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I grew up playing a variety of sports: soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, basketball (until everyone grew taller and taller and I stayed short), etc. I love sports. I always have. I love the competitive atmosphere, the heartache and the euphoria they evoke, I love it all. But what has always fascinated me about sports is how different the communities are. Continue reading →

A sling is sometimes left out of the discussion when it comes to essential accessories for your tactical rifle, but you can bet whether your firearm’s purpose is hunting, self-defense, competition or just plain shooting fun, a sling will make your long gun far more functional and comfortable to carry. Fortunately, unlike a traditional rifle that generally is carried with a single-design, two-point attachment sling, fastened toward the rear of the stock and at the front of the forend and must be slung over a shoulder. Tactical firearms give the shooter options. FAB Defense, which offers Israeli Defense Forces slings in three styles, offers this insight on what to consider when choosing the best sling for your rifle and your situation: Continue reading →

Go on any message board or jump into a discussion about what makes the best home defense gun with your buddies the next time you’re at the range and you’re sure to hear a number of opinions. Shotguns—most often pump actions or semi-autos—are a top choice of many practitioners due to the spread of pellets making precise aiming a little less of a concern under duress, as well as a perceived lack of pass through on walls. For others, particularly concealed carry permit holders, the portability and familiarity of the handgun they carry is the way to go even in the home. But as AR-style rifles have become more popular with recreational shooters and collectors, it’s important to note that this most versatile of tactical weapons also makes for an efficient and dependable firearm to use in home defense situations as well. Here are five great reasons ARs make a great choice. Continue reading →

During a training session in Arizona at GPS Defense Sniper School, which originally offered courses in tactical AR shooting and tactical handgun as well, instructors were teaching us the proper hold for an AR in a combative situation. Most of the students in attendance that day were more hunters and traditional bolt-gun guys than semi-auto pros, but everyone was eager to learn more and become better shots. Many of the initial drills involved turning toward a stationary target and firing squared off toward the target as if wearing body armor, crouching and firing three-shot bursts. Many of us continued to want to grip the forend like that of a shotgun, the rifle resting firmly in the upward turned, U-grip of the non-dominant hand. For better control, however, we were taught to reach to the front end of the rail, in effect, pulling the rifle tightly back into the shoulder as we fired. The grip definitely provided better aim stability and firing control, especially when releasing multiple bursts. Continue reading →

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. 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 →

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 →

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 →

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 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 →

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...

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...