If you do only one drill at the range…do this one.

There are plenty of reasons why people chose to own firearms. Many firearm owners, like myself, own firearms for lots of different reasons. But there is one reason I have found that we all have in common—to protect ourselves and our families if we must. Honestly, I don’t know anyone that owns a gun that doesn’t say, “protection” as one of those reasons. I know people who own a firearm solely to defend themselves. In a Pew Research Center poll, 67% of gun owners report the main reason they own a firearm is for self-defense. No matter the reason, choosing to be a firearm owner means responsibly learning how to safely operate your firearm, as well as knowing how to clean and maintain that firearm. Buying a gun for protection and sticking it in a biometric safe next to the bed isn’t enough. Knowing confidently that you will be able to use that gun if you must is what can save your life. And the only way you are going to do that is by regular training and practice.

Practice keeps you proficient with the shooting fundamentals and basic handgun techniques. It helps you know the ins and outs of your firearm and how to keep it in tip-top working order. Training reveals your weaknesses. It creates positive muscle memory, so you can operate your gun efficiently in times of duress and hopefully, increase your speed and accuracy.

In Texas, we must take a course from a certified instructor in order to obtain a concealed carry license. Every instructor of that course will tell you at some time during those six hours that we “shoot to stop a threat.” It is highly unlikely that when you must use your gun to save your life, your first shot will put down an attacker. Though we cannot know what our exact reaction would be when faced with the situation in which we have to use our gun, most experts agree—you will not aim properly, nor will one round usually do the trick. When faced with a threat, your eyes will naturally stay on target and not your gun’s sights. That is why the simple Bill Drill is one of my favorite defensive pistol drills. It makes you practice your fundamentals but also prepares you for a self-defense situation and challenges you to increase your speed and accuracy. The Bill Drill focuses on a realistic aspect of a self-defense shooting—dumping your mag at a threat in close quarters.

Before doing the Bill Drill at the range with live ammo (you can easily perform this drill at home with airsoft or dry fire,) check with your range to make sure it is okay to draw from a holster and rapid fire. There are many ranges that ask you to keep 2 to 3 seconds between shots.

To do the Bill Drill you will need:

• IDPA or IPSC silhouette or another man-sized silhouette target
• Ammo
• One full magazine with at least six rounds loaded
• A 6×11 piece of paper, paper plate, index card, or another way to mark an area in center mass of the target

How to do the Bill Drill:

Put a paper plate in the center mass area of any man-sized target. Focus on speed and accuracy. Empty your magazine into the paper plate. Your goal is to have every round hit somewhere inside that paper plate.

• Hang a paper plate, index card or a 6×11 sheet of paper in the center mass area of the target. This is your “A Zone.” Send the target out to seven yards (Most self-defense shootings occur between 10 and 5 feet.)
• Either keep your gun in your holster or if your range restricts holster work, keep it on the bench or at the low ready.
• Have your shooting buddy tell you when to go and clock your time on a shot timer.
• Draw your gun from your holster, the bench or from the low ready and fire six rounds or your full magazine into the 6×11 area.
• Your ultimate goal is to hit every round in the A Zone in under three seconds.

Start out slow with the Bill Drill, eventually working your way up from eight seconds to three Do the drill cold. Meaning, let it be the first drill you do when you arrive at the range. Think about it—you won’t get a warm-up in real life.

Modifications and Challenges:

• Reload quickly and perform the drill with another magazine
• Switch from a paper plate to an index card
• Practice reloads while keeping your eyes on the target
• Practice clearing malfunctions without taking your gun off-target

The Bill Drill is not only a practical self-defense shooting drill, but it also helps you develop faster recovery time for quicker and more accurate follow-up shots and better trigger control and recoil mitigation.

You can dry fire any drill at home. Dry fire gives you the opportunity to practice and train more often and save money, especially if your gun range has restrictive rules. 

Note: If you have never drawn from a holster before, please do not attempt the Bill Drill with live ammunition. Accidents happen when people are inexperienced at drawing and reholstering. You must learn how to present your gun from its holster safely. Practice this at home without any ammo, graduating to snap caps before any attempts at drawing at the range with live ammunition.

No amount of training will completely prepare you for real-life self-defense use of your handgun, but regular practice will help you develop the muscle memory needed to function efficiently if you have to. It will help you overcome the adrenaline dump that causes tunnel vision, loss of fine motor skills and memory loss when your body experiences fight or flight.

