Shooting 'Molly-dooker'!

In the tactical shooting world there are seldom times that a right handed shooter needs to be a 'molly-dooker' (Australian slang) or left handed. So why are more and more shooting instructors, me included, teaching this low percentage skill to our modern war fighters? Surely it makes more sense to train someone to a better standard on their natural side rather than spend time trying to teach them to become a left hander, right!?

Well, it's partly true. It definitely makes a lot of sense to train someone to a higher standard on the natural side before training them to become a steely eyed freedom fighter on their non-master or support side.

So when would I ever need to switch the gun to my non-master side? And even if I did, why would I need to do it so fast?

These are the typical questions that I get asked when training students on this advanced technique. The answer though really lies with the task that needs to be performed by the individual or the unit. For example, an assault team that is dynamically entering a structure using the principle of speed to their advantage in order to maximize surprise, left handed techniques will seldom if ever apply. This is due to the short duration of the mission and use of overwhelming force ratios. This type of approach is frequently used also during hostage rescue or recovery type operations.

But, with the emergence of new enemy tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) designed to combat our modern warfare doctrine, we the good guys need to adapt and develop new TTPs or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to counter our enemies. This struggle or tug-of-war as it were, has been going on for centuries.

How this relates to being a 'molly-dooker' is this. Being able to safely handle and operate the weapon on both sides of the body confidently, provides the shooter with added security when performing CQB/MOUT (Close Quarters Battle/Military Operations in Urban Terrain). Being able to switch the weapon from natural to support shoulder, mount the weapon and accurately engage a target quickly and decisively is a real advantage to the shooter. Shooting from the support shoulder and from support side cover will provide the shooter with more security as he will be less exposed to the threat. These types of scenarios typically present themselves during urban warfare or MOUT operations. Support side shooting techniques can provide the commander with added force protection and flexibility, allowing him to clear enemy held strongholds more methodically while ensuring that the security and protection of his men is still maintained. This is particularly useful when conducting night operations using NVG's and Lasers.

There is another reason for shooting left handed, and that is to maintain combat effectiveness while injured. In line with the principles of Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), if injured during combat operations, an individual should apply self aid and attempt to regain the initiative and continue the fight if possible. In situations like this, the shooter may need to employ the primary weapon from the support side should he sustain injuries precluding him from using his natural side.

Some of our advanced weapons manipulations training will involve the students handling and operating the weapon with the support hand and shooting from the support shoulder. This training includes support hand manipulations where the student will need to rectify malfunctions and reload the weapon using only the support hand.

We always stress the necessity for speed and accuracy of movement during the drills. This is to breed the instinctive nature of weapon handling and shows us that the student has in fact learnt the drill, committed the sequence to the subconscious and is able to perform the drill on demand under stress.

Flashlight position & mounting options for your M4

I get asked a lot about where to mount your flashlight to your rifle. I also get asked about mounting options. So I thought that I would drag out some of my SF lights with different mounting options and show you how I mount mine. I am currently running a Centurion Arms full Mil-Spec Cabine. It has a 16" cold hammer forged barrel, covered by a DD M4A1 rail.

I always say that there is never a perfect set up. You will always have to compromise on something. You will always have to give up something to get something. So if you are struggling with the perfect set, just realize that everything is normal. Always remember that if it's tactical, it's not comfortable!

Figure-1

Figure 1 shows my laser (LD D-BAL A2) positioned on the 12 o'clock rail and close to the front sight post so the illuminator beam is not interrupted by the sight housing. My flashlight, in this case a 'V' series SF scout light, positioned on the 3 o'clock rail and forward to minimize shadow created by the light hitting the weapon.

I activate the flashlight by pressing the tape switch velcroed to the rail between the 3/6 rail with my support fingers. My laser switch is mounted in the opposite rail, 12/9 and is activated by my support thumb.

I find this to be the best mounting solution for both laser and flashlight as it is very intuitive and allows the user to shoot day and night while activating both laser and light with the same grip. The grip forms an integral part of the recoil management system and should not be compromised to access controls.

