What distance should you zero?
Why?
How big a target do you wish to be capable of hitting and at what distances, without having to adjust your point of aim.
Said easier, let's pick a distance that we can just put the dot on the target and run the gun.

A few points as you'll see, Marksmanship matters. If you can't hold the gun steady and press the trigger without disturbing the sights/dot them you will want to get a rest to shoot off of.

7-15 yards are very common, zero distances for handguns. You will see some others as well.
What is the goal.

Remember!
You will want to get real data at various distances to see where your actual gun/dot combination is hitting.

A little more on Point Blank
I'll borrow this from Ron Spomer.
MPBR or maximum point blank range-
is the distance over which a shooter can hold his sights dead on the center of the target and hit it. The bullet may strike the upper or lower edge or any point in between, but it will not miss (unless the shooter flinches or pulls the barrel off target.) To the surprise of many, with the right cartridge, bullet and target, this “dead-on hold” can stretch past 400 yards.

Thanks for joining me on the range.

I hope this was valuable for you. We appreciate you.

Visit Carrytrainer.com for information on classes, speaking engagements, podcasts, and merch.

A squib happens when a bullet becomes lodged in the barrel. Usually you will hear a much less loud pop, instead of a usual bang.

It is quite rare, but I've seen more and more of them as people have been buying ammo from untested makers. Ome class we had 20 or more. A bunch of guys had ammo from a company that messed up loading. That maker went out of business.

If it happens, stop, don't fire again.
clear the gun and safely inspect it.
Use a wood or brass dowel to remove the obstruction or take it to a gun smith.

Here is the whole video.
https://youtu.be/rl_kLwbfKEk?si=BD6alWLGYBVmBf6k

There much to learn from these types of cases.

We discuss our thoughts and feelings on this case.

Our goal should always be to avoid trouble when we can. If we are forced into, we ought to be capable of explaining what happened and why.

Study up.

After we learn how to safely function our firearm, the next step is to ingrain the fundamentals of Marksmanship, a pal calls them "The essentials of Marksmanship". I like that as they are that important.

When we have safe manipulations and the essentials of Marksmanship down, we can then consider carrying a firearm into the world.

We never are beyond training safety, sound manipulation of the gun, and Marksmanship, never forget that, but think about this.
You can do all that well, but if you can't get it out and on target when you need it, none of the rest matters.

Train, train, train your draw stroke. Ingrain it, refine it, smooth it out until you can't fail.

I hope you never need to use a gun in violence, but if you do, I hope you dominate the situation with righteousness, good ethics, and sound practices that get you home to your people.

Consider training with us.

carrytrainer.com for information on training, speaking engagements and products.

Special thanks to @tatargets ‎@SuperVelAmmo  @boresightsolutions @darkstargear
@Gunfighteroil @ameriglosights

Get some amazing coffee from ignisluxcoffee.com

Balance is power, in fact, it's a super power and you can train it while doing lots of tasks.
Stand on one foot while waiting in line, brushing your teeth, etc. You doesn't have to have a cool tool like this block, but this will supercharge the training.

I'm a big fan of slack lines. My climber brother @tommyschuch made one many years ago and I was hooked. I've had one set up at home for a decade.

The folks at @slackbow_balance who make the slack block sent me one to try and I think it's really cool, especially with my travel. It's made in the USA and it's lightweight and can get tossed into the truck with my sandbag and other gear.
I'll need to get the one for more weight so I can try it with a load in my hands, wait, that sounds bad.

Anyway, check it out. @slackbow_balance
here is a link
https://www.slackbow.com/products-1

Come train with us-

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21 carbine/pistol

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5 carbine/pistol

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10 carbine/pistol

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11 pistol

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14 carbine/pistol

Lebanon, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25 pistol

Lebanon, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28 carbine/pistol

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25 pistol

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13 carbine/pistol

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17 pistol, medical, combatives

#madeinUSA
#balance
#carrytrainer

I intended to film a down and dirty "How to zero your rifle" video.

The truth is that the zeroing process is simple, but there are quite a few considerations and steps.

Plus you must be capable of exhibiting good Marksmanship to properly calibrate the gun,sighting system, optic combination.

We will grab a good video at class in Las Vegas next week. April 18-20

Come Train!

Our entire existence quite literally revolves around our sun.
Today, many of us will see the moon pass between us and that huge ball of flaming gases. The country is buzzing about the eclipse.

Throughout history, eclipses have been interpreted by many cultures as a disruption of the natural order, and in some cases a "bad omen," according to Britannica.