What are your favorite self-defense drills? Share them with other shooters in the comment section.

(MANSFIELD, TEXAS 2018/02/14) – New Sightmark Signal Digital Night Vision Monoculars are helping people see flawlessly at both day and night. With two different models, the 320RT 4.5×30 (SM18024) and 340RT 4.5×30 (SM18025), seeing in pure darkness (up to 380 yards away!) has never been easier.

Replacing the popular Ranger Digital Monocular series, the Signal lineup hits shelves packed with enhanced features. A new and improved high-sensitivity 640×480 CMOS sensor and high-resolution 640×480 LCD display ensure night time and low light performance. Both models feature available built-in video recording with sound, allowing users to take images and videos to show their friends or upload to the internet. The Signal can even stream directly to your smartphone or tablet for remote view via the Stream Vision app.

For ultimate stealth and discretion, the Signal 340RT’s 940nm IR illuminator produces no glow and is practically invisible to wildlife. Though not entirely invisible, the powerful 850nm IR illuminator found on Signal 320RT models gives viewers 50 more yards of detection range at night. Signals boast 2x digital zoom, enabling up to 9x magnification for up-close and personal viewing. Sightmark Signal Digital Night Vision Monoculars include carrying case, user manual, USB cable, neck strap and lens cloth.

Recently, I’ve been considering getting myself a truck gun. Not too long ago, I had an important birthday and bought myself a new expensive carry gun. It’s not one I’m willing to leave unattended in my car, so I feel like I need a beater gun for when I’m on road trips or toolin’ around town going in and out of places where I can’t legally carry. Having a truck gun also allows me the opportunity to have something close at hand that holds more rounds in a bigger caliber than my .380. Plus, what if I have to get out of Dodge ASAP with no time to run home and get the big guns?

Some of you are probably already shaking their heads saying, “why doesn’t she just carry a bigger gun?” Well, it gets hot—and I mean really hot—in North Texas. Work- and weather-appropriate clothing prevents me from comfortably carrying a full-sized 9mm, .40 or .45 that holds 9 rounds or more. Also, what’s the actual probability I will EVER need more than 14 rounds in a self-defense situation? So, no, I’m not thinking about getting a car gun in anticipation of a firefight. I want it because…reasons. And sometimes you need a “valid” excuse to give your significant other when you buy a new gun. Amiright?

I don’t know, maybe it’s my upbringing, but truck guns just make sense to me. My desire for one is threefold—for self-defense when I don’t have my EDC, as backup to my EDC and as my SHTF gun.

What is a Truck Gun?

A truck gun is a gun you designate as the one you keep in your vehicle.

Typically, truck guns are:

1. A rifle or shotgun
2. Affordable to cheap in price
3. Chambered for a caliber that takes down game
4. Incredibly rugged
5. Simple
6. Easy to store
7. Reliable

I grew up in small-town Arkansas. Back then, truck guns were literally just that—a shotgun or hunting rifle hung on a rack in plain view in your truck. Truck guns weren’t just commonplace, they were almost religion. It was never a threatening gesture and it never scared anyone. I mean, you never know when you’ll happen upon a trophy buck or gobbler.

You don’t have to have a truck to have a truck gun. You can keep a gun in your SUV, minivan, Tesla, Smart Car or whatever it is you drive on the reg. It just means a gun you specifically designate as the one you keep in your vehicle. Typically, a truck gun, or beater gun, is an affordable to down-right cheap rifle or shotgun. It needs to be tough, reliable and easy to shoot. Unless you take it to the range often, a get-home gun won’t see a lot of action, so you want to pick something that doesn’t need a lot of maintenance and if the off chance it was stolen, you aren’t losing too much if you never get it back.

A truck gun needs to be easy to store, as well—under the seat or tucked away in the trunk—so bad guys who peep in windows won’t know it’s there.

Another requirement is that its handy and easy to use in a caliber that stops varmints and predators—four-legged, two-legged and ones that slither—and can also bring meat to the campfire in a survival situation. It’s gotta be fairly lightweight, so if I had to ditch the car and hike it on foot, I can sling it over my shoulder without it being a burden. It needs to be simple to clean, field strip and operate. And it especially needs to shoot straight enough to hit what I’m pointing at. I’m also going to need to like this gun. With any gun, you need to remain proficient with it—which means practice and training. Trust me, there’s no point in holding onto a firearm you dread shooting.

It’s a lot to ask of one gun. Fortunately, there are plenty of guns that meet my criteria to choose from.

