has always been lower abdomen in the case some insurgent is wearing a vest or AK mag holder and lower R or L neck area in the subclavian nerve bundle). This area right near the jugular vein is deadly and a shit show to repair in the unlikely event the victim survives. I am never opposed to a good head shot and will definitely put one there too if the savage needs more love! I hope you enjoy the video and I look forward to your comments. -Jason

If you want to see more about the Leatherback body armor bag and see us shoot it with an AK and 556 check out this video: https://youtu.be/g-m8tMqmDCg Thanks to Leatherback Gear for offering Tactical Rifleman viewers 10% off; just use Promo Code: TACR10. Check them out at http://leatherbackgear.com We also reached out to Hill People Gear and they are offering Tactical Rifleman viewers 5% off. Go to https://hillpeoplegear.com and use code "tacrifle5" for a 5% discount. Alright, I won’t lie, the title is “Click Bait,” to get more views. The reality is that I wanted take this week’s video to talk about “Concealed Carry Bags.” While I was at SHOT Show and traveling to other tactical trade shows and conventions, it seems that every vendor is offering a new “better” tactical bag for hauling all your tactical gear around. Don’t get me wrong; there are a lot of really GREAT products out there. That said, I want people to understand, why they need the bag and some of the things that I look for. First, it has to be big enough to haul all my gear. That said, just as important, it should not be too big. A little extra empty space to flex is ok, but you don’t need to be hauling around a mountain ruck at the mall. Second, and just as important, it has to blend in. That’s for concealment. You notice I didn’t say it needs to be maid of “Camo Pattern” fabric. I’m more of a believer in “Low-Visibility”. While this might mean “Camo” to some; for me it means having a bag that does not draw unwanted attention. Therefore, I try to avoid military camo patterns. When you look at colors, try to avoid anything that is too dark, like black. We were taught in sniper school that it is easier to make things darker than it is to make things lighter. Think about that for a second. You need to move through an area that is tan… A guy wearing white, can rub mud all over his white clothing, and it will turn the color of the mud. On the contrary, a guy wearing black, that rubs mud all over his black clothing, still looks black. Likewise, this works for other colors too. The military did studies, and the best color to modify is actually a greenish grey. Even my red bag can be toned darker. Next step, especially if you are modifying a civilian bag, is to remove all the reflective tape. “What’s that?” you ask? Think of your running shoes. No matter if they are blue & white or black & grey; they all have little “reflectors” so you wont get hit by a car while you are out running. Gents, that’s “Glint Tape” just like the military uses. It will reflect visible light and IR light. So, you’ll want to remove it. Either un-stitch it, or put black fingernail polish over it. I prefer to just dremel it out. I know everyone wants to spend their hard earned money on the latest and greatest everything. However, if everyone in your unit gets the same “Low-Vis” bag, you’ll all look too much alike and THAT will be a visual indicator to the enemy. I better plan is to have everyone buy different bags (and clothing) and then customize the gear to fit your needs and mission requirements. Quality does matter. My new “favorite” is my bag by Hill People Gear. I say “new” because I’ve been beating on it for eleven months and it’s still holding up like it is brand new. Usually, you have to get a bag from a “MilSpec” manufacturer like London Bridge or Mayflower to get that kind of ruggedness. However, Hill People Gear builds their stuff to handle real outdoors up in the mountains. The fact that they do NOT have a military background actually weighs in their favor, as their kit does not look military at all. Isn’t that the point; to blend in and not look like a “operator hiding in civilian clothes”? Tailor your gear to fit your mission. Always think camouflage, even if that just means “low-vis.” Always think in depth. What is required, then Med, then sustainment. Any extra room and I’d toss in some chocolate covered coffee beans.