In ancient China, the etchings discovered in Anyang depicted solar eclipses as celestial dragons attacking and devouring the sun.

"To frighten away the dragon and save the sun, people would bang drums and make loud noises during an eclipse,"according to Britannica.

In South America, the ancient Incan people believed solar eclipses were a "sign of wrath and displeasure" from Inti, the "all-powerful sun god," Britannica further says.

"Following an eclipse, spiritual leaders would attempt to divine the source of his anger and determine which sacrifices should be offered," Britannica notes, adding that fasting and even instances of human sacrifice were common during a solar eclipse.

Choctaw Native Americans, the third-largest Native American nation – originally based in what is now Alabama and Mississippi – created lore similar to that of ancient Chinese people to explain solar eclipses.

"According to Choctaw legend, a mischievous black squirrel gnawing on the sun is the cause of eclipses," according to Britannica. "Like the Chinese dragon, the squirrel must be frightened away by the clamor and yells of the event's human witnesses."

In West Africa, the Tammari people, also known as Batammariba, from the northern regions of Togo and Benin, believed the celestial bodies intersecting during an eclipse represented human feuds on Earth.

"According to their legend, human anger and fighting spread to the sun and the moon, who began to fight with each other and caused an eclipse," Britannica notes.

All I know is the birds really love to sing as we turn to face that huge mass of life giving heat, light and energy.
D..

I like point shooting.
If you don't, don't do it.

I have shot traditional archery (no sights), just a stick and string for over 30 years.
It's not the same as point shooting a pistol, but it is.
With a repeatable connection to the bow, you basically look the arrows into a target.

The same thing is done behind a gun.

Here is what I know.
1. It's fun.
2. No one ever wished to have less fun.
3. Being capable of hitting shit from the hip is cooler than not being able to.

That's all I got.

Come train.

Thanks @cowtownrange

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14

Denver, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25

Denver, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17

Carrytrainer.com

At the time of this posting I'm 14 days into a road trip that took me from Chicago through Denver Colorado down to a 4 day class in Las Vegas then over to Phoenix Arizona for a 2 day training.

I drive back roads and off interstates when time allows. I'd rather see the towns and views unbothered by billboards and fastfood.

After a visit to my little brothers east of Phoenix, I took hwy 87 north through some very rugged and beautiful landscapes. As I climbed into the mountains the scenery shifted quickly from Saguaro cactus to ponderosa pine with juniper and pinyon pine.

The little building is a visitor center in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, specifically, it's the Mogollon Rim Visitor Center.
Perched on the edge of the Mogollon Rim, this visitor's center offers spectacular views of the forested mountains, lakes, and valleys to the south.
The building is at 7500 feet above sea level and looks out over a couple of miles of breathtaking landscape.

I'm glad I stopped.

I hope you get to see those views yourself and we hope to see you in class.

Carrytrainer.com

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14

Denver, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25

Denver, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17

Carrytrainer.com

At the time of this posting I'm 14 days into a road trip that took me from Chicago through Denver Colorado down to a 4 day class in Las Vegas then over to Phoenix Arizona for a 2 day training.

I drive back roads and off interstates when time allows. I'd rather see the towns and views unbothered by billboards and fastfood.

After a visit to my little brothers east of Phoenix, I took hwy 87 north through some very rugged and beautiful landscapes. As I climbed into the mountains the scenery shifted quickly from Saguaro cactus to ponderosa pine with juniper and pinyon pine.

The little building is a visitor center in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, specifically, it's the Mogollon Rim Visitor Center.
Perched on the edge of the Mogollon Rim, this visitor's center offers spectacular views of the forested mountains, lakes, and valleys to the south.
The building is at 7500 feet above sea level and looks out over a couple of miles of breathtaking landscape.

I'm glad I stopped.

I hope you get to see those views yourself and we hope to see you in class.

Carrytrainer.com

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14

Denver, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25

Denver, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17

Carrytrainer.com

How does a big ammo maker sort spent brass quickly?
Here is one way.

We stopped by my pals at Super Vel and checked into what they have going on at the new shop.

Designed long before the war by John C. Garand , a French Canadian engineer, the semiautomatic, gas-operated, air-cooled, clip-fed M-1 was the main infantry weapon of the U.S. Army in 1941-1945. Firing a .30-caliber cartridge in eight-round clips, it was the world’s first semiautomatic rifle in military service and was used wherever American soldiers saw action, in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Pacific Theater, France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany.