These are my top choices:

Before you start to argue, remember that what is best for me is not necessarily best for you. You might want to consider a lever-action or a bolt-action rifle. I know plenty of shooters who prefer an old military surplus truck gun like the SKS, others pick a big-bore revolver.

I can’t tell you which one would be “best,” because “best” is all relative. If you drive around in the desert all day, you probably want something geared more toward rattlers. If you are in the mountains, you’ll probably want to consider a bigger caliber than I need for bears and such. It all just depends on your situation, where you live and what’s comfortable for you. I narrowed my list down to these six.

Kel-Tec SU-16C

The Kel-Tec SU-16C is chambered in 5.56/.223, folds up to 25.5 inches and weighs 4.7 pounds.

Pros:

• I already have plenty of .223 ammo.
• It accepts standard AR-15 magazines, which again, I have plenty of.
• Simple design with few parts.
• It’s accurate.
• I thoroughly enjoy shooting it.

Cons:

The average price of $650 is more than I want to pay.

Chiappa PAK-9

You might want to consider a pistol-caliber carbine that shares ammo and mag compatibility with your regular handgun.  The Chiappa PAK-9 is based on the AK-platform, chambered for 9mm and accepts Glock and Beretta mags. It is 14.47 inches long and weighs 6 pounds.

Pros:

• It chews up and spits out cheap ammo fed outta cheap mags.
• It accepts standard AK furniture.
• All I have to do is add a cheap red dot and I’m good to go.
• At the time of publication, there was one listed on Gun Broker for less than $400. Other online gun shops had them priced at $430.

Cons:

Reliability. It was introduced just a year ago, so I’m not sure how well the Chiappa PAK-9 is made.

Mossberg 590 Shockwave

The Shockwave rocked the shooting world at SHOT Show 2017 due to its 14-inch barrel. It’s a Non-NFA firearm according to the BATFE. It has a bird’s head pistol grip, available in 12 or 20 gauge, holds 6 rounds, is 26.37 inches long, and weighs only 5.3 pounds.

Pros:

• It is based on the trustworthy and reliable Mossberg 590 action.
• A shotgun has a lot of versatility.
• I found the Shockwave currently going for $360.

Cons:

It takes practice getting comfortable shooting it reliably and accurately.

Hi-Point Carbine

The Hi-Point is 31 inches long, weighs 6.25 pounds and is 100% made in America.

Pros:

• I found a .380 ACP Hi-Point Carbine listed as low as $264—the cheapest on my list.
• It shares ammo with my EDC.
• It works.
• I don’t mind if it gets dinged up and scratched.

Cons:

It’s big, so finding a place to store it would be challenging.

Ruger 10/22 Takedown

Offered in quite a variety of models, the Ruger 10/22 Takedown is chambered for .22 Long Rifle and breaks down into two pieces.

Pros:

• It is simple to operate and virtually has no recoil.
• The Ruger 10/22 is undoubtedly accurate and reliable.
• Its shares caliber capability with another one of my rifles.

Cons:

You must put the thing together for it to work, so this isn’t a grab- and go-ready rifle. Even though you can get mags that hold 25 rounds, you still have a gun chambered for only .22 LR and ammo isn’t as cheap or as readily available as it used to be.

AK-47

I’ve had an AK-47 on my list of guns to own for a very long time now and this provides the perfect opportunity to finally pull the trigger on getting one.

Pros:

• The AKs a beast.
• Ammo is cheap.

Cons:

AK-47. Cool. Okay, but what model? Which one do I pick? I don’t know because AKs aren’t so cheap anymore.

Safety First

You don’t ever want to ‘set it and forget’ your truck gun. Not only for safety reasons but because of temperature extremes, coastal environments and maintenance. There are some environments where guns are more susceptible to corrosion than others. A well-taken care of firearm is a functioning firearm.

As part of the Project Child Safe initiative, the National Shooting Sports Foundation reminds us that responsible gun ownership includes making sure our firearms don’t fall into the wrong hands. If you are going to keep a gun in the car, lock it up and keep it out of sight. There are plenty of reputable companies that make gun safes specifically for your car—GunVault, Bulldog Cases, Titan Security Products and TruckVault. God forbid your gun ever gets stolen and is used in a crime.

You should always remove your gun from your car overnight and keep it secure inside the house.