Figure-2

Figure 2 shows (4) different mounting options for your flashlight. The 'V' series light uses the proprietary SF QD rail grabber. I have rotated mine around so that it does not irritate my support hand. I always use an IR cover (figure-3)or black cover on all of my light to prevent white light ADs or to ensure that there is no reflection from sunlight creating shine and reflecting back towards the enemy. Another reason I keep a cover over the lens is so that is does not get blacked out by the muzzle blast.

Figure-3

The next light is a SF mini scout light and the body has been replaced by an S&S Precision IMF Hinged mount. This is an early model and the new ones are made from one piece of aluminum. This mount allows the light to be mounted to the rail so that the light sits between rail segments and keeping it as close as possible to the gun.

The third light is a SF scout light with another S&S Precision low pro mount designed specifically for the HK 416. This version like the previous is designed to have the light as tightly as possible to the weapon, keeping it very slick and tight!

The last light is again a SF scout with the standard thumb screw SF mount that comes with the unit.

My preference is still a tap switch over most others and to me honest my favorite switch of all time is the rubber SF on/off switch from the Classic series that I had on my MP5. Sometimes you need constant on!

Figure-4

For more information please visit the following websites:

www.surefire.com

www.sandsprecision.com

www.tnvc.com

www.centurionarms.com

Redback One Training Trip

A recent whirl wind trip across the U.S took Redback One to El Paso, TX for the 2011 SOG Border Security Conference. We invited SORD USA to join us at the booth to display the latest range of tactical nylon products that included the RB1 Elite Series product range. On the second day we were able to demonstrate our training methodology through a series of live fire drills at McGregor Range Complex. We gave demonstrations of our square range techniques of andvanced weapons manipulation then two live fire demonstrations of Combat Clearance and Hostage Rescue in the Shoothouse. Everyone was suitably impressed with the demonstrations.

From there, it was off to California for the 2-Day Advanced Tactical Carbine course, held at the Eagles Nest range in Angeles, CA. Despite the high winds during the first day, the students had a great time learning advanced weapons manipulations and tactical movement techniques that concluded in a run and gun stress course that incorporated plenty of running, assembling weapons, medium range targets at 150m standing, 225m targets kneeling and 300m targets prone, followed by two surprise targets in the low ground at 100m and 175m. Both of these targets had to be engaged with rifle then with pistol during a change over drill.

From there is was a reload on the run to a support shoulder clearance and engage a close range target from the support shoulder, a quick switch back to strong side and sprint down range to engage an IDPA target with a 6 round cadence drill. High port turn and go, back up range 55m to a prone support side shot onto another IPDA target to finish.

Everyone did a great job completing the course of fire with some really great times that had me putting in the big ones to ensure that I stayed head of the course.

At the completion of the course several of the students went out for an end of course dinner at which we all heard the news of the demise of UBL. There was plenty of celebratory drinks all round!

The next day was a slight change of gears and a change of curriculum for the 2-Day Tactical Carbine Course for Brea SWAT at the Prado Shooting Center in Chino, CA. We had several departments attend this course due to the multi-jurisdictional team. We also had some patrol officers on the course too. The interesting point on this course was that all students arrived with the HK G36 carbine or rifle. There were a couple of shooters that were using M4's also. So I strapped a G36R to my back to ensure that I was able to demonstrate all drills with both M4 and G36.

Everyone learnt plenty of new tricks and tweaked pre-existing skills with the advanced weapons concepts that we put out on our training courses.

We finished up around 1830. I quickly grabbed a shower and change of clothes then off to LAX for the red-eye to Washington DC to prepare for a high level security presentation for an elite group of influential women operating business' in the DC area. This was a change of gears, swapping guns, armor and multicam for a pin strip business suit and tie.

The presentation was a great success for our company's latest addition RB1 Consulting. This side of the business offers security services covering a wide spectrum from Mission Analysis, Risk Assessment, Advisory Services, Provisional services including boots-on-the-ground and full spectrum equipment procurement.

We are very pleased to include former Tier 1 U.S Army Special Operations personnel to the RB1 cadre staff to assist with both the operational and training sides of Redback One. More on this later.

My assessment, opinion and conclusion of Colt's 6920 LE carbine.