The rifle’s accuracy and durability earned high praise from generals as well as GIs. During the bitter, doomed struggle on Bataan in early 1942, General Douglas A. MacArthur, later commander of Allied ground forces in the Pacific Theater, reported on the M-1 to the U.S. Ordnance Department: “Under combat conditions, it operated with no mechanical defects, and when used in foxholes did not develop stoppages from dust or dirt. It has been in almost constant action for as much as a week without cleaning or lubrication.”

Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., commander of the highballing Third Army in Europe in 1944-1945, reported to the Ordnance Department on January 26, 1945: “In my opinion, the M-1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.”

The rifle’s accuracy and durability earned high praise from generals as well as GIs. During the bitter, doomed struggle on Bataan in early 1942, General Douglas A. MacArthur, later commander of Allied ground forces in the Pacific Theater, reported on the M-1 to the U.S. Ordnance Department: “Under combat conditions, it operated with no mechanical defects, and when used in foxholes did not develop stoppages from dust or dirt. It has been in almost constant action for as much as a week without cleaning or lubrication.”

Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr., commander of the highballing Third Army in Europe in 1944-1945, reported to the Ordnance Department on January 26, 1945: “In my opinion, the M-1 rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised.”

Yes, it ..

This life is definitely filled with uncertainty, and there is much outside our control.

We can control a few things.

1. The food we eat.
2. The level of physical fitness we maintain.
3. What we view, read, listen to.
4. Most importantly, what we think about on the regular matters.

Coach Holtz said WIN-
What's Important Now.
Use that when you need to break things into manageable bites or when stuff is overwhelming.

You got this. It's up to you.

Upcoming Classes
Las Vegas, NV - Grappling and Guns | March 26-29, 2024
Las Vegas, NV - 3 Day Defender Rifle/Pistol Course |April 19-21, 2024
Jefferson, OH - 3 Day Defender Rifle/Pistol Course | May 3-5, 2024
Parlin, NJ- 3 Day Practical Rifle/Pistol Course | June 8-10, 2024
Shelton, WA - 2 Day Defensive Pistol Course | July 10-11, 2024
Shelton, WA - 3 Day Practical Rifle/Pistol Course | July 12-14, 2024
Lebanon, PA - 2 Day Defensive Pistol Course | July 24-25, 2024
Lebanon, PA - 3 Day Practical Pistol Course | July 26-28, 2024
Homer, NY - 2 Day Self Protection Pistol Course | August 24-25, 2024
Clayton, MI - 2 Day Self Protection Pistol Course | September 7-8, 2024
Zamora, CA - 3 Day Defensive Rifle and Pistol Course | October 11-13
Nashville, TN - S12 Premier Training Event | November 14-17

carrytrainer.com

Maintenance matters.
Vehicles, guns, tools and most importantly our bodies, the greatest tool we have.

Make Maintenance a priority.

30k mile filter changes on the diesel for me.

See you in class.
carrytrainer.com

A sale is about to run today!

A little unstable weight=lots of effort to control it.
It'll make a stronger you. I've got pretty decent balance from years of doing these short movements.

It'll also aid you in staying on your feet if someone else has others plans for you.

I'm still working to gain back what I lost. Onwards.

That's hunk of pipe has some sand in it as well as the chains.
Total weight is about 85lbs/38.5kg

You need not have a slack line. Just balance on a single leg or walk on a 2x4 that on the ground. Use your imagination. Definitely try unweighted before carrying a load.
Be careful!

Death is coming, just not this day

See you at a training.

Las Vegas, NV (4 Day) – March 26-29 Grappling and Handgun work with @dan_t_hart

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14

Denver, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25

Denver, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25

Clayton, MI (2 Day)-Sept 7-8

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17

Carrytrainer.com

#beyourowncavalry
#balance
#carrytrainer

We stopped at Steiner Optics today to visit, chat on their products and get some stuff to share with you.

Jared was an excellent host.

@steineroptics

Sometimes you gotta play.

Mickey talks to longtime pro shooter Todd Jarrett. He's won many many championships and served as a firearm instructor for all the US Military branches. What you may not know is he got started as a HVAC tech... get Todd's full story here.

You can follow Todd Jarrett on instagram @todd.jarrett.186.

