Snake RAH
05-04-07, 11:28
This class is a new class on their list of courses offered, and since many classes I've been to don't have enough yardage to shoot beyond 50 yards (or, many times, most everyone is more interested in the close up stuff only), I wanted to take the class so I could challenge myself to shooting beyond 100 yards on a non-square range.
The class was outside of Bastrop, TX, this past weekend (28-29 April) at a place we call "The Farm."
Here's my AAR.
My Equipment: I took two ARs, used one on day one, the other on day two. Both are configured the same: 14.5" Bushmaster flattops (with Phantoms on them), RRA lowers with Magpul CTRs, C4 handguards, EOTech 512s with RRA Dominator mounts. Both guns are zeroed for 100 yards with AE .223. Mags were DSG Arms marked USGI dry lube with Gen 2 Magpul followers. My pistol was a Glock 17 with XS Big Dots. My vest was a Custom Tactical Creations Modular Multi-role Harness, which is similar to the Eagle MLCS harness, but it has removable magazine cells/shingles that fit in the sides of the rig. I carried 9 mags (8 in the vest, one in the rifle) of rifle, 3 mags of pistol. I wore the vest with the TAG VOK, Eagle FB Glock mag pouch, TAG smoke grenade carrier (no grenades yet, but are en route), TAG Camelbak carrier attached to the back. I ran a Safariland 6280 with a low ride bracket, a BKT10 knife in a Spec Ops Brand sheath, on a Tactical Tailor duty belt.
I showed up with 250 rounds in rifle mags, and 1450 in my ammo can, all on stripper clips. The course called for 1500 rounds, so I brought a little more. I also brought 260 rounds of 9mm, loaded in 4 mags and the rest in the box.
Other folks equipment: All AR15 models for the other 6, except one brought a shortened M14 clone. He was having problems zeroing, so he ditched it for his flattop midlength iron-sighted AR. One shooter had a A2 20", another had a 16" dissapator with EOTech on a RRA Dominator mount, one had a 14.5" with EOTech on a SIR, one had a SLR15 Commander (the one that looks like a dissapator) with ARMS40 and Aimpoint (not sure which version), and one shooter with 16" Bushmaster M4 with EOTech and ARMS40L. A later shooter showed up with a Aimpoint sighted AR.
Instructors: James Yeager and Aaron Little
Weather: Overcast until 10 or so, partly to mostly sunny, humid, highs in the mid 80s, both days.
Day 1:
Day one started with range brief, medical "oh shit" brief, and the safety brief. Basic discussion of ballistics, to include trajectory, zeroing. We then went to 50 yards to either confirm or re zero our irons. We shot 5 iterations, and by then, everyone seemed to be confident in their zeros. We were taught the different positions: standing, kneeling, squatting/rice paddy prone, sitting, and prone. We then began to shoot rifles in those different positions at 50 yards, onto cardboard targets. We moved to 75, and did the same thing. Ground foliage was pretty low, so prone could be achieved easily until we got to 100, where a small rise in the land and higher wildflowers made it more difficult to shoot the cardboard. I can't remember, but I think by lunch time we got out to 200 or 250 yards (beyond 100 yards we went in 50 yard increments). Out here we had switched to steel man-sized silhouette, and would make shots from standing, then an intermediate position, then prone, if practicable. Hitting the steel in the prone was easier because 1) of it's white color (as opposed to brown cardboard) and 2) it stood 2-3' higher on the berm. Most shots I made, I used the prone because I could still see the top 1/3rd or so of the target, above the weeds.
After lunch, we continued on out to 300 yards. People were making good hits, even from standing, at 300 yards. Aaron or Debo would spot using a spotting scope to help with corrections, since for most of us, no one had shot their ARs this far before. We even did a little competition from the sitting position. We shot cardboard targets with irons, then with our dot sights (if we had them), and my results in particular, were unimpressive. I've shot much better before this instance at Paul Howe's Tactical Rifle Instructor class, and the Cav Arms matches in Waco. I don't have an explanation or excuse. I just didn't shoot well at that point. We shot a little more (I think we did the close up version of the speed limit drill), and then called it a day.
