July 2015

  1. Do-it-Yourself 3-Gun Course

    Shooting targets is fun. Shooting targets on a course that allows you to move and challenge your abilities mimicking combative scenarios is even more fun. Add a mix of stationary and reactive targets and you have the makings for one heck of a fun day on the range, what’s more, if you have a personal place to shoot such as your own rural piece of property (a friend’s land will work just fine), you can build your own course and create your own challenges. mako_rts_blo 3-Gun, a timed competition that combines shooting targets at various stages with a handgun, shotgun and a rifle, is one of the fastest growing shooting competitions in America. Recreating some of the action of the sport on a down-sized personal course is easy. Continue reading →
  2. Perfectionism: A Blessing and a Curse

    Precision shooting, as a sport, is basically doing the same exact thing, the same exact way, 40-60 times, over the course of one to two hours. Now, some of you may be thinking, "That sounds like the absolute worst torture I can imagine!" or “That sounds almost as enjoyable as watching paint dry!" Well guess what ladies and gentlemen, you're right! It is— unless, you’re a perfectionist. Ultimately, shooting is a perfectionist's dream. Everything must be done exactly right and exactly the same way every single shot. If it's not, your mistakes are immediately shown to you in the shot you produced. Even better, your shot helps you figure out what you did wrong and how to improve it for the next shot. The instant feedback and proof of error is basically magic, as far as a perfectionist is concerned. Continue reading →
  3. Meprolight Mepro Tru-Dot RDS

    Rapid target acquisition—it can be everything in competition or a defensive situation—and it’s a great idea even when having fun. Even when a person has a high-end firearm and top-quality ammo, it is meaningless if the shooter can’t make his aim line up properly with his target. And this is where the Tru-DOT RDS, red dot reflex sight truly excels. With a crisp, bright aiming point that aligns easily with a target even when the shooter’s hold on the firearm is imperfect, a red dot allows for simple, two eyes-open aiming. Typically, with little to no magnification, they are ideal for both CQB situations and short-range firing on stationary as well as mobile targets. But don’t think of them as a mere short-range option. For the shooter with good vision, they can be quite accurate out to 400 yards according to one former combat veteran I spoke with. Continue reading →
  4. The Game of a Lifetime

    At a certain point in life, athletes can no longer compete at the level they once did. It seems they can work their entire lives to reach a physical peak somewhere between the ages of 16 and 35, only to then find that after this peak, it becomes nearly impossible to compete with the same intensity as they once did. Their bodies just can't keep up anymore. It's a sad but true fact of life that all athletes, some day, must come to terms with. Map of Kelly's Travels this summer. Map of Kelly's Travels this summer Except maybe in shooting. In shooting, a 95-year-old can beat an NCAA division I athlete in an official competition. Hey, it happened to me. Continue reading →
  5. An Honest Look at Collegiate Shooting

    Honesty time: being a collegiate athlete is not an easy task. I was warned, but I went ahead and made my decision to become a member of a division I team in the NCAA. If there was a warning label on college athletics, it might read something like this: WARNING: difficulties of being a collegiate student-athlete may include but are...
  6. Shooting: Back to the Basics

    This summer is going fast. I just competed in the USA Shooting National Championships at Fort Benning, GA. Over the course of several days, the match consists of two days of air rifle at 10 meters, two days of .22 caliber (aka smallbore) rifle prone at 50 meters, and then two days of 3-position smallbore rifle, also at 50 meters...

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