I know it's silly to post sensationalism like this, but with people posting all these stupid things about pokemon and politics, I just can't help myself! Seriously though, this is an important part of your life and times.
Everyone has a favorite pair of shorts, pants, shirt, shoes and (especially important) underwear. Sometimes it's purely emotional, like that lucky pair of drawers you were wearing that time you met that double jointed Swedish stewardess! Or not. My favorites all come due to comfort and/or usefulness. It's really important to have functional clothing at your disposal when the chips are down or you have to switch gears quickly. Case in point
Showing posts with label Blackhawk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blackhawk. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Monday, March 16, 2015
Range Day Drills- Handgun
Spend some time letting off some steam and getting the Glock 17 that I had coated running again. I'll never use the same person to coat a firearm for me, it's been a real pain to get the thing up and running. It was a semi auto for a long time, then after I ran some of my home brew Verboten 9mm Major through it in desperation, it's back to it's reliable self. 9mm Major is just hopped up 9mm that is way past pressure limits. One load I have is a 124g 9mm bullet traveling at 1480 fps. I wasn't running that load, more like a 124g +p+ was what I used. Winchester Ranger +p+ is almost identical to this load I used. The super hot load is marked 9mm Glock Killer just to make sure I don't grab it. The cases are also a different color.
I did some standard drills, working mostly on draw and fire. I use a bird's tweet as my "GO" for the exercise. Here are the exercises I did yesterday with about 300 rounds of fire.
Warm up- 1 round each at 4 2" circles from 7 yards. Slow fire at first, increase tempo slightly when you start back to the first circle. Reload from your belt at each start over. This expends 12 rounds and gets you a light warm up. You don't get a warm up for gun fights, so I limit mine severely.
Draw and fire- 10 pushups, 10 situps then set up 7 yards from target in the 12 O'clock position, facing the target. When I hear a bird cheep, tweet or caw, I deploy and fire 2 rounds center mass. Run to the target and mark your shots. Run back and set up in the 3 O'clock position for the same drill. You go through this drill running the 4 directions( 12, 3, 6, 9 O'clock). You should be wearing your normal attire for CCW. I had my SOE EDC belt, Bladetech Eclipse holster and Blade tech mag carrier. I was wearing a Tshirt and Blackhawk button down overshirt, unbuttoned. I recently purchased some Kuhl Renegade pants on special and was trying them out for the first time
I repeated this draw and fire exercise at 7 and 3 yards, setting the standard IDPA target up at 6'4" to the top to simulate the aggressor being significantly taller than me. Usually your adversary will choose a smaller target than themselves. I'm of medium height so I normally train for a larger opponent. I will do another set of 10 pushups and 10 sit ups between yardage change.
The wind was whipping pretty good and a couple times it pushed my shirt into my draw, causing a slight bobble. Good training for the real world. I don't top off mags, when they run dry, I do a mag change. I also run 10 round mags, just for more reloading. I repeated the drill 2x at 3 and 7 yards. This expends 32 rounds.
We are 44 rounds in, and you should be panting a bit from running and calisthenics.
Draw, Fire, Move, Fire- Set up in the 6 O'clock position, 7 yards away from the target. Wait for the bird, turn and fire 3 rounds center mass. Move to "cover" while covering the target. I use barrels that are set up at the range. I move it around to make the moving to cover the most difficult possible. Moving at 45 degrees away from the target while covering the target is about as hard as it gets. Once you reach cover, head shot. I'm usually 30-40 feet from the target for the head shot.
Move your "cover" each time you run this drill. I will also move my start position and direction from target. I ran this drill about 10 times. It's important to drill yourself that cover is life. Accuracy is king, so mark your shots after each drill to make you think about your hits. 30 rounds
Next is the fun.
Shooting to cover- Setup as last drill, except this time, draw and fire all the way to cover. Aimed fire, try not to lose any rounds off target. If you're losing rounds, slow down. Once I get to cover, I run two more rounds into center mass from cover. This expends 10-12 rounds per run.
Shoot to target. Start from behind cover and fire while advancing to the target. Setup in any direction you want, wait for the bird, advance while directing accurate fire on target. I usually start hitting center mass with the first rounds, then adjust fire to head and hips as I advance. Once you get good at this, move barrels or cones into your path, making you have to move side to side while advancing. One of the last things I do for this drill is to double stack barrels and run this course of fire while while having the target obstructed by the barrels. 12-14 rounds per run. This drill can be run Left to Right or Right to Left through the barrels, or you can do figure 8's around the barrel while firing. Whatever you like.
