This weekend the rain finally stopped here in New England and we were able to enjoy a “Fighting Shotgun” course taught by Gregory Cruz, the founder of Interactive Gunfighting. It was a great day – and lots of ammo was expended. If you’ve ever wondered what over 2,000 spent shotgun shells looks like here you go:

The class ran 8 hours and covered a variety of topics to include:

• Benefits and liabilities of shotguns for home defense
• Realistic shotgun distances
• Accuracy drills (trigger press, sight picture and sight alignment)
• Sustainment and combat reloads
• Malfunction clearing
• Improving speed without sacrificing accuracy
• Shooting under stress
• Pros and cons of shotgun platforms (Pumps, autos, over / under and side-by-side)
• Ammunition selection based on situation and distance

​During the day we each shot 200 rounds of bird shot, 25 rounds of buck shot and 15 slugs, using a wide variety of pump and semi-auto shotguns manufactured by all sorts of companies and decked out with all types of iron sights, optics, slings and other gear based on personal preference. Since we shot three different kinds of ammunition, Greg even took the time during one of the breaks from shooting to cut open birdshot, buckshot and slug shells so that we could talk about the pros and cons of each type of ammunition. (FYI - you can read the blog post that I wrote on this topic back in November of 2017 if you want the details) 

As to the level of instruction that we received, it was top notch since Greg has had an extensive and widely varied career. Greg is a military combat veteran and wounded warrior nominated for the Silver Star for Combat Valor, awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V and Purple Heart. A former USMC Grunt/Sniper and Scout Sniper Instructor Greg served in Panama, Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. An experienced Law Enforcement Officer, Greg served as the Chief Firearms Instructor at the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy. Greg was also a founding member of Department of Homeland Security/Federal Air Marshal firearms program post 9/11. Greg has been a weapons instructor for over 20 years and from 2014 through 2018 was the Smith & Wesson Academy’s Chief Firearms Instructor. A highly experienced competitive shooter, firearms and tactics instructor, and lifelong student of the tactical/shooting arts, Greg really brought practical knowledge to the class. You can find out more details on their website (https://interactivegunfighting.com/) or their
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/InteractiveGunfighting/

​One of the things that I liked the most about the class was Greg’s emphasis on splitting your shooting stance (i.e. your legs) and your posture (i.e. your upper torso). Since accuracy and repeatability is so dependent on your shooting body position, and your mechanics, Greg’s focus on this was great. The shooting drills that we ran through helped you understand how to get a good stance to “drive the gun” (much like a football linebacker’s stance is how I always think about it), when and how to change your posture or rotate your torso to engage targets from different directions, and when to move your feet or the angle of your knees to reorient your stance.

​The ever increasing speed of the sustainment reload (rapidly "topping off" the shotgun's magazine tube when you have a break from shooting so that the magazine is full when you reengage the targets) and combat reload (reloading the shotgun by putting a single shell into the chamber as soon as the previous shell has been ejected - done in extreme situations where there is an immediate threat and no time to fully reload the shotgun's magazine tube; sometimes called a tactical reload) drill was also great since you really had think and to work to keep up.
 
We all had fun and learned a lot during the class. So if you are looking to really learn how to utilize your shotguns – check out what Greg and Interactive Gunfighting offer.

​Since we try to focus on “tactical” shooting we try to spend a minimum amount of time standing behind a bench and shooting paper targets. Instead, we try to focus on moving and shooting activities that include reloading, malfunction clearing, switching between different firearms, using barricades and thinking - in addition to the actual shooting. One of the things that we do quite a bit of, to increase the tactical nature of our range time, is to shoot steel targets in addition to shooting paper targets.

​Why? Well, in addition to the challenge and the fun of having more varied activities - there are lots of great reasons to shoot steel:

​So why don’t more people shoot steel? Our experience is that paper targets rule over steel targets at most ranges because of four factors:

​So what do you need to know about steel target setup and safety

Here are some great websites with even more information in case you are interested in learning more about shooting steel targets:
 
    https://www.usacarry.com/shooting-steel-targets/
    https://www.range365.com/shooting-steel-targets-everything-you-need-to-know/
    https://www.alloutdoor.com/2014/03/29/understanding-safety-steel-targets/
    https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/steel-targets/
    https://shop.actiontarget.com/content/steel-target-safety-rules.asp
    https://www.shootsteel.com/pages/faq
 
………and here’s a good 23 minute video from the Military Arms Channel:​

We’re always learning and looking for new sources of knowledge about both our gear and our techniques for all facets of Hiking, Camping and Shooting. Recently we came across a great video by Alex Hommes, the Operations Manager for the Silverado Shooting Academy (www.SilveradoShootingAcademy.com) in Orange County California about “The Secret to Mastering the Handgun​”.

​In the 18:57 minute video Alex covers the essential facts about shooting a handgun, and what you need to do to consistently hit what you are aiming at. The core of Alex’s video is that mechanical technique is 10% of the shooting process and that mental discipline is the other 90%. The problem that most people have with the mental part is due to the fact that we all have a natural aversion to holding onto things that explode. This aversion causes many people to lose their sight picture at the exact moment that they reach the trigger breakpoint – causing them to pull their aim off target. Alex calls this “reactive interference”.
 
This point of view really resonated with us – so we thought that we would share Alex’s video and some of the key points that he makes.  The video covers the following topics:

​          1) What is Handgun Mastery?
​          2) Why Handgun Shooting is Difficult
            ​          ​2a) Freeze the sight picture
            ​          2b) Squeeze the trigger without disrupting the sight picture
            ​          2c) Realign the sights on the target
            ​          2d) Reset the trigger
​          3) Neurophysiology 101
​          ​4) The "First Shot" Phenomenon
​          5) Classical Conditioning or "Reactive Interference"
​          6) The Paradox of the Handgun
​          7) Urban Legends of Handgun Shooting
​          8) The Problem with Conventional Training
​          9) The Zen of the Handgun
​          10) The Silverado Method
​          11) The Alternative Method: Habituation

​Here are some of the key points from Alex’s video that match our beliefs on what you need to do to enhance your handgun shooting abilities and increase you shooting accuracy.

“The handgun is the most difficult of all firearms to shoot effectively.”
 
“Don't rely on ‘spray and pray’.“
 
“Mastering the handgun is about controlling shot placement to the limit of your physical ability.”
 
“Shot placement is determined by one thing, and only one thing - the direction of the muzzle at the instant the bullet clears it. Your ability to control the shot depends on how well you can stabilize the gun while pulling the trigger.”
 
“We all have a natural aversion to holding on to things that explode. The lower animal part of our brain doesn't like concussion and tries to move us away from the gun at the same time our higher thinking brain is trying to carry out a new skill. This high brain - low brain conflict is why handguns are difficult to master.”
 
“A flinch will never mess up a shot because it is a reflex that happens after a loud sound. By the time the sound wave reaches you the bullet is already two feet out of the barrel. Nothing you do at that point will affect the shot.”
 
“After the first shot we will associate the trigger brake pressure applied by our trigger finger with the concussion of the gun. When we fire the gun again our anxiety level will increase as we increase pressure on the trigger. We will reflexively brace for the shot. Our reactive animal brain will have us take defensive action against the expected explosion right at the trigger breakpoint. These reactions interfere with the skill of handgun shooting. We call this ‘reactive interference’.”
 
“Reactive interference has nothing to do with good technique. It's the effect of the animal getting into the shooting process. If you can't control the animal your skill won't matter. You won't be able to apply that skill.”
 
“Conventional handgun training focuses on shooting as a mechanical technique and not a mental discipline. It applies technique to the problem of reactive interference leading to solutions that don't work very well.”
 
“….……..illusion that bad trigger technique is the major cause of handgun inaccuracy. In reality bad trigger pull will only produce minor variations in shot placement.”
 
“No technique is going to solve the problem of reactive interference.”
 
“Mastery of the handgun means eliminating reactive interference; getting the animal out of the shooting process. We can't eliminate our reflexes, but we can suppress them. All of the muscle movements involved with reactive interference are subject to voluntary control.”
 
“It's important that the closer you get to the trigger break the slower you increase the trigger pressure so that you can stop the trigger pull at the instant you become aware of bracing for the shot.”
 
“Once you can bring the trigger all the way back without bracing for the shot it's just a matter of being consistent while repeating this until you can do it faster.."

Like most of you we’ve watched way too many online videos. But we really liked this one. So, if you’re interested in improving your handgun shooting abilities, we highly recommend watching the Silverado Shooting Academy’s video on “The Secret to Mastering the Handgun”.

​Since all firearms need to be kept clean to operate efficiently we recently got around to purchasing a bore snake for our 7.62 x 39mm Norinco MAK-90. Although all of our other bore snakes are from Hoppe’s, when we were looking for the 7.62mm snake we ran across the Real Avid Bore Boss. Since we really like our Real Avid cleaning mat (because of the thought that they put into it) and the Bore Boss appeared to be a “reimagined” version of a bore snake, we decided to give it a shot. We’re glad we did.

​The Bore Boss has a round case with an attached rubber cover that stores the cable/brush/mop and acts as an ergonomic grip that helps you pull the tight-fitting cable through your rifle. The snake stays in its container until needed with the cable wrapped neatly around the case to ensure that it doesn’t get tied into knots while it is stored. The case also keeps the cleaning brush from grabbing fabric or poking you, and keeps the dirty mop away from other items in your range bag. ​

You can find the details about the Real Avid Bore Boss on the Shooting/Cleaning Supplies page.

Back in July we posted a blog related to “Trying Out New #8 Shot Shells” for 3-Gun activities – and ended by saying that we would let you know what we figured out after we had completed our testing of the following 4 types of 12 Gauge 2 ¾” #8 shot shells:

      1) Winchester Super X - Upland Game
      2) Winchester Super Target - Light Target
      3) Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics Target Loads
      4) Federal Premium Gold Medal Grand™ Competition Clay Target Loads
 
Normally we use 2 ¾” 00 Buckshot shells in our shotguns since they are “tactical” in nature (as opposed to being used for skeet shooting or hunting). However, because we had been doing more 3-gun shooting, where 00 Buckshot is overkill when shooting at clay and paper targets, we decided that we needed to find a good #8 shot shell for the 3-gun range.
 
Well, after putting a lot of lead down range, we’ve decided to use the “Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics Target Loads” 2 ¾” #8 shot shells (Manufacturer #12SD1L8, UPC #762344705538) going forward for our 3-gun activities. 

​Although all 4 of the shells that we tested worked well, we decided to choose the Fiocchi shells for a variety of reasons.
 
      1) Fiocchi is the world leader in shot shell manufacturing making more than 500 million
              cases each year. Fiocchi also helped pioneer the lower recoil 1 oz load.
      2) Good quality shotgun shells.
      3) Gives a nice tight pattern due to the 1,170 fps velocity and lead pellet
             shape consistency.
      4) Never had a FTF or FTE - always reliable.
      5) Good combination of economy and performance – cost per shell ~$0.25
      6) One-piece shot cup
      7) Clean-burning powder
      8) Reliable Fiocchi primers
      9) Cushioned wads
     10) First-run chilled shot. High-antimony (5%) lead pellets with nearly perfect
             round shape.
 
You can find the details about the #8 Shot Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics Target Loads on the Shooting/Ammunition page.

​As with most gear, everyone has their own opinions about firearms; what specifications matter, which firearm is better, which firearm should be used for what application, etc.,
 
Because of this, one of the topics that comes up alot is the comparison between the AR-15 and the AK-47, and the various pros and cons of each. The AR-15 is the best-selling rifle in the US, while the AK-47 is one of the most widely recognized rifles on Earth. Both weapons might be similar in appearances, but on closer observation, they are truly worlds apart. 

​Here's a side-by-side infographic comparison of the basic functionality and specifications of these two popular guns that was pulled together by TacticalGear.com:

​Guns & Ammo has been publishing their evaluation of the gun laws of each State for the past six years, and on 31 October 2018 they published an article [“Best States for Gun Owners (2018)”] by Keith Wood with this year’s evaluation. 

As with previous years their evaluations are based on the following 5 categories:

• Right to Carry
• Black Rifles
• NFA
• Castle Doctrine
• Miscellaneous

 
As always there’s a lot of great information – not only on a State-by-State basis - but on the overall trends across the US – since many times legislation that successfully passes in one State gets fed to anti-gun organizations in other States to see if they can get it passed too. Not to spoil the article – but here’s a summary table with their overall ratings - sorted from Worst to Best :

If you want to read the entire Guns & Ammo article (which we highly recommend) you can find it here:
 
https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/best-states-for-gun-owners-2018/327233

​This weekend we attended a full-day Progressive Carbine Class taught by Scott Germain of Center Mass Weapons Training and Jon Green of the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League (GOAL). This class was a follow-on to a similar class that we took with them a little over a year ago.
 