I just finished up teaching my first carbine class in New York. The course was organized by Grey Group Training and was held at the Brookhaven Shooting Range in Long Island. I travelled light for this course leaving both my pistol and carbine behind. I arrived at my hotel in vicinity of the range and grabbed some shut eye after a dismal drive from New Jersey across the the Washington Bridge.

I was greeted at the range on Monday morning by my friend Dave V. who handed me a gun bag that contained the carbine that I was going to use throughout the course. I opened the bag and removed a brand spanking new Colt 6920. The last time I ran a Colt gun was when I in the Regiment back in Australia so I was really excited to shoot a one again. This gun was stock out of the box with a standard trigger, pistol grip, trigger guard and M4A1 butt-stock, A2 birdcage, LMT fixed rear sight on the flat top receiver with an Aimpoint Comp M2 to finish it off.

After we knocked out the mandatory power point lessons, we headed down to the range to zero the weapons. We had a full class with 21 shooters on the line and being a basic class there was plenty of coaching required to ensure that each shooter could meet the marksmanship standards for the course of a 1" group at 25m.

After a couple of trips back and forth to check targets and make bold adjustments to the sights, I was able to sneak in a quick group of own. I loaded a magazine containing 28 rounds of 55gr Federal LE BTHP's into the well lubricated 6920 with a 16" barrel. I dropped into the prone and tested and adjusted my position to ensure I had natural point of aim and loosed off 3 rounds down range. I checked safe, called the line cold and walked down to check my handy work with the class. I checked the zero target and saw the three holes grouped up a few inches from the intended point of impact. The group was pretty decent and measured less than a inch at the extreme spread. I made some quick adjustments to the M2 Aimpoint and went back to supervising the class. Once I was happy enough that the students were in the ball park at 25m, I moved them back to 50m to confirm that each shooter was point of aim/point of impact at 50m.

I snuck in another group, this time 10 rounds from 50m. One thing I really like about the 6920 was how soft it shoots. The 55gr bullets helped out a little too! I inspected the target at saw my group. Again another pretty good group that covered about 1.75". A few more trips down to targets and we were done with zeroing and moved onto more tactical applications of employing the weapons.

I ran the gun as hard as could during the course shooting loads of multiple round drills. The 6920 performed flawlessly without any malfunctions. I used the gun to demonstrate to the students methods to clear bolt override malfunctions. I saw the look on Dave's face as I collapsed the butt-stock and began to 'mortar' it into the earth. Luckily on this day the earth was soft and sandy, and even with plenty of dust dirt and debris the Colt still ran like a charm. I didn't oil it at all over the two days nor was it cleaned.

There is certainly something to be said about quality in this game of combat shooting. I truly believe in buying high quality brand name guns and quality ammunition. This combination will give you the best performance overall. During this course there were several students shooting NY compliant guns and others using LE guns. What I noticed was that the off brand guns and parts, cheap steel cased ammo and home built guns failed more than any other. There was even a POF that continued to malfunction due to a broken lug on the barrel extension causing continuous failures to feed.

One of the students had a stainless steel 'bull' barrel that gave him all sorts of problems too. In my opinion, a cold hammer forged barrel is the only way to go if you want to attend combat shooting courses. Stainless barrels may well have there application but not for combat shooting where you need to continually run magazines through it.

Overall, I was super happy with the Colt 6920. Even with the 7" RAS II on the front I didn't have any problems managing recoil during the 6 round cadence drills. I was easily able to shoot 6 rounds in 1.5 seconds from 7m inside a 7" circle.

If your looking to purchase a quality carbine that wont let you down on your next combat shooting course, you can't go past a Colt 6920.

Take care.

"STOPPAGE" - WHAT THE MALFUNCTION IS UP!

'You may not realize it, but you are smarter than the gun!'

BACKGROUND

I have come to realize over the past few years that of the myriad 'tactical' carbine instructors that this country has to offer almost all of them teach different methods of rectifying malfunctions.

How can this be?