The object is to keep your pulse rate and breathing up while you practice your shooting skills. A standard square range is all that's needed. If you have a training partner, have them move things around on you while you are set up to keep you guessing.
I ran the last course of fire with the REPR twice, transitioning to the handgun for a 2 center/1 headshot when getting close to the target.
The new Ruger 10/22 take down was used today as well. Ran a couple runs shooting to cover with it. I also ran the Glock 22 from the Minuteman Cache #2 after installing Night Sights on it. It's now shooting 3 inches low at 7 yards. Ugh.
My shooting wasn't as good as expected, but with the issues I had getting the 17 to run, plus the 22's sights being off, I only lost 3 rounds off target, usually when trying for the head shot. I was pretty beat by the last few runs, and it showed.
Try to fine a range that allows you to shoot and move. If you're standing still and shooting at the same target, in the same direction, from the same shooting position, you're plinking, not training.
I did some standard drills, working mostly on draw and fire. I use a bird's tweet as my "GO" for the exercise. Here are the exercises I did yesterday with about 300 rounds of fire.
Warm up- 1 round each at 4 2" circles from 7 yards. Slow fire at first, increase tempo slightly when you start back to the first circle. Reload from your belt at each start over. This expends 12 rounds and gets you a light warm up. You don't get a warm up for gun fights, so I limit mine severely.
Draw and fire- 10 pushups, 10 situps then set up 7 yards from target in the 12 O'clock position, facing the target. When I hear a bird cheep, tweet or caw, I deploy and fire 2 rounds center mass. Run to the target and mark your shots. Run back and set up in the 3 O'clock position for the same drill. You go through this drill running the 4 directions( 12, 3, 6, 9 O'clock). You should be wearing your normal attire for CCW. I had my SOE EDC belt, Bladetech Eclipse holster and Blade tech mag carrier. I was wearing a Tshirt and Blackhawk button down overshirt, unbuttoned. I recently purchased some Kuhl Renegade pants on special and was trying them out for the first time
I repeated this draw and fire exercise at 7 and 3 yards, setting the standard IDPA target up at 6'4" to the top to simulate the aggressor being significantly taller than me. Usually your adversary will choose a smaller target than themselves. I'm of medium height so I normally train for a larger opponent. I will do another set of 10 pushups and 10 sit ups between yardage change.
The wind was whipping pretty good and a couple times it pushed my shirt into my draw, causing a slight bobble. Good training for the real world. I don't top off mags, when they run dry, I do a mag change. I also run 10 round mags, just for more reloading. I repeated the drill 2x at 3 and 7 yards. This expends 32 rounds.
We are 44 rounds in, and you should be panting a bit from running and calisthenics.
Draw, Fire, Move, Fire- Set up in the 6 O'clock position, 7 yards away from the target. Wait for the bird, turn and fire 3 rounds center mass. Move to "cover" while covering the target. I use barrels that are set up at the range. I move it around to make the moving to cover the most difficult possible. Moving at 45 degrees away from the target while covering the target is about as hard as it gets. Once you reach cover, head shot. I'm usually 30-40 feet from the target for the head shot.
Move your "cover" each time you run this drill. I will also move my start position and direction from target. I ran this drill about 10 times. It's important to drill yourself that cover is life. Accuracy is king, so mark your shots after each drill to make you think about your hits. 30 rounds
Next is the fun.
Shooting to cover- Setup as last drill, except this time, draw and fire all the way to cover. Aimed fire, try not to lose any rounds off target. If you're losing rounds, slow down. Once I get to cover, I run two more rounds into center mass from cover. This expends 10-12 rounds per run.
Shoot to target. Start from behind cover and fire while advancing to the target. Setup in any direction you want, wait for the bird, advance while directing accurate fire on target. I usually start hitting center mass with the first rounds, then adjust fire to head and hips as I advance. Once you get good at this, move barrels or cones into your path, making you have to move side to side while advancing. One of the last things I do for this drill is to double stack barrels and run this course of fire while while having the target obstructed by the barrels. 12-14 rounds per run. This drill can be run Left to Right or Right to Left through the barrels, or you can do figure 8's around the barrel while firing. Whatever you like.
The object is to keep your pulse rate and breathing up while you practice your shooting skills. A standard square range is all that's needed. If you have a training partner, have them move things around on you while you are set up to keep you guessing.
I ran the last course of fire with the REPR twice, transitioning to the handgun for a 2 center/1 headshot when getting close to the target.