Starting Monday October 1st 2018,go to the Lancer website and use promo code "TacR15” for 15% off! This week I cover a boring subject, magazines. Sorry, we can’t have blistering excitement every Friday. Sometimes we have to slow it down and talk about the little fine details that make the difference between just plinking on the range and being ready for a full on Fire Fight. Magazines are the “Achilles Heel” of most weapon systems, whether we are talking rifles, pistols, or shotguns. If they don’t feed right, the weapon jams. If they don’t lock the slide back, we can be stuck unknowingly with an empty gun. If they don’t drop free from the weapon upon release, they can cost us critical time during a speed reload… time that may cost us our lives. While it is not “sexy;” we do need to inspect our magazines every so often. Make it a habit. Know what to look for. If you find a problem; sometimes just cleaning the magazine helps. However, when in doubt, dump that bitch, and get another one. I get into a bit of a history lesson, about the different generations of magazine development, during this video. That was not my intent. So, if I failed to mention your particular magazine, I really don’t care. If you want to share additional details in the comment section below, go for it. I will not comment on magazines (or other gear) that I am not familiar with. I’m not one of those that just regurgitates what he reads/hears/sees on the internet. Currently, I run dozens of different brands of magazines. I’m leaning towards Lancer Mags, as they are holding up better than many of my other mags. I don’t care what brand you run, so long as they are reliable. Go inspect your magazines, and I’ll be back next week with a most “exciting” video. If you are interested in picking up some Lancer Mags; you can reach out directly to "Joe The Knife Guy" Joe: jtraurig@verizon.net 215-947-0200 If any of you are interested in taking a training course with any of the Tactical Rifleman team; please reach out to us at tacticalrifleman.com, where you can find course listings and other great content. Till next time; thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR.

This week I give a quick down and dirty on a great option for your rifle: the Ryker grip. We tested this side mounted grip with a series of target acquisition drills on one of my personal rifles and, in my opinion, performed exceedingly well. Over my military career I have always used a bottom mounted, front grip. The Ryker, side-mounted design was pretty easy on shoulder kinetics for acquisition and rifle manipulation, as well as easy to get used to. Out of the box it is an easy mount and allows for different mounting angles based on your personal style. Having a grip like this will help in evolving your shooting skills as well as the confidence to apply a pretty decent muzzle strike if the mission and situation dictate. At a retail of $74.99 on RykerUSA.com (10% off with code TR10), this is a great piece of kit. Please check it out and let us know what you think! Stay violent, my friends!

Karl is an “Ambassador” for FLIR. So, any of you that are interested in getting a good deal on FLIR products; please reach out to us at Tactical Rifleman.com or use the promo code "Erickson18" at Nightvisionguys.com, to save you 10% Here, at Tactical Rifleman, we are all about showing you how the military “Shoots, Moves, and Communicates.” A big part of shooting and moving in the dark is being able to see. As most of our combat ops are done at night, it only makes sense for us to practice at night, using the best NVDs that the taxpayers can buy. That said, whether you are military, law enforcement, or civilian; there are certains guidelines that apply. Match the optic to the mission Thermals are NOT always better than standard IR Always get the BEST tube you or your unit can afford Batteries, batteries, batteries On this flavor, we are going to continue our series of videos about different night vision gear, including GEN-III & Thermal, and both helmet & weapon mounted versions. This fourth video is about a weapon-mounted thermal sight, called the Thermosight Pro. When you are talking about military precision shooting; most snipers lean toward clip-on night sights, as they don’t want to have to carry another complete weapon with a dedicated NVD mounted on it. Makes sense. However, all will admit that a dedicated NVD weapon will always be better; there’s just no way to transport both. How about if you could? How about if you could just walk back into the safehouse or the trunk of the car, and grab a dedicated Night weapon when the sun went down? Actually, many of us have that option. Whether you are a SWAT Sniper or a civilian that likes to hunt; we often have the option of having access to multiple weapons. Now, it may seem “cooler” to just clip a NVD CLip-On Scope to your pretty precision rifle; however, you are greatly increasing the chances of your zero being off. Everytime you add another piece of glass in front of your objective lens, you are taking the chance of throwing off your POA/POI (zero). You don’t have that problem with a dedicated Night Weapon. It stays zeroed. Leave it in the rack or in the trunk, till the sun goes down, and you are all set. I like this Thermosight Pro. The more I use it, the more it becomes my “Go To” Night Shooting gun. I have it mounted on a 300BLK AR upper, that is setup with an AAC Suppressor. When I need it, I just swap the upper… no zero lost. The Thermosight zeroes very easy. The digital zoom doesn’t throw off the zero… and the thermal technology is just awesome. I cover most of the details in the video. I know that many of our viewers are going to bitch about the price tag. Fine, but I want you to see what is out there and what our military is using to bring the fight to the enemy. While they are obviously valuable to the LE & Military; you’ll see that hunters are going to love these too. I like having access to thermals. If you are a rancher, this will really be valuable to you. If any of you are interested in taking a training course with any of the Tactical Rifleman team; please reach out to us at tacticalrifleman.com, where you can find course listings and other great content. Till next time; thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR.