Note: The heat was kicking my butt about midday. I'm inside way too much, and not outside enough, so usually the first day of any class I take I'm always getting acclimated. I had to take a break, and did it myself, because I don't like IVs.
Day 2:
We started with more shooting, the speed limit drill (one far target, one near target...you shoot 5 into the near target and then make hits on the far target, which was steel). We went out to 300 for that. We then went to 350. I had never shot my AR at 350, so I didn't know what the trajectory would be. I was able to make hits on steel my using a hold on the top of the head. We wanted to go to 400, but the wildflowers were so high that no one would be able to use any position other than standing, and so we started on multiple targets (4 steel targets) in different positions, starting at 100 and going back to 300, after lunch.
After lunch we continued with multiple targets, and then did some team stuff (2 man), lateral bounding, and then forward/rearward bounding. The kicker was the addition of two LaRues to the 4 large steel silhouettes. The team would have to knock both LaRues down before someone could move. We performed this at 100 or 150 yards. With the addition of stress, making hits on the LaRues was a little more difficult, especially when all the paint was shot off, they blended well into the background. These drills are when rifles started to crap out. One team had a shooter loose his extractor (the claw broke off), but they drove on, and still put up a good fight. My teammate and I started, and his rifle went down (not sure, perhaps end of day and all dirty), and I became the main shooter until my rifle went down (not sure either). It started with a stuck case, so I dropped the mag, and cleared it by slamming the buttstock on the ground and pulling back on the charging handle. I reinserted the mag, and tried to chamber, but it wouldn't go into battery. I then pulled the charging handle, and found it had locked up. Debo handed me his rifle, but since his EOTech had been on all day, it had automatically shut off. I made 4 or 5 shots before I realized I didn't have a reticle, and his rear sight was in the down position. I flipped it up, and started making shots. By then, instead of continuing bounding forward, we bounded back and disengaged, since I was the only shooter.
Lessons learned:
1) If I can see it, I can hit it. We get so wrapped up in CQB style shooting that we forget that bullets will go more than 50 feet, or that we can make hits, in different positions, in different levels of stress, beyond 50 feet. Learning or relearning such gives me a more powerful feeling.
2) Red-dots are not just for close range. The EOTech allowed me to shoot better and faster, especially at farther ranges, than if I had irons alone. I was not in the minority with this lesson, since the two other iron-sighted shooters are now looking into picking up a red dot sight. Sharing a rifle mounted with optics to them, side by side comparison, was eye-opening.
3) Weapons maintenance should never be skipped. I thought my weapons woe at the end of day 2 may have been a popped primer, but after disassembly and functions check, I can't find one. The rifle is pretty dirty. I usually take time at lunch at every class to clean my rifles (at the minimum, wipe down, clean chamber, re lube), but blew it off. Never again.
4) Slow down, concentrate, and make your hits. When shooting steel, I have the desire to begin shooting faster, because reactive targets are gratifying in the way they ring, move, or whatever when you score a hit. However, I have to fight the urge to go faster, because I skip out of the process of what made me able to hit it in the first place.
5) I like prone, but it isn't always the best position to make a distance shot. Prone is my most stable position, but if you've got too much stuff in the way that you can't see your target, you're not going to make a hit. Most of my prone hits were with only seeing the top 1/3rd of the target.
6) Mark your mags. Not just with a number or name on the bottom, but something easy to see in the high grass.
7) Stay away from the white-flowered bull nettle. That stuff is fierce. Along with fire ant beds. Try not to lie down in either.
I ended up expending 958 rifle rounds in two days, and 23 pistol rounds. I somehow still lost a rifle magazine, after class, perhaps at the parking area. Jason has a good idea of adding hi-viz tape to the mag.