The new Ruger 10/22 take down was used today as well. Ran a couple runs shooting to cover with it. I also ran the Glock 22 from the Minuteman Cache #2 after installing Night Sights on it. It's now shooting 3 inches low at 7 yards. Ugh.
My shooting wasn't as good as expected, but with the issues I had getting the 17 to run, plus the 22's sights being off, I only lost 3 rounds off target, usually when trying for the head shot. I was pretty beat by the last few runs, and it showed.
Try to fine a range that allows you to shoot and move. If you're standing still and shooting at the same target, in the same direction, from the same shooting position, you're plinking, not training.
Monday, March 9, 2015
Knife Review: Blackhawk TaTang 13.5"
A few years back, I was intrigued by the look and utility of this knife for a dual purpose. I needed a knife that would cut like a bushcraft knife, chop like a machete, and can be used as a last ditch fighting knife. All these options seemed to be addressed with this particular blade. The MSRP on this knife is near 100 bucks, but is available at a price point of 75 on several sites.
There were several options out there but the price point of the Blackhawk was too hard to pass up. I received the knife and immediately noted that the sheath for the unit was not going to work in the least. It was a cloth/cordura mix that is both hard to sheath and will not stand up to undue abuse. It looks as though they have updated the knife with a new sheath of thin thermoplastic, but at the time of purchase, mine was still fabric. I contacted a local Kydex Wizard to come up with a sheath that is MOLLE compatible and made to take some serious abuse. His creation is magnificent. Perfect spacing for MOLLE webbing.
The knife itself comes extremely sharp from the factory. The blade is two sided and comes to a rather fragile looking spear point. The top of the blade is ridged and flat for the first three inches and is then ground for the top edge from there. The grips are a little small for my liking, but sufficient for regular use. They used 3 screws to hold the thermoplastic scales in place on the full tang. the fitment of the scales is slightly off, but not enough to impair use. The grip is angled down at the rear with another ridged section at the top of the tang. There is a hole for a lanyard at the rear of the pommel. The rear of the full sized tang is exposed for use as a striking surface. The steel is advertised as 1085c High Carbon Tool Steel.
1085 is a simple carbon steel that has for years been used in many bushcraft knives, farm implements and an array of locations where heat treating is required for hardness and form retention is sought. This is the steel that was used before modern alloys created blades that were both hard and slightly flexible. Edge retention should be fairly good and with this steel and it is well served as a chopper. The main drawback with this steel is it's corrosion resistance isn't as good as I would like. I'm a bit OCD about my knives and like them to remain unmarked. This knife doesn't rust heavily, buy it does grey or turn a ruddy color depending on what it is used for. The D2 tool steel modern blade to the left is my HK Epidemic EDC knife that is reviewed Here.
Mine has gone along on several camping trips, a few training sessions and one hunting trip. I don't normally use a large knife for many things, but on occasion is comes in handy. This last trip I used it to chop my way into a rather dense section of brambles to recover game. It worked magnificently for this due to it's wide blade, sharp edge and forward balance. Having a 2 sided blade allowed me to cut going both directions, speeding up the task. When skinning a small animal, I can't recommend using this large of a knife, but for the sake of posterity I did so on one animal. It worked well enough, but the 2 sided blade becomes a hindrance at that point. Hunting and bushcraft isn't what the blade was designed for, but it will work for such in a pinch.
This is a fighting knife, made for slashing and jabbing at point blank range. For this purpose it works very well due to its design as a small Balisong. I carry it pointing down on the right side of my assault pack so it's readily available for use as a machete. My assault pack attaches to the back of my ruck so even when rucking, it's available for quick use. This knife can also be made into a spear for hunting if you are desperate. Should you ever need to go Rambo on a some wild bacon, this is a great option!
The blade coating has held up much better than anticipated, and the blade is displaying some mottling on both edges. I am very impressed for being a Taiwanese manufactured product. It's a great knife for it's purpose. Well designed and properly manufactured for the purpose of close quarters combat. Personally, I'd like a slightly larger tang and scales for better grip, but it works as it is. Another small issue I have is the screws that hold the scales in place rust easily. Over time I can see this causing some issues, but will still give many years of service for most users. Only the extreme users and those that spend considerable time in the field in moist conditions will notice the corrosion. The greatest detractor to the item is the sheath. It's of little use for anyone that intends to use the knife regularly. If you choose to use this knife as a bushcrafting knife, the point will more than likely break at some point. You will also have issues splitting wood with it due to the double edge design.
