Use Promo code tacr5 for a 5% discount! Check them out at: https://www.tractoptics.com Most of my military career was around sniper rifles. I have a passion for being able to “see” (understand) the ballistics of my bullets, and consider it a “God given Talent.” Some may just consider that being able to do math in my head fast or being able to follow calculation directions from sniper school fast. However, it flows through my veins and I truly live for hitting tactical targets at extended distances under adverse conditions. Day or night, moving or hidden, on the assault countdown; effective precision fire delivered for the Ground Force Commander, guaranteed.

So, here at Tactical Rifleman, I’m passionate about doing my tactical precision rifle stuff and showing the top-end rifles and optics. However, many of our viewers has expressed in comments (I read them all) that I “greatly overestimate the expendable income of most of our viewers,” and I should also cover great “low-priced” scopes. OK, that’s fair. Let’s clear up one thing first; military guys (even retired E-9s) didn’t join the military to make money. Some vets do better than others, but most are content to be normal middle class citizens. A few are upper class and, unfortunately, more than some are lower class (and too proud to ride the system). Why am I bringing this up? Well, because special forces guys LOVE the great gear we use/used in the military, but couldn’t afford to own. So, we would always hunt around for the “Best” low-end equivalent, so we could have our own gear at home. So, viewer requests for us to hunt for cheaper gear is NOT new for us… We have been doing it our whole career.

That brings us to this video. I’ve been hunting for a new low price-end precision rifle scope to share with viewers. Everyone knows about the great Vortex scopes and a few other brands, that you can see at every precision rifle match across the States. However, I hadn’t seen much about this new company called TRACT Optics. The company is a couple of guys that left Nikon, and wanted to start their own company with a little different business model… high quality sold directly to the consumers (no dealers) to save the consumer money… or something like that. I’m not trying to put words in their mouths, as I won't let them put words in mine.

The Toric MRad is a solid scope so far. I’ve been running it for around 6 or 7 months, only on a 308 rifle. They say it will take .338 LapMag recoil. Hopefully it will, but I have no experience with that yet. I’m hoping to get another .338 (looking for a semi-auto), and will then put this scope through the paces there.

Glass on this puppy is top notch, which is more important than hunters think. Turrets are better than many high-end designs. I actually prefer the turrets on this TRACT Toric over my Schmidt & Bender, and those are great turrets too. It’s first focal-plane; which is a MUST, if you are running any kind of hash-marked reticle (MIL or BDC).

Anyways, I cover all the details in the video. Sorry it is so long, but I wanted everyone to understand that what makes a scope great is not that it “looks cool” or you can dial it up to “Eighty Power.” Rather, it is the small details that makes a $2,000 scope worth more than a $200 scope. Either you need it or you don’t. Either you can afford it or you can’t. Yes, I love a few of the $3k out on the market right now. However, my daughter’s college isn’t going to pay itself. So, next step down (without getting a $200 airsoft scope) in optics is still pricey. You’re looking at spending over $1k for a few great scopes out there, with all the great features, just not MilSpec. If you are looking for a new Precision Rifle Scope, without breaking the bank; please take a look at the TRACT Optics line; specifically, this Toric MRad. This puppy has impressed the hell out of me.

Thanks for watching, Strength & Honor. TR

You best believe that cover from incoming gun fire will be your best friend in that moment. Having a solid obstacle between you and a would be killer is a blessing in itself, but knowing how to properly use that cover is just as important. Think about this. If someone is trying to kill you with a gun and you happen to find yourself a nice piece of wall to hunker behind, how long can you just lay low back there? If you can’t effectively bring the fight back to the killer by having a good shooting position, what is keeping them from maneuvering closer to you so that they can effectively end your life? You hear me (Zee) say that the rifle is really your best source of cover. This is what I mean. The wall keeps you safe temporarily but with no resistance otherwise, the bad guys can potentially close with you and negate whatever safety the wall provides. In short, GET YOUR GUN UP AND INTO THE FIGHT EFFECTIVELY, despite the quality of cover you have even. As long as you have a reliable gun and the bullets to feed it, you have a source of cover (cover fire). Now, I said you have a “source of cover”, but can you properly use it? That is where the training comes in. WHAT ARE YOU CAPABLE OF? Let’s figure out our limitations. Hit up the TACTICAL RIFLEMAN website to find some training courses and come train with myself, Karl, and the rest of the crew. Be a capable citizen, not a liability.