It seems as if there is almost 100% consensus on the topics of 'Loading, unloading and positive/press checks' - 'Ready positions' - 'Presentation time and set time' - 'Fundamentals of marksmanship' - 'Positional shooting' and pretty much every other lesson in the syllabus on a basic tactical carbine course. So why are there so many different techniques in sorting out arguably the most important part of 'running the gun'? Could it be that instructors are merely presenting or re-presenting information passed to them from previous courses of instruction most likely originating from their former Military units?

If this is true then I find it completely unacceptable. Part of the responsibility of the instructor as a Subject Matter Expert is to research and develop faster and more efficient tactics, techniques and procedures in his respective field. This is an implied task as the role of the instructor is to impart knowledge, skill and attitude to students.

Over the past four years I have worked for Blackwater as a lead instructor of firearms and tactics. I often train high level special operations units from the US Navy, Army and Air Force. With such diverse clientele, it is important to be well versed in the particular TTP's of the unit being instructed. From my experience it appears that not only are there different terminology and classifications for malfunctions across the services, each service teaches a different method of clearing them. This in itself isn't a big deal so long as the operator can effectively bring his weapon back up to a working condition within a certain timeframe in order to remain combat effective.

It would be nice to have commonality in small arms training across all services of the military. Although this seems like an impossibility due to the doctrinal ways of each service, it could be possible in the near future should the military continue to outsource for its small arms training.

In the private sector there has been literally hundreds of former service members trying their hands at making a buck off the '9-11 shooting school' boom. A few have made a name for themselves and secured a government contract or two. This is where we run into the same old problems of what service did the instructor come from? Was he a SEAL, DELTA, SF, AFSOC or Marine?

As a subject matter expert in small arms and combat marksmanship I am obligated to my students to get out to the range and train when ever I have the opportunity. I work with a diverse team of professionals that come from all facets of gunfighting. From Coalition SOF, SEALs, Army SF, Marines and Police SWAT. We are all very good friends and are all very competitive. When we get out and train we always have a shot timer and always test each other on marksmanship skills such as speed and accuracy as well as gun handling skills like reloads and malfunctions. When we train we are always looking for the best way to perform a drill or a skill. But, it can't just be fast! It has to be accurate. By accurate I don't just mean on target, I mean that if it is a technique that speeds up clearing a double feed it has to clear it 99% of the time. This is where I have issues with other instructors and 'their' drills. More on this later.

I served my country in the Army for 12 years, 6 of those years were at the highest level participating in training and operations on par with US Tier 1 assets such as CAG and DEVGRU. One thing that I have realized is that I am a better gun fighter now than I ever was back in the unit. I am much faster, more efficient and more accurate than probably anyone in my former unit. Why? Because the only thing that I concentrate on is shooting! I don't have to deploy for months at a time, or maintain currency as a paratrooper, an assault swimmer, a combat medic and so on. Now I concentrate on how to run the gun faster and more efficiently while still maintaining a combat mindset. And by that I mean I wear the same kit as the warriors that I teach. I don't shoot an AR that is designed for competitions with muzzle breaks and 2 pound triggers. Nor do I shoot a competition handgun with a modified load. I shoot the same guns as my students. A Berreta M9, a SIG 226, a Glock 17 and a Safariland 6004 leg holster. For a rifle I shoot a standard Daniel Defense M4 or an LMT. No trigger jobs or compensators and I shoot iron sights as much as possible. I wear combat fatigues the same as the students and wear heavy armor the same as the students. If you are going to teach combat marksmanship you should probably train and look like a warrior not a '3 gunner' or an IPSC champ.

On the range.

What I teach now is a bastardized mix of what I have learnt over the past 17 years as a combat decorated Commando and SAS warrior turned private security and military small arms instructor with Blackwater. In over a decade in Special Operations I had never heard of terminology such as 'Tap Rack Bang' or 'SPORTS' or 'type 1 and type 2' or 'Immediate Action and Remedial Action' as names or methods used to clear malfunctions until I began training US personnel. I find this really strange too as everyone uses the same weapons platform in the AR.

Australian Special Operations have been using the AR platform ever since it first showed up in Vietnam. My fore-fathers carried versions of the M16 and CAR 15 during operations along with the MAC-V and LRRP during the late 60's. So 'we' have as long a heritage with the AR as the US does.

SASR Vietnam.