If you are looking for a fighting knife, this one is hard to beat at it's price point. The durable steel and rugged edge will serve you well. If you are looking for a buchcrafting knife or a hunting knife, look elsewhere. This design is less than optimal for that use. I've had this knife for around 4 years now and it's been great! I see no reason to replace it for use on my assault pack/Ruck, it's does exactly what it needs to do for that use.
Other designs to look at if you want a multipurpose knife in a larger size:
1) ESEE Junglas
2) Ka Bar Black Fighter
3) Becker Magnum Camp
4) Buck Hoodlum
5) Cold Steel Marauder
There were several options out there but the price point of the Blackhawk was too hard to pass up. I received the knife and immediately noted that the sheath for the unit was not going to work in the least. It was a cloth/cordura mix that is both hard to sheath and will not stand up to undue abuse. It looks as though they have updated the knife with a new sheath of thin thermoplastic, but at the time of purchase, mine was still fabric. I contacted a local Kydex Wizard to come up with a sheath that is MOLLE compatible and made to take some serious abuse. His creation is magnificent. Perfect spacing for MOLLE webbing.
The knife itself comes extremely sharp from the factory. The blade is two sided and comes to a rather fragile looking spear point. The top of the blade is ridged and flat for the first three inches and is then ground for the top edge from there. The grips are a little small for my liking, but sufficient for regular use. They used 3 screws to hold the thermoplastic scales in place on the full tang. the fitment of the scales is slightly off, but not enough to impair use. The grip is angled down at the rear with another ridged section at the top of the tang. There is a hole for a lanyard at the rear of the pommel. The rear of the full sized tang is exposed for use as a striking surface. The steel is advertised as 1085c High Carbon Tool Steel.
1085 is a simple carbon steel that has for years been used in many bushcraft knives, farm implements and an array of locations where heat treating is required for hardness and form retention is sought. This is the steel that was used before modern alloys created blades that were both hard and slightly flexible. Edge retention should be fairly good and with this steel and it is well served as a chopper. The main drawback with this steel is it's corrosion resistance isn't as good as I would like. I'm a bit OCD about my knives and like them to remain unmarked. This knife doesn't rust heavily, buy it does grey or turn a ruddy color depending on what it is used for. The D2 tool steel modern blade to the left is my HK Epidemic EDC knife that is reviewed Here.
Mine has gone along on several camping trips, a few training sessions and one hunting trip. I don't normally use a large knife for many things, but on occasion is comes in handy. This last trip I used it to chop my way into a rather dense section of brambles to recover game. It worked magnificently for this due to it's wide blade, sharp edge and forward balance. Having a 2 sided blade allowed me to cut going both directions, speeding up the task. When skinning a small animal, I can't recommend using this large of a knife, but for the sake of posterity I did so on one animal. It worked well enough, but the 2 sided blade becomes a hindrance at that point. Hunting and bushcraft isn't what the blade was designed for, but it will work for such in a pinch.
This is a fighting knife, made for slashing and jabbing at point blank range. For this purpose it works very well due to its design as a small Balisong. I carry it pointing down on the right side of my assault pack so it's readily available for use as a machete. My assault pack attaches to the back of my ruck so even when rucking, it's available for quick use. This knife can also be made into a spear for hunting if you are desperate. Should you ever need to go Rambo on a some wild bacon, this is a great option!
The blade coating has held up much better than anticipated, and the blade is displaying some mottling on both edges. I am very impressed for being a Taiwanese manufactured product. It's a great knife for it's purpose. Well designed and properly manufactured for the purpose of close quarters combat. Personally, I'd like a slightly larger tang and scales for better grip, but it works as it is. Another small issue I have is the screws that hold the scales in place rust easily. Over time I can see this causing some issues, but will still give many years of service for most users. Only the extreme users and those that spend considerable time in the field in moist conditions will notice the corrosion. The greatest detractor to the item is the sheath. It's of little use for anyone that intends to use the knife regularly. If you choose to use this knife as a bushcrafting knife, the point will more than likely break at some point. You will also have issues splitting wood with it due to the double edge design.
If you are looking for a fighting knife, this one is hard to beat at it's price point. The durable steel and rugged edge will serve you well. If you are looking for a buchcrafting knife or a hunting knife, look elsewhere. This design is less than optimal for that use. I've had this knife for around 4 years now and it's been great! I see no reason to replace it for use on my assault pack/Ruck, it's does exactly what it needs to do for that use.
Other designs to look at if you want a multipurpose knife in a larger size:
1) ESEE Junglas
2) Ka Bar Black Fighter
3) Becker Magnum Camp
4) Buck Hoodlum
5) Cold Steel Marauder
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