COSTA LUDUS CARBINE 02 AAR
Many of the techniques and the manner in which they were taught throughout the course I will leave for folks to experience for themselves as they are the property of Costa Ludus and will perhaps diminish the learning experiences of others if exposed in advance. Instead I will focus on preparation for the course, rounds expended, gear utilized, the range that was used and some general information on drills.
Preparation for the course involved the all important step of building up enough ammo to effectively meet the requirements of the shooting portions of the class without having to not complete drills or sit them out entirely. I reloaded and purchased ammo for the course. For the purposes of zeroing I selected a favorite handload that my rifle shoots consistently and that could be matched closely by purchased ammunition. The next step was to proceed with zeroing. I accomplished this approximately four days before the course and ensured that I was exactly where I wanted to be at 50 yards. This is a must of this or any course in which you are going to spend your hard earned money. For an intermediate course you should be dead on in the first volley or very quickly thereafter. Far too many people were all over the board. The process was quick, but it was apparent that many folks were not prepared. Know that you are zeroed for both your irons and red dot if applicable. To prepare you need to figure that there will be 5-7 volleys at 5 rounds per for a total of 25-25 rounds. Altogether I came with 2,300 rounds, of note 400 were immediately unusable as the range did not allow for the use of greentip. So 1,900 it was. This allowed me to complete every drill and the course without missing any curricula. Immediately after gaining confirmation that I was accepted to the course I filled out the waiver and completed all paperwork required by Costa Ludus. I mailed it priority the next day (roughly 30 days before the class). On the first day of the course I discovered that none of my paperwork had made it or at least it wasn’t recorded. It is a good idea to bring a separate completed copy to the course in the event that this happens. Importantly my preparation of gear was of the utmost importance.
My gear for the course consisted of the following:
Rifle (primary)
LMT MRP (non-piston version)
Optic: EOTECH EXPS 3-0 (no it didn’t break)
Irons: Troy
Sling: Magpul MS3
Stock: LMT SOPMOD
Sling mount: I kick Hippies SLAP mount
Standard birdcage flash hider
Rifle (Secondary)
PSA M4A1 Profile 16” barrel
DDM4 one piece 12” rail w/FSP cutout
Aimpoint Comp ML3
Larue Mount
Geissele trigger
I kick hippies SLAP mount
B5 stock
Handgun
Glock 17 Gen 3
Haley Skimmer Trigger
Redback One Sights
500 rounds pistol ammo
Magazines:
4xglock factory Mags
3xBCM battleship grey USGI magazines
7xMAGPUL Gen 2 pmags
Battle Belt
VTAC Brokos
VTAC Cobra Belt (inner belt)
2 x HSGI TACO rifle mag pouches
2 x HSGI Taco Pistol mag pouches
HSGI Dump Pouch
Leatherman with pouch
G-code Glock 17 holster with battle belt RTI attachment
Spare parts:
1xBCM BCG
1xBCM BCG repair kit
2x firing pins
AR-15 Wrench
AR-15 punch kit
Basic tool kit
5.11 pants
Issued multicam pants
Lowa GTX mid boots
T-shirts
Blackhawk multicam longsleeve shirt
Issued Darn Tough socks
Oakley glasses
Peltor Tac 6 hearing protection
Foam plugs
Cleaning kit (patches x 200, slip lube 2000 lube, slip 725 cleaner, bore snakes in .223 and 9mm, pistol cleaning kit, zeiss optic wipes)
SKD and Oakley gloves
Issued multicam goretex jacket and pants
Blackhawk Shemagh
Weather for course:
Day One: Sunny 90 degrees and clear
Day Two: Heavy rain at times and 61 degrees
Day Three: Sunny 75 degrees and clear
Of all these items here is what stood out:
My LMT MRP has yet to fail during a course, it was as accurate after thousands of rounds as anything there and worked great. Its main con is the weight which isn’t bad, but not light by a long shot.
My EOTECH EXPS 3-0 has never failed, battery was replaced before the course and absolutely nothing to reports despite rain, mud and extreme jarring during drills
Never had to use my backup rifle, but it was zeroed and ready to go if needed.
Rain gear was definitely needed during day 2, my recommendation here is to ensure that you are comfortable with this and have shot with additional clothing etc.
My sling worked great, although you may want to bring a two point for some of the techniques. I definitely regretted not bringing my VTAC sling. Chris will cover both single point and two point techniques and I recommend having both to optimize learning.
The Shemagh was a life saver booth for warmth during day two and to prevent sun burn on day one and three.
Waterproof boots such as the Lowas are good to go. I used this pair on many deployments and the comfort is a major benefit. If you have tried Lowas they are comfortable and allow you to move quickly. I can run in mine without issue.
I stewed for a while over whether to get the MSA Sordin hearing protection, but ultimately went with the Tac 6’s and they worked great. They withstood the rain and I had no issue hearing instructions etc.
Altogether the gear held up really well and I had no failures to report. That said I am considering putting together a lightweight carbine for future courses.
The range is approximately 30 miles from Gainesville proper. It involved negotiating some long dirt roads and you should prepare for this especially if bad weather is in effect. The range is professionally run and safety is stressed at all times, you need to know and understand the basic safety rules and for an intermediate course you also need to understand how to safely move with your rifle at varying speeds and around people and obstacles. The range has gravel (you may want knee pads and gloves) as well as pasture which can turn into deeper mud should rain be present. Wind is a factor as it is across the great state of Texas and if you don’t shoot in it regularly you will learn a lot during your time in Gainesville. Overall I was very impressed by the range and the RSO’s. You should buy the lunches that are offered as it is a long trip to Gainesville.
The drills ranged from the standard zeroing practices, shooting at distance (out to 300 yards) and movement drills. It is a challenging course and you will learn a lot about transitions and shooting in different positions. You need to be in shape. You will be running over uneven terrain at varying speeds and distances. Make sure that you stretch and take care of your hydration or it may bite you. That said you won’t be running a marathon, but running in full kit with a rifle may test you depending upon how in shape you currently are. You don’t want problems with fitness to detract from your experience. In addition make sure that you are truly comfortable with your firearm and that you can operate safely. You will work hard in this course and you can expect short breaks and challenges. Do not expect to hang around the water cooler, come prepared and stay prepared. You should have five mags ready to go for all the drills.
You will start early each day to allow for travel time to the range and you can expect to go until at least 1700 each day.
You will not cover fundamentals extensively; you are expected to have these down already. If you need a review of the fundamentals or are unsure about how grounded you are, I recommend taking CE 01 or an equivalent course before attending. Overall the course was everything that I expected and I thoroughly enjoyed the style of instruction and the faith that Chris had in the classes' ability to perform. It maintained a fast pace and all that attended were squared away. There were only a couple significant gear failures that involved a trigger guard breaking and some issues with springs, extractors etc. It makes sense to bring an etc carbine and required parts, gear etc.
Hopefully this helps someone prepare or determine what may be needed for success at this course.
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