Many people never learn to shoot from “less then ideal” positions. In real life, I can think several reasons that would put me on my back. Here is one method that I use for getting back up. Post one foot, lay the other flat. Post the opposite side hand and swing your flat leg through to the knee (ensure the knee is placed wide from the other foot so it gives you a wide base). You will end up in a split squat or lunge position and you simply stand from there.

I prefer this method which differs from the rolling up on the hip method that allows you to keep both hands on your weapon. That method is much harder for some body types and requires some strength. Also, that method will not work in a fighting situation with someone trying to get on top of you. The method I show works for gun fighting or hand fighting and is tried and true. If you have a toddler, sit them on their butt and watch how they get up. It will be similar to what I show here. Interesting isn’t it?

This week on Tactical Rifleman I go over the basic IFAK kit carried by a majority of Naval Special Warfare operators. I say majority because the realm of medical treatment in combat is constantly and innovatively evolving. Additionally, I show you guys a piece of kit once issued to us, an IFAK that inserts into the basic field body armor wrap. Although the tactical field casualty care methods are always improving, one issue remains the same - regardless what you are carrying, make sure you train with it!! Train with your issued tourniquet, self-aid kit, and buddy aid kit. For SEALs, most of our equipment is standard around the board, however, we go through great lengths to protect our stuff from the salt water and sand.

In regards to placement on the kit, I will just say that if that said equipment is ever to be used, we go by the mantra – self-aid, buddy-aid, corpsman-aid. Basically, have your stuff arranged and accessible in order to be able to fix yourself if need be, then the ability for a buddy to get to your equipment, and finally in a place where a trained medic or corpsman to access your medical supplies. I say again, TRAIN YOUR MEDICAL SKILLS AND TRAIN WITH THE EQUIPMENT YOU WILL USE DOWNRANGE.

Once we have a good grasp of the shooting fundamentals and safe manipulation of weapons, we need to introduce other complexities into our training. Moving is not only adding complexity, it is adding a necessary ingredient for survival! We cannot sit still and hope for the best when someone is sending bullets our way. Even if you never trained a day in your life, I guarantee that you will move in some manner if you hear the zing of a bullet by your head. Since that is true, we should deliberately train to move in a fashion that sets us up for success don’t you think? We want to move aggressively and also employ our weapon system accurately so we must have a method that allows for a steady sight picture. That is what we show here. Heel to toe, knees bent for shock absorber support, upper body stays as level as possible. Have fun and be safe!

Critical Task Evaluations  (Live 17 SEP 2018)
Combat Drills used by most operators as Standard Critical Task Evaluations (CTEs)
Conducted from 5-8 meters (varies by SOF Unit)
 
Notes from Coach: Weapons Handling is the secret to not being just a good shooter, but a great shooter. Being efficient, proficient and smooth in how you operate and manipulate your weapons is something that a trained instructor can see from a distance. Just like a major league pitcher can watch a ball game and tell the guy on the mound has been in the league for years, or is a guy that just came up from the minors.
 
Everything is fundamentals. I teach the same things in much the same way whether it’s to a twelve year old kid, a housewife, a young marine or an experienced member of a national asset special operations unit. It’s Fundamentals first. And that’s weapons handling.
 
These Squadron quals are a mixture of Team Six and Delta quals that served as standards for them at one of the finest instruction facilities in the US that you have never heard of. I use the    SEAL time standard which is slightly faster but the longer distances that SFOD-D fires from. (Well that sucks, you are thinking, right? Exactly.) 
 
Most of my cadet team members can pass these by the end of the first semester of their sophomore year. It’s a primary reason we are undefeated by our Service Academy competition for the last four years. At 51, I can still pass. Younger guys with skill can crush these standards. If you warm up for an hour, a lot of folks can pass. But you dont get to warm up in the real world. So these are a baseline for performance that sets a standard and a starting point to improve upon.
 
Presentation from the holster, reloads, presentation with rifle from various readys, multiple target engagement, footwork...it’s all there. Oh and accuracy, got to do that too. There is a specific target that these quals should be fired on, the one we are using in the video is not it. Use a 6 inch circle and you will be fine. 
 