Truck guns are about function and utility. It is all about the work they can do. It doesn’t have to be pretty—in fact, it will probably get dinged and scratched riding around in the car. It doesn’t have to have the latest and greatest handguards or accessory. Old-school Weaver and Picatinny rails will do just fine to attach affordable optics. It doesn’t even have to be brand new. A used gun in good condition will more than suffice for this purpose. Now, it just about which one I can find for the best price.

Do you have a truck gun? What is it and why did you choose it? If not, which truck guns would you consider? Tell us in the comment section. 

 “When you read about “accuracy” of any given handgun, know that unless machines are involved, what you’re really getting is an indication of that pistol’s ability to be shot accurately. — Tom McHale Shooting Illustrated

When we say a pistol is ‘accurate,’ we mean it consistently hits where we aim. A lot goes into whether a gun is accurate. The barrel, fittings and how precisely-machined all the parts affect accuracy. The sighting system affects accuracy. But we can’t blame all accuracy issues on the pistol. Most accuracy problems originate with you, the shooter. If you have the fundamentals of pistol shooting down—your aim, stance, grip and how you manipulate the trigger—then you should be shooting pretty darn straight. If you are still having problems punching holes into holes from a self-defense distance (10 feet and under), there just might be an issue with the gun.

So, where do you begin?

Let’s start by inspecting the sighting system you have on your gun—iron sights, night sights, lasers and red dots all need sighting-in to make sure they are aligned properly. Surprisingly, a lot of us just compensate our aim to match that of our gun’s sights from the factory. For example, if your sights are off, which they could very well be, we simply just shoot low left, or high right—whichever way your sights are set—to hit bullseye. It is not good to compensate our aim for offset optics or sights.

Why does accuracy matter?

To stop a threat, you must be able to hit vital organs. Inaccuracy could mean the bad guy wins.

What Happens to Your Body During a Self-Defense Shooting

When we are faced with a threat, our bodies dump adrenaline, norepinephrine and cortisol into our bloodstream, preparing us to either stay and fight or run. Our heart rate, blood pressure and breathing increase, our pupils dilate and our muscles tense. This dump of hormones can cause memory problems, loss of hearing and create tunnel vision.

In a self-defense situation, you won’t be able to take your time to aim. You won’t focus on the front sight. That is why we put lasers, red dots and high-visibility aftermarket sights on our handguns. Anytime we get a new handgun or a new sighting system, we need to make sure our sights or optic is centered with the bore. This makes your gun more accurate. An in-chamber boresight is a perfect way to do this and saves you time and money.

What is a Laser Boresight?

A laser boresight is a preliminary method of getting your sights dialed in without using a lot of ammo at the range. Using a laser diode, it projects a red dot on a target, making it easier for you to center your sights and optics. Sightmark’s pistol boresights are caliber-specific and placed directly in your firearm’s chamber.

How to Boresight a Pistol

Using a pistol boresight is simple.

1. Unload your firearm and pointing it in a safe direction, stabilize it using a benchrest or shooting bags.
2. Hang a target 15 to 25 yards out.
3. Unscrew the bottom of the boresight and insert the batteries according to the instructions. The boresight automatically turns on when the batteries are inserted correctly.
4. Put the laser boresight into the chamber.
5. Close the slide.
6. Line the laser beam on to the center of the target.
7. Look through your optic and using your windage and elevation knobs, adjust the crosshairs or dot until it lines up with the dot of the laser boresight. If you do not have an optic and just want to calibrate your sights, aim as you would regularly and then use a pistol sight adjustment tool to correct for windage and elevation.

As mentioned above, most inaccuracy problems can’t be blamed on the gun. There are a few things we can do besides improving our own technique to help increase accuracy. Accuracy isn’t just for precision shooters or competitors. Accurate is something we must all aim to be. For a small price to pay and a few minutes, a laser boresight might just make all the difference.

Pick your laser boresight out by clicking here.

Do you have any tips on how to improve accuracy? Help other shooters and leave them below in the comment section.

When you purchase a new optic for your rifle, that optic is not going to be accurate right out of the box. Before depending on your optic to help you hit exactly where you mean, you’ll have to zero it. Sighting in your scope can take a long time and waste a lot of ammo. Fortunately, there is a solution.

There is a more efficient and faster way of zeroing in a new optic. By using a laser boresight, you save time and money by making sighting-in much faster without using any ammo!

Bore sighting is a reliable way to align your reticle, sights and scope’s crosshairs with the true center of the gun’s barrel—which is the bore. Boresights use a laser diode to project a dot on a target much like a laser pointer, making it easy to see when your crosshairs align with the laser. Since the two run parallel to each other, they can only truly zero at a given distance. This is typically 25 yards.