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@toddjarrett5216
COFFEE: https://ignisluxcoffee.com

RELATED PODCASTS:

Top Shot J.J. Racaza | Higher Line Podcast #216
https://youtu.be/ScaBKwQznvQ

He Wrote the Book on Self-Protection | Higher Line Podcast #203
https://youtu.be/67O6_MB5k3w

Champion Shooter, SWAT Cop | Higher Line Podcast #133
https://youtu.be/3FtM9BX3liA

FULL HIGHER LINE PODCAST PLAYLIST:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLIawiENN1oo7cs_Z5bQuq5SgyB2EN17y

---
Music Attributions:
Intro - "3rd Eye Blimp" by Otis McDonald
Outro - "I Want More" by Silent Partner

The Carry Trainer Higher Line Podcast is available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube and most importantly CarryTrainer.com.

It sure helps to understand how fast your ammo is or isn't in whatever gun you're shooting.

The posted numbers on the ammo box are not your gun. It's data, normally derived from long barreled test guns.

Once we get the data, we show you what to do with it.

Las Vegas, NV (4 Day) – March 26-29 Grappling and Handgun work with @dan_t_hart

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14

Denver, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25

Denver, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17

Carrytrainer.com

Failing is an interesting idea. Lets look at the dictionary.
verb
1.be unsuccessful in achieving one's goal.
"he failed in his attempt to secure election"
2.neglect to do something.
"the firm failed to give adequate risk warnings"

I have failed more times than I have succeeded.
I've also attempted more times than I have failed. Onwards or stay down. @instructor_zee has a simple motto
"I WILL NOT STAY DOWN"
That's doesn't just happen. You gotta do it.
Deeds Not Words.

I was responding to some unhappy comments online today. Need to sometimes.
Don't waste too much energy in controversy or low brow bullshit. It isn't going to get you out of the mud and it most likely will do nothing to promote your goals.

Moving on.
I also had some great conversations today with my friends.

Mike Pannone @cttsolutionsllc talking on where an instructors head and heart needs to be. I'd say this applies to any teacher.

"If you make it about yourself, then you aren't making it about the students. The focus has to be on something. If it's on you, you're wrong."

Tim Grammins @snipert310
He was recently injured while keeping in shape. He stays fit for all the reasons, including his oath to his community.
He had to have a pretty serious surgery.

I said" Tim I'm sorry to hear this. This sucks bro."

His immediate response was, "It's worth it."

What? He knows to keep fit at the level he's at and to have fun, playing, grappling, running, skating, skiing, etc. stuff can and does happen.

He isn't wasting time on anger. He said, I gotta get fit.

My BJJ coach and close friend @dan_t_hart
Recently suffered a tear needing surgery and ultimately short-term immobilization of his dominant arm. He messaged me within hours and said, "Can you get me a left hand holster." Copy @ksg_armory had one inbound within 24 hours. Within 48 hours of surgery Dan was dryfiring and clearing his cover garment while in a sling. His words.
"Figure it the f out."

I've got a very simple question for you..

Keep in mind most everything we know and teach about legitimate self protection and willing in violence has roots in someone's bad reality or better said, someone's harsh story of violence.

Something went sideways and the party involved said, "I'm going to pass rhe lesson on so others don't get the same result." or so they do if it was a good outcome.

Our challenge and goal is understanding the desired end state. It's not staring around arange, pointing a gun at the dirt or yelling commands at a paper target.

The goal is why those things exist.

This is neither a directive to perform these training practices nor to abandonthem, but rather to think of the hierarchy of tasks at hand.

Use the WIN acronym. What's Important Now?

We hope to see you in class

Las Vegas, NV (4 Day) – March 26-29 Grappling and Handgun work with @dan_t_hart

Las Vegas, NV (3 Day) - April 19-21

Jefferson, OH (3 Day) - May 3-5

Parlin, NJ (3 Day) -June 8-10

Shelton, WA (2 Day) -July 10-11

Shelton, WA (3 Day) - July 12-14

Denver, PA (2 Day) - July 24-25

Denver, PA (3 Day) -July 26-28

Homer, NY (2 Day) - August 24-25

Zamora, CA (3 Day) - Oct 11-13

S12 Experience TN (4 Day) - Nov 14-17

Carrytrainer.com

Come train with us
carrytrainer.com

Fear begets more fear.
Courage begets more courage.

It's up to us. It's up to you.
If not you and me, then who?

The Republic needs you.

Hope is the last thing ever lost.

carrytrainer.com for classes

Gunfighteroil.com for USA maintenance products

ignisluxcoffee.com for amazing, fresh, small batch, no BS, awesome coffee.