Thank you for coming by The Everyday Marksman. This site and its community are a labor of love. I hope you stick around for a while, and maybe even join us.
-Matt
Matt is the primary author and owner of The Everyday Marksman. He's a former military officer turned professional tech sector trainer. He's a lifelong learner, passionate outdoorsman, and steadfast supporter of firearms culture.
Shield AMS Pistol Dot: The Raw Truth Review
Continuing my mission to experiment with more pistol dots and experience the options, today I'm looking at the Shield AMS. I was sufficiently impressed with the SIS2 that I wanted to go another route with Shield, a British company that often gets overlooked in the market. The AMS is their enclosed dot designed for full size pistols.
Shoot This! January 2025 Postal Match Course of Fire and Results
Over the first part of 2025, we ran a friendly postal match in the Everyday Marksman community. It's all wrapped up, and here was the course of fire as well as the results. Thanks to everyone who participated, and stay tuned for the next one!
An Ode to the Old Ways: Returning to a 1911 Journey
Time goes on, and as I get older I find myself drawn more to the allure of all-all metal hammer fired pistols. The feel in the hand, the art of the lines and machining, the work of craftsmen. Perhaps one pistol more than any other stands out as the epitome of this mindset, and I'm spending a lot more time with it.
It’s 2025, What Do I Think of Pistol-Mounted Red Dots
I was having a discussion recently about my experience with pistol red dots so far. It seems that nearly everyone is talking about them these days, and assume that it's the new "standard." I'm not sure we're there yet, but we're getting close.
How to Use the Martial Marksman Physical Calculator
I'm a nerd at heart, especially a data nerd. Over the course of a year, I built calculator out of a spreadsheet. This calculator encompasses all of my physical fitness goals from strength levels to body composition, cardio conditioning, and science-driven aesthetic targets. It also provides goal body mass targets, cardio zone targets, and ideal rates of fat loss or mass gain for cutting and bulking throughout the year. I've been testing it with others for a while on a small scale, and now I'm ready to release it to you. And it's free. I don't even need your email.
2024 Retrospective & Review; Updates for 2025
Here at the end of the year, it's time to look back across 2024 and grade myself on how I've done (pretty mediocre, to be honest). I'm also setting the main targets for 2025, which ties back directly to what you can expect next year.
Fairfax Pistol Action Challenge Dec 2024 AAR
Given my focus on pistol shooting, it was high time I entered a pistol match. On December 20th, 2024, the Fairfax Rod & Gun Club hosted their monthly 2-Gun Action Challenge, but this one was pistol-only- a great fit for me in both gear and timing. Here's how it went.
Shield Sights SIS2: The Raw Truth Review
After several months, I'm dropping my review of the Shield Sights SIS2. The second generation of their Switchable Interface Sight. Shield is a UK-based company that has a long history in electro-optics, especially miniaturized ones. Despite that, most people aren't familiar with their long-gun oriented optics originally designed for the UK Ministry of Defense. So here's your introduction.
State of Play: Political and Legal Trends to Watch For
A bit of an off-the-cuff musing about the current state of the second amendment legal world. I've been in this debate for a long time, and I think we've got a lot of momentum behind us- but I also think there's some serious risk in the future. The debate is not over, not by a long shot.
Meprolight MPO-F: The Raw Truth Review
In my effort to continue diving down the pistol optics rabbit hole, but also avoiding things made in China, I came across an interesting family of pistol dots from Meprolight: the MPO series. So I grabbed the full size open emitter version, the MPO-F, and mounted it to my recently purchased rimfire pistol to have a go. Here are my thoughts so far.
Pistols and Patriotism: Project Appleseed Pistol Clinic AAR
At the start of October, I went to a Project Appleseed Pistol Clinic to get a refresh on my pistol skills and see what the new program was all about. I came away both satisfied with my performance and appreciating the hard work that the Appleseed folks put into developing this new curriculum. Let's dig in!
Workout of the Month: Mountain Tactical Institute Burpee Beep Test
Did you know the Air Force added new fitness test component, the high aerobic multi-shuttle run (HAMR? You might know as the beep test, which estimates VO2 max more efficiently than traditional runs. MTI has a spin off version with burpees that I think makes a perfect workout of the month entry. Let's go.