You can bore sight any firearm—AR-15 and other MSWs, shotgun, bolt-action, and handguns. Bore sighting also works on any sighting system—red dot, reflex, riflescopes, holograph and even your iron or night sights.

There are two different types of laser boresights—one you put directly into the chamber and one you insert into the barrel.

In-Chamber

In-chamber boresights are inserted directly into your gun’s chamber, so they must be caliber-specific and made to the same dimensions and specs as a cartridge in that caliber. These types of boresights are the most accurate. These can, however, become costly If you have firearms in multiple calibers that you need to sight in, because you must purchase a separate boresight for each caliber.

Laser boresight cartridges are easy to use. You simply turn them on and insert it into the chamber of your firearm like you would a live round or snap cap.

Sightmark in-chamber boresights are superior to competitors, due to the multiple set screws that lock in the laser diode, ensuring the laser stays straight and centered. To test an in-chamber boresight’s accuracy, roll your laser boresight on a flat surface, the laser should stay straight along the wall as you roll it. If the dot rotates, you know the diode is canted and you won’t be able to accurately zero-in your scope.

Made of high-quality brass, the Sightmark boresights are calibrated to make sure the laser is true to center, and measure precisely the same specs as a live round. The extensive offerings include 12- and 20-gauge shotgun, the most popular self-defense handgun calibers, and over 30 different hunting, defense, sporting, and popular rifle calibers—including .223/5.56, .308, .50, .300 BLK and 6.5 Creedmoor.

Using an In-Chamber Boresight

1. Use a benchrest, shooting bags, or another platform that stabilizes your gun. Make sure the firearm is completely unloaded and pointed in a safe direction.
2. Hang a target 15 to 25 yards out.
3. Remove the batteries from the boresight packaging and unscrew the bottom of the boresight. Insert the two batteries according to the instructions. The boresight will automatically turn on when the batteries are inserted correctly.
4. Lock your bolt open to the rear.
5. Put the laser boresight into the chamber.
6. You may close the bolt or leave it open.
7. Line the laser beam on to the center of the target.
8. Look through your optic and using your windage and elevation knobs, adjust the reticle, dot or crosshairs until it lines up with the dot of the laser boresight.

Universal Boresights

Other boresights are either attached or inserted into the barrel. Most boresights that you must insert into the barrel come with a set of arbors that will modify the boresight to fit different barrel sizes. These types of boresights are the most affordable, but they do come with some disadvantages.

• Arbors are small and can get lost easily. They also wear out and break.
• The entire boresight itself can play against the barrel, causing inaccuracy.
• Safety concerns. Forgetting to remove a boresight from the barrel can result in a catastrophic accident.

Sightmark’s universal boresights provide a much safer way to boresight if you prefer this type of boresight over an in-chamber boresighter. If you have looked at any firearm failure montages or spent any good deal of time on gun blogs and forums, you have probably seen the blown-up barrel caused by an in-barrel boresight. Our universal laser boresights securely stay on your rifle, shotgun, or pistol via a heavy-duty magnet. Only a small portion of the arbor goes inside the barrel. They incorporate a self-centering arbor, so you never have to worry about losing pieces or breaking parts. They will sight in firearms .17 to .50 caliber.

 

Using the Universal Boresight and Universal Boresight Pro

1. Use a benchrest, shooting bags, or another platform that stabilizes your gun. Make sure the firearm is completely unloaded and point it in a safe direction.
2. Hang a target 15 to 25 yards out.
3. Remove the Universal Boresight from the package. Turn the unit on. To preserve battery life, the Universal Boresight Pro will only activate when the arbor is pressed in when it is attached to the barrel.
4. Remove any suppressor or muzzle device you have on your firearm.
5. Simply attach the boresight to the end of the barrel.
6. Look through your optic and using your windage and elevation knobs, adjust the reticle, dot or crosshairs until it lines up with the dot of the laser boresight.

 

It’s as easy as that!

Now, you are ready to head to the range to make precise adjustments to your riflescope. It shouldn’t take but a few rounds to zero it in.

You will want to bore sight your firearm any time you get a new optic, upgrade factory sights, for a competition, before hunting, and on a firearm that has been in storage.

Click here to buy boresights from Sightmark.

Do you have questions about boresights? Leave them below and we will do our best to answer them.