Archive | Tactics and Training

Orienteering

I did part of an orienteering course on Saturday and it was great fun. I have done them before but it seems I always forget how much I like doing it. Not only is it fun, but it has great training value. Unlike just going for a hike where you stay on trails, with orienteering, there is no trail. You simply have a map and compass. It is up to you to break brush until you find your flags.

The two courses that I have easy access to have some pretty steep terrain (for this part of the country) and heavy underbrush. You will find yourself exercising your brain and your body. It can be very challenging and rewarding to find your flags. It is definitely not just a typical walk in the woods.

If you are lucky enough to have an orienteering course near by, I strongly suggest that you take a buddy and spend an afternoon brushing up on your map and compass skills.

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Gun Shop Myths: Pump the Action!

There are so many gun myths that are repeated over and over again at gun store counters, deer camps, locker rooms, and range trips. These myths are repeated so many times that eventually people accept them as fact without applying even the smallest amount of critical thought.

Few firearms, if any, seem to be surrounded by more of these myths than the shotgun. A coworker, while discussing their home defense plans at work, started talking about the “shotty” that he keeps under the bed “just in case”. It always amazes me that people are willing to discuss such things so loudly at work. I wasn’t part of the conversation but it was plainly audible throughout the whole office. It wasn’t long before that oft repeated tidbit of shotgun wisdom reared its ugly head.

“You don’t even have to shoot it, the sound of the action being pumped will send robbers running!”

What a ridiculous statement! If your plan is to scare people off with noises, buy a stereo system not a shotgun. Better yet, install a whole house entertainment system so that you can surround your midnight visitor with the sounds of shotgun actions cycling in every room! Scaring evil doers away with a sound seems like a nice tidy plan, until it doesn’t work. Shotguns are not a magic talisman that, in the stressful moment when you hear someone crashing through your window, transform you into a Spartan.

The shotgun is a viable home defense weapon (though I believe there may be better choices). As with any other piece of equipment and skill, its effective use must be learned. It is only through training and repetition that someone can learn to effectively use the shotgun (or any other gun) with an appropriate level of efficiency and violence. This level of training cannot be reached by asking the gentleman at the gun counter how to work the shotgun when you purchase it. It cannot be reached by running a box of shells through it once in a while at the range.

The sound of a shotgun’s action being cycled may or may not deter someone intent on doing harm, but it would be foolish to count on that happening. Quick and violent action by a trained individual is a far better response. Seek professional training from a respected trainer and stop repeating the silly things you heard at the gun counter!

Go to Tactical Preschool at The Things Worth Believing In

I have been reading The Things Worth Believing In for some time now. Tom, the author, has a great series that he calls Tactical Preschool. It is an extremely informative series with easy to understand descriptions of tactical concepts and very useful images that really drive home the point.

Tactical Preschool 49 was just posted recently. You can view all of the Tactical Preschool posts HERE.

Good Stuff From Other Blogs

Soldier Systems – Grey Man Lesson: Spotting a Hidden Handgun

While this graphic actually dates from 1992, it does contain quite a few details that are of use both offensively as well as defensively. Originally, published in the New York Times the data came from NYPD Detective Robert Gallagher based on criteria he used to size up suspects…

ML Knives Blog – 1095 High Carbon Steel

I think it was back in March of last year I posted a little about
the steel I use. There are allot of opinions/debates and information
floating around on the internet about knife Steel.
Simple fact is most custom makers that forge knives have a
steel they favor and if there forging most likely it is a high
carbon steel of some type…

Survival Blog – Stealth Edible Landscaping with Unusual Berries

Want to eat a wolfberry? How about some vaccinium jam? Some chokeberry wine? They don’t sound too appetizing, do they? Few people know it, but the fruits of these plants are not only edible, but delicious. They have unappealing names and don’t look familiar to most Americans, so if you incorporate them into your landscaping you will have a supply of fresh, nutritious fruit that your neighbors won’t recognize as food…

The Firearm Blog – Colt M1911 Machine Pistols

Back in the 1930s Colt developed a few experimental fully automatic M1911 pistols. It is hard to believe that anyone thought that a .45 ACP machine pistol was a practical idea!

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