Speed Reloads vs Tactical Reloads: What Each One Is Actually For
There are two reloads worth knowing, they solve two completely different problems, and most of the confusion I see comes from students trying to use one when they need the other.
Dry Fire Practice: The Cheapest Way To Get Better Between Range Days
Ammo costs money. Range time costs money and drive time. Dry fire costs neither — and rep for rep, it builds more of the skills that actually matter than most live-fire range sessions do.…
New Red Dot? Here’s How To Actually Zero It
Red dots have become the default choice for a lot of students walking into Private Lessons lately, and for good reason — a good dot is faster to acquire than irons for most shooters…
What Actually Happens During Security Level 3 Qualification
I get some version of this question before almost every Level 2/3 class: “What am I actually walking into?” Fair question — this isn’t a 90-minute pistol lesson, it’s a two-day commitment, and most…
5 Things To Bring (And Not Bring) To Your First Pistol Lesson
Almost every first-time student asks me some version of “what do I actually need to bring?” the day before their lesson. It’s a good question, and the honest answer is: less than you think.…
Why You Should Still Get Your Texas LTC — Even With Permitless Carry
I hear this question constantly: “Texas has permitless carry now — why would I still pay for and take an LTC course?” It’s a fair question, and the honest answer is that permitless carry…
TWO REASONS WHY I ALWAYS HAVE A GUN
Two shootings, two very different outcomes. After the better part of thirty years in the 2nd Amendment world, I think it comes down to responsibility and self-control — and that is exactly why I carry.
COOPERS COLOR CODES OF AWARENESS
Jeff Cooper’s four mental states — White, Yellow, Orange and Red — remain the clearest framework for situational awareness anyone has written down. Here is what each one means and how to move between them.
FIREARMS PRACTICE ON PRIVATE LAND
A repost from my mentor Tom Givens of Rangemaster. Texas has plenty of open land and plenty of people shooting on it — this covers the backstop and safe-direction questions most informal ranges get wrong.
Ballistic Gel Test part 2
Part two: the myths. Slow-motion gel videos are fascinating and frequently misleading. What those tests can genuinely tell you about your carry ammunition — and what they cannot.