The plan was to do this video talking about my favorite 3 items that I always keep in my bag. I thought about doing this video like our series of “survival gear” video, that Randy “Rawhide” Wurst did, and just just point to the bag and say “I’m not gonna get into it.”... Yep, that would have pissed everyone off, as there are a lot of viewers that want to know EVERYTHING that I carry, down to what I keep in my pockets and hidden in my belt (different video). So, I broke down and decided to show everything (within reason) that I keep in my “Woods” bag. This is literally what I carry. When the film crew showed up, they saw it laying there in my office, and asked why we had not done a video on it yet. I had just done a hike through “Garden of Gods” in Illinoi, and it was still packed. All I had to add back to it was my “Woobie,” as I had it out on the couch. Here’s a few notes for your bag. If you make it too heavy, you wont carry it. Better to stay really light, as you are more likely to take it with you. Food/Water/Shelter/Fire/Med/Como; but not in that order Have a knife: I carry a Leatherman Surge in the woods https://amzn.to/2S2acra Fire: 2 is 1, and 1 is none. Plus, Fire can signal, cook food, purify water, warm shelter. Como: If you are going off grid; but a Sat Phone. Phone: Put the “Smart” in Smartphone. Have good apps, like Gaia GPS and Life360 My Mountain Serape is hands down my favorite piece of gear in the woods. Hill People Gear makes it, http://bit.ly/2QWoc5z code "tacrifle5" for a 5% discount Water: If you aren’t in the habit of bringing water with you everywhere, don’t go outside. Ever. Medical: Think Trauma, think cuts & bruises, think multi-use items. Mobility: That’s YOU!!! Stay in shape. Wear good comfortable foot gear. Layer your clothes. Bring extra socks, to keep your feet dry. I hope you enjoy the video, as a small glimpse into my life. Yes, I enjoy hiking. No, I don’t always walk around with a sniper rifle in my hands. I’m actually looking forward to the comments about what gear our viewers would prefer. Thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR

Special “Thanks” to all our Patrons, whos financial support was used to build these walls and purchase expendables and ballistic gel for this video. One of our favorite videos (and most commented) was Karl’s “Best Weapon for Home Defense.” Who would have figured that Karl would pick a rifle? Go Figure. Many of the controversial comments were around the topic of “over-penetration” of walls. There are lots of opinions on the subject, but very little actual data. So, rather than argue back & forth, we decided to do another video focused on the penetration of various walls with various firearms. Great idea for a video, but once we started staffing this, we realized that it was going to take too long and cost too much. Karl hates the word “Can’t” and we made the decision that if we were going to invest a lot of time and money into making a video, then we better go all out and make it a standard that will stand for a while. Which walls to build? Drywall interior wall and Cinder Block were both “No brainers.” We then added the exterior walls of common American homes, both Red Brick and Vinyl/Wood sided. We then noticed that many apartment buildings in “older/classic/historical” areas were using cinder block with red brick on the outside, to make it look “older.” This added another layer of protection; so let’s test that too. Finally, there are hundreds of thousands of Trail/Mobile Homes here in the US. So, we got permission to cut a wall out of a trailer home. That was kinda weird, with the dirty looks the neighbors were giving us. What guns to use? Rifle, pistol, shotgun is obvious; but what types of rounds? We decided to stick with military 9mm ball, instead of the various hollow points, as the ball would penetrate more. We also shot it out of a SIG MPX. The longer barrel allows the pistol caliber round to fully speed up before exiting the barrel. We did this because we didn’t want Ninjas coming back saying that their Glock/SIG/Colt shot faster than our “test pistol” and therefore our findings were invalid. Yes, a 44 Magnum would possibly penetrate more, and a .45ACP would penetrate less. Who the hell is using a .44 Magnum anymore? Dirty Harry? For Shotgun, we went with a common home defense length Remington 870. We then used common 7 ½ Birdshot, common 00 Buckshot, and common 1 ounce Slugs. Yes, “Flight Control” buckshot groups tighter and “Turkey Storm” hits harder; but both are not common home defense rounds and also they would both have little effect on our test. For the rifle, we went with the most common 5.56mm round available in the US; the 55 grain full metal jacket. Yes, AK or 300blk would hit harder. Yes, “Green Tip” would penetrate better. On and on, there are hundreds of variables on loads. So, again, we stuck with the most common. To measure energy after penetration, we used ballistic gelatin blocks, purchased from Clear Ballistics. This is really cool stuff. It’s reusable, once you melt it down. It reacts the same as the standard “FBI” gel that we have used in past videos. So, results are uniform. We hope that you enjoy the video. We will be making more videos along these lines. Again, we couldn’t do this without the support of our Patrons. If you want to help support Tactical Rifleman, subscribe to our channel. If you want to do more; for the cost of a cup of Starbucks, you can support us on our Patreon/Tacticalrifleman. Lots of cool bonus content there, like monthly “war stories” and other perks. Strength & Honor, TR