Last thing. These are skill tests. They are testing and evaluating what you have programmed into muscle memory, and they demonstrate where you need to focus your training. They should fired cold, with no warm up. The day we filmed these was the day after Karl and I had finished teaching a class at T1G. I get to the range drinking coffee on my tailgate watching the film guys set up, not knowing what Sgt Maj Evil Genius has planned for the day. He walks over and says “hey man, you got your rifle today?” Yeah. “Cool! Stuff some mags, you are shooting your Squadron quals on camera in five.” What’s that saying the SEALs have? The easy day was yesterday? 
 
Enjoy the video. 
Kevin M. Jimmerson '89
Marksmanship Instructor

If any of you that are interested in getting a good deal on ANY Thermal, NVDs, or Laser products; we got you a Promo Code "Erickson18" from NightVisionGuys.com. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at  TacticalRifleman.com

Here, at Tactical Rifleman, we are all about showing you how the military “Shoots, Moves, and Communicates.” A big part of shooting and moving in the dark is being able to see. As most of our combat ops are done at night, it only makes sense for us to practice at night, using the best NVDs that the taxpayers can buy.
That said, whether you are military, law enforcement, or civilian; there are certains guidelines that apply.
Match the optic to the mission
Thermals are NOT always better than standard IR
Always get the BEST tube you or your unit can afford
Batteries, batteries, batteries
On this flavor, we are going to continue our series of videos about different night vision gear, including GEN-III & Thermal, and both helmet & weapon mounted versions.
This third video is about the small Breach Thermal that I keep in a pouch on my War Belt. That’s right, this puppy is small enough that I carry it around on my war belt, out at the range, every day. The pouch sits on my right hip between my Leatherman and my Med Kit. It’s a sweet little thermal monocular, sized  smaller than the old PVS-14s, and it’s a thermal!!!.. Yes, Thermals have disadvantages. However, I prefer to keep a little Thermal monocular handy for a number of cool reasons:
It takes up very little space (same size as a flashlight)
I can use it handheld or weapon mounted or even helmet mounted
It can record hours of video internally, and/or take hundreds of still photos.
Unlike GEN-III NVDs, I can film with this during the day
It only covers one eye, allowing the other eye to respond naturally to surrounding light.
It can be used for spotting day or night.
    It’s this last note that many people overlook.  Situation… Say you are running a huge GEN-III Ghost White Phosphor Clip-On NVD on the Front of your Schmidt & Bender Day Scope, mounted on your monster 338 heavy sniper rifle; in the hide site, overwatching an enemy ISIS training camp. You’ve been living in this bush for 36 hours, and the Assault force isn’t going to hit for another 32 hours. The enemy knows they are being watched because politicians can’t keep their mouths shut; so the enemy has active security out, with roving patrols traveling all over the terrain. At 0200hrs in the morning, it’s your turn to pull security, while the rest of your sniper team does “priorities of work” (Eat/Sleep). With no moonlight, you can’t see your hand in front of your face. To look 360 around your hide site, you don’t want to pick up that big sniper rifle to pan around the flanks and rear of your bush. Instead, you pull out your trusty little Thermal monocular, and look around. Nothing can hide from you and nothing can sneak up on you. Been there done that. I was on a “Training Op” in Africa, in a hide site on security, when I panned around with my little hand held thermal. As I turned to my right, through the scope I spotted a HUGE “Bear” standing up on its hind legs holding something in front of it!!!. Wait a minute; there are no Bear in Africa. Upon closer look, it was a field mouse sitting back, eating a seed from our scrub brush bush, 10 feet away. Now, if a mouse can’t sneak up on me, then there’s no way an enemy patrol would be able to sneak up on our bush. 
    Today, I’m a FAG (Former Action Guy), and no one is wanting to shoot at me. I still use the thermal for filming cool videos of my students. I use it for scouting for Deer & Elk. I use it for finding downed Hogs or Coyotes. I use it for checking the insulation of my windows and doors. There are lots of uses for this little puppy. Yes, I keep a GEN-III monocular in my Go Bag for driving; but I’ll still carry this little Breach with me. A good thermal brings a lot of capability to the fight, and this Breach is so small there is no reason to leave it behind.
I f any of you are interested in taking a training course with any of the Tactical Rifleman team; please reach out to us at tacticalrifleman.com, where you can find course listings and other great content. 
Till next time; thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR.