Plato said:
Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.
He was probably talking about this poetic (and hilarious) image created by Lone Star Medics. Recent history tells us that tourniquets save lives but a lot of people still don’t carry them. So, maybe it will take some poetry or a moody picture of a flower to convince them. It’s worth a try.
Carry a tourniquet and if you need training on how to use it, look up Lone Star Medics.
There are so many voices out there that are insistent on having back up iron sights. Batteries die! Electronics fail! EMPs! Lightning strikes! Bear attacks!!!! Yet, I have rarely seen the realities of using them discussed or put to print. It makes me wonder if most people have even tried shooting with their back up iron sights.
The issue is that the performance of back up iron sights can be radically affected by factors external to the sights themselves. A long time ago on JTT, we posted an article about how using your back up iron sights through an optic like an RDS can change your zero. More recently, we posted about how something as simple as changing your eye protection can change your zero. This zero shift phenomena has most recently been noted by Ivan at Kit Badger on his blog and in an accompanying video (this article and video are well worth checking out).
Back up iron sights have become something of a panacea, inducing those who have them on their rifles to believe that they are prepared for an optic failure. However, as is often the case with gear, there are some planning and training considerations that need to be worked out to get the most out of them (or make them work at all).
Back up iron sights are a good idea if you have zeroed them in the exact way that you plan to use them. If you zeroed your back up iron sights through your optic, they will not be zeroed with the optic removed and vice versa. The shift can be dramatic and noticeable over distances as short as 10 yards. This is why planning is a must.
You will not be able to use your back up sights through a magnified optic or a prism sight which dictates that they must be zeroed and used with the optic removed. This means that the issue being discussed in this article is mostly (or maybe completely) applicable to the use of back up sights with non-magnified optics like red dots. The type of optic you have, the type of mount it is in (QD or not), and other factors will all play a role in your plan to deal with an optic failure.
If you have a quick detach mount, your plan could be to remove the optic in which case you should zero your back up sights with the optic removed. If you do not have a quick detach mount, you will need to zero the iron sights through the optic and probably train techniques like “shooting through the tube” or using your RDS itself as a large rear sight. If you have a magnified optic in a non-QD mount, you may want to forgoe back up irons completely unless you are going to carry whatever kind of tool you need to remove the mount from the rifle. There are a number of factors that drive your plan. If you aren’t happy with your options… Maybe you need to rethink your gear choices.
Here is the bottom line: If you haven’t tested the performance of your back up sights in various applicable situations and come up with a plan to deal with issues that arise from that testing, your back up iron sights probably aren’t as useful as you think they will be.
The late Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper is widely considered the father of modern training in the use of firearms. He is the founder of Gunsite, and he remains one of the most important and influential figures ever in the realm of firearm training.
It has been said that “You have to know where you’ve been to know where you’re going.” That is generally true but doesn’t seem quite right when it comes to Colonel Cooper because so much of what he taught is still espoused verbatim in firearm courses around the country. His teaching isn’t just where we’ve “been” – it’s where we are still going.
He taught in a time before Youtube and Instagram so much of his wisdom is confined to his writings. Very little film exists of his courses. So, what if someone turned up some footage and you could sit under him as he lectures students in a Gunsite pistol course? You would, like me, would probably jump at an opportunity like that.
Panteao Productions is offering just such a chance. They have recovered footage of Colonel Cooper teaching at Gunsite. They preserved the video and improved the audio. The video includes in depth discussion of Cooper’s color code system of awareness, mindset, and even some range footage. There is even an appearance by another influential figure who has already past on, in a segment with Louis Awerbuck on handgun malfunctions.
This is the closest thing you can get to a time machine. Check out Classic Gunsite Pistol Class with Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper from Panteao Productions.
Telluric Training recently posted a great video on their Facebook page explaining that safer communities start at the individual level with people who do what they can to be ready.
One way you can do what you can to be ready, even if you can’t train at the Brunswick, GA based Telluric Training facility, is to stay on top of your training. Telluric Group provides one of the best best free training resources available with their Drill of the Day. Today’s drill is called I See Dead People.
You can visit Telluric Training’s website daily to check our the drill or sign up to receive the Drill of the Day directly to your email.
Elzetta and Progressive F.O.R.C.E Concepts are partnering to provide low-light training on November 11 and 12 in Park City, Kentucky. The courses takes place at the excellent Rockcastle Shooting Center facility where a cave can be used to provide low/no light conditions any time of day. The course takes place over the course of two days with one day focused on carbine techniques and one on handgun techniques.
Visit PFCTraining.com for details.