Edited to add: my apologies in case I got some of the order of the drills or distances wrong. One thing that I learned from the class is that if I can see it, I can hit it. Once we got out to 300 yards, I didn't sit there and think, "hey, I'm at 300 yards" but instead, "I can see the target, so I will hit it."
The class was outside of Bastrop, TX, this past weekend (28-29 April) at a place we call "The Farm."
Here's my AAR.
My Equipment: I took two ARs, used one on day one, the other on day two. Both are configured the same: 14.5" Bushmaster flattops (with Phantoms on them), RRA lowers with Magpul CTRs, C4 handguards, EOTech 512s with RRA Dominator mounts. Both guns are zeroed for 100 yards with AE .223. Mags were DSG Arms marked USGI dry lube with Gen 2 Magpul followers. My pistol was a Glock 17 with XS Big Dots. My vest was a Custom Tactical Creations Modular Multi-role Harness, which is similar to the Eagle MLCS harness, but it has removable magazine cells/shingles that fit in the sides of the rig. I carried 9 mags (8 in the vest, one in the rifle) of rifle, 3 mags of pistol. I wore the vest with the TAG VOK, Eagle FB Glock mag pouch, TAG smoke grenade carrier (no grenades yet, but are en route), TAG Camelbak carrier attached to the back. I ran a Safariland 6280 with a low ride bracket, a BKT10 knife in a Spec Ops Brand sheath, on a Tactical Tailor duty belt.
I showed up with 250 rounds in rifle mags, and 1450 in my ammo can, all on stripper clips. The course called for 1500 rounds, so I brought a little more. I also brought 260 rounds of 9mm, loaded in 4 mags and the rest in the box.
Other folks equipment: All AR15 models for the other 6, except one brought a shortened M14 clone. He was having problems zeroing, so he ditched it for his flattop midlength iron-sighted AR. One shooter had a A2 20", another had a 16" dissapator with EOTech on a RRA Dominator mount, one had a 14.5" with EOTech on a SIR, one had a SLR15 Commander (the one that looks like a dissapator) with ARMS40 and Aimpoint (not sure which version), and one shooter with 16" Bushmaster M4 with EOTech and ARMS40L. A later shooter showed up with a Aimpoint sighted AR.
Instructors: James Yeager and Aaron Little
Weather: Overcast until 10 or so, partly to mostly sunny, humid, highs in the mid 80s, both days.
Day 1:
Day one started with range brief, medical "oh shit" brief, and the safety brief. Basic discussion of ballistics, to include trajectory, zeroing. We then went to 50 yards to either confirm or re zero our irons. We shot 5 iterations, and by then, everyone seemed to be confident in their zeros. We were taught the different positions: standing, kneeling, squatting/rice paddy prone, sitting, and prone. We then began to shoot rifles in those different positions at 50 yards, onto cardboard targets. We moved to 75, and did the same thing. Ground foliage was pretty low, so prone could be achieved easily until we got to 100, where a small rise in the land and higher wildflowers made it more difficult to shoot the cardboard. I can't remember, but I think by lunch time we got out to 200 or 250 yards (beyond 100 yards we went in 50 yard increments). Out here we had switched to steel man-sized silhouette, and would make shots from standing, then an intermediate position, then prone, if practicable. Hitting the steel in the prone was easier because 1) of it's white color (as opposed to brown cardboard) and 2) it stood 2-3' higher on the berm. Most shots I made, I used the prone because I could still see the top 1/3rd or so of the target, above the weeds.
After lunch, we continued on out to 300 yards. People were making good hits, even from standing, at 300 yards. Aaron or Debo would spot using a spotting scope to help with corrections, since for most of us, no one had shot their ARs this far before. We even did a little competition from the sitting position. We shot cardboard targets with irons, then with our dot sights (if we had them), and my results in particular, were unimpressive. I've shot much better before this instance at Paul Howe's Tactical Rifle Instructor class, and the Cav Arms matches in Waco. I don't have an explanation or excuse. I just didn't shoot well at that point. We shot a little more (I think we did the close up version of the speed limit drill), and then called it a day.