Having said that, Australian SOF has simplified correcting malfunctions over the years and simply put when the weapon fires then stops, you carry out the IA - Immediate Action drill. The IA for the M4 is 'Tilt Look.' Tilt the rifle over to the left and observe the ejection port opening. After inspecting the ejection port you can determine what the problem is.

If the bolt is forward - Tap the magazine and charge the weapon. Reacquire sights and reengage if required. If a round is ejected the operator should take mental note as this is an indicator of the cause of the malfunction.

'Weapon fires, weapon stops!' - 'Carry out the IA'

'TILT LOOK'

'Bolt fully forward'

Here is where you have to be smarter than the gun! After leaving the regiment and taking up a career as a tactical small arms instructor I have adapted a different approach to malfunctions. The first thing I want to know is where the bolt is. In this example the gun lets you know exactly where it is because the last thing that the gun did was go 'CLICK'.

What does 'click' mean?

It means that the bolt is fully forward and in battery. The weapon is working just fine, it just didn't go 'BANG'!

This can only mean that there is either a bad round in the chamber or no round in the chamber and quite frankly I don't care which it is!

If I know that the bolt is fully forward I don't have to waste time at 'Tilt Look'. If I tilt look I see the bolt is in battery.

The Jason Falla Immediate Action drill for a gun that goes click is - 'Tap-Tug, Rack, Re-acquire'. However, I will throw in a caveat and that is that during combat operations it may be difficult to hear/feel the click. If this occurs I recommend the default setting of 'Tilt Look'.

If the weapon fires and then stops but doesn't go 'click' then the bolt must be out of battery. This is confirmed by a dead trigger. In order to identify what malfunction has occurred you must 'Tilt Look'. The good thing about tilt look in this case is that the gun has let you in. You can now see inside the weapon and select the right drill to rectify the stoppage. It may be difficult to determine an empty magazine from a double feed during heavy combat operations. Therefore tilt look is the order of the day.

'Weapon fires, weapon stops. Carry out the IA.'

'TILT LOOK'

'Double Feed'

The Jason Falla method of rectifying a double feed.

1. Lock the bolt to the rear.

2. Remove the magazine.

3. Bring the weapon to the work station and inspect the chamber.

4. If the chamber is clear place the magazine back on the weapon.

5. Release the bolt.

6. Continue firing as required.

I'm a big proponent of retaining the magazine rather than dumping on the ground for several reasons.

1. We never under any circumstances take bad magazines on operations. All magazines are to be test fired prior to heading out to ensure proper feeding. So it won't be a magazine issue unless your using standard GI magazines and haven't downloaded the rounds for some time. You will know that the spring has failed when you look at the magazine while inspecting the chamber. If you see the spring has collapsed and rounds just floating in the mag, dump it for a fresh one.

2. Special Operations operators are carrying less magazines on target than ever before. Some units SOP is to only carry 4 mags. (Statistically it's likely that a DGI M4 will malfunction after 68 rounds fired according to military test figures.) So if I dump two mags after two stoppages, potentially I could be loosing up to 50% of my front line ammo. A big reason why these units turned to the HK 416 with its piston operating system.

3. I don't want to leave ammo on the battlefield for the enemy to acquire to use against me or anyone else if I can help it.

So what happens at night when I can't see into the chamber area to see if it is clear? At night the double feed drill should be modified to include a compulsory three racks of the bolt. This extends the time of the drill but gives the shooter a 98% solution. If after completing this drill you find yourself back in double feed mode there will most certainly be bigger problems. Such as a broken extractor, or the rim torn from the case.

If your mission is being conducted in a permissive setting such as LE SWAT or other domestic CT units, dumping the mag may be acceptable. If however you are operating in a non-permissive environment then I would hazard against dumping magazines and ammo on the deck.

I refer back to my original statement that you should be smarter than the gun and also smarter than basic drills! It may seem like I teach complex malfunction drills. But the more proficient you become with the rifle the less complex they become. There is no point in having a student with a double feed, tap and rack! I have seen this technique taught for double feeds. Tap rack does nothing but waste time!

I will be covering bolt overrides on my next post. So check it out if your not 100% with clearing them.

