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 former military officer turned professional tech sector trainer. He's a lifelong learner, passionate outdoorsman, and steadfast supporter of firearms culture.
Here’s Your Postal Match Winners for Q42020
The results are in, and it was a squeaker! The Q4 postal match for 2020 ended last week. If you recall, it was a pistol-focused course of fire consisting of 25 shots between 3 yards and 25 yards. There was no timer, no positions, nor anything else. The event was a pure pistol marksmanship challenge against a small target.
Now What? A Back to Basics Approach to an Uncertain Future
2020 has been a rough year, and things may only get worse from here. So what, exactly, can we do about that? First, take a breath. Now let’s talk.
The Best EDC Lighter? Douglass Field S Review
A review of a lighter on a shooting blog? Yeah, we’re going there. I’m not here to shill a product, but rather talk about what I think is probably the best lighter you can buy and add to your kit. We’ll also talk about why you should keep a lighter with you all of the time anyway, even if you’re a nonsmoker like me.
Ammo Shortage? No Problem. Here’s a Solution
If you’re anything like me, then the great ammo shortage of 2020 has been putting a significant damper on your range time. I have a healthy stash set aside, for sure, but the general turmoil I’m seeing out there makes me reluctant to start using it until there’s a ready replacement. So what do we do?
The AR-15 Barrel Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need to Know
This post summarizes just about everything I’ve learned about rifle barrels in general, and specifically the AR-15. Barrels are an important topic, so settle in for some details.
Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25×56: The Raw Truth Review
The Vortex Strike Eagle 5-25×56 is the first entry of the Strike Eagle line into long range optics, and it seems as though it was purpose-built for the precision rimfire market. Vortex managed to stuff many of the desirable features of their more expensive Razor line, ubiquitous in Precision Rifle Series (PRS) matches, into a more affordable package for the everyday shooter.
Q4 2020 Postal Match: Bringing the Bull
For the fourth quarter of 2020’s match, we’re taking a note from the bullseye pistol game with a few tweaks. As much as I like …
Explaining the Minimum Capable Carbine
Today I’m talking about my concept of the Minimum Capable Carbine. If you’ve been reading for a while, you might recognize this as my suggestion for your first AR-15. In truth, this episode is a chance for me to say things out loud that didn’t come across very well in written format.
Keep Your Gear Dry: Waterproofing Your Pack
I’d like to throw a shout out to a fellow blogger, and community member, who did a great writeup on waterproofing a pack. I’ve got a bit of experience here, but given his background I think it’s best to just hear it from his mouth.
Mike Green of Green Ops Tactical Talks About Adult Skills
Mike Green is a 15 year veteran of Special Operations who began a training company in Northern Virginia as a bit of a side gig. His school has since grown into quite the training operation spanning multiple states and categories of students. One of the things that stood out to me about Green Ops is their motto, “Why Should Your Training Be Less Special?”
Chest Rigs vs. Belt Kits: Don’t Fall Into the Trap
This post continues what I started in my introduction to load carriage. In that article, I talked about the ongoing battle between weight and capability. It turns out that up until very recently, the average weight carried by soldiers remained shockingly stable. When it comes time to fight, the recommendation is to stay less than 30% of your lean body mass or about 50 lbs for the average person.
The Marksman’s Trinity: Balance for New and Old Gun Owners
The theme of the month is all about balance, so here’s another one to think about. I thought about the elements that should go into decision making regarding everything we do, and I categorized everything into these three: safety, capability, and security.
As gun owners and firearms enthusiasts, we should always be mindful of keeping these things in balance.