Note: The heat was kicking my butt about midday. I'm inside way too much, and not outside enough, so usually the first day of any class I take I'm always getting acclimated. I had to take a break, and did it myself, because I don't like IVs.
Day 2:
We started with more shooting, the speed limit drill (one far target, one near target...you shoot 5 into the near target and then make hits on the far target, which was steel). We went out to 300 for that. We then went to 350. I had never shot my AR at 350, so I didn't know what the trajectory would be. I was able to make hits on steel my using a hold on the top of the head. We wanted to go to 400, but the wildflowers were so high that no one would be able to use any position other than standing, and so we started on multiple targets (4 steel targets) in different positions, starting at 100 and going back to 300, after lunch.
After lunch we continued with multiple targets, and then did some team stuff (2 man), lateral bounding, and then forward/rearward bounding. The kicker was the addition of two LaRues to the 4 large steel silhouettes. The team would have to knock both LaRues down before someone could move. We performed this at 100 or 150 yards. With the addition of stress, making hits on the LaRues was a little more difficult, especially when all the paint was shot off, they blended well into the background. These drills are when rifles started to crap out. One team had a shooter loose his extractor (the claw broke off), but they drove on, and still put up a good fight. My teammate and I started, and his rifle went down (not sure, perhaps end of day and all dirty), and I became the main shooter until my rifle went down (not sure either). It started with a stuck case, so I dropped the mag, and cleared it by slamming the buttstock on the ground and pulling back on the charging handle. I reinserted the mag, and tried to chamber, but it wouldn't go into battery. I then pulled the charging handle, and found it had locked up. Debo handed me his rifle, but since his EOTech had been on all day, it had automatically shut off. I made 4 or 5 shots before I realized I didn't have a reticle, and his rear sight was in the down position. I flipped it up, and started making shots. By then, instead of continuing bounding forward, we bounded back and disengaged, since I was the only shooter.
Lessons learned:
1) If I can see it, I can hit it. We get so wrapped up in CQB style shooting that we forget that bullets will go more than 50 feet, or that we can make hits, in different positions, in different levels of stress, beyond 50 feet. Learning or relearning such gives me a more powerful feeling.
2) Red-dots are not just for close range. The EOTech allowed me to shoot better and faster, especially at farther ranges, than if I had irons alone. I was not in the minority with this lesson, since the two other iron-sighted shooters are now looking into picking up a red dot sight. Sharing a rifle mounted with optics to them, side by side comparison, was eye-opening.
3) Weapons maintenance should never be skipped. I thought my weapons woe at the end of day 2 may have been a popped primer, but after disassembly and functions check, I can't find one. The rifle is pretty dirty. I usually take time at lunch at every class to clean my rifles (at the minimum, wipe down, clean chamber, re lube), but blew it off. Never again.
4) Slow down, concentrate, and make your hits. When shooting steel, I have the desire to begin shooting faster, because reactive targets are gratifying in the way they ring, move, or whatever when you score a hit. However, I have to fight the urge to go faster, because I skip out of the process of what made me able to hit it in the first place.
5) I like prone, but it isn't always the best position to make a distance shot. Prone is my most stable position, but if you've got too much stuff in the way that you can't see your target, you're not going to make a hit. Most of my prone hits were with only seeing the top 1/3rd of the target.
6) Mark your mags. Not just with a number or name on the bottom, but something easy to see in the high grass.
7) Stay away from the white-flowered bull nettle. That stuff is fierce. Along with fire ant beds. Try not to lie down in either.
I ended up expending 958 rifle rounds in two days, and 23 pistol rounds. I somehow still lost a rifle magazine, after class, perhaps at the parking area. Jason has a good idea of adding hi-viz tape to the mag.
Edited to add: my apologies in case I got some of the order of the drills or distances wrong. One thing that I learned from the class is that if I can see it, I can hit it. Once we got out to 300 yards, I didn't sit there and think, "hey, I'm at 300 yards" but instead, "I can see the target, so I will hit it."