Most people spend minimal time on the range performing malfunction drills and shows during range practice and stress courses. So take the time to get out there and square away your stoppage drills.

Take care.

Short range ballistics and the 200 Meter Combat Zero

'The 200 meter zero is a fire and forget system for the combat rifle between 0 - 250 meters.'

This is a very interesting subject and one that I get a lot of questions about.

What is the best distance to zero a combat rifle? To me a combat rifle is a rifle/carbine that is issued as a standard service weapon. In todays military in the US this would be either the M16 A4 or an M4 Carbine. Both are chambered in 5.56mm. The real difference in the two is the overall length and more importantly the length of the barrel. The M16 A4 comes standard with an 20" barrel and the M4 comes with a 14.5" barrel. The length of the barrel will directly effect effective range and accuracy. However, accuracy at long ranges is based more on the ability of the shooter than 5.5 inches of barrel length.

Ammunition selection is critical also for a couple of reasons. Reliability and performance. Military ammunition may not give you the performance of a match round for competitions but it will give you the most reliability during cycling on the battlefield. This is seen to be more important than performance for the Military.

Most manufactures of Military grade service weapons test their products using Milspec ammunition. The most common test rounds include but are not limited to M193 55gr ball, M855 62gr 'green tip' and Mk 262 77gr long range ammunition. Each one of these rounds perform differently in terms of ballistics.

In short M193 is more accurate than m855 but lacks the penetration. Mk 262 is more accurate over longer distances than M193 but again lacks the penetration capability of green tip.

Green tip was originally designed by the Belgians and designated at the time the SS 109. The projectile was designed to pierce Soviet Body Armor at 200m and through one side of a steel helmet at 600m in line with the specifications of an LMG (light Machine Gun). This was in preparation for a possible war with the former Soviet Union.

In order for the projectile to perform this task it needed to be stabilized for longer. This means make the projectile spin faster. So the twist rate of the M16 had to change from its original 1:12 of the Vietnam era or 1:14 from Stoners original design to 1:7 twist rate of the M16 A2 adopted by the Marine Corps and Army in 1982.

The performance of green tip ammunition is almost irrelevant on the modern battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our enemy is not technologically advanced by todays standards and is made up of militia members rather than enlisted men and unlike most first world militaries does not issue body armor to its soldiers. Therefore the M855 'penetrator' round is relegated to punching through mediums such as heavy cover like cinder block walls and vehicles.

When green tip strikes our enemy it penetrates 10-15 inches before it yaws, and separates into three pieces. The tip, core and sheath, creating three separate wound channels and thus incapacitating him. Unfortunately, the chest walls of our enemy are between 8-10 inches thick and green tip has exited before it can separate. When this occurs we generally see .22 calibre through and through wound ballistics that may not kill the enemy.

Mk 262 77 grain long range ammunition was designed to fill the ballistic gap of 5.56 and 7.62. It was specially made for Special Operations teams to use with their SPR rifles. After its successful incorporation into the SOF inventory Mk 262 became a heavy duty work horse for special operators throughout the Middle East.

The M 193 55 grain ball ammunition has a full copper alloy jacket and an antimony alloy core. M 193 is a light weight round that is generally used against personnel and unarmored targets. M 193 ball is a good training round that is extremely accurate over short ranges however it lacks the punch of 62 grain green tip.

When the question "What range do you recommend to zero a carbine?" comes up. I hear nearly every instructor say something like, "Well, what country are you deploying to, Afghanistan or Iraq?" And back it up by saying that if your going to Iraq you should have a 100m zero because of the combat ranges there. And a 300 meter zero for Afghanistan because of the extended ranges.

Well I call bullshit on all accounts.

In combat there isn't one specific range for shooting bad guys either in Afghanistan or Iraq. What is important is that you have a zero that best covers the ballistic profile of the projectile being fired.

This is why I advocate the 200 meter zero. A 200 meter zero is like a fire and forget system for the combat rifle from ranges between 0 - 250 meters.

