Target Shooting

I see this way too often. Shooters want to have all of the great gear that has been developed for Law Enforcement and Military applications. The US military currently fields some of the best gear in the world. Barrett, Trijicon, Aimpoint, Elcan, FN, Colt, Sabre Defense and so many other top notch manufactures offer the same high tech gear to US civilians that Militaries around the world either field, or wish they could field. I've seen shooters read about how accurate a rifle & optics package can be at ranges out to 2000 yards, and mortgage their homes to duplicate the setup on their dining room table. These same shooters are extremely disappointed when they shoot this high end gear on their local 100-300 yard range just to find that gear is shooting 3 or 4 inch groups. This brings us to a defining moment when a shooter realizes the difference between shooting at a bullseye target vs shooting at a person or a piece of equipment. Typically, the larger the caliber, the less accurate it is. Its a point of contention these days because of the accuracy of the 17 HMR, but for more than a century, the 22 LR was considered the most accurate round on the planet. Competitors routinely shoot 22 LR competitions in which the center bullseye is .223 in diameter. Anything that isn't a perfect center hit scores a 9. I've competed in these matches during my time in ROTC at the University of Missouri, and I've seen several shooters put 10 rounds through 10 different bullseyes to score a perfect 100. That's real accuracy. Those rifles and their applications don't have a place on a battlefield or LE situation, beyond training. Similarly, shooting 338 Lapua or 50 BMG's at bullseye targets at known ranges doesn't translate into the experience the shooter is often expecting. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for these rifles being in civilian hands and there are some great long range competitions that have been developed around this gear. However, if you are investing in gear that is touted as the greatest gear because the military uses it, I suggest you take a look at your application. Matching the proper gear to the proper shooting situation will guarantee a satisfying shooting experience without spending a lot of money for equipment you don't need. I can't tell you how many Barrett M99's I've taken on trade that were never fired by their original owner. The Internet advertising world and the real shooting world are vastly different.

The Beginning

I suppose the first installment on this blog should contain some information as to why it exists and what the readers can expect to see here in the future. I'm a life long shooting and firearms enthusiast. My brother and I own our own firearms business, Live To Shoot, and most of our family has always been concerned with the state of the firearms industry and the security of our freedom to own and use firearms. I named our company Live To Shoot based on a personal philosophy that the family that shoots together, stays together. I also believe that we cannot adequately protect our Second Amendment rights simply by owning firearms. As US citizens, we have a duty to continue the shooting heritage in this country by going to the range, to the hunt, or just in the backyard to shoot, shoot, shoot. I have a collection of valuable firearms, but almost all of them get shot. That's what they are for.

I've been told I'm long winded and a terrible speller. I welcome any comments regarding my words here. Hopefully, with a little constructive criticism, this blog will evolve into a source of good information in a tolerable format.

Installments to come will focus on firearms and their applications, shooting. I'll discuss ballistics, equipment and reality. I hope to dispel some of the myths that surround firearms and what they can and cannot do. If it has a firing pin, I've shot it, thousands of times. I might stray into areas that I don't have a lot of expertise, but simply an opinion. I reserve the right to speak my mind on my own blog.

I've been told that I am a good source of information for the new shooter whether they are completely new to shooting or just trying to get into a new shooting application like IPSC, IDPA, Cowboy Action Shooting or some sort of hunting. I've also been told that I should try to write for the gun magazines. Let me be clear, I love reading the gun magazines and watching the programs on the Outdoor Channel as much as anyone else. However, I tend to do something those journalist simply can't do, I'll tell you the negative side of the products and tactics of the day. Gun magazines are just like car magazines, they can't afford to tell the honest truth about a product that is produced by one of their advertisers. Usually, if there is a product out there and it doesn't appear in an article in a major publication, chances are the product isn't very good. Not writing articles about a product is really their only option. I'll tell it to you straight. I've known too many shooters who have abandoned the sport because they wasted hard earned money on a firearm that wouldn't run or hit what they pointed it at. I always try to prevent that.

More to come...