The carbine class was a hands-on, fast paced, live fire course for shooters that know the fundamentals of carbine shooting and want to improve their tactical skills. The training started with the combat mindset, then covered topics that included properly zeroing your firearm at 50 yards, compensating for “height over bore”, proper prone/sitting/kneeling/standing shooting positions, proper sling use, malfunction remediation, reloading techniques, shooting while moving, shooting under stress, “9-hole” and barricade drills, strong and weak side shooting, and speed shooting with accuracy.

​For most people the most challenging exercise was shooting the “9-hole” from 100 yards since it forces you to shoot through small openings in a barricade from very odd angles. To make it even harder, since your carbine is not in the normal vertical position (in many cases it is tilted more than 90 degrees), you have to compensate for the fact that the bullet’s path to the target is not a straight line – but a parabolic trajectory. Because of this you really have to think about where to aim.

​Another great drill was shooting 10 rounds into a 12” target from 100 yards in the prone position, then running to the 75 yard line and shooting 10 rounds into a different 12” target from the seated position, then running up to the 50 yard position and shooting 10 rounds into another 12” target from the kneeling position, and finally running to the 25 yard line and shooting 10 rounds into another 12” target from the standing position, The combination of the running (which increases your heart rate and makes it harder to acquire the target and aim), the different positions (which changes your geometry with the firearm and your optical point of view) , the different distances (which require you to adjust your aim point) and the different elevations of the targets made it challenging to keep good shot groups. 

Even though it was raining 6 of the 8 hours that we were on the range, the instruction was great and it was a fun day.
 
You can find out more about Center Mass Weapons Training at:
 
     http://www.centermassweaponstraining.com/
 
You can find out more about the Massachusetts Gun Owners Action League (GOAL) at:
 
     http://www.goal.org/

​Since we like to learn new shooting techniques, improve our skills and challenge ourselves - we try to take various classes throughout the year. In the past month we have been fortunate to be able to take two classes taught by Ian Strimbeck of Runenation; one for pistol skills and the other for carbine skills.

The course covered the following areas:

• Defensive points of contact with the carbine and a fundamental fighting stance
• Defensive accuracy
• Carbine setup
• Precision and speed shooting with a carbine
• Primary and secondary aiming techniques
• Carbine reloading and manipulations
• Shooting in varied positions
• Multiple threat engagement
• Shooting in and around cover

​Both of the courses were well taught and very worthwhile – especially since they both focused on moving, thinking and shooting from a wide variety of distances (from up close to 40 yards) – instead of stationary target shooting. Because of this dynamic you had to manage several different things during each drill: determining a course of action, moving from point to point, drawing, prioritizing targets, aiming, shooting, reloading, and malfunction clearing (if that occurred). This aspect made the courses both more challenging and more rewarding since they clearly enhanced your skills.

​One of the most interesting aspects of the Pistol course was the “Shooting from retention” drills. Although I’ve shot many times from close distances (e.g. 1 foot), this was the first time I recall shooting targets while touching them to replicate what it would be like if you were actually physically holding onto an adversary while you fired your weapon. Needless to say, you need to have the proper technique to be effective and avoid shooting yourself.
 
The other thing that I really liked about both courses was that they made you think, focus and then shoot while maintaining accuracy – rather than just shoot. In fact, during many of the drills you didn’t know which target, or how many shots you were going to take, prior to starting the drill since Ian would call out that information while you were moving around the range. Some of the drills even included the “Stroop Effect” where the name of a color (e.g., "blue", "green", or "red") is printed in a color which is not the same as its name, as shown in the picture below. In these drills you had to examine the colored targets and then shoot the name of the color that was shown to you on a flip card once you arrived at the shooting location instead of the color that the name was written in.

​If you have a chance to take any of Ian’s courses (since he travels around the country in addition to teaching at his home base in New Hampshire) I would highly recommend that you sign up since Ian’s classes are a lot of fun and will definitely help you improve your pistol/carbine technique, speed and accuracy.
 
You can find out more about Runenation, and the classes that they offer, on their website:

            https://www.runenationllc.com/

Normally we use 2 ¾” 00 Buckshot shells in our shotguns since they are “tactical” in nature (as opposed to being used for skeet shooting or hunting). However, recently we have been doing more 3-gun shooting, where 00 Buckshot is overkill when shooting at clay and paper targets.
 
Because of this we decided to try a few different types of #8 shot shells. The four types of #8 shells that we are trying out are:

If you want to read more about why #8 shot is better than 00 Buckshot for 3-gun shooting you might want to check out the detailed blog post about shotgun shells last November.

Stay tuned. We’ll let you know what we figure out after we’ve run a bunch of them through our shotguns.