Equipment

I’ve written a lot about the AR-15 platform and its uses, but there’s a lot more than that to shooting. Allow me to introduce you to my precision rifle project, which I plan to use for long-range training and competition.

Today we’re talking about the chest rig. Whether it’s standalone or a plate carrier, putting stuff on your torso has become the de-facto “cool guy” way to do things. So what do you need to know about doing it?

Let’s step away from firearms for a minute and talk about cordage. Just about everyone in the shooting world knows of, and probably uses, 550 paracord. In fact, we love to “paracord all the things” with bracelets, rifle slings, and more. The stuff is useful for a lot of reasons, and we’ll get to it. But bank line is another alternative that you really should try out.

Today we continue our discussion of load carriage options by talking about the tactical belt. You might also know it as a duty belt, and it’s a great method for carrying gear when you do it right.

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.

Today we’re continuing our discussion on load carriage. But now we’re moving towards the discreet end of the spectrum. I didn’t think all that much about my belt when I first received my CCW permit. It was all about the pistol and associated holster. But the truth is that a good concealed carry belt is part of a system that includes the pistol, holster, belt, and you.

Let’s talk about twist rates.

Specifically, I want to dig into the purpose of rifling and how to determine the right twist rate for your rifle and cartridge.

There’s a lot of engineering voodoo that goes into making a rifle work well and fire accurately. The length of a rifle’s barrel and how it affects the velocity of the bullet is one of those major factors.

Most articles walk you through the basic steps of getting your iron sights zeroed, but they lack an explanation of why you’re doing the steps you’re doing. Let’s change that.

This post is a little more off-the-cuff than my usual, but it’s something that’s been weighing on my mind lately. Producing the new podcast is quite the learning experience. I don’t say that just about the technical audio stuff, either, but the wisdom of the folks I’m talking to. To date, I’ve talked to four very experienced shooters across the tactical and competition realms. I’ve asked all of them about the caliber wars, and where things like .224 Valkyrie or 6.5 Creedmoor fit in. Though I keep waiting for the answer to change, it doesn’t: shoot the .308.

Like barrels, triggers, and all the other choices, Ar-15 optics are a challenging one. There’s a lot of misunderstanding and “fluff” out there. I want to take a few moments and discuss some thoughts on optics selection.