When you zero your rifle for 200 meters you can either use a reduced target and shoot at 25 meters or shoot Point Of Aim/Point Of Impact at 50m. If you zero at 25, always confirm POA/POI at 50m as there will always be discrepancies when zeroing on a reduced target. A good shooter should be able to hold a 1" group at 25 meters with an inservice M4. (This is consistent with Military Specifications of the weapon being a 4" gun or holds a 4 inch group at 100m. A service rifle should hold a 2 MOA group and service ammunition should hold a 2 MOA group hence the 4 inch group.)

At 25 meter the projectile will be approximately 1" low and be POA?POI at 50 meters. At 100 meters, the projectile is traveling on its upward flight path and should be around 2 inches high at its culminating point and will intersect POA/POI at 200 meters. At 250 meters the projectile will be approximately 6 inches low of the POA and approximately 10 inches low at 300 meters. What this means to the operator is that he doesn't need to worry about 'hold overs' or 'hold unders' at all at any range between 0 - 250 meters based on the percentage of the target seen.

With a 100 meter zero the projectile will be in the parallax zone until about 87 meters then fly pretty straight through 100m which is its culminating point. At 200 meters the projectile will be approximately 6 inches low and 18 inches low at 300 meters.

The BZO sees the projectile intersect the POA? POI at 25 meters then fly's high, up to 10 inches at 150 meters which is it's culminating point. It then drops to intersect the POA/POI at 300 meters. The biggest issue with this zero is that the marksmanship standard in the Army for example is 1.5 inches at 25 meters. This extrapolates to a 6 inch group at 100 meters and 9 inches at 150 meters.

If a soldier puts his Aimpoint red dot onto a target at 150m with a rifle with a BZO his POI will be 19 inches higher than his POA less any shooter error.

This is one reason why our Military personnel are not killing enough bad guys!

An interesting fact to note is that m855 is not lethal beyond 200 meters and needs to be traveling at about 2700 f/p to be effective. This limits the effectiveness of SBRs in combat engagements beyond 100 meters and where shot placement becomes critical.

Stay safe

Instructional Technique - Beware of Phonies!

During my time in the Australian Army I had the opportunity to receive some of the best training in the world. From CQB and hostage rescue to using long range patrol vehicles behind enemy lines. A very unique experience. One thing that remained common among the diverse training courses was the ability of the instructional cadre to provide very clear and concise instruction taught in a method that is easy to understand and quick to learn but most importantly that it made sense!

This is a very important and vital part of the instructional technique. To become an instructor in the Australian Army, the soldier must attend an eight week initial course that qualifies him in all facets of instruction including parade ground drill, theory lessons, equipment lessons and weapons lessons. During this course it is continuously stressed to the student the importance of a step by step approach to learning and progressional learning with the use of tests of objectives by way of practical skills, oral Q & A or a written test. These tests are imperative as they quantify the new learning.

As a rule after the preliminary administration has been conducted, each lesson should begin with an introduction. The introduction should consist of what the students will be taught, the reason why the students need to know it and what the students must know by the end of the lesson. After the introduction is concluded the main body should be taught. This the guts of the lesson. A basic method of instruction is to use the abbreviation of EDI, or Explanation, Demonstration, Imitation. The instructor explains what is required. It is important at this time not to demonstrate during the explanation! This is very difficult for instructors. If there is a lot of information to be delivered like for example during the 'Strip and Assemble of the M4' then the instructor should explain one aspect then demonstrate it. This will keep the students focused on the task at hand and are not bombarded by loads of information at one time.

If the skill to be learnt is a physical skill such as with Drill. A complete demonstration should be performed by the instructor prior to teaching the main body. This will allow the students to see what is to be learnt in its entirety.

There should also be an adequate amount of time allocated for either individual or group practice of the skill. This is the 'Imitation' It allows the instructor to individually critique the performance of the students during the learning phase.

The lesson should conclude with the 'Conclusion'. This should consist of a test of elementary objectives. A reiteration of what was being taught and the reason why it is important to learn it. A quick overview if the performance of the students during the lesson then a preview of the next lesson on the syllabus with which instructor and what location.

Don't forget the dismissal, which may include a final clearance of weapons if required.

For more information on instructional technique or if your interested in attending a formal 'Method Of Instruction' course, please email me.

Take care and stay safe.