Without casting any stones, I just want to make a pretty basic but often overlooked point: It doesn’t matter if your rifle is green, or “tactical”, or has a DOD model name assigned to it. If you don’t ever carry your precision rig, it’s a bench-rest rifle. And you are a bench rest shooter.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that! As long as you are honest about it.
However, if you fancy yourself as an accomplished rifleman? But your precision rig only gets carried from the trunk of the car to the shooting station? You are significantly lacking in a basic rifleman’s skill: The ability to actually be in a position to use your rifle.
But there’s a problem you say? You aren’t in the Army or don’t have access to your own private training facility? Easy solution: The next time you have to go down range and admin targets? Walk? And take your rifle with you.
Your club won’t allow that? Negotiate. Only slung. Offer to leave the acton open. Mag out. Chamber flags. Maybe take the bolt out? Figure it out. You’ll find a way.
But I can’t tell you how many times I have been at ranges or training classes and seen “tactical” shooters handle their “sniper rifles” like they are hanging the Mona Lisa or bowing before The Queen.
The tells are immediate: Unsure where to put hands on the gun. Awkwardly slinging it. Trouble getting it out of the case. Rookie mistakes on even supporting the weight of the heavier rifle.
If you aren’t going to be intimately familiar with every aspect of your rifle? Why even own it? Just rent a new gun every range trip. Hell…have them set it on the bench loaded with ammo and a note saying, “It’s zeroed”. That’s functionally what many of you are doing anyway.
- Rifle: Blaser R8.
- Caliber: 243 heavyweight match.
- Chassis: GRS Ragnarok
- Scope: Steiner.
- Bipod: Atlas.
- Suppressor: Silencerco Harvester 30
- Sling: Tab Gear Biathlon
Sincerely,
Marky
www.John1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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