This is a Holiday Gift Guide to help those poor souls who don’t know what to buy. These are just Karl’s personal recommendations. We have NOT been pressured or paid from ANY brand to add their product. We only covered 12 items in the video, for time restraint reasons, but there is a larger list below. From cheap to expensive; there is a gift there that will fit everyone’s needs or desires. Sorry, but we could not get promo codes for all items. We tried. Strength & Honor, TR (All amazon links are affiliate links) 1- Leatherman Wave : https://amzn.to/2Kk4o9T 2- EOTech with Green Reticle eotechgear.com Use code: TR10 For 10% off all items in the Gear Store (apparel, sights, etc.). It's valid for one use per customer. Amazon Link: https://amzn.to/2DQdivv 3- Survivor Filter https://amzn.to/2DAcoSX 4- MGM Plate Rack in a Bucket : http://bit.ly/2DOiArc Promo Code: Unbreakable550 for 25% off most of their catalog until the end of the year 5- Glock E-Tool https://amzn.to/2DPR6BE 6- Lancer Mags: We can’t put a link to Lancers website because of youtube rules but google them and use promo code "TacR15” for 15% off! This code will be good until 1/15/19 7- Hill People Gear Mountain Sherape http://bit.ly/2QWoc5z code "tacrifle5" for a 5% discount 8- Leatherback Gear Bullet Proof Bag http://bit.ly/2PDl1mV Promo Code: TACR10. 9- Tract Optics Toric MRad http://bit.ly/2Dw2OjI Use the code TACR5 for a 5% discount 10- FACT Duty Pistol Camera http://bit.ly/2DwMU90 Promo code: TACR25 11- Taser Pulse Promo Code TASERxTacR15 to get 15%off 12- Tactical Rifleman Hoodie shop.spreadshirt.com/Tacticalrifleman Other Items: walker silencer bluetooth rechargeable Ear Plugs : https://amzn.to/2DQqrER Big Berkey Water Filter : https://amzn.to/2BkGCHY Work Sharp Guided Field Sharpener : https://amzn.to/2FsQ682 Leatherman Surge : https://amzn.to/2S2acra Snugpak Stasha : https://amzn.to/2DxPqvy Petzl E-Lite Head Lamp : https://amzn.to/2KjoaCo Arc’teryx Knee Pads : https://amzn.to/2FzbE2W AK Sight Tool : https://amzn.to/2OTr2GP Celox Rapid 3"x5ft Z Fold Gauze : https://amzn.to/2DwkFXY H+H Med Gauze : https://amzn.to/2PFTG3f VTac Targets : https://amzn.to/2zkhEXD 9mm Dummy Rounds : https://amzn.to/2PK17Xh 5.56mm Rifle Dummy Rounds : https://amzn.to/2Tvu1IQ Fero Rods : https://amzn.to/2OVnLGP Karl’s Book List : https://amzn.to/2Bm2zGx Radiation Detector / Geiger Counter : https://amzn.to/2S5mM9b Safariland ALS Holster : https://amzn.to/2OUqqk2 100ft Spectra Line : https://amzn.to/2DzMC0R Trijicon HD Pistol Night Sights : https://amzn.to/2DAdzlm Scope Level : https://amzn.to/2BkIsbU Salomon Forces XA Pro 3D Shoes https://amzn.to/2DOBRJ6 Salomon Men's Speedcross 4 Trail Runner https://amzn.to/2DybSom American Red Cross Clipray crank-powered, clip-on flashlight and smartphone charger https://amzn.to/2DQ4C8m Karl’s Car Kit : https://amzn.to/2OTspVZ InForce WML IR Gen2 LED Weapon Mounted Tactical Rail Light https://amzn.to/2S2uDV6 SureFire X300 Ultra Series LED WeaponLights with TIR Lens https://amzn.to/2S5nCTn Streamlight 69420 TLR-7 Low Profile Rail Mounted Tactical Light https://amzn.to/2DwqVPr Mechanix Wear MPT-72-010 Gloves https://amzn.to/2TtA8NZ Blast Match Fire Starter https://amzn.to/2qVehBR

Frangible Ammo was used to film this video. This week, on Tactical Rifleman, we are going to cover Karl’s Top 5 Advanced Drills for CQB Shooting. Yes, there are hundreds of great drills out there. However, first and foremost, new shooters need to develop muscle memory. That takes thousands (7-9k) of repetitions of the same CORRECT movements and actions. That brought Karl to film our first video in this series: “Top-5 Combat Drills”, which was his favorite rifle drills for new shooters. When training to shoot, at CQB distances, it is literally all about repetitions. You’ll see that each of these drills builds on the drill(s) before it; so that you are continuing to push those said movements and actions into your subconscious mind. It’s like driving… the first few months, you had to think about brakes and turn signals. Now, you just drive subconsciously. That frees up the conscious mind to focus on signs, signals, and other drivers. Likewise, you need to push all these basic shooting skills into your subconscious mind. That frees up the conscious mind to focus on “Is it a Threat” and “Is it a Threat that warrants Deadly Force?” Master these basic drills, through lots of repetition of each. If your unit doesn’t have that much ammo, then start with dry firing, and wrap up with live fire. Once, you have mastered them, then add all your critical skills to these drills: Add Transition to Pistol Drills, every time your rifle runs dry or malfunctions Add Tactical & Speed Reloads Add Turning & Moving Drills, to these drills Use Dummy Rounds, to induce Malfunctions during these drills. That’s what this second video is all about. There’s nothing fancy. There’s no “Crazy” shooting from vehicles or hanging from rappel rope. These Advanced Drills are just the same Basic drills, but with short magazines and dummy rounds added in. All of your turning and movement drills, should still be including these same basic drills to allow your subconscious mind to continue to keep sharp. When you are ready to test; use the timed Critical Task Evaluations (CTEs) to see if you make the standard. If you don’t know them, you can find them all in our video archive. These are the same tests used by most SOF units. While the distances and times may vary from unit to unit, the standards are roughly the same. Again, we know there are tons of other great rifle drills out there. I know all the Internet Ninjas are gonna start screaming how “Their Drill is Better” or how we “Obviously don’t know how to Shoot.” Yep, you guys are awesome. However, these are still Karl’s Top-5 Advanced Shooting Drills for CQB. Thanks for watching. Strength & Honor, TR.

If you’ve seen the news over the last few years, Officer Involved Shootings (OICs) seem to grab headlines more often than not. A lot of times everyone is focused on the Body Cam footage, and what it shows. And as we’ve seen all too often, that Body Cam footage doesn’t help us because it’s blocked or for some other reason doesn’t capture the reason the officer pulled the trigger. This has caused quite a bit of public outcry and even violence in many of our communities. Viridian Weapon Technologies has a product out now to change that. The FACT Duty is a camera that mounts on the end of an officer’s firearm, comes on automatically when the gun is drawn from the holster, records in 1080 DP and full HD audio and provides an unobstructed view of what the officer sees. But don’t worry, it’s not just for LE. They have a consumer version out now great for many uses. We’ll get to that in a bit. As you’ll see in the video, I ran the FACT Duty on the range and break down some of my thoughts. For LEOs, this just makes sense. It fits almost all duty holsters and doesn’t require you to get new gear, retrain or otherwise drastically change your approach to drawing your weapon. The camera’s video is top notch and can also be used as a great training tool. At the end of the day, Viridian doesn’t say this is a replacement for Body Cams. They say it can be a supplement for larger departments and a nice substitute that doesn’t break the city bank for smaller cities/towns/forces. What keeps the price down is the manageable amount of data. Body cams can record several hours of footage a day—from each officer! Think about how much that ends up. Now you have to manage that, keep it and/or provide it to someone when the ask for it. The FACT Duty cameras were designed to capture OISs—and that’s it. And most departments want to (or should want to) know why the officer pulled the trigger. And communities do too. Hopefully with this product, if there is a shooting, everyone knows what really happened. After saying all that, let’s transition to the consumer version. For you civilians out there, Viridian has a version for you. It can be turned on and off manually, is easy to get the videos transferred/viewed and is great for hunting, shooting at the range or for legally-armed citizens who want a back up plan in case they ever have to use their weapon in a defensive situation. Viridian has two options—one that is a camera and a light ($399), and one that is a camera, light and laser ($599). Each has its place and I think both can be popular. Think about how cool it would be to film your next action pistol match? Or range session? For legally armed citizens, it can also be evidence to use in court after self defense incident. For a learning tool, I love it. I will run it in my classes, and I think having it on people’s guns will be really telling (and maybe embarrassing for a few)—but very valuable! We have a lot of guys and gals who come in to our classes who can flat out shoot. A few say they can—but the paper and/or steel doesn’t lie. But now with these cameras, I can see what part of the process is the problem and fix it! If you’re not doing it right at the range, you don’t have a chance in hell of doing it right when someone is trying to kill you and/or your family. Believe me, I know. Viridian has created a completely new category for LE and it is great for civilians too. I hope you enjoy the video and get a chance to put one on the end of your gun soon. If you want a Weapon-Mounted Camera, or any other Viridian product, they are going to hook up Tactical Rifleman viewers. Use this promo code below: TACR25 to save 25% off all their products on their website https://viridianweapontech.com . Thanks for watching. Strength and Honor, TR.

Everyone wants “Advanced” shooting drills and they want to be the best. What makes our Special Ops guys “The Best” is that they have mastered the basics. Sounds easy but it is not. Mastering the Basics takes extreme dedication and lots of repetition. Once you have mastered the basics, the subconscious mind will take care of the marksmanship; which frees up the conscious mind to focus on “Is it a Threat? Is it Not a Threat? Is it a Threat that warrants Deadly Force?” So this week’s video, I asked Coach to give us a simple drill for “New Pistol Shooters.” Coach is a walking library of great shooting information and a gifted teacher. Nobody likes missing. This is a simple drill to get your new shooters hits on steel. Once they get more experienced, they’ll quit crushing the gun, and they’ll quit missing “Low Left.” Then, they can start aiming center again. Great technique for raising scores on tests and during competition. Coach’s technique is about “Outthinking the opponents.” Fight with what you have and make the most of it. Thanks again to Coach Jimmerson for taking the time to train the Texas A&M Cadets. These are the future leaders of our military, and they are light-years ahead of the rest of their generation. Coach is truly a great friend and a valuable asset to the Tactical Rifleman team. If you are interested in taking classes with Coach or any other member of the Tactical Rifleman team; you can check out our course schedule at Tacticalrifleman.com or contact us there to schedule custom courses. Thanks for watching. Strength